Artists fight to save studio in old elementary school

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (WOIO) – “This is an installation by local artist Dana Depew,” explained ARTFUL Cleveland’s Shannon Morris as she walked through the PEACE Coventry campus building. “And they’re ready to go to a new location because now we have to be out by January 31st.”

The former Coventry Primary School has been transformed into a studio complex for artists – the Coventry PEACE Campus.

“We renovated this lobby so we have rotating art exhibits,” Morris said. “So many people come who have never been to an art gallery.”

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library Board of Trustees bought the building from the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District in 2018, and the library estimates they have since spent nearly half a million dollars on maintenance not paid for by tenants. And the building requires renovation.

“They estimate two point eighty million dollars,” Deborah Herrmann, the library’s chief financial officer, told the Cleveland Heights City Council at its Oct. 8 ad hoc committee of the whole meeting.

“The library has invested a lot of money and taxpayer dollars into this building, which is not open to the public and is run by private organizations,” Herrmann said.

But the Cleveland Heights City Council supports the artists.

“I encourage all of my fellow board members to join me in supporting campus PEACE efforts,” said board member Craig Cobb at the Oct. 7 board meeting.

“Everyone knows this is part of the community and it enriches the community,” Morris said. “Having a building here empty doesn’t benefit anyone.”

“If they had a ‘we’re going to do this,’ it would make more sense,” Morris continued. “But it doesn’t make any sense now, so it’s very difficult for me to accept it.”

Board Chair Nancy Levine said the board wants to take some time to decide what to do with the building. If they repurpose it, they’ll need to vacate it for renovations. She also says that they can tear it down as well.

“We have thirty-four artists who will need a new home in the near future,” Morris said. “My heart is breaking. This is true.”

Nine of the twelve tenants on the PEACE campus must vacate by January 31, and the remaining three will have their leases reduced.