Artist Brings Creative Approach to Home Financing

After a local bank traded land for a mosaic sign, artist raises funds for construction of ecofriendly studio built from used shipping containers through sales of limited edition custom mosaics.
 
Dec. 16, 2008 - PRLog -- At a time when mortgage and construction loans have dried up, artist John T. Unger has come up with a creative way to finance a new studio to replace the dangerously decrepit buildings where he currently lives and works.

Four years ago, Unger rode the roof of his studio to the ground as he struggled to keep the building from collapsing under the weight of snow. His tools were destroyed, his work space erased, the heat and water for his house knocked out till spring. It seemed like time to quit, but that's not his style. He got creative instead.

Unger worked with a local bank to buy the property and remaining two buildings in exchange for a new mosaic sign for their head offices. He vowed to rebuild with a new studio made from durable, eco-friendly, used shipping containers. The new building, when complete, will reflect the artist's commitment to working with recycled materials. More importantly, it will be immune to extreme weather.

This year, Unger spent $25,000 of his savings to design the new building, survey the property, prepare site plans and seek initial permits… only to have the credit market collapse the very week that the building plans were finalized.

Unger sees this as just another opportunity to prove convention wrong. He plans to raise the funds for construction by offering a limited edition of custom mosaics. The mosaics are available in three different sizes and the designs can be any image the purchaser desires. The mosaics will be completed in the order purchased, one mosaic per week minimum.

Unger stresses that he is not interested in a handout or a bailout or free money. His investment in his art business has already had a positive effect on the broader community. The new studio will allow the artist to expand his operations and hire additional help, providing well-paid jobs in a beleaguered economy that has recently lost several large employers.

"As an artist, I am also a small business owner who supports a family, pays taxes, and supports other local businesses through the sale of my art. I have a part-time assistant who depends on the income I provide him to make his house payment. I spend over $10,000 a year to buy the materials for my firebowls at a local scrapyard. I provide so much business for my local freight company that they extend me a 75% discount."

"There are not a lot of successful businesses or job opportunities in the area of Michigan where I live, and the income I make from my art and spend in the community is important to the people I support. The fact that I am able to sell my work globally and bring money into the Michigan economy (one of the worst in the nation) is something that I am very proud of and I feel pretty good about the fact that I can help people pay their bills while larger corporate companies are laying people off left and right. I feel good that my art can help others through hard times."

Although Unger's business is now thriving, the buildings he lives and works in are running out of time. The odds of these structures surviving another harsh winter are slim. The need to rebuild is urgent. More details on the project and opportunity for purchase are available at http://www.johntunger.com.

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John T.Unger is an sculptor and mosaic artist. Significant mosaic commissions include: Northeastern University, Manly Career Academy High School, LakeView Baseball Club, Alden State Bank, Limelight Lodge in Aspen, CO, and many private homes.
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