Since 1997, PushPush Arts has made space for artists of all disciplines to find their own voices and discover their own paths. And now the group’s leaders are working with multiple partners in College Park and the south metro city itself to create an arts cooperative with affordable housing and studio space for artists in its downtown, where PushPush moved in 2019.
Located near the city’s MARTA station and the Hotel Indigo downtown, the College Park Arts Campus is redesigning a group of adjacent church buildings to create a mixed-use development intended to foster an artistic community.
The undertaking, conceived by First United Methodist Church of College Park, is multi-phased and ambitious. Plans show performance spaces, an art walk, gallery space and retail shops on the campus in addition to living quarters.
PushPush currently operates a theater and has office space in a building at 3716 E. Main Street. The company also is working with partners to renovate a three-story brick building at 1805 Harvard Avenue.
Credit: eightvillage
Credit: eightvillage
So far, for its part, PushPush, as the official arts partner in the College Park Arts Campus endeavor, has raised around $250,000 with the support of donors including AEC Trust and the Tull Foundation.
PushPush plans to launch a $1 million capital campaign in the fall, company co-founder Tim Habeger said. Meanwhile, it is negotiating a bridge loan from the Reinvestment Fund.
One of the other project partners, Good Places, purchased the Harvard Avenue building and expects to finish renovations by early 2023. Then, the plan calls for PushPush to purchase the ground floor, while the upper floors will be for sale as live-work space.
Other partners involved in the broader campus development include eightvillage, Tapestry Development and the church.
PushPush investigated the possibility of buying and renovating the Harvard Avenue building “so that we can control prices,” said Habeger, who launched the troupe with his wife, Shelby Hofer.
“We moved down here with the idea of becoming more sustainable or that the arts could become more sustainable,” Habeger added. “One of the reasons for buying (the building) was to create a co-op. We want people to own their own work, their own practice and their own style. And own things like housing and own things that can increase their sustainability.”
Credit: Morgan
Credit: Morgan
The organization has a history that suggests it can accomplish these ambitions. PushPush has cultivated successful writers, performers, playwrights and filmmakers. While based in multiple locations including Little 5 Points and Decatur over its long history, the organization has staged and promoted shows across metro Atlanta, providing space for groups and shows such as Write Club Atlanta, improv performances, experimental theater and even puppetry.
On July 23, PushPush held an open-house event at the developing campus to show the community the artists at work.
Currently, Habeger said 100 artists use PushPush’s studio space to develop work everyday. This includes painters, dancers, milliners and filmmakers.
And SeedWorks, the company’s artist-incubator project accepting pitches, helps creators turn their ideas into concrete work.
Habeger said that PushPush nurtures artists by encouraging collaboration, giving them space to express their voice and, most importantly, “getting out of their way.”
PushPush has some history as a place where people come together to discuss methods of storytelling and the creation of art, asking important and tough questions of each other. Since the pandemic began, Habeger said he has missed the interactions that PushPush always encouraged.
“I’m still a little bit in that COVID-19 feeling that I’ve been too alone too long,” he said. “I enjoy the people who think and prod and disagree with me and argue. I don’t get to sit across the table from them as much, and I miss that.”
PushPush thrives on that spirit.
The development of new work is collaborative and experimental. Habeger said young artists with ambition and ideas often find their artistic home in the organization.
This track record is proven.
David Bruckner, director of the films “The Night House,” “The Ritual” and the upcoming “Hellraiser” remake, began his career working on short films through what was then called PushPush Theater in 2001.
Credit: PushPush Arts
Credit: PushPush Arts
Bruckner, who saw the development of PushPush’s College Park space when he was last in Atlanta, said it’s great to see the organization develop and continue to help artists. In particular, he praised its gift for developing narrative action.
“Tim and Shelby have a unique grip on the DNA of storytelling,” he said. “They really do pay attention to the underlying movement of a narrative and how that connects you continuously to a story and keeps you engaged and enthralled. That’s something I learned working with them at PushPush that I take into everything that I do.”
Emerging artists find PushPush encouraging, as well.
Frances Mulinix, a dancer and choreographer from Vibrance Centre for Voice and Movement, has studio space at the PushPush facility that she called “a godsend.”
“This feels like a good place for someone who is an established artist, someone who’s really clear on who they are and what they’re about,” she said. “But they might be looking for an affordable place to be or a hub where they can meet other artists.”
The company’s latest theatrical works in its East Main Street theater include the June staging of musician Jeffrey Butzer’s debut play, “The Artificial Island,” and occasional performances from Dad’s Garage improvisors. In the fall, Rob Nixon, a longtime PushPush artistic associate, is planning a show titled “You Can’t Get There from Here.”
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
MEET OUR PARTNER
ArtsATL (www.artsatl.org), is a nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in educating and informing audiences about metro Atlanta’s arts and culture. Founded in 2009, ArtsATL’s goal is to help build a sustainable arts community contributing to the economic and cultural health of the city.
If you have any questions about this partnership or others, please contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
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