Good news came with the bad on Tuesday, May 21: HealingNewtown Arts Space will close at its doors at its current 5 Queen Street location on Wednesday, May 22, but volunteer director Rob Rabinowitz said he “hopes to hear good news soon” regarding leads on a new location.

“We are negotiating for space,” which will be announced, he said Tuesday, May 21. Until then, programming locations will be listed in the HealingNewtown.org calendar of events.

In a short Facebook message this week also posted on HealingNewtown.org, Mr Rabinowitz said: “Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond our control, effective Wednesday, May 22, 2013 the HealingNewtown Arts Space will close.” His message assures participants that the healing arts space allocated to the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission following 12/14 will continue its “important work.” The organization is meant, in part, to facilitate long-term healing through the arts.

Programs and workshops will continue to be scheduled at various locations throughout Newtown. In Mr Rabinowitz’s message, he states, “During this transition an aggressive effort is being made to find a suitable and more permanent home for the HealingNewtown Arts Space to continue what we’ve started. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.” Updates about the HealingNewtown Arts Space will be posted to the website as they develop.  

HealingNewtown’s purpose is to facilitate, support, and coordinate all arts-focused efforts made on Newtown’s behalf  “today, tomorrow and into the future,” HealingNewtown.org states. The goals include manage and program arts healing efforts; coordinate the overwhelming response (donations, sculptures, and mail) from the national and international arts community; to develop a sustainable operation for long-term healing through arts-based efforts.

Any person or corporation interested in sponsoring HealingNewtown, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity, should contact Mr Rabinowitz at .healingnewtownonline@gmail.com

In early May, HealingNewtown members learned that their free space in a vacant storefront next to Caraluzzi’s would soon be unavailable.

Brause Realty Inc, which made the former Ace Hardware location available to the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission’s HealingNewtown Arts Space, has a new tenant.

 “First, we are grateful for having the space for this long…” Mr Rabinowitz had said. Of the programming and activities that have taken place at HealingNewtown, he said, “We could not have done this without their help.”

Cultural Arts Commission Chairman Jennifer Johnston said, “We want to continue these great programs.” And they will continue, temporarily at various locations while a more permanent location develops.

“We have several possibilities,” Mr Rabinowitz said. “We have not signed any leases, but we expect to soon.”

Some artwork will soon be on display at the state Capitol in Hartford. Much of the space’s sculptures and artwork that have flooded town since 12/14 will be placed in storage.

Ultimately, the Cultural Arts Commission members want to have a cultural arts center, which would include HealingNewtown, at Fairfield Hills.

“It’s our ultimate goal,” Mr Rabinowitz