Rhizome, the beloved DC-based nonprofit space for art, activism, and music, has launched a community fundraising campaign for the purchase and renovation of a new, permanent home in the District. True to its DIY ethos, Rhizome is establishing a community financing program to fund the project by loans and donations from individual community members rather than through for-profit financial institutions.

The value Rhizome brings to the creative arts community in the DC metro area and beyond cannot be overstated. Since its founding in 2015, Rhizome has become a hub for an international community of touring DIY musicians and an incubator for local talent and collaborations. In addition, Rhizome has hosted puppet shows, cinema series, poetry workshops, synthesizer building classes, writers' retreats, immersive theater works, children's camps, and other arts and cultural programs across a staggering variety of mediums.

Since 2020, Rhizome has operated under the threat of encroaching development. The plan to purchase a building is the result of a multi-year search by the organization to secure a new space and ensure that the community that has gathered around Rhizome will continue to flourish for years to come. Earlier this year, Rhizome was awarded a grant by the DC arts commission to purchase a building one mile from its current location - a welcome recognition of the tremendous value that Rhizome brings to the city and its diverse communities. The funds we raise will cover the remaining costs needed to purchase the building and make needed repairs. The finalization of the purchase would be an unprecedented success - locally and nationally, where similar volunteer-run spaces and organizations have been increasingly marginalized and priced out of large metropolitan areas.

We need a total of $400,000 raised via a combination of these tax deductible donations and loans from community members. As of June 1, we have the deed to the property at 7733 Alaska Ave NW! This feels like a huge accomplishment, and we are so grateful to our community for the massive show up support in short order. There is more work to do in order to raise the funds for needed renovations. As with what we have raised so far, we expect that this will come in through a combination of donations and loans from community members, which we are also adding to the total here so everyone has the full picture of where we are at. Please visit https://www.rhizomedc.org/communityfinancing if you are interested in learning more about loaning us money!

Finally - when you press Donate there are options for: credit card, venmo, paypal, ACH, and check. If you would like to pay using a Donor Advised Fund, please send us an email at info@rhizomedc.org.

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Thank you!

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Irreversible Entanglements at Rhizome -

Aaron Maier's "Suburbia" at Rhizome -

Move Move Collaborative at Rhizome -

"artist's rendering" of new building facade -

Help Rhizome Buy a Forever Home

Team Members