The “why” of architect Marc Whitman’s concept is to offer an enriched and unique environment; fostering and supporting the arts in all its dimensions and forms through inspiring, educating, mentoring, cultivating and nurturing artists of the future.
Scope:
- The property would remain as an educational entity
- The property would be a hub of creative activities that benefit the entire Ojai Community – OUSD students, the wider Ojai community and beyond.
- Any proposed project would generate income to support itself.
- A non-profit would be formed to create and manage the highest and best use for OUSD and the Ojai community.
This is an opportunity to reestablish and reinforce Ojai as a community for learning and established artists, righting the path of tourism taking over Ojai. It is a project which could supersede our current tourism focus by creating a mecca for the arts. It would attract talented instructors and create inspired students. It would fill Ojai with artists hungry for creative knowledge and teachers/instructors who will inspire all of us.
The concept includes spaces for painting school, sculpture, gallery, welding, dance school, cooking school, black box theatre as well as a small coffee house and a community event center. All buildings in white preserve existing structures to maximize the sustainable approach to the project.
As reported in the Ojai Valley News on March 29, Ojai Retreat recorded their conversation with Marc about the project – the video is available at https://bit.ly/3Nkd8go.
Please click below to download a high-resolution PDF of Marc’s concept.