
help me build this performance space
Donation protected
What is it?:
My family owns a building on Chicago Ave and Austin and I have permission to use the upstairs space however I'd like. maximum capacity is 50 people with a piano, two bathrooms, and a bar, so I want to turn it into a performance space featuring local contemporary Jazz and classical artists. The goal is to get this running by the summer and plan a 3-5 concert music festival as well as have a weekly jam session akin to The Katalyst on 137th.
Why am I doing this?:
There aren't too many black owned performance venues in Chicago that curate contemporary Jazz/classical music and most of the venues available (black owned or not) are in predominately white neighborhoods. This project will be an incubator for arts & culture for the residents of the Austin neighborhood, and it will allow me to support my friends who are all world class musicians. Honestly I'm just a really big fan of them and I wanna create opportunities for all of us to make music and work together.
who will benefit from this?:
The residents of the Austin neighborhood (85% black and also the largest neighborhood in the city), the Chicago music scene, and myself because this is another opportunity for me to write more music and continue to collaborate with my friends and others within the community.
What do I need?:
the number 1 priority is the piano being rebuilt. It's a 1923 Mason & Hamelin and it's surprisingly in VERY good shape but the action needs to be redone.
repetitions - $1400
shanks - $675
hammers (custom cause they don't make them anymore) - $750
back checks - $385
labor - $3290
PA system - $5000
house drum kit - $2000
gofundme transaction fee - $400
total - $13900
if you don't have any bread to donate but would still like to contribute, I'll happily accept donations in the form of music gear or other material items that may be useful. Thanks y'all
Organizer
John Bitoy
Organizer
Chicago, IL