Giving & Gratitude

As previously reported, we recently received a $65,000 CPA grant from the city, allowing us to kickstart concrete plans to ensure our building is safe and accessible, which will allow us to book ticketed events again. Additionally, our Halloween parking lot fundraiser brought in nearly $7,000 to support this effort, and we've been fortunate to receive many generous contributions from our community - but we are still facing a gap to meet the $79,000 required for this initial phase of our building plans.

We are filled with gratitude for those who stood by us 10 years ago when we chose to reimagine this important Salem landmark—not as another condo building, but as a space our community can enjoy for generations to come. Since that time, we have continued to garner even more local support, and together with our friends, we've cultivated a shared vision that is both inspiring and energizing.

As we continue to seek grant opportunities from foundations, corporations, and government agencies, these organizations and other potential partners will evaluate the level of local support and the number of individual contributions when reviewing our applications. Every donation - no matter the size - serves as a vote of confidence and brings us closer to achieving our goals!

Who are we? We’re a growing, all-volunteer board who share an enthusiasm for and commitment to the arts and performing arts, the preservation of our historic building, and the idea of strengthening community around one of Salem's underutilized treasures. Our passion has fueled us through the challenges of defining our nonprofit identity, navigating the pandemic, and overcoming other hurdles. We want to thank you for standing with us as we strive to bring new life and purpose to this space....

Thank you for your continued friendship and support!

Work Has Begun On Our Capital Improvement Plan!

Thanks to all of you who’ve responded to our recent appeal with gifts and to those who’ve reached out encouraging us as we attempt to raise $14,000 to develop construction plans for the midlevel of our building so we can open again soon. The work has begun!

As a reminder, we are taking the first step in a capital improvement plan that will create a self-sustaining arts and culture hub to serve Salem and the North Shore for years to come. We received a generous $65,000 CPA grant from the city, but we must raise the balance through individual donations, partnerships, and grantmakers. 

As we look for grant opportunities from foundations, corporations, and government agencies, those entities and other potential partners will look for high numbers of small donations and strong community support when they consider our applications. That’s where you come in.

Donations in any amount will spur on our efforts!

It’s been a long and frustrating couple of years being closed and with financial and organizational setbacks. We’ve had no event-related income since 2021. But we’re optimistic! There’s buzz on how the city and others could use a space like ours and how we’re poised to become the hub for artistic, cultural, and community events that we envisioned in 2015. We’ve even taken the bold move of hiring a building use coordinator for five hours a week. 

If you would like to help us in our efforts, you can do so by making a charitable donation.

You can also support us by spreading the word: “Hey, you know that old church across from the train station where we attended a concert/saw a play/viewed the galleries? They plan to open again.”

We’d appreciate you boosting our story in any way you can!

Update On Our Capital Improvement Plan

We are excited to tell you we’ve received a Community Preservation Act (CPA)* grant that will help us develop plans to facilitate the installation of fire suppression and make the main level of our building safe and accessible to all. This is our first step in a capital improvement plan that will create a self-sustaining arts and culture hub to serve Salem and the North Shore for years to come!

Although the CPA grant was substantial ($65,000), we must raise $14,000 to pay the balance through individual donations, partnerships, and grantmakers. As our plans take wing to honor our past and reimagine our future, we must humbly ask for your support! By pitching in you can help ensure that the second life of this storied building, whose cornerstones reflect a belief in the inherent value of every person, is secure.

Want to support us?

But why give money to a building? Good question, but we are much more than that! Ten years ago, many of you encouraged us to form The Bridge at 211 to keep this landmark from being converted into offices or residential condominiums. The vision was to preserve more than a building, but an architectural gem whose walls contain a rich repository of Salem’s history and lore along with stories waiting to be told. For those of you who weren’t in on those early conversations, our recent adaptive reuse study confirms that the active arts and arts education facility we aim to create will:

• boost downtown development

• align with “Imagine Salem” as a bricks and mortar project supported by market demand

• enhance the city’s sense of community and authenticity

• provide a significant positive impact with new programming opportunities

• embrace the community’s diversity

• help sustain local businesses

• provide employment opportunities, and

• play a role in entertaining the influx of fall visitors

The study also ensured that our ultimate goals are attainable and realistic.

Aspirational? Yes.

Possible? Yes, with your help!

We're on the verge of something exciting. Our enthusiasm for and commitment to the arts and performing arts, preserving an historic building, and strengthening community around one of the city’s underused assets has driven us through the lengthy process of finding our identity as a nonprofit, the pandemic, and other obstacles. We want to thank you for standing with us as we strive to bring new life and purpose to this historic space.

We must remain closed during this time and will not be booking any events until this construction work is complete and we comply fully with the city’s building code requirements - but we hope to begin booking events soon.

*When combined with matching funds from the statewide Community Preservation Trust Fund, this dedicated fund is used to preserve historic buildings and resources, as well as other assets and initiatives.