Founders Closing Central California Arthouse after Fire Inspection

Founders of a popular artists’ collective operating in a Fresno, Calif. warehouse say they’re closing following an Oakland fire in December that killed dozens.

Adam Mena, a co-founder of the space called Arthouse, tells the Fresno Bee that they’ll out by mid-January.

He says upgrades required by the latest round of fire inspections proved too expensive. The closure will displace dozens of artists who displayed their work or rented studio space.

The Fresno closure follows a Dec. 2 fire that killed 36 people attending a dance party at an Oakland warehouse illegally converted into an artists’ collective called the Ghost Ship.

Mena estimates that they’ve already spent $40,000 in upgrades from past fire inspections.

Fresno Fire Marshal Ted Semonious says inspectors received calls about the collective since the deadly Oakland fire.

Related:

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• Death Toll from Fire in Oakland Artist Loft Reaches 33
• Some Saw Warning Signs Before Oakland Loft Fire
• Colleagues of Oakland Artists’ Colony Founder Paint Caustic Portrait
• Maryland Arts Building Shut Down for Safety Violations

Topics California