Old Mattress Factory Is Hotbed of Art

Dyeing over the years
Glass artist Beglar Merlich pursued his craft in his daughter\'s garage, an inconvenient place to weld at midnight, and worse, he tried to teach eager students.
Last week, however, melizian rented a studio in a cave-like, abandoned mattress factory, the latest reflection of Ventura\'s efforts to turn himself into a paradise for working artists.
\"I think this is a huge opportunity,\" said Melissa, 70. year-
The retired man who poured himself into his stain
Glass passion for 30 years.
\"In fact, I\'m going to load my trailer and move in this weekend.
\"Merlich is the A-20 of some 40 artists who will eventually take up space, 000square-
From 1936 to earlier this year, this is the Bell mattress factory.
In the newly named Bell Art Factory, they will become clean
Lighting is only $1 per square foot, and there is an opportunity to help transform an area that has long been the poorest neighborhood of Ventura.
\"This is a grand project,\" said Sharon troll, chairman of the community council for the west district of the local community improvement organization.
\"It will allow people from all over the world to visit part of our city.
\"City officials are also very enthusiastic.
Sid White, director of economic development at Ventura, said: \"This is really a catalytic project, not only for the West End, but also for the entire art world . \".
\"We will make Ventura a new \'City of Art\' in Southern California \'.
\"Last spring, the city hired Minneapolis-
Project plan development based on Artspace, will provide low
Spend studio space and housing for 25 artists and their families.
The location of the project has not yet been selected, but officials say the potential location is near Ventura Avenue and oil warehouses and yards are rapidly giving way to apartments and market segments.
The Bell mattress has been a landmark of Ventura Avenue for decades.
But under the Suppression of huge manufacturers and warehouse stores, the business closed its doors in May.
Its failure has left Josh Addison, the grandson of former Bell boss Robert Addison, in trouble.
He could have pulled down the clock tower owned by a family trust company and made a good profit in building apartments.
Or, he can rent it out to a business looking for cheap space, like the idea of using the building as a cheap T-shirts.
\"It\'s just not good karma, feng shui or anything you want to call it,\" said Addison, 42 . \"energy real-
Real estate developers with projects in Kauai and San Diego.
\"In a way, I want to contribute to the nearby revival.
\"For Addison, it means spending at least hundreds of billions of dollars to broaden the sunroof, upgrade the wires, and do an overall renovation of the dirty interior.
The Addison family has other profits.
Property was generated in Ventura, including an aging building in a major block in the city center and seven acres of land in satikoy, which used to be another home-run place: one of the largest parrot farms in the country.
The land is becoming an industrial park.
In addition, Addison said the use of the old factory for the public good was what his grandfather wanted.
Robert Addison, a trained engineer, is known for his generosity.
He is a big donor to the Boys and Girls Club, which named the nearby club after him.
Josh Addison said he used to give a club regulars the money he needed to go to college, the man is now a banker at Sacramento and he has been in touch with him
With the help of his grandfather, M. B.
Han Rahan, a famous local mural, rented space in a building he owned.
\"He chose to support me, just keep my rent in a dull rant and follow what I did and appreciate it,\" said Hanrahan . \".
\"Josh inherited me.
\"In the former mattress factory, hanlahan and her collaborators, Moses Mora, will create a huge mural of the old-fashioned Ventura neighborhood called the tortillas apartment.
According to their work for the temporary display near Ventura County amusement park, the work will be installed on the wall along the Ventura Highway, close to the old neighborhood.
\"I need a bigger space and it\'s perfect,\" said Hanrahan . \".
\"I want a place with a big delivery door and a place where the public can come in and see what we\'re doing.
\"With the encouragement of other artists and city officials, Addison envisions the building as a place where artists gather, children can attend classes, and people nearby can enjoy a new cafe where visitors can buy gifts.
But most importantly, Addison wants a place where artists can work.
\"It\'s not going to be an antique shopping mall or a lot of small galleries,\" he said . \"
\"This is where people create art.
\"Dyed suit
Just the glass artist Merlich.
As his retirement savings were exhausted by the bankruptcy of his old company, he could not afford to spend too much money on art.
His new studio costs less than $200 a month.
\"Stained Glass is a wonderful life,\" mellishi said . \".
\"But you will not become rich.