Culture House Salem Press

City of Salem & CultureHouse Announce Development
of Art-focused Community Pop-Up Space
CultureHouse Salem, planned for Spring of 2022,
begins community-input phase

SALEM, MA – The City of Salem, MA and CultureHouse, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving livability in local communities by transforming unused spaces into vibrant social infrastructure, announced today the development of CultureHouse Salem—a pop-up arts and culture space at Salem’s Old Town Hall. The project is designed to test and study operational models for a long-term and sustainable arts and culture space in the historic building. The partnership builds upon Salem’s preexisting and robust arts and culture community while expanding the reach and inspiring new forms of expression from untapped art communities.

The project will focus on Salem’s Old Town Hall, a National Historic Site erected in the heart of downtown Salem’s Derby Square in 1816, currently utilized as a part-time cultural and rental facility. Building on the previous successes of CultureHouse creating community-driven pop-up spaces, including a recent project in nearby Peabody, the CultureHouse Salem project will focus on transforming the Old Town Hall building into an accessible, inviting public space for Salem residents and visitors to congregate, share artistic and cultural ideas, and feel welcome to simply visit and enjoy. The revitalization of this historic building will symbolize the next generation of artistic expression and community-building that has existed in Salem for centuries, as well as look at connections between vibrant gathering spaces as a tool for strengthening social infrastructure and community resiliency.

“Salem has an extraordinary arts and culture community that is yearning for more space to share their creative work. At the same time, we have Old Town Hall—a beautiful building with so much potential that is currently underutilized,” said Julie Barry, Senior Planner of Arts & Culture for the City of Salem. “With CultureHouse Salem, we will reimagine Old Town Hall as a vibrant center for arts and culture, setting the stage for a comprehensive long-term plan for the space. Whether it’s the shops on Artists’ Row, the annual Arts Festival, our nationally-acclaimed Halloween festivities or El Punto Urban Art Museum, just to name a few; Salem has a hearty history of artistic expression that we hope CultureHouse Salem can capture and build-upon to ensure more community members are welcomed and their work amplified through this new dynamic and inviting space.”

CultureHouse Salem will function as a multi-month pop-up space within the Old Town Hall, and host a variety of arts and culture activities and events that reimagine the space and welcome in all populations from the community. The project is currently in the process of collecting feedback from the community through a public survey (available in English and Spanish) and community conversations on the desired uses and aspirations for the space. After the pop-up completes, the lessons and findings of the temporary space will be presented in an Impact Report that will give guidance on the future use of the Old Town Hall building.

“Salem has an incredible community of creatives and is a draw for a seasonal tourist population. We want to sustain and expand that temporary vibrancy into a permanent year-round space,” said Rishika Dhawan, Community Lead for CultureHouse. “The goal is to transform this historic venue into an arts-focused public space where all feel welcome and represented. We are excited to work in collaboration with the city to explore ways to strengthen the connection between this physical gathering space and the social infrastructure of Salem’s artist community.”

Still in the early planning and testing phase of development, CultureHouse Salem is inviting community feedback throughout the month of February as they prepare the space for the pop-up opening in April 2022. Let your voice be heard in the reimaging and reshaping of this historic community icon. Visit culturehouse.cc/salem to fill out the community survey available in English and Spanish, register for the upcoming community meeting planned for February 17th, get information about hosting a program at the pop-up, and get in touch with the team. Additional fundraising and sponsorship opportunities are also available.

CultureHouse Salem will release an opening date for the pop-up, initial programs, and possible engagement opportunities in the coming weeks.

About CultureHouse
CultureHouse is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving livability in local communities by transforming unused spaces into vibrant social infrastructure. They create lasting change through community engagement, building designs, operating experimental pop-up spaces and impact reports detailing project next steps. Learn more at culturehouse.cc/.