Carol Dalrymple has been working with the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, the City of Port Huron Downtown Development Authority (DDA), and the Acheson Foundation to infuse 1219 Military Street with a new vision for arts in downtown Port Huron called Foundry.
After 18 months of experimenting and collaborating, Dalrymple has officially purchased the building and is moving forward with plans to expand Foundry’s commitment to “keep art flowing and growing in the community.”
As an entrepreneur, Dalrymple owns and operates The Hallway Entertainment where she provides “immersive and unique entertainment experiences.” Now that she owns 1219 Military Street, she plans to sell the current building that houses The Hallway Entertainment at 1228 6th Street and move all her entertainment experiences to Foundry.
“I wanted more space for my original business and more space to do unique and creative things. I’ve been pretty successful over at The Hallway with the escape rooms, and that has only made my mind expand with the possibility of other fun things that could be happening around town,” said Dalrymple.
She has already started construction on a brand new escape room at Foundry, she is formulating plans for another, and the newly opened Wizard Room will move over to Foundry when she’s ready.
Dalrymple’s vision for Foundry goes beyond her own success. Her business model includes other entrepreneurs who regularly use the space for their own creative projects. Whiskey Pine Pottery currently rents the pottery studio and runs regular classes and workshops, and Wonderwolf Entertainment rents a main-level room and hosts dance classes and workshops for small children.
“It’s not just about the experiences that we create here, it’s about the ones that other people dream up and just need a space to put them,” she said.
Foundry hosts multiple workshops put on by local artists ranging from acrylic pour painting to stained glass art to macramé creations. There is also a long list of musicians who have hosted concerts or performed in The Listening Room, an intimate theater-style room that holds about 75 people.
“You don’t have to go all the way down to Detroit to have a unique experience,” said Dalrymple.
She also credits the support and patience of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, the DDA, and the Acheson Foundation as critical to her success. She believes their investment in her vision, especially as she attempted to launch it during the pandemic, helped her get to where she is today.
Studio 1219 and Foundry have both been through a lot of changes, but Dalrymple thinks that all stages have been part of the process. She discovered that the original mission for the space was to create an arts incubator, and she believes her supporters and fellow artists have helped her turn that into a reality.
Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand
