Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | March 20, 2023 | Worcester Business Journal 11 W M E E T I N G S G U I D E & T O U R I S M F O C U S Email circulation@wbjournal.com for more information. WBJ Purchase a group subscription for your team or entire organization. Get access to WBJ for your entire team. also a banquet hall; and it's also a com- munity room. But we settled on a good definition: It's an art space, it's an event space, and it's also a gathering hall." Cultural credentials Straehle and Fraire together ran the Sprinkler Factory gallery space on Har- low Street until complications between the City of Worcester and the building owner, combined with the COVID pan- demic, forced the gallery to shut down in 2021. e couple both work with Preser- vation Worcester and the Worcester Historical Museum. Straehle, a former paintings conservator with the Worces- ter Art Museum, restored a mural at Stearns Tavern, an historical landmark built in 1812 in Worcester, since moved to the shores of Coes Pond, and re- opened to the public. Straehle was part of the 2019 class of Leadership Worcester, a program of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce encouraging involvement in Worcester civic life. e couple is a bridge between the business and arts community, and the older and younger generations in the area. Worcester poet, artist, and organizer BrujaeVillain said the couple makes people feel at home and they are open to all ideas and cultures. "e White Room brings a lot of opportunities to a lot of marginalized artists," said Bruja. In some other spaces, she feels like she is walking on eggshells, but she finds e White Room to be inclusive. Part of the community While private events are still a staple of e White Room business model, community events play a large role in the space. Bruja organizes e Poet's Cauldron, a spoken-word open-mic show open to all cultures, every third Sunday of the month at the White Room. e series features a guest poet each month. In 2023 so far, the space has hosted a klezmer concert, a bachata dance social, a luthier vending event, and a Valentine's Day themed ping pong night, a personal passion of Straehle. In addition to cultural events, the White Room has hosted an event for State Senator Robyn Kennedy and the Worcester Regional Chamber of Com- merce event Power of Women: Mindful Life Design: 4 Exercises for Clarity, Motivation, and Habits. "What makes e White Room special is its ability to transform into any kind of event space that is needed while also providing an inviting atmo- sphere that features the works of local artists," Caitlin Lubelczyk, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce vice president of marketing and communi- cations, said in an email. "I was very impressed with the transformation that has taken place, including the addition of a full bar." Straehle and Fraire strive to be good neighbors in the Canal District. ey have hosted author events for Bedlam Book Cafe, also located in Crompton Place. When people holding private events ask about where to find a caterer, the couple is happy to connect people with the many different restau- rants nearby. "It's an exciting thing when events source food and supplies and services from local vendors because there's a lot in the Canal District to work with," said Fraire. "We have BirchTree [Bread Co.] upstairs, and there are all these local businesses from El Patron to Wings Over Worcester, [and] Che! Empana- da," said Straehle." ey see the changes in the Canal District and are excited to be part of it. "It's not only a business district, but people are really moving in here," said Straehle. "We hope this is a good ven- ue to introduce all the new residents to art and to Worcester life." With hundreds of apartments under construction in the area, the couple hopes to connect the new residents with Worcester artists and sell art for the blank walls in the new units. They offer art consulting services to people who are looking for local art. "We can help you to find an artist or style that you like," said Straehle. "You make your home your own when you purchase original artwork," said Fraire. "For some reasons, that I don't know, Worcester produces a lot of good artists and artwork." Bruja, one of those artists, is happy to be a part of the community The White Room creates. The space is part of the city and at the same time apart from it. Entering it is like suddenly being in a different place. "It's magi- cal," she said. Pre-dating the Worcester Public Market and Polar Park, The White Room has operated as a unique events space in the Canal District for almost 10 years under two ownership groups. PHOTO | TIMOTHY DOYLE

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