Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Excellent news for the local theater community: the wild project — the long-running indie performance venue on Third Street — has purchased the building it has called home since 2007, here between Avenue A and Avenue B.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced this past Friday that the state is providing an additional $600,000 to help fund the acquisition, bringing New York's total support for the purchase to $1.2 million.
The funding is intended to secure the long-term stability of the 89-seat theater and to preserve affordable cultural space for emerging, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and local artists.
Artistic director Ana Mari de Quesada shared the news on Instagram, calling the purchase "a dream made possible by our incredible community," and thanking donors "who believed in our vision for a permanent home for independent art in NYC."
Here's operations manager Chris Moseley shortly after the news broke on Friday...
As he told us during a tour last December, after the fundraising effort began: "The downtown theatre ecosystem cannot afford to lose another space; there simply aren't enough left."
The nonprofit venue at 195 E. Third St. includes an ADA-compliant theater and gallery, plus eco-friendly upgrades such as solar panels, a rooftop garden and energy-efficient systems. The sale also includes the building's air rights, creating the possibility of a future expansion.
According to Wild Project, the space has welcomed more than 55,000 patrons and supported over 12,000 artists since opening in 2007. They say they'll continue fundraising to support the mortgage and ongoing operations.
Previously on EV Grieve:
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