Elsewhere — Attraction in Greensboro

It was once a thrift store, until it closed down and was found by the owners grandson. It's a really free space, it's something the characters of a coming of age movie would encounter, or if vaporwave was a physical space.

"The objects that the young writers found sent their minds in a million directions! Sylvia’s artifacts demonstrated a potential ability to expose the kinds of ideas that form and stimulate personal connections. Of the many questions that arose from the encounter, one resonated: Could Sylvia’s collection become a thinking playground?"

"Elsewhere became a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. In 2005, the group launched an artist residency program to bring global creatives across media and discipline to Greensboro in order to create new works using the collection. Thanks to a grant from the Greensboro United Arts Council, some chance movie shoots, a new-work commission (for a giant Lite-Brite!), an active crew of volunteers, and the creative inspiration of artists, Elsewhere built a sturdy foundation upon which to...

From the outside looking in I could see swings hanging in the front window space of Elsewhere and was intrigued. I had no idea I was going to fall head over heels for this collaborative, collective “play space” for artists and the community. Do you remember the feeling you had the first time you walked into a toy store? All the shelves filled, from floor to ceiling, with boxes of dolls, games and play things you couldn't wait to get your hands on? Exactly how I felt walking into Elsewhere. I must have walked around the first floor with my mouth agape, in blissful wonderment for thirty minutes. It’s challenging to describe in words all that you see in Elsewhere. Some collection or installation occupies nearly every square inch of wall space and many of them are interactive. Yet, it doesn’t feel cluttered. There is organization and structure underneath that chaotic surface. You need to go experience it yourself when they reopen in...

Totally unique space if you have patience and an open mind. I think it is amazing what they are doing there in terms of the art gallery itself and artist residency. The docent at the front desk was very informative both about the history of the building itself and thrift store turned interactive art gallery. You are actually encouraged to touch and to move things, thus 'changing the art gallery forever', to create, and to collaborate with the other artists there. I'm a noise artist and so I loved the installation they had there that was a sound instrument consisting of children's toys. I didn't even get to see the second or third floor as they were closed at the time but they give guided tours of the rest of the building at...