By Kathy Chouteau
The Arhoolie Foundation and Les Blank Films are collaborating to purchase their longtime shared home at 10341 San Pablo Avenue. For 50 years, the building has also been the location of the iconic Down Home Music Store.
The Arhoolie Foundation announced the news on social media Dec. 3, Giving Tuesday, seizing the opportunity to announce the launch of a $2.4 million capital campaign aimed at meeting the purchase price by April 15, 2025.
As the Standard previously reported, the building that houses Down Home Music, the Arhoolie Foundation and Les Blank Films currently belongs to the heirs of Chris Strachwitz, the founder of Down Home Music and the then-Arhoolie Records, who passed away in May 2023.
The business trio previously asked for community support via a GoFundMe to purchase their shared complex or find new homes. To date, the page has raised $49,000 of the requested $60,000 and it is now a capital campaign effort.
The Arhoolie Foundation said that a strong community response to the fundraising campaign, coupled with monthslong thoughtful consideration made it evident that continuing their work where Strachwitz originally conceived it is the best way forward.
The foundation added, “Staying in our longtime home preserves an important part of Arhoolie’s cultural legacy, prevents the disruption that moving would cause, and—most importantly—opens up possibilities for closer collaboration with Les Blank Films, Down Home Music Store and our local East Bay community.”
While Arhoolie and Les Blank Films have been under contract since Nov. 21 to purchase the San Pablo Avenue building, the capital campaign aims to assist the two nonprofits with finalizing the funds for it by April 15.
Two ways that the community can support the effort are to donate to the capital campaign’s GoFundMe page, the donations to which are shared by all three tenants. Another way to support the effort is by making direct tax-deductible donations/securities to either of the two nonprofits purchasing the building: Harrod Blank at Les Blank Films or Adam Machado at the Arhoolie Foundation at [email protected].
While the capital campaign gets underway, Arhoolie said that the businesses will continue normal operations in the building “while forging a closer institutional bond with Les Blank Films” and collaborating to bring more public programming to Down Home Music.
More in-store film screenings and free performances and gatherings in the store are all part of the collective plan for the future. “We believe this collaboration will result in a vibrant community gathering place dedicated to music, film and deep roots culture.”
Arhoolie said it will keep the community updated on its progress in the upcoming weeks and months.
