[Photo courtesy of killrbeez on flickr]
We did a double take to make sure we weren’t seeing things, but ABC No Rio, the gallery/performance space/counterculture staple at 156 Rivington St. has finally bought its building from the City of New York for $1. The sale has been in the process for years, but ABC began the Fourth of July weekend as a property owner. The “culture of opposition,” though, is still looking for donors, as attention now turns to raising money to totally renovate its LES digs. So far, they’ve raised $290,000 for the first phase of construction. On the upgrade list are darkroom, silkscreen printing facility, small press resource center, computer center, office space and more space for art, music and performances. Does this mean the Food Not Bombs collective gets a state-of-the-art kitchen?
· Done Deal: ABC No Rio Acquires the Property [ABC No Rio Site]
· Collective Turns Itself into Own Landlord [NYT]