CITYWATCH Lupo’s steady, more art downtown BY IAN DONNIS

The management company that handles the Smith Building for Arnold "Buff" Chace’s Cornish Associates jumped the gun when it announced in a leaflet that Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel will be leaving its longtime home in the Peerless Building before year’s end.

In separate interviews, club owner Rich Lupo and Chace say the flyer distributed by HallKeen management was inaccurate and that talks about relocating Lupo’s are ongoing. As Chace put it, "We are working with Rich to try to find something, but as of date there’s no agreement whatsoever."

Lupo and Chace have remained tied for several years in a dispute over the club’s tenancy in the Cornish-owned Peerless Building, which is being targeted for development into residential units. Lupo, who has prevailed thus far in court, maintains that his lease entitles him to stay in the building for about four more years, although he has been willing to discuss relocating the club elsewhere. A hearing on the dispute, which has been repeatedly rescheduled, is slated for December.

Meanwhile, as several of Cornish’s residential projects on Westminster Street move forward, an opening reception was scheduled for this Thursday, October 23 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at The Space at Alice, a new cooperative gallery operated by Cornish and the Arts & Business Council of Rhode Island in the Alice Building, 186 Union St.

Peter Bramante, executive director of the council, says the cooperative nature of The Space is intended to help overcome the difficulty experienced by galleries in locating in Providence’s old downtown business district. At the same time, bringing more vitality to Downcity is seen as a complement to Cornish’s efforts to bring more retail businesses to empty storefronts in the Westminster Street area. The 900-square-foot gallery will return 75 percent of sales to the artists in a particular show, while dedicating the remaining 25 percent for operating costs and promoting future events.

Artists will also be able to propose individual or group shows at The Space, and the pitches will be reviewed by a panel of people from the arts community, Cornish Associates, and the Arts & Business Council. "There’s been a lot of excitement around it," says Bramante. "It’s a way for people to work independently or collaboratively if they want to get together with one or two other artists." The gallery will also be available as a community and/or private meeting space for special events for a nominal fee.

Participants in The Space’s initial show, entitled A Sense of Place, include Nicolas Bauta, Tawana Brace Knowles, Erik Bright, Michael Carr, Margaret Carleton, Ruth Dealy, Raffael Diaz, Peter Diepenbrock, Jungil Hong, Paula Martesian, Denny Moers, James Montford, Xander Morro, Tatiana Pina, Monica Shinn, Gretchen Dow Simpson, Matt Tracy, and Neal Walsh.

The Space is supposed to remain in its location at the Alice Building temporarily, for about one to two years, although Cornish would like to have a gallery, Bramante says, as part of the permanent downtown mix.