The notion of a non-profit organization to foster and promote art and artists in the Auburn area took a step closer to reality last week with the first public meeting of the Auburn Arts Cooperative.

For Arlon Rosenoff, Lela Brugger, Auburn Deputy Mayor Sue Singer, Auburn Visual Arts and Public Art Coordinator Maija McKnight and others, it’s an idea that has been collectively percolating for a while.

At the April 8 meeting, in front of artists and supporters of the arts in Auburn – as well as members of already established cooperatives in surrounding communities such as Puyallup and Maple Valley – the future plans, dreams and mission of the Auburn co-op were given breath.

“We’re looking for an environment or studio space for artists in Auburn,” Rosenoff said.

Ultimately, the cooperative hopes to provide a space for artists to create, interact, learn and display their work.

“Our motto is learn, play, create, display,” Brugger said.

Rosenoff, an Auburn resident and painter, envisions a new organization developing similar to the cooperative he served on in Kirkland. He also was a board member on a Spokane co-op while attending the Spokane School of the Arts.

“I learned a lot about the business side of a co-op,” he said. “And being around other artists was really beneficial to me as an artist.”

The co-op currently has a memo of understanding from the City of Auburn that allows them to use the Auburn Avenue Theater for three months, beginning in September.

“We can use it for an incubator, a kickoff space,” Brugger said.

She hopes the cooperative can secure a permanent home soon, either in city-owned space or a space owned by the co-op.

“My dream is someone will donate a house for us to use in downtown,” she said.

Ultimately, Rosenoff said he hoped for a space as large as 5,000 to 6,000 square feet.

“There is nothing wrong with dreaming big,” Rosenoff said. “Auburn is a place that can sustain that.”

Brugger added that in exchange for membership in the co-op, artists would have a place to create as well as eventually sell their art, with a cut going back to the co-op.

The space also would provide a place for visiting artists to teach, as well as provide co-op artists with a chance to pass on their skills.

“There are so many possibilities here. We’re just getting started,” Brugger said.

The end goal of the co-op, according to Rosenoff, is to continue to make it possible for artists to create and share their work with the community.

“A strong arts community is important,” Rosenoff said. “”Overall it enhances a city’s culture.”

For more information on the co-op, visit www.auburnartscooperative.yolasite.com