Montague's Artisans on Main moving to new location across the river
CBC News | Posted: September 10, 2020 5:00 PM | Last Updated: September 10, 2020
'If all goes well we might be there for a while'
Artisans on Main in Montague is heading across the river to a new home in the freight shed.
For years, the non-profit gallery for eastern P.E.I. artists had a home on the south side of the river in a building right on the waterfront, says Artisans on Main chair Carla Morgan.
But over time, the year-round rental costs were becoming too much for what was a four-month operation.
"Just generally it was a struggle, but with COVID that kind of put it over the edge … we realized we'd better find something we can afford better," Morgan said.
If all goes well we might be there for a while. — Carla Morgan, Artisans on Main
They found a "perfect location" directly across the Montague River in the municipality's freight shed. Morgan said the single-storey building has roughly the same square footage as the old building, but without the second floor.
She said the municipality uses the shed to store benches and other items for the winter, and that works perfectly for Artisans on Main, as they'll use the empty building for their gallery in the summer.
Working on the new space over winter
Though she didn't say how much the gallery is saving by moving to the new location and going back to paying for just four months of rent instead of 12, Morgan did say it's a "huge" cost-saver.
Rent will include everything but internet, and Artisans on Main has struck an agreement with the waterfront board — which is connected to the municipality — that could be renewed annually, she said.
The space is also better for accessibility, as the staircase in the two-storey building was a hindrance to some patrons.
"If all goes well we might be there for a while," she said.
Morgan said the plan is to have everything in the freight shed by the end of September and over the winter people will work on the interior of the space to prepare to open June 1, 2021.