BETHLEHEM, Pennsylvania – ArtsQuest announced on Friday the completion of the “first pillar” of Re-Imagine That! Capital Campaign, saying there will be a grand reopening of the renovated first floor of the ArtsQuest Center.
The organization also announced a “generous gift” from Crayola to the planned ArtsQuest Cultural Center to replace the Bethlehem Banana Factory.
- ArtsQuest announced the grand reopening of the first floor of the ArtsQuest Center in Bethlehem on Monday at 5:30 p.m.
- The organization also announced a “generous gift” from Crayola for the planned ArtsQuest Cultural Center to replace the Bethlehem Banana Factory
- The renovation of the first floor of the ArtsQuest Center was completed in 2020, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic
The event will take place on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the ArtsQuest Center’s Palette and Pour Restaurant and at the Frank Banko Alehouse Red Cinema.
The renovation of the first floor was completed in spring 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
It offers what ArtsQuest described as “a new spacious and modern floor plan (which) includes the Palette & Pour restaurant with a full-service bar serving light meals, with plenty of seating for 118 people, a Williams-Brew stage for open mic nights and smaller-scale entertainment plus comfortable lounge-style seating throughout.
The first floor also houses The Gregg and Cindy Feinberg Welcome Center, Anne and Brad Baum’s “Baums Corner”, the Mike and Ike checkout, and a space dedicated to the Yee family that is under development.
Donna S. Fisher
/ /
For LehighValleyNews.com
The Cultural Center will be the “second pillar”
The second pillar of the campaign is the planned new ArtsQuest Cultural Center to replace the Banana Factory, currently at 25 W. Third Street in Bethlehem. The new, state-of-the-art facility, expected to be 74,000 square feet, “will have a positive impact on the SouthSide community and all of Bethlehem,” Artsquest said in a press release.
The new cultural arts center “will have a huge positive impact on the SouthSide community and all of Bethlehem. It will serve as a visible and creative western gateway to the SouthSide Arts District, offering expanded initiatives designed for all ages, providing space and technology that will double the number of students it currently serves, and support economic development and tourism.”
ArtsQuest press release announcing a “generous gift” from Crayola
It will serve as a visible and creative western gateway to the SouthSide Arts District, offer expanded initiatives designed for all ages, provide space and technology that will double the number of students it currently serves, and support economic development and tourism. .
ArtsQuest announced that Crayola is making a “generous gift” to support the Cultural Center. She did not disclose the amount of the donation.
“Crayola has been proud to support ArtsQuest for many years,” said Crayola Vice President Orville Trout, who is also ArtsQuest’s chairman of the board of trustees, in a press release.
“From supporting artistic family experiences at Musikfest to educational opportunities for youth and everything in between, we strongly believe in providing access to the arts for everyone in our communities,” said Trout. “Both Crayola and ArtsQuest missions overlap perfectly, and we look forward to our partnership for years to come.”
ArtsQuest CEO Kassie Hilgert said, “We are extremely grateful to Crayola for the generous gift that has made this new Cultural Center a reality. Without the support of local companies such as Crayola, a project of this size and scope would not have been possible. This is one step closer to digging the shovel into the ground.”