Old Bronx Courthouse Turns Arts Space

The recently renovated Old Bronx Borough Courthouse will house an art exhibition and educational workshops this spring, DNAinfo reports. The project, led by the development group SoBRO and the arts group No Longer Empty, seeks to find a positive use of the space for the Bronx community, while a new permanent tenant is found.

The initiative has obtained a $60,000 grant from the Department of Small Business Services and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. It will kick off in April and run for three months.

“There’s an important artist community in the Bronx,” said Henry Weinstein, one of the owners of the building. “And they need somewhere to show their creations.”

“For three months, that site will be brimming with activity,” Naomi Hersson-Ringskog, executive director of No Longer Empty, explained. “We’ve always been looking for properties, vacancies both big and small. So this one was an architectural gem, and we’re happy that we were able to use it.”

The exact details of the exhibition are yet to be revealed, but Hersson-Ringskog said that it will probably consist of a mix of works from local, national, and international artists.

The courthouse at 161st Street and 3rd Avenue was vacant and derelict for decades, before being renovated. The exhibition organizers are hoping these art events will raise the visibility of the landmark Beaux-Arts building.