By Mary Windsor, Staff Writer

Published in print Oct.22, 2014

Nadia Stevens, a fourth year UNCG student majoring in Photography with a minor in Spanish, recently came back to Greensboro after living in Brooklyn, New York for three months this summer. She participated in New York Arts Practicum where she created art aside a mentor and other young artists.

She originally went to live the “New York City Artist Lifestyle” and came back disillusioned with the arts world at large. 

While in New York, she saw her end game, and what most BFA’s and MFA’s work towards, and didn’t agree with that lifestyle. She felt empowered to self organize after viewing examples of others and built off her disillusionment to create something generative and positive.

What she found and learned about herself and the arts community while in New York inspired her to create The Matter Factory, a conceptual gallery that will feature local artists here in Greensboro.

Stevens disagrees with the notion that the artist needs to be inherently self interested or individualistic and hopes this project allows artists to think collectively.

She wants this project to exist outside of a bubble and become a sizable movement that encompasses the Greensboro community as a whole and breaks the normative path an art major graduate would usually follow.

Right now, The Matter Factory is a floating collaborative of people that are researching, networking and talking in the process of building relationships in the community so that this project will start and stay present in Greensboro.

They are currently in the beginning stages of what will be a permanent space for a gallery, meeting space and workshop for local artists. Their goal for the next year is to acquire a space downtown near South Elm.

In their research, they are trying to figure out how they can be a positive force in the community rather than an imposing one. They want their vision to have a relationship with local businesses while still responding to the needs of the community at larger.  The idea is to be inclusive but still critical, rigorous and challenging when approaching the creative practice.

The Matter Factory is fostering a relationship with Elsewhere and has become its umbrella non-profit, performing as both a fiscal and strategic partner.

They want to be able to take all the smaller projects that are going on in Greensboro and unite them into an all encompassing one. Their main goal, regardless of space, is to forge a network and create a new artistic tradition.

Stevens realizes that it won’t be the same gallery system that’s in place in New York or Los Angeles, but hopes it will create a new culture altogether, a new alterative gallery to hold critiques, programming and sell independent artists work.

“One thing that New York gave me was a sense of urgency, it made me goal oriented and allowed me to live in the moment and take immediate action,” Stevens says, “but I don’t think I was ready to leave Greensboro when I left for New York.”

The Matter Factory’s goal is to help creative people stay in Greensboro. The city of Greensboro houses seven universities and creates a transitory population of students who go to school here and then leave after graduating.

There are a lot of notions of where you need to be, as an artist, musician, or creative person, and many people see Greensboro as a stepping-stone before leaving and finding bigger and better things, but Stevens is hoping to help make Greensboro a lasting destination. She wishes to provide an alternative here so that artists have an outlet and place to create works of art.

“I want to make this the place to be,” she said. “To create a network of artists here and shape the culture and creative process for those that aren’t ready to retire from Greensboro.”

If you’re interested in becoming involved Nadia Stevens and The Matter Factory are looking for people that break conventions, challenge themselves, and want to foster their artistic impulses.

You can find out more information by emailing thematterfactorygso@gmail.com or liking them on Facebook at facebook.com/thematterfactorygso.