Artist residency space in north St. Louis County expanding reach

By Evie Hemphill

Published March 6, 2018 at 3:00 PM CST

Paul Artspace’s Mike Behle (at left) and David Johnson, both artists in their own right, share a passion for providing other creative people with opportunities to help them succeed in their endeavors.";

When Mike Behle decided to transform his family’s quiet property in Florissant, Missouri, into a unique resource for artists, he didn’t know exactly how that vision would take shape. But he was certain of one thing: a desire to provide people with time and space.

Located a little over a mile from a busy thoroughfare in north St. Louis County, Paul Artspace serves as home for up to three residents at a time.

That was about five years ago, and the thickly wooded acreage now known as Paul Artspace has since hosted over 70 artists, writers and curators for residencies of one to three months.

The promise of productive solitude has drawn residents from as far away as South America and Ireland as well as many St. Louisans.

Last week the organization put out a call for applications for a unique artist-in-residency program it is launching in collaboration with artists in Stuttgart, Germany.

Behle and David Johnson, a Paul Artspace board member who has been instrumental in establishing the international partnership, joined St. Louis on the Air producer Evie Hemphill to talk about the new program, the gift of time and space, pickles and more.

Catch up on the full discussion:

St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Mary Edwards, Alex Heuer, Evie Hemphill and Lara Hamdan give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.