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The bi-annual St. Paul Art Crawl returns for its autumn installment October 7th-9th, and amid all the staple studios, galleries, and art nooks that you’re used to checking out, comes a new spot worthy of your attention. Air Sweet Air G
allery has found its new home at 262 4th Street in Lowertown, just in time for the fall crawl. A multi-faceted project space, Air Sweet Air plans to shake things up a bit when it comes to programming, taking the traditional art show and infusing it with multi-media events and installations throughout the year. This week we chat with director Cheryl Wilgren Clyne and the ASA crew about the new space and what to expect from them in the future.

Tell us a little more about your gallery. What’s the concept?

Air Sweet Air, the gallery and art labs have been in the making for a few years. We have been looking for a space since its inception. The studio at 262 E 4th St. Suite 203, St. Paul, MN sort of came out of the blue and felt like a good place to jump in.  The mission is to create a multimedia exhibition space for experimentation and play, while discovering the best way to present it all. We don’t really wish to be held to or by any one type of exhibition. There is a need for more venues for artists to show their work. There are even fewer places that are set up to show video or film. We will be holding some screenings nights and video installations in the space.

Already there are a few international artists interested in coming here to show their work, and of course we want to show local art. We hope to develop some sort of exchange of people, art and ideas internationally but that is still in the works. We are especially interested in art that embraces the importance of nature and the state of being human.

What can we expect to see from you this weekend at the crawl?

We just moved into the space last week but didn’t want to miss out on the Saint Paul art crawl crowd! Cheryl Wilgren Clyne, who is the gallery art director will be exhibiting her drawings and a short film in the space. She is certain to be giving something away to those that stop in this weekend.

What else are you excited for this art crawl?

There is so much going on it is difficult to pick one or even two events. 262 Studios has some very gifted artists. The thesis photography students from the College of Visual Arts will be using our other gallery space at 275 E 4th St. Suite 795 in the Northwestern Building. We can’t wait to see what they come up with. One reason we like the art crawl is that you find unexpected things, work you didn’t know about. It is also a time to celebrate art and artists which should happen much more frequently everywhere.

What drew you to Lowertown?

Lowertown has a very different kind of feel. Everyone kind of knows everyone. It feels a little like a small town inside of an urban area. That may sound cliche but it is true. Plus, the architecture is a big draw for us.

What are some of your favorite things about St. Paul in general?

We love all the construction! Just kidding. The downtown skyline is wonderful. Saint Paul has so many beautiful buildings and many of the spaces are still very affordable for emerging artists or small business owners. It is fascinating to see all the changes that have happened here over the last year and how many more changes will come.  There are some remarkable neighborhoods in Saint Paul. And of course, the clouds are more beautiful in Saint Paul than in Minneapolis. (No, we are over in Minneapolis all the time too!) There is something about the way the light hits the buildings on almost any day that is magical. The sky changes so frequently here in Minnesota. And there are times of the day and seasons of the year when the light radiates. It might be a midwest thing. We have moved many times and we keep coming back to this place.

For more information on the gallery, visit their blog HERE.

For more information on the St. Paul Art Crawl click HERE.