Spare a Few Bucks for the Spareroom

By Justin Sondak in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 8, 2006 8:37PM

When its lease expires, the Spareroom arts cooperative will pack up the moving trucks and ship out to some exotic new locale. They don’t yet know where, but the collective in charge is bound to make nice with a new landlord amenable to artists collaborating and developing ideas on the cheap: space rental costs a mere $4 to $7.50/hour. The Spareroom serves those talented, driven, young (and youngish) artists and performers lacking the cash or the profile to rent their own studio. Members rent space for 4 months or a year at a time, sometimes utilizing opportunities to collaborate on projects and participate in co-op style governance.

So what do you do when a nagging sense of insecurity about your next home threatens your indie cred? Throw a party, of course. Friday night, Spareroom members show us what they’ve been up to at their West Bucktown space. Fairgrounds transforms a Logan Square art space into a carnival, which we suppose turns the performers into clowns, freaks, or pageant winners. Take your pick.

Featured performers include 3 Card Molly (pictured, left), previewing mankind’s alternative future in “The Other After,” an education on hypnagogia by theatrical magician David London, and a piece by CTA performance ‘celebrities’ Subtext Dance. Artist-members will be auctioning off their crafty wares, silently, amid burlesque, dance and interactive type performances. Proceeds will support the bright but uncertain future of a unique Chicago space.

The Fairgrounds benefit for the Spareroom is at the Elastic Arts Foundation, 2830 N Milwaukee Ave, Friday night, 7-11pm. Admission is $10 at the door. More information at the Spareroom website.

Image via Spareroom