HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – The largest arts center in the Southeast is slated to get a lot bigger this fall with the addition of 30 new studios in Huntsville.

Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment is undergoing a massive renovation of its 37,000-square-foot north floor, formerly used as a storage area for biomedical company Eurofins. The expansion will increase the center's square footage by 30 percent and bring the total number of working artists to 200.



When complete this fall, Lowe Mill will welcome a micro-distillery, popsicle maker, media arts fabrication lab, tattoo shop and multiple other artists and entrepreneurs. Lowe Mill media director and artist Dustin Timbrook said the growth will complement the nearby Stone Middle School redevelopment project on Governors Drive.



"I think 2015 is going to be a really important year for Lowe Mill and the Lowe Mill neighborhood in general," he said. "This corridor is going to be the next place to be in Huntsville."

Increased exposure



Jeff Irons, president of IronSclad Solutions in Huntsville, plans to launch Irons Distillery, a 1,600-square-foot space that will produce high-quality corn whiskey in oak barrels. Irons, who first dabbled in beer making with his dad in New Jersey, said he will offer tours and product samples at Lowe Mill.



Until he gets approval at the federal, state and county levels, Irons said the micro-distillery is "still in the early planning stages" but he hopes to distribute his product to the Huntsville market by the first quarter of 2015. For now, the small business owner is working with an architect to make his Lowe Mill dream a reality.



"I want to start this thing out very conservatively and not get overtaxed," he said. "See where the market takes me and if the market demand is there, I will very carefully try to grow my business."



MindGear Labs owner Rob Adams and Leon Burnette of the Media Arts Institute of Alabama will open a Media Arts Facility at Lowe Mill. liveEASY owner Anne Condit will manage the space, which will span about 1,800 square feet and be a miniature version of MindGear in Madison.



Adams said Burnette will teach classes on media and video production for disadvantaged children, veterans and others. MindGear will use the equipment and classroom space to educate the community about manufacturing, video game development and programming.



James Stevens, who runs Rusted Willow Artworks with his wife Natalie, will open a north floor studio as a gallery, workshop and space to create future designs. Because Rusted Willow works with reclaimed wood, James said most of the cutting and milling will take place off-site, but they are talking with officials about using another area of Lowe Mill for a shop.



"We are hoping the amount of foot traffic and the general association with Lowe Mill will lead to increased exposure," he said. "We have an online presence, but we feel, and are often told, that our work is much more powerful in person, so we are looking forward to increased personal interaction with potential buyers."

'An incubator for small business'

A classroom equipped for 72 students with desks will overlook the parking lot and water tower. Lowe Mill Executive Director Marcia Freeland said the dedicated classroom will be open to Lowe Mill artists and the public for $60 per hour.

Pop Culture, a gourmet popsicle business founded three summers ago by Suzy Naumann, will operate next to Irons Distillery under a new name, while the Huntsville Art League will take up at least 3,000 square feet on the north floor. Timbrook said local tattoo artist Matt Crunk will also move into a newly-available space on the first floor.

Pop Culture, now known as Suzy's Pops, will have a large kitchen and small seating area for customers at Lowe Mill late this fall.

"Lowe Mill is a wonderful place for small growing businesses with an artsy angle, and they saw the ice pops as a good fit for their community," Naumann said. "I went through a jury process last year and was approved for a space, but I decided to wait a year to pursue space in the complex when both of my elderly parents died late last summer. Now, a year later, I'm really excited about the prospect of a space where I can make my product and grow my business, all thanks to the folks at Lowe Mill."

To operate at Lowe Mill, artists and entrepreneurs must submit an application, which goes through an anonymous jury process. Approval is based on quality of work, application presentation and how well the potential tenant would fit into the Lowe Mill community.

Modeled after the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Virginia, Lowe Mill is a former cotton mill turned shoe factory that was purchased by HudsonAlpha's Jim Hudson in 2001. The arts facility now serves between 2,000 and 5,000 visitors a week.



"We are an incubator for small business," Freeland said. "There's not really many places to go where they can just start small and expand. It's a great thing."

Updated at 1:54 p.m. with a quote from Suzy Naumann.