Silent Barn, a popular DIY venue in Brooklyn is set to close on April 30th after more than 12 years of artistic innovation and community based initiatives.
Since opening their Bushwick location in 2012, Silent Barn has been a community directed artistic initiative. The locale has hosted numerous performances by small local artists, as well as nationally touring bands. The collective also hosts artists in residence and supports community programs based around youth-education through the initiative, Educated Little Monsters.
Despite it all, and despite city wide initiatives like appointing a Night Life Mayor to help combat these types of closings, financial viability remains problematic.
In a statement put out by Silent Barn they say,
“From the start, we were aware of the risks that this building and our intended collective organizational structure presented, but we took on those challenges knowing that the resulting space would be unique and vital. Despite the incredible support we have received from our community, the financial and functional challenges of running a space on this scale have created an unsustainable environment with no realistic way forward.”
However, according to their statement, although this may be the end of the venue, it does not mean the end of the organization or the dream. The collective encourages community members to stay connected via their newsletter and social media outlets like Facebook.
Featured image: silentbarn.org