Golden Belt

Golden Belt Campus To Be Reintroduced As A Community Focused Hub

Durham, NC – Once an abandoned textile mill, Golden Belt Campus has been relaunched as a cultural hub and business center, featuring a community focused haven for the arts, technology, and entertainment. The seven acre campus welcomes the Triangle to reintroduce Golden Belt at the first annual Golden Belt Block Party on April 13th.

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This is a view of the lawn where guests will enjoy the entertainment. (Photo: Chris Charles)

The Campus will feature the “SummerStage”, an outdoor performing stage abutting Hi-Wire Brewery’s Durham Fun Zone space. The 1,225-square-foot stage and plaza can accommodate approximately 400 people in a 13,642-square-foot green space. The stage programming will feature music, film, art, educational and fitness events. Currently, there are nearly 100 planned free events scheduled for the inaugural 2019 season. SummerStage events will run from April to October.

The “SummerStage” will be curated and managed by, Cicely Mitchell, founder of So When Do I Clap LLC, a performing arts production company. Mitchell anticipates using the space to book not only local and regional acts, but nationally renowned artists as well.

“We have had our ear to the community, and plan to not just entertain but to engage through cultural placemaking”, says Mitchell. “We want to provide something for everyone, ranging from music lovers, movie-goers, fitness enthusiasts, neighborhood families, sports fans as well as true connoisseurs of visual art”.

The space also features affordable artist studios for local creators. Artists can apply to be reviewed by an arts steering committee, and if accepted, have 24/7 access to the studio as well as a classroom and dedicated art gallery for the Golden Belt Warehouse Studio Artists. The Studios host a diverse group of artists, and ranging from jewelry makers to painters, fabric artists, book artists, and more.

In addition to the Warehouse Studios, Golden Belt hosts a new gallery, office, and studios for the Durham Art Guild, a local institution that mentors young artists and provides residencies to experienced artists in our local scene.

“We are committed to curating a diverse and affordable space for true creators while cultivating a marketplace for art and artistic endeavors,” says Justin Sacco, of LRC Properties. “We are redeveloping this historic campus to provide amenities for and engage with the community in East Durham”.

In addition to residential, retail and office spaces, Golden Belt also has event space available for rent, including the SummerStage, a Grand Gallery that will also be a home to quarterly art exhibitions, and the Cotton Room venue, operated by Triangle Catering.

The block party will feature tours of the art studios, food, music, and a job fair for new tenants to connect with the community about open job opportunities.

ABOUT

With a focus on the arts and creativity, Golden Belt features sustainable design and a historic restoration that embraces the funky industrial aesthetic to forge a unique urban environment where creative people live, work and play. For more information, visit http://www.goldenbeltarts.com/