Another downtown Bangor arts venue will close later this year

The Bangor Arts Exchange, a nonprofit arts and entertainment venue located at 189 and 193 Exchange St. in downtown Bangor, will close later this year as major renovations begin on its historic 1890s block of buildings.

The Bangor Arts Exchange — known colloquially as BAE — is run jointly by Launchpad, a Bangor-based arts nonprofit, and the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, which has its offices in the building and also hosts the Bangor Symphony Youth Orchestra and smaller events there.

In a statement on the organization’s website, BSO president Berney Kubetz and Launchpad chair Meg Shorette said that they had hoped to relocate the venue after property developer Tom Bourdeaux of Portland-based ArtStream LLC bought 187, 189, 191, 193, 197 and 205 Exchange St. in March 2023 , also known as the Nichols Block.

A representative for ArtStream told the Bangor Daily News last fall that they were still “getting a feel” for the building and making plans internally. The statement on the BAE website said that ArtStream was planning to rehab the entire block of buildings “to better meet the needs of today’s downtown space requirements.”

After careful consideration and “with a heavy heart,” however, both organizations said they came to the decision to not relocate.

“The downtown cultural landscape has changed significantly since 2017, and our community has developed new, organic ways to bring cultural events and live music to downtown Bangor,” the statement read. “We believe this evolution reflects the resilience and creativity of our community.”

Shorette said that BAE would stay open through the summer, and would likely wrap up operations before the end of 2024, though she did not give a specific date.

Attempts to contact Bourdeaux and ArtStream were unsuccessful.

The news that BAE will close comes on the heels of the news that Queen City Cinema Club, another downtown Bangor music and arts venue, will close later this summer as well. The closure of both venues leaves a significant hole in the cultural landscape of the downtown arts and music community.

The Bangor Arts Exchange opened in 2017. In its seven years, it has hosted a wide array of events, including bands, chamber music, comedy, theater, drag shows, movies, lectures, dance parties and pop-up markets. It is also regularly used for private rentals for weddings and other events.

Supporters also raised $125,000 for capital improvements to its ballroom, which began life in the 1890s as Society Hall, a popular downtown Bangor dance hall and music venue until the 1950s. The building itself is one of only a few original buildings that remain in the Great Bangor Fire of 1911 Historic District, many of which were destroyed in the fire or were later torn down during the city’s urban renewal period.