A.P.E. Limited

Available Potential Enterprises, Ltd. (A.P.E.) is the non profit organization that managed the arts and education programs on the Third Floor of Thornes Market from 1976 to 2006. Founded by artists, A.P.E.’s core mission is to provide open space and administrative, technical and financial support to artists working in all disciplines.

A.P.E.’s 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 nearly three decades.

A.P.E. shared a unique relationship with Thornes Market, a successful collection of stores, offices and restaurants occupying a renovated former department store. Thornes provided, free to A.P.E., close to 10,000 square feet of space (nearly 20% of the buildings total square footage) and a significant portion of a director’s salary, without which A.P.E. would not have been able to exist. In 2006 Thornes Market was sold at market value, and A.P.E.’s unique relationship to the building owners was no longer financially tenable. A.P.E. secured a lease for 15 months and began a search for a new home. The search ended at the end of August with the creation of WINDOW LLC which purchased 126 Main Street, down the block from Thornes.

A.P.E. has fostered the development of challenging, experimental and notable work, both within and outside the mainstream. It has provided open, neutral spaces, galleries and studios for artists to work, create and show projects.

Preserving “working space” for the arts in the center of town, easily accessible to audience and artist is one of A.P.E.’s strongest features. The WINDOW spaces are very different from the spaces in Thornes and A.P.E.’s programs will likewise be different. As well as sponsoring events twelve months of the year, with the participation of local and guest artists from all over the world, A.P.E. has functioned as an “umbrella”/fiscal agent to a number of artists and art groups.

As “creative spaces” became harder to find and struggle harder to survive, A.P.E., in partnership with Thornes Market, served as a model for keeping the art making process alive and accessible. For 30 years, the many threads that have come to connect Thornes and A.P.E. created a unique, healthy and successful community both creatively and economically. We would hope to continue this involvement in the future

A.P.E. will maintain a small office on the third floor of THORNES MARKETPLACE as long as we can, and maintain our old address; but we will be moving our main office down the block to WINDOW by the end of 2007.

THORNES MARKETPLACE
150 Main Street
Northampton, Massachusetts, 01060

Click here to visit the A.P.E. Website