Very little on the exterior of the big old building on the northwest corner of Barry and Kenmore suggests what goes on within. A granite cornerstone dated “A.D. 1924” proclaims the structure’s age; the dingy red bricks, high vaulted windows, and fading flecks of spray-painted graffiti suggest a disused school. Only a wooden sign, its bright purple clashing with the dusky wall on which it hangs, and a flamboyant purple logo on the orange front door advertise the current identity of this venerable neighborhood landmark.
“I can’t perceive MoMing being in any other location,” says Peter Tumbelston, a dancer turned arts manager who has been the center’s director since 1988. That statement is informed by a variety of factors. Relocating to a new space “would cost MoMing at least $150,000 in mandatory moving and renovation expenses,” estimates Catherine D. Pines, a clinical psychologist who is president of MoMing’s board. But Tumbelston emphasizes an even more basic problem: the unlikelihood of finding appropriate space even if moving money were readily available.
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“We’ve got an uphill battle here. There aren’t a lot of options,” says Tumbelston. “There aren’t spaces of the kind we need–wide-open, pillar-free studio space is the most difficult to find.”
“We’re not affiliated with an institution–our programs are accessible to anyone,” Tumbelston says. “One of the most important aspects of MoMing now is that the school and performance spaces are in close proximity. The two functions are integral to an ongoing learning experience.” If MoMing is forced to move, it may have to rent studio space for its classes and find outside venues for performances on an ad hoc basis.
Given its lack of options, MoMing is desperate to hold on to what it’s got. Its response to its immediate dilemma hinges on a “grass-roots capital campaign” to raise $120,000 for a down payment. Key to this campaign is the “MoMing 60” strategy, which calls for 60 individuals to contribute or raise $1,000 each; if that goal is met, an anonymous “angel” will donate $60,000. A sheet in MoMing’s lobby lists 52 people who have pledged to become part of the MoMing 60. An escrow account is being established to guarantee that contributions toward purchase of the building or moving costs will be used for those purposes.
But the pressure is definitely on. According to realtor Marlene Granacki of Baird & Warner, who is representing the church in the sale, “There are two written offers on the table from private buyers,” one of which was just presented this week.
