Contemporary Art Fulfillment at the Firehouse

Welcome to Station 7!  This firehouse was built in 1910 and is located in the East End neighborhood of Hamilton, Ohio.  We are developing the space to house Tide Pool, a branch of Wave Pool (of Camp Washington, Cincinnati), a contemporary art fulfillment center.  We will work with the established art community of Hamilton to determine the needs of the community and meet them.  Everything we do will be community driven and artist led.  We believe that bringing the arts to this neighborhood will enhance the community and pull people together.  

This will be something totally new- a branch of Wave Pool- but designed around the neighborhood and needs of our own community.  We will co-develop the programming and space with the community and local artists.  This space will grow where it is, in response to the needs of the East End community of Hamilton! 

Please visit www.wavepoolgallery.org to see more!

We obtained the firehouse in October of 2021 and have started work on the rehabilitation.  Our goal is to complete the first floor by December of 2022 and have the entire building operational by the end of 2023.  First things first, we have to update the structural integrity of the building.  

Step one:  Utility upgrades - plumbing and electrical upgrades are necessary

Step two: Interior structural elements- while we are not making huge changes to the design of the building, repairs are needed on ceilings, walls, windows, doors, and floors 

Step three: Kitchen - Our first floor will be outfitted with a kitchen to accommodate demonstrations and possible coffee bar

Step four: The fun part- paint, design, tables, and all things beautiful come together to make the firehouse a real community center

The East End neighborhood is home to a population of 5,080 diverse individuals, including people of color and immigrants.  There are currently very limited opportunities for community engagement or arts involvement.  Through the firehouse and Tide Pool we hope to build a strong sense of community engagement and awareness.  We are a team of female business owners and immigrants and intend to incorporate our own cultural diversity into our project.  Look for us to liven the community through outdoor events, social engagements, and daily planned happenings.  As Hamilton experiences its resurgence, we intend to help the East End feel like a part of the community and include all walks of life. 

While we are building a new arts based community center, we will rely on the basic mission of Wave Pool - to create community fulfillment through artist opportunities.  With exhibitions, creative engagements, and collaborations we listen, activate, and share.  We will use our platform to amplify the ideas, expressions, and work through which the world is made more joyous and equitable.