AMP by Strathmore, a cozy, third-story venue that brought a supper-club feel to the North Bethesda performing arts center’s offerings, will close at the end of June, Strathmore announced on Wednesday.
The smallish venue has been operating since 2013 out of Pike & Rose, a tony, multi-story development with a mix of shopping and dining, located just north of Strathmore on Rockville Pike. Strathmore said in a press release that the owner of Pike & Rose had informed the arts center that the AMP space would be needed for a new commercial tenant.
“After nine dynamic years, Strathmore will dim the lights on AMP, its popular Pike & Rose performance venue, when the lease ends on June 30. Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT) recently notified the non-profit arts institution that the space is now needed for a commercial tenant relocating its headquarters to Pike & Rose,” the statement says.
The venue’s loss will have an impact on some of its signature local arts outreach initiatives, like the AMPlify residency program, which hosted forward thinking artists like Miho Hazama, as well as its frequent collaborations with the Montgomery County School District’s music and performance programs.
“AMP has been a vibrant addition to our community’s arts and entertainment scene, bringing people together and enriching our cultural landscape,” Strathmore President and CEO Monica Jeffries Hazangeles was quoted as saying. “It embodies Strathmore’s entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to program cultural experiences beyond the mainstream.”
The venue will continue to host shows from nationally touring and local artists until its closure on June 30. The final show on its schedule is a performance on Wednesday, June 26, from R&B and gospel singer-songwriter Kaiyla Gross (who also performs under the name Gëtte), as part of her artist residency at Strathmore.
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