The Firehouse Gallery, a staple of the downtown arts community, is preparing to close after over 15 years.
The news follows an unsuccessful crowdfunding campaign by the gallery, which was sold in February for $500,000.
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The last show in the art gallery at the Firehouse, which will close this month, is a retrospective of recently-deceased local artist Brian Harrison’s work. Harrison was a longtime artist with the Firehouse.
Performances in the back space of the Firehouse such as First Friday Night Live, Fire Stage and Organic Poetry will continue once a month through December.
The comedy show First Friday Night Live, a skit show similar to Saturday Night Live, will be relocating to another theater downtown, and it has a tentative agreement with Space 55.
Joe Sawinski and Sheri Amour, who have been involved with the Firehouse for years, are taking over its back space for a new project called “Outer Space.”
“We’ve had a good run downtown with the venues that we’ve operated, and I know we are working to pass the torch,” Firehouse co-founder Michael Lee 23 said. “And I have confidence that there will continue to be a significant arts community here.”
Although the Firehouse is closing, its legacy will live on.
“Firehouse created us; we are like an offspring of the Firehouse,” Amour said. Amour is the stage director for First Friday Night Live.
Kristina Kuhn, volunteer manager and curator for the Firehouse, said the Firehouse will continue through its followers.
“I would say it’s not really closing,” Kuhn said. “It’s been a foundation with the downtown arts for over 20 years, and it has a huge community, so even though the building itself is closing, we as people and artists are continuing with its work.”
Michael 23 said he plans on shifting his focus to Miami, Arizona after the Firehouse officially closes.
“I’m hoping to build an entire settlement of artists out there [in Miami],” Michael 23 said. “It’s affordable; we have buildings. It’s not like down here where it’s all speculative development for tiny residential spaces and restaurants.”
Contact the Reporter at nthrash@asu.edu.
