Mission & History
Mission
Available Potential Enterprises, Ltd. supports contemporary artists working in all disciplines, by preserving and supporting the spaces in which they create, perform and exhibit their work.
History
A.P.E.'s original space in 1977
A.P.E. is a not for profit, 501 C-3, founded in 1977 by and for artists, whose programs in dance, theater, visual arts, spoken word, multimedia, movement and arts education have helped to define and create the city's artistic character for more than three decades. A.P.E. also serves as an "umbrella," or fiscal agent, for a number of resident and affiliated artists and art groups.
A.P.E. was conceived of as a workspace for artists. Its "shape" was largely determined by the creative needs of the Northampton community, tempered by the strong commitment of its directors to the understanding that space, time, and protection from economic pressure are critical for the realization of new and original work. A.P.E. has always insisted that the work of creating is valuable in and of itself, separate from any economic return.
A.P.E. receives funding from box office receipts, sales of artwork, individual donors, corporate, local, state and national sources, as well as many in-kind contributions.
From 1977 through 2006, A.P.E. occupied the top floor of Thornes Market, a five story renovated department store in the heart of downtown Northampton, Massachusetts.
The A.P.E./Thornes 'marriage' was a successful working model. It not only covered all its debt, capital improvements, operating costs, distributed cash to the partners, and provided them personal work and office space, but also contributed 20% of its leasable space rent free to the community through A.P.E.
The model ultimately failed however, when the partners were unable to build into the mission of the business a way to pass its success down to the next generation of owners. Unable to make a convincing case for the valuable role that space for creative exploration played in the health and success of the whole building, in the end, they only passed down the building's success as a business, and in this classic economic model, A.P.E. was “worthless."
When A.P.E. was an integral part of Thornes Market it managed, programmed and maintained 10,000 square feet of space loosely divided into performance, exhibition, studio and teaching areas.
When Thornes Market was sold in 2006, the A.P.E. spaces were converted to office use and an important performance, exhibition, and creative work space was lost to the community. In 2007 Gordon Thorne, one of the original owners of Thornes, and the founding director of A.P.E., used proceeds from the sale of Thornes to purchase another building at 126 Main street. In 2008, after extensive renovations, A.P.E. moved its office into this new location.
A.P.E. was conceived of as a workspace for artists. Its "shape" was largely determined by the creative needs of the Northampton community, tempered by the strong commitment of its directors to the understanding that space, time, and protection from economic pressure are critical for the realization of new and original work. A.P.E. has always insisted that the work of creating is valuable in and of itself, separate from any economic return.
A.P.E. receives funding from box office receipts, sales of artwork, individual donors, corporate, local, state and national sources, as well as many in-kind contributions.
From 1977 through 2006, A.P.E. occupied the top floor of Thornes Market, a five story renovated department store in the heart of downtown Northampton, Massachusetts.
The A.P.E./Thornes 'marriage' was a successful working model. It not only covered all its debt, capital improvements, operating costs, distributed cash to the partners, and provided them personal work and office space, but also contributed 20% of its leasable space rent free to the community through A.P.E.
The model ultimately failed however, when the partners were unable to build into the mission of the business a way to pass its success down to the next generation of owners. Unable to make a convincing case for the valuable role that space for creative exploration played in the health and success of the whole building, in the end, they only passed down the building's success as a business, and in this classic economic model, A.P.E. was “worthless."
When A.P.E. was an integral part of Thornes Market it managed, programmed and maintained 10,000 square feet of space loosely divided into performance, exhibition, studio and teaching areas.
When Thornes Market was sold in 2006, the A.P.E. spaces were converted to office use and an important performance, exhibition, and creative work space was lost to the community. In 2007 Gordon Thorne, one of the original owners of Thornes, and the founding director of A.P.E., used proceeds from the sale of Thornes to purchase another building at 126 Main street. In 2008, after extensive renovations, A.P.E. moved its office into this new location.
Gordon Thorne addresses the Community Land Trust in the Southern Berkshires annual meeting with a talk on the concept of a "Community Arts Trust". Gordon describes his evolution as an artist, developer, and executive director of a non-profit as it relates to shaping and maintaining healthy and diverse communities. He believes that arts spaces should be a part of the commons in perpetuity and performing arts spaces be made accessible and affordable to artists in the community.
Gordon Thorne, "Community Arts Trust". Community Land Trust in the Southern Berkshires annual meeting, February 2009 by Schumacher Center for a New Economics
https://archive.org/details/GordonThornecommunityArtsTrustFebruary2009_3
Gordon Thorne, "Community Arts Trust". Community Land Trust in the Southern Berkshires annual meeting, February 2009 by Schumacher Center for a New Economics
https://archive.org/details/GordonThornecommunityArtsTrustFebruary2009_3