PORT TOWNSEND — Even though its fundraising goal has not yet been reached, the Northwind Arts Center expects to move to its new downtown location by the end of the year.
“We’ve gone too far to stop. We expect this will happen,” Michael D’Alessandro, Northwind’s executive director, said after a presentation to the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce on Monday.
D’Alessandro addressed about 40 people at the chamber’s weekly meeting, stating that fundraising will continue so the gallery doesn’t need to take out additional loans.
D’Alessandro said that as of Monday, the campaign had raised $258,188 in pledges, donations and grants.
This leaves $86,812 left to raise, an amount that will be reduced to $61,812 after $25,000 in corporate matches comes through in December.
The $86,812 includes $36,812 to make up for purchasing the building and $50,000 in renovation costs.
“We are at the point where we can call in our pledges,” D’Alessandro said.
“We are confident we are going to make our goal, and we have a lot of support coming down the line.
“As an organization, we intend to go forward with this purchase.”
Northwind, which has operated at at 2409 Jefferson St. for 12 years, has entered into a purchase agreement for the Waterman & Katz building at 701 Water St.
The agreement is conditional on Northwind’s ability to raise the $345,000 needed for the purchase and renovation of the historical building.
This opens the way for the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and visitor’s center to take over Northwind’s current space, which is larger and more accessible to the public than the chamber’s present facility at the 440 12th St., adjacent to the Hanes Street Park & Ride.
Jefferson Transit has a $131,890 purchase agreement for the 12th Street building and has told the chamber it will need to vacate by March 1.
If Northwind meets its goal, the chamber could make the move sometime in 2014, according to its executive director, Teresa Verraes.
This is an exciting time. We are in support of this great campaign,” Verraes said.
“Having an anchor arts center in the downtown area will take the whole community to another level.”
The move means more space for everyone.
The chamber is moving from 1,300 square feet to around 2,500 square feet at the current Northwind location, with the gallery upgrading to a 3,300-square-foot suite that was last occupied by the Ancestral Spirits Gallery and Puget Sound Energy.
D’Alessandro said the new space will be more flexible, as it will allow changing portable walls to create different exhibit spaces.
While Northwind does have curated exhibits, it will continue its practice of renting gallery space to artists, and a music performance space is also in the works.
“Artists can raise their profile and get a kickstart for their career,” he said.
“And we can showcase musicians in a concert setting rather than in a loud bar where you can’t hear the lyrics or the music.”
Details of the capital campaign and a pledge card are in a brochure available by calling the gallery at 360-379-1086.
Donations can be made on the gallery’s website, www.northwindarts.org.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
