GAHANNA, Ohio — For the past three years, Matt Roberson has owned and operated a mobile business in Gahanna called Blank Slate Coffee.
During that time, Roberson and his wife, Kayla, transformed a once abandoned self-service car wash across the street into a community space for gardeners and artists alike.
“It was supposed to be torn down in a couple months and that was five years ago and so it’s kind of slowly grown and grown into this community center,” said Roberson.
The transformed car wash contains “a plant library,” where in the spring, patrons can take or leave a plant for their personal garden.
Also, a space for large-scale art from local artists, including Roberson.
“This is our way to kind of get stuff out and make it accessible both for the artist to bring art and also for the audience to have access to it. Even when all the mandates and stuff are in place,” said Roberson.
Este Hupp is one of those artists.
She said she’s happy to be part of the project and watch it grow.
“I talk to artists about this space all the time, it kind of attracts creative people. Watching the whole process kind of unfold, and there’s always something new. (It’s) something very exciting for me to be a part of,” said Hupp.
Roberson, who doesn’t own the former car wash property, recently created a nonprofit organization called Creative Assets for Central Ohio.
He hopes even if the property is redeveloped, the artwork and plants can be easily movable to a new location.
For more information about Creative Assets for Central Ohio or to donate to the cause, click here.
