BETHLEHEM, Pa. — ArtsQuest on Friday named the 31 local artists who will be the first tenants of the rent-subsidized studios in its new Creative Factory powered by PPL on Bethlehem’s South Side.
The $32 million, five-story building at 25 W. Third St. rose on the site of the former Banana Factory, and ArtsQuest broke ground in June 2025 on plans for 36 artist studios. Neither the release nor ArtsQuest’s studio program page says what a studio costs, but on our May 14 tour of the building, rent was given as $1.40 per square foot per month, or about $420 for an average 300-square-foot studio.
The building has no grand opening date. ArtsQuest’s website says it is expected to open at the end of 2026 or the start of 2027.
Who is moving in
The artists work in media from painting and photography to ceramics, glass, sculpture, wood and floral design, according to the release. Five of them also teach at the Creative Factory: Chris Severn, Erin Emaline Crimmins, Gabriella Gentile, Nasia Palaios and Tina Cantelmi…