PETERSBURG, Va. -- For nearly a century, the Petersburg Area Art League (PAAL) has been the focal point for artists in the community.
But now the historic building that houses the art league is in need of some serious repairs.
"We are a non-profit that needs to survive with the help of the community," Bruce Harding, who volunteers with PAAL, said.
The building that houses the organization is historic. At 139 years of age, it is now experiencing some problems, including mold.
"We will gut the whole ceiling, replace the sheetrock, have it finished and have the entire inside of the bathroom repainted," Rob Magruder, with Magruder Construction, said.
Another bathroom is also in need of mold removal. There are also plans to modernize the gallery.
"One of the major things they want to do is remove these two walls. There's an office behind it now and they want to eliminate these walls to open up the space to give the gallery as much exhibition space as possible," Magruder said.
PAAL is getting ready to celebrate 91 years in existence but the non-profit is in need of some help to make the changes.
"The GoFundMe was a way I could, as a volunteer and a citizen, bring awareness to what we really need to do so that, as a community, you can enjoy the exhibits," Harding said.
In order to make the art exhibits more appealing to viewers, they will also be changing up the paint color and the lighting.
"You want them to see the art on display. You don't want them to see the ceiling that's wavy and got flaking. You want to get rid of that stuff, you want a nice, clean venue so that people look at the art and that's what they concentrate on," David Bartlett, a PAAL board member, said.
The cause of the mold has been fixed and other changes are getting underway soon, including a permanent exhibition on the second floor.
"The community is changing and this organization needs to change with it," Bartlett said.
To donate to PAAL's renovation efforts, click here.
