Brianna Dow in front of the new 717 Arts space. Photo courtesy of 717 Arts.
The arts will have a new home base in Harrisburg.
717 Arts Inc. and Harristown announced on Thursday the opening of a community arts center at 25 S. 3rd St. in downtown’s SoMa neighborhood.
The new center will open for the Harrisburg Fringe Festival on July 16 through 19, an annual event that 717 Arts hosts to showcase local and unique artists, filmmakers, performers and more.
The new location will allow nonprofit 717 Arts, which started in 2021, to host performances, exhibits and workshops, among other gatherings.
“The arts community in Harrisburg is thriving, and artists and performers are continually seeking out places to make art happen,” said Brianna Dow, Harrisburg Fringe Festival producer and president of 717 Arts. “With the 717 Arts Community Center, our goal is to meet the community where they are, providing a safe, supportive and welcoming space.”
Dow said that in addition to workshops and performances, 717 Arts will open the space for studio hours and offer art supplies onsite for community members to use. Dow’s goal is to support artists who are starting out, or face barriers to getting into traditional art studios, museums or shows.
During the Fringe Festival, the space will serve as the informational hub for attendees and visitors and will host a visual art exhibit.
717 Arts will open in the former site of Found Collab, a vintage store that closed last year. The art nonprofit joins several other businesses in SoMa (south of Market Street), including Boneshire Taps, JoJo’s Barbershop, SCC Tattoos, Agape Elixer Bar and more.
“We are thrilled to welcome the 717 Arts Community Center to SoMa,” said Brad Jones, president of Dewberry, L.L.C., an affiliate of Harristown Development Corp., which owns the building. “Having artists visiting and using this unique space adds energy to this area and increases the vibrant character of the SoMa neighborhood.”
For more information on 717 Arts, visit their website.
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