WHAT: A Public Celebration at 33 Hawley Street, A Permanent Home for the Arts
WHEN: June 9th, 12:00 noon to 7:00 pm
WHEN: June 9th, 12:00 noon to 7:00 pm
WHERE: The Northampton Community Arts Trust, 33 Hawley St, Northampton, MA
The Northampton Community Arts Trust announces the launch of the pubic and final phase of its capital campaign for 33 Hawley Street on Sunday, June 9th at Hawley Street. This exciting new community arts facility is approximately two-thirds complete; the goal of the next phase of the capital
campaign is to raise the final 33 percent of the funds needed to complete the renovation of 33 Hawley. In recognition of 33 Hawley’s growing role in the Valley’s cultural life, and to kick off the public campaign and encourage community support for completion of this permanent home for the arts, the Arts Trust invites the public to a free celebration on June 9th.
The June 9th celebration runs from 12:00 noon to 7:00 pm at 33 Hawley Street, and has something for everyone. Starting at 1:00 pm, local artists perform every half hour in the Flex performance/event space, while other activities are ongoing throughout the building and grounds, including chalk art for everyone and the collaborative construction of an outdoor sculpture. From 5:00 to 7:00 pm there is salsa dancing, while at the same time Disney's Coco is screened in the Flex space. Food and beverages are available for purchase throughout the day from food trucks on site, and beer is available in a Building 8 Brewing’s beer garden.
Northampton Community Arts Trust Board President Richard Wagner said, “33 Hawley embodies the mission of the Arts Trust, which is to ensure the long-term vitality of the Northampton region by acquiring and preserving affordable and accessible space for the arts. We bought this property in 2013 because we saw that it could be a permanent home in the community for a wide variety of artistic and cultural uses. We have already renovated and opened about two-thirds of the building. We have workroom/teaching spaces, a dedicated dance studio, a lobby and mezzanine that also function as event and gallery spaces, and the “Flex” a large space that serves as a performance and event hall. In the final phase of renovation, we will complete a 200+ seat flexible theater space, theater support spaces, a dedicated visual art gallery, administrative offices, and finishes to the lobby and mezzanine.” The Arts Trusts keeps 33 Hawley operational costs to a minimum by avoiding commercial debt and through energy saving measures that include a solar array covering most of the roof and supplying the building with electricity. Low overhead means 33 Hawley will be a sustainable home for the arts in the Pioneer Valley for decades to come.
Three long time Northampton arts organizations are currently in residence at 33 Hawley: the Northampton Center for the Arts, APE Ltd., and Northampton Community Television. These organizations act as portals to all artists, arts groups, arts educators and community organizations who seek to use the various spaces at 33 Hawley.
While Northampton and the Pioneer Valley are widely known for their cultural offerings, the area is in danger of being a victim of its own success as property values rise and arts organizations are priced out of their homes. By acquiring, protecting and renovating two-thirds of 33 Hawley, the Arts Trust has already created a permanent home for the arts in the Northampton region. With the launch of the public capital campaign, the Arts Trust is asking the community to step up and complete the final 33 percent of 33 Hawley.
Funds for the purchase and renovation of Hawley Street to date have been raised through individual and business donations, and grants from The Massachusetts Cultural Council Cultural Facilities Fund and MassDevelopment, the Commonwealth Office of Finance and Administration, the Commonwealth Office of Housing and Economic Development, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, Smith College, the Beveridge Family Foundation, C&S Wholesale Grocers, and the Wellspring Fund of the Peace Development Fund. For further information on the Arts Trust, visit www.northamptonartstrust.org or www.33hawley.org
