Big News: Announcing The Bakery Atlanta's Plans to Secure a Space in Poncey-Highland
hi everyone ☀️ my name is willow goldstein. i am the founder of the bakery and the executive director of bakery atlanta, a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit. i want to personally thank everyone who has been involved with and/or supported the bakery since it started in 2017. it’s been a long road since then, and i’m so proud of where we are. thanks to our amazing staff, volunteers, supporters, and friends, we turned a warehouse into a community art space, activated a few temporary spaces, survived a global pandemic, started a nonprofit, and more. i am astounded that an idea i had seven years ago turned into this big beautiful thing that’s still growing every day. now, we are ready to jump into our next venture! a new space that will remind you of our original location, but better...
i’m excited to announce that we are working on securing a 12,500 sq. ft. basement space in the poncey-highland neighborhood. this is about half the size of our original building, which means we will have enough square footage to host a white wall art gallery, a dedicated performance space, creative offices, and artists’ studios, and flexible artist/craft retail. our goal is to work with emerging artists who are taking the leap out of studio practice and into entrepreneurship. we hope to create a mini ecosystem where artists and small businesses have support and physical space to take their next step.
opening a space is no easy task, but we’ve done it before and we will do it again. what’s harder than opening a spot? keeping it. if we secure this new space, we will have a 5-year lease with a 5-year renewal option. this is a huge deal for the arts in atlanta ✨ #atlantaneedsthebakery
our previous and original home, a multifaceted arts complex (from 2017 - 2020), is now the headquarters of a significant local nonprofit, trees atlanta. they became our de facto landlord for a year after they purchased the building in 2019, and i have no ill will against them. i know several friends who work for them, and their work is meaningful. it does serve as a painful reminder that they are able to purchase and own property while we are not. large organizations and institutions like trees atlanta, the high museum, the fox theatre, etc., get most of the funding and resources while the bottom of the cultural sector fights for scraps in comparison. that’s not to say the big guys are more or less important than the small ones, but the resources just aren’t equitable.
our current home in south downtown (from 2021 - now) was just the stopgap we needed, and we are grateful to Newport for helping us have a physical location the past few years. when we opened in january 2021, we had timed tickets, limited capacity, and a no-exceptions mask policy. with the pandemic still in full force in winter 2021, we proceeded with caution but found that the work was meaningful. atlanta still wanted and needed us. we love our gallery space, but sadly, our annual license agreement for this space ends in december, and, by then, it will likely have a new owner. with potential new ownership and an ever-changing landscape downtown, we have no idea if renewing this lease will be an option.
this new project is very exciting, and we can’t wait to tell you all about it! literally, we can’t wait, so we’ll be putting all the details online today and tomorrow. keep an eye on our socials, website, and newsletter.
i am running full speed ahead at this potential project, and i need your help. do you live in the poncey-highland neighborhood? do you know someone who does? there is a very important neighborhood vote this wednesday, 9/20 @ 7pm. the phna neighborhood association will be voting on drafted legislation that would allow us to apply for a liquor license. we have attended npu meetings and community meetings, met with business owners, and are now hoping to meet more neighbors. we want to make sure all of the residents know about our potential plans and what this vote on wednesday means for our future.
help us spread the word! any poncey-highland resident (renter or homeowner) can vote on wednesday. we need your help!
read more about our business plans and details on the process here.
