Donate Now Through CanadaHelps.org!Grand Opening / SWARM Afterparty / Fundraiser on Friday, September 13th at 10pm.

 

We have been working hard this summer! The space at 236 East Pender is looking impressive these days, but it wasn’t always so pretty. Here is a look at the progress we have made in our renovations since May.

One of the finished studios upstairs at “UNIT 236”

By October we will have the building ready to serve as a hub for artists and their organizations,  creating a much-needed expansion to the amount of accessible, artist-managed space already available at places like 222. UNIT/PITT’s exhibition space on the main floor will continue to house our socially conscious and experimental programming. We will also carry forward our mandate to support a space for public dialogue and critical awareness and provide support for emerging artists.

We have a dedicated team of workers headed by 221A’s Brian McBay who have done phenomenal things with our limited budget. However, we still are waiting on the installation of wash sinks, a kitchenette, some safety features, and bathrooms, all essential amenities. (You can help us out with that!)

The Before Photo: A Bare Bones Grocery. Check out that Ceiling! And the Floor! (And the Creepy Tinsel on the Window!)

The building was previously a grocery, and after that a herbalist and dry-goods wholesaler. Although it had promise, we knew there was going to be a lot of work involved.  We cleared out everything inside from dried lizard heads to decrepit massage tables to a monster of a safe from the first half of last century.

Several Stages of Renovations. Staircase was Removed, Lots of Junk Thrown Out, Fir Hardwood Floors Sanded and Refinished
Several Stages of Renovations. Staircase was Removed, Lots of Junk Thrown Out, Fir Hardwood Floors Sanded and Refinished

The newly-installed floors in the main floor and gallery space brighten it up with clean lines, and the basement has been transformed from a refrigerated storage space to a bright, clean, safe work and storage area. As you can see, we can do a lot with very little. Every donation has an impact, and your contribution now will help give the Pitt a solid foundation for the next fifteen years and beyond. Help us complete this project by contributing via CanadaHelps.

If you would like to donate money, but don’t want to do so online, you can contact us at [email protected].

You can also show your support by attending our Grand Opening / SWARM Afterparty / Fundraiser on Friday, September 13th at 10pm, after the opening of God Save The Queen.

Our Basement Space: We wish we had a Before Photo for this one. It used to be walk-in refrigeration units. Pretty Impressive, Right?
Our Basement Space: We wish we had a Before Photo for this one. It used to be walk-in refrigeration units. Pretty Impressive, Right?

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