BERKELEY, CA (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The Freight & Salvage Coffee House, a mainstay of the Bay Area’s nonprofit arts community for nearly 40 years, has received a $1 million grant to help the landmark venue move into a new 20,000-square foot home in Berkeley’s Downtown Arts District.
The grant, from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, made it possible for the club to transform a former auto repair shop into the new home of the west coast’s oldest and most active folk venue. The grand opening is set to coincide with the organization’s 40th anniversary in June of 2008.
The new home will increase the Freight & Salvage’s available space nearly six-fold, enabling it to offer new educational programming and establish an archive for folk and traditional music. It will more than double its seating capacity, from 220 to 480 seats, and allow the creation of adjoining classrooms, an informal café, and music-related retail space.
The Freight & Salvage also announced that musician Danny Carnahan and investor Warren Hellman have agreed to serve as co-chairs of its New Home Committee.
“The Freight is the bedrock of Northern California folk culture,” said Carnahan. “It has allowed me to explore the challenges and opportunities of performing. It has been called informal, intimate, and a treasure. For me, the Freight is a second home.”
“We’re creating a larger performance space, but it will remain the same Freight & Salvage that it has always been — the Bay Area’s home for traditional music,” said Hellman. “Musicians and audiences both deserve the updated amenities they’ll get in the new home, and I’m delighted to be part of this important effort.” –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
