PRESS RELEASE

Art Camp 504 Launches 1st Capital Campaign to Make Owning and Renovating its Building a Reality

The $275,000 goal will help the New Orleans nonprofit transform an old bike repair shop into a multi-disciplinary youth arts center

November 13, 2026 (NEW ORLEANS) -  As it celebrates its 10th anniversary year, today Art Camp 504 enters the public phase of its first-ever capital campaign. The non-profit has already raised $81,300 towards its $250,000 goal from close supporters. 

“As Art Camp 504 entered our 10th anniversary year, we set our sights on owning our first commercial building,” said Founder and Executive Director Sam Bass. “After a decade of sharing real estate with other creative organizations, it was time to spread our wings and have space that we can call our own.”

In May 2026, Art Camp 504 moved into the old Gerkens Bike Shop on Saint Claude Ave, one of the city’s most culturally significant streets. The iconic pink two-story building doubles the square footage that Art Camp 504 previously had while allowing the non-profit to stay rooted in the Bywater/Marigny neighborhood. 

“By the end of our 10th anniversary year (May 2027) we need to raise $275,000 in order to purchase the building and continue a three-phase renovation plan,” said Board of Directors Chair Anna Ruth Peiffer. “We’ve crafted multiple giving levels so that New Orleans families, foundations and businesses can make transformative gifts towards our mission expansion.”

One giving opportunity blends the unbridled creativity of Art Camp 504’s DNA with traditional fundraising campaigns. 

“New Orleanians have probably purchased bricks for other organizations before. While we don’t need bricks - we do need fabulous backsplashes for our new culinary center and bathrooms,” said Bass. 

Art Camp 504 is selling personalized white and cobalt blue tiles in the style of Delftware - a style of Dutch pottery created in the Netherlands that originated in the 1600’s. These tiles will cover the walls of Art Camp 504’s new culinary center and bathrooms. Supporters can purchase tiles here for $150 each.