Wild Goose Creative (WGC) has been an incubator of the arts in Columbus for over 13 years. From performance art to philosophy discussions to monthly business workshops for creatives — we’ve proudly hosted it all. We hold the deep belief that when artists thrive, communities thrive.
In 2018, WGC held 320 events with 171 artists for 14,000+ community members to enjoy. We saved creatives and nonprofits $35,000 by offering discounted rental fees and paid out almost $10,000 in commissions. Creating opportunities like these is why we exist, and we can create even more — with your help.
Even with all this programming, we’re still forced to turn down an average of five requests each week simply because our calendar is full. The good news is, we have an opportunity to say “yes!” to many more artists. How? Let us tell you about Wild Goose West, a second location in the heart of the Franklinton Arts District.
We love Franklinton. It’s the frontier of creativity in Columbus, and the spirit of the neighborhood is the spirit of Wild Goose Creative — raw, real, and ever-changing. And we’re lucky to have a friend who’s saving us an incredible space there. Chris Sherman has been passing up top offers for his building at 188 McDowell Street because he believes in the power of the arts and in the power of WGC.
If Wild Goose West is funded, we’ll have:
We will not be able to make Wild Goose West a reality without your help. If you believe in the Columbus creative community and want to create more opportunities for all forms of art, please join us by selecting a donation level that works for you today. Then, please consider sharing our Kickstarter with your friends and let them know why WGC is so important to you!
We will not be able to make Wild Goose West a reality without your help. If you believe in the Columbus creative community and want to create more opportunities for all forms of art, please join us by selecting a donation level that works for you today. Then, please consider sharing our Kickstarter with your friends and let them know why WGC is so important to you!
100% of your donations will go toward opening the doors at Wild Goose West. We need every dollar to re-configure the space, get the toilets flushing, unbar the windows, build the stage, install the lights, and prepare the space for a new community full of creative endeavors.
We know your support isn’t about rewards, but we worked hard to create some awesome rewards that we think you’re going to love. We’re dedicated to making sure each and every reward is fulfilled within our first year at Wild Goose West. (We’re so excited about our second space at 188 McDowell that we decided to keep going with the 8s theme with the donation amounts!
A new neighborhood with plenty of personality: As the new kid on the block in Franklinton, we’re excited to fill Wild Goose West with arts and events that are meaningful to the neighborhood. To do that, we will partner with organizations and creatives who are already working hard on the city’s Westside!
Doubling our programming: Doubling the fun. We will have a lot more time and space to fill, but we already know there is a need. We plan to allow some of our current WGC programs the opportunity to expand over to Franklinton, so we will be looking for new events to book at both spaces. We will be hiring and training a new staff person and calling on our board and volunteer base to help us maximize the opportunities for artists and creatives.
Maintaining our original WGC space: Continuing to support our flagship space during this process will be essential. Our SoHud space has its own budget, its own fundraisers, a dedicated board of directors, and many committees. Most of the team will remain focused on maintaining the magic of the original Wild Goose Creative.
Money talks, losers walk: We absolutely have to hit this Kickstarter goal to keep this project on track. The Kickstarter funds are what we need to cover the construction on the space. We are partnering with incredible supporters of Wild Goose Creative to take the most economically efficient route to getting the space built out and make sure the space is functional for all community needs, but we truly can’t open our doors without your support now.