KCRag Forum

As high rents continue to squeeze artists in areas such as the Crossroads Arts District, an historic Independence enclave aims to establish itself as an affordable arts magnet.

Englewood Arts, a nonprofit organization launched in August, recently purchased the former Comprehensive Mental Health Services building at 10901 East Winner Road in Independence. Now renamed the Englewood Arts Center, the three-story building looks out on the historic Englewood Station Arts District.
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Plans for the new Englewood Arts Center include glass blowing, painting, murals, ceramics, wood, neon, performing arts and culinary arts. Englewood Arts hopes to open portions of the new arts center before the end of this year. The organization has launched a campaign to raise $2 million to renovate and equip the building and create a reserve fund for three years of operations, Baxley said.
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Meantime, Short would like to see Englewood Arts eventually acquire the old Englewood Theatre.

“A lot of people who grew up in this area went to the Englewood Theatre,” he said. “We would like to have some of the older films come back. Probably some art-related films. We want to put a stage back in, so there can be some performing arts there. We’d like to upgrade it.”
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