The Painted Bride Is Selling Its Old City Building
But that doesn't mean this is the end of the groundbreaking arts organization.
The Painted Bride building could be yours. (Photo by Matthew Thompson)
Anybody want to buy an arts venue? The Painted Bride is selling its property at 230 Vine Street in Old City, where the arts organization has been headquartered since 1982.
According to a statement released by the Painted Bride, the non-profit group is selling the building in order to morph its business model into one that is sustainable in a city and an arts scene that have changed so much over the years.
The money raised from the property sale will be used to fund future programs instead of paying for building upkeep and other growing expenses associated with the building, which is the organization’s primary asset.
“The Bride is daring to be fearless,” says Laural Raczka, executive director of The Painted Bride. “We realized that to really support artists into the future, we would need to be truly nimble and responsive to whatever the arts eco-system needs.”
But if you have tickets to this December’s Philly Nutt Crak-Up or the Bobby Zankel concert in January, don’t worry: The Painted Bride promises to operate through June 2018 and stresses that all rental obligations will be met. In other words, if you’re having your wedding there in May, you’re safe.
After the Painted Bride stops presenting shows on Vine Street, Raczka says that there will still be Painted Bride-produced shows in Philly. Just not there.
“We will seek out artist-led projects and facilitate their creation and development in venues throughout the city and in public spaces,” reads the statement. “Projects might include performances and exhibitions, as well as artistic experiences such as social interactions and conversations—all of which will be relevant to current issues. Free from conventional boundaries or artistic disciplines, the Bride’s work will span the arts, sciences, and humanities by developing partnerships outside of the cultural community.
The Painted Bride building will go on sale on Tuesday, with SSH Real Estate’s Daniel Mayock handling the sale. No asking price has been set.
According to the city, the market value of the property is $2.9 million. The Painted Bride bought the building in 1982 for $325,000, according to property records.
