Charles, Lisa and John Shaw, owners of the Smiley Building, will celebrate 20 years since they purchased the building, formerly the Emory E. Smiley Junior High School on East Third Avenue and 13th Street. It sat empty for years before the Shaws bought and restored it to be a community hub with artists, nonprofits and businesses.
Charles and Lisa Shaw, owners of the Smiley Building, will host an open house Thursday celebrating the 20th anniversary of when the Shaws, including brother John Shaw, bought the old school and converted it into an arts and business building. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Charles and Lisa Shaw, co-owners of the Smiley Building, relax Tuesday on their deck surrounded by solar panels on the roof of the building. They will host an open house Thursday celebrating the 20th anniversary of when the Shaws, including brother John Shaw, bought the old school and converted it into an arts and business center. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Smiley Building, on East Third Avenue and 13th Street, was formerly the Emory E. Smiley Junior High School. It was built in 1936 and was used as a school until 1994. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Smiley Building, on East Third Avenue and 13th Street, was formerly the Emory E. Smiley Junior High School. It was built in 1936 and was used as a school until 1994. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Charles and Lisa Shaw, co-owners of the Smiley Building, will host an open house Thursday celebrating the 20th anniversary of when the Shaws, including brother John Shaw, bought the old school and converted it into an arts and business building. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Smiley Building has been transformed from a school to a community gathering place for businesses, concerts, schools and artist studios. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Charles and Lisa Shaw, owners of the Smiley Building, will host an open house Thursday celebrating the 20th anniversary of when the Shaws, including brother John Shaw, bought the old school in 1995 and converted it into an arts and business building. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Charles Shaw, co-owner of the Smiley Building, has preserved much of the building as it was when it was a junior high school. For 10 years, he and his brother, John Shaw, worked to renovate the historic structure on East Third Avenue. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Linda Orf and Dennis Benedetto enjoy lunch from the Smiley Cafe on Tuesday in the Smiley Building. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Charles and Lisa Shaw, co-owners of the Smiley Building, will host an open house Thursday celebrating the 20th anniversary of when the Shaws, including brother John Shaw, bought the old school and converted it into an arts and business building. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Charles Shaw, co-owner of the Smiley Building, has preserved much of the building as it was when it was a junior high school. For 10 years, he and his brother John Shaw worked to renovate the historic structure on East Third Avenue. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Charles Shaw, co-owner of the Smiley Building, has preserved much of the building as it was when it was a junior high school. For 10 years, he and his brother John Shaw worked to renovate the historic structure on East Third Avenue. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Charles Shaw, co-owner of the Smiley Building, has preserved much of the building as it was when it was a junior high school. For 10 years, he and his brother John Shaw worked to renovate the historic structure on East Third Avenue. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Carrie Hladik, right, owner of the Smiley Cafe, staff member Jen Rawling, left, and Angela Wilson prepare breakfasts and lunches Tuesday at the Smiley Building. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Smiley Building serves as a community gathering place, as well as office space for nonprofits, a Montessori school and various artist studios. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Smiley Building serves as a community gathering place, as well as office space for nonprofits, a Montessori school and various artist studios. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Smiley Building serves as a community gathering place, as well as office space for nonprofits, a Montessori school and various artist studios. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Most exterior areas that receive good sunlight have solar panels at the Smiley Building. The owners built the largest array of photovoltaic panels in the region to make the building energy-efficient. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Charles Shaw, co-owner of the Smiley Building, has preserved much of the building as it was when it was a junior high school from the 1930s to 1990s. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Smiley Building serves as a community gathering place, as well as office space for nonprofits, a Montessori school and various artist studios. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
After Lisa and Charles Shaw and his brother, John Shaw, bought the Smiley Building in 1995, they worked to restore its historic features and renovate it for use as a community center. They also built the region’s largest array of solar panels on its roof. The move helped them save thousands of dollars a month in utility costs. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
After Lisa and Charles Shaw and his brother John Shaw bought the Smiley Building, the brothers rebuilt and replaced 275 rotted windows in the building. The Smiley is on the National Register of Historic Places. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Durango artist Cheryl Roberts Lee talks Tuesday about her art that is displayed in the Smiley Building. The building quickly became a place where many artists opened studios. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Durango business “illuminarts” is located inside the Smiley Building. The office is located where a suspended running track used to be in the gymnasium. Charles Shaw built several offices with lofts. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Several electric car charging stations are located outside the Smiley Building, part of the vision of the building’s owners to make it energy-efficient and environmentally progressive. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Cheryl Roberts Lee shares a studio in the Smiley Building with two other artists. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
