New collaboration keeps downtown Modesto venue from shutting down. How it works

A downtown Modesto art gallery will remain open, thanks to a new partnership with another nonprofit.

Visit Modesto relocated to share space with the Stanislaus Arts Council Gallery at 1315 J St., Visit Modesto CEO Todd Aaronson said in an email interview. It was moved in and operational by July 1.

The collaboration “was born out of our call for support back in January, and a shared vision to create a vibrant, community-centered cultural and visitor hub in the heart of downtown Modesto,” Stanislaus Arts Council Executive Director Dominique Johnson said in a separate email interview.

The Stanislaus Arts Council Board of Directors was considering earlier this year whether to keep its gallery open. The council itself was never in jeopardy of dissolving, Johnson said.

But it was seeing a lack of interest from the community, as well as from artists, which called the gallery’s future into question, according to a March story in The Bee.

Now, with Visit Modesto open to its patrons, the gallery will continue to host exhibits. While there currently are no exhibits, the next one will open in August, Johnson said.

She said through the partnership, “we strengthen each other’s missions and better serve the public.”

Joining space with Visit Modesto gives the arts council “flexibility to continue offering exhibitions as long as we have the necessary program funding, engagement from local artists, and the staff resources to manage it effectively,” she said.

Johnson said public and artist engagement with the gallery has grown since earlier this year. “We’ve seen increased attendance at (Third Thursday) Art Walk events and exhibition receptions, as well as a rise in the number of artist submissions for our exhibitions, a strong indicator of community interest and participation.”

Good timing for the move

Aaronson said sharing space with the art gallery came as Visit Modesto was “looking to reduce our footprint for the coming fiscal year,” and heard about the gallery’s challenges.

Previously at 1008 12th St. with a month-to-month lease, Visit Modesto saw the visibility on J Street as a “strong reason” to move into the gallery building, he said.

There also was a good existing relationship with the arts council. “Dominique has been an incredible and professional partner on all the projects we’ve worked on, the synergy was already there,” Aaronson said.

Visit Modesto is listed on the Visit California website and the official state tourism website for welcome centers, he said. Most guests are from out of state, including some from other countries.

“We help people with everything from wine tasting to Yosemite passes to directions for the scenic route to SF or Monterey as well as great ‘stops’ along the way to points North & South,” he said.

Visit Modesto spearheads the annual Almond Blossom season tours and has Modesto and California “swag,” including magnets, postcards, stickers and more, Aaronson said.

Visit Modesto office hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Aaronson said they hope to open on weekends from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning in August. Its website is at visitmodesto.com.

How the combination will work

Visit Modesto is paying $1,320 a month for its portion of the rent, according to Aaronson, down from $3,275 a month at its previous locale, which included double the space, five parking spots and a covered patio.

According to Johnson, the total monthly rent is $2,399 for the approximately 1,845-square-foot arts council building, and the shared rent is “is structured proportionally based on square footage and operational use.”

Visit Modesto occupies the front reception area, an adjacent front room and a portion of the upstairs office suite, Johnson said. A reconfigured back room serves as an administrative workspace.

The Stanislaus Arts Council will continue to use its upstairs executive office.

The gallery’s exhibit area will remain in place “and continue to serve as a venue for curated arts programming. However, the structure of the program is evolving to reflect current staffing capacity and a more sustainable operational model,” Johnson said.

A change to the gallery’s operations moves the public purchase of artwork featured in exhibits to online-only through the arts council’s website, she said. Visit Modesto staff are not affiliated with the arts council, so they won’t manage any gallery sales or inquiries. The council website is at www.stanislausarts.org.

“Moving to an online sales platform allows us to maintain the visibility and value of our exhibitions, while broadening access for artists and audiences alike, and doing so in a way that is financially and administratively sustainable,” she said.

Currently, there are signs in the window indicating the dual occupancy, but new signage is planned that will reflect the presence of both groups.

Johnson said the combining of spaces is a good marriage of the organizations.

“This partnership is rooted in mutual respect, aligned values and a shared investment in uplifting Stanislaus County,” she said. “By combining resources, we expand public access to both culture and information, and create a more integrated experience for residents and visitors alike.”

Aaronson agreed, calling it an “incredible opportunity for our visitors and our teams.”

He said visitors benefit when there are gallery exhibits to view and art events.

“We’ve only just begun in this partnership — we really feel this creative space and the tourism aspect will help present local artists’ work to visitors from around the world,” Aaronson said.