Scene change

MSU will assume curatorial control of the space and pay for utilities and regular maintenance, while the city will provide the space to the university rent free. The deal is being painted by both sides as a win-win; the city retains a gallery space downtown while cutting most of its financial obligations to it, and MSU gets an affordable downtown space to host student activities and foster outreach programs.

Both sides are entering into this with some trepidation. The city is turning over a valuable downtown property to an outside entity, and MSU is making a rare leap over Grand River Avenue. The operating agreement does include an escape clause: Either side may terminate the agreement with 30 days notice if things are not working out. With this in mind, there are a few things East Lansing residents should be keeping an eye on.

Will MSU maintain a year-round presence?

While the university doesn’t shut down over the summer, it certainly operates at a diminished capacity. East Lansing, however, hosts some of its biggest cultural events during the summer, including the Great Lakes Folk Festival, the East Lansing Art Festival and the Summer Solstice Jazz Festival. City Councilmembers have expressed a desire to have (SCENE) open and available as a partner in these cultural events.

What does this mean for live music in East Lansing?

In addition to being an art gallery, (SCENE) Metrospace doubled as an accessible performance space for Lansingarea musicians. It was probably the most active venue for original music in East Lansing for several years, as most downtown venues have ditched original music in favor of DJs and cover bands. The gallery hosted an average of 75 events a year, according to former curator Tim Lane, and many of those were live music shows featuring local bands. The gallery functioned at times as a local music incubator, a low-cost venue where bands like Frontier Ruckus and Cheap Girls paid their dues before moving on to national tours.

“Playing so many gigs there, seeing so many great local/international acts play amid such carefully curated art — it really helped shape my experience in town, especially in helping enhance the education I was getting in MSU’s College of Music,” said former Lansing-area musician Nate Bliton, music and dance equipment and stage manager at Grand Valley State University.

Neither the operating agreement nor the proposed programming document released by MSU seem to envision this type of use for the space, meaning downtown East Lansing is likely losing its best outlet for original live music.

In what ways will the space be accessible to the public?

(SCENE) Metrospace was a low-cost venue for performing artists looking to put together a show. In addition to music, the venue hosted poetry readings, dance recitals, contemporary theater performances, film screenings, and comedy nights.

A document outlining the MSU Art, Art History, and Design Department’s proposed programming, submitted to the city by department Chairman Chris Corneal, stresses the accessibility of the programming in terms of public attendance, but there is little, if any, room in the agreement for entities outside of the university to host events in the space.

The proposed programming does allow for university groups —including theater, music, dance and language arts — to host “6-8 student performances annually.” While one could hope that is a low estimate, trading in a vibrant performance space for less than one performance a month may come as a disappointment to East Lansing residents.