Cultural Center receives grant
Plans for the ArtsQuest Cultural Center in Bethlehem continue to move forward, thanks to a $45,000 Community Improvement Grant awarded to ArtsQuest by Northampton County. The matching grant from the County of Northampton’s Community Investment Partnership Program will be used toward the construction of the new Cultural Center, which is currently in the planning phases.
Funded from Table Games Revenue, the CIPP program provides resources to Northampton County’s communities that lack access to resources in implementing comprehensive community revitalization plans and strategies that will improve the quality of life for citizens and create opportunities to stimulate, attract and sustain economic development. CIPP is designed to assist the county in prioritizing and allocating resources for the Northampton County Department of Community and Economic Development.
The new, 80,000-square-foot Cultural Center, to be built on the site of the Banana Factory, will include the adaptive reuse of two buildings, as well as new construction, resulting in a three-story, contemporary arts facility that will serve as a gateway to Bethlehem’s SouthSide Arts District.
The new Cultural Center will also allow ArtsQuest to increase its resident artist studio spaces by 25 percent, as well as feature two Art Plazas, outdoor classrooms and digital design displays, all of which will help attract artists, arts enthusiasts and visitors to Bethlehem and the county.
“One of the primary goals of the new Cultural Center is to serve as an anchor that draws visitors to the city’s arts district, provides opportunities for area artists to support their livelihood and helps to enhance the quality of life for the residents of our county,” says ArtsQuest President & CEO Kassie Hilgert. “We thank Northampton County, its council and its Community and Economic Development Department for supporting the vision behind this exciting, new resource for our region.” the first floor perfect for hosting concerts, among other things. I was thinking about the studio and all the unconventional stuff we do at BAPL, and the song came to mind.” He added lyrics to include highlights at BAPL, such as Spike the library lizard.
Berk plays guitar and sings on the track, accompanied by Outreach Librarian Regina Kochmaruk. Other musicians on the song include April Smith and Matt Molchany of the indie rock band Voir Voir. The video was filmed and edited by Lab212, a local production company who has spent much of 2019 filming various library event for inclusion in the video. Bethlehem-area student musicians also make an appearance, rocking out in the studio.
At the end of the song there is a huge chorus singing together, a group that includes library staff, area musicians, community members, and volunteers. Using the library’s recording studio, multiple sessions were recorded before Molchany, who is also a sound engineer, mixed the track, giving it the feel of a giant, rousing sing-along.
To see the video visit: www.bapl.org/i-like-beingloud-in-the-library-officialmusic-video/