With the end of a creative era about to be punctuated with a wrecking ball sometime in March 2025, the artist studios are deserted at the former Banana Factory Arts Center at 25 W. Third St., Bethlehem.

The eclectic cluster consisting of the D. Theodoredis Wholesale Banana Co. warehouse, commercial and residential structures will soon be demolished to make way for an ambitious new modern facility renamed the ArtsQuest Creative Factory, powered by PPL.

Among those who had called the Banana Factory home are Rachel Bell, Ramon Peralta, Anthony Smith Jr. and Douglas Wiltraut. Bell, a multimedia artist, works out of her Fountain Hill studio. Peralta has a studio in Allentown to pursue his passion painting surreal scenes. Known for his egg tempera paintings, Douglas Wiltraut resumed work at his residence studio in Whitehall.

Abstract narrative painter Anthony Smith Jr. is considering setting up his studio at JaxtaHub. Still under construction, the arts center is located in a former warehouse on Tenth Street in Emmaus.

Works of art no longer grace the walls in the Crayola Gallery located in a circa 1925 former auto parts store.

Now empty, among the exhibits hosted at the Banko Gallery was “Playing with Fire: A Glass Blast Exhibition” in spring and summer of 2024 with 44 pieces by 20 hot glass artists created in the ArtsQuest Glass Studio located within a former warehouse garage.

Lois Volyn from Long Valley, New Jersey, was among the glass studio artists participants with three pieces she made in 2024 on display. They include a bowl and two vases. In her seventh year at the Banana Factory studio, Volyn started glassblowing after her youngest child headed to college.

“I found my art groove in Pennsylvania at the Banana Factory,” says the retiree.

With public support, the hot glass studio has been operating since 2006 and offers introductory through advanced classes, as well as a facility for artists to create works in glass. Production pieces such as the glass centerpieces provided for Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley’s annual Hearts of Gold Gala are hand crafted at the glass studio.

Among the “Playing with Fire” glassblowers were Joe Capparell, David Smith, Brian Toseland, Jeff Waterhouse, Lorraine Wolf, Heidi Wrobel, Bell and Glass Studio Manager Dennis Gardner.

Gardner says, “When glass is hot and fluid it feels like it has its own life force.” The hot shop manager started his glassblowing career at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture while earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2005. Before working for ArtsQuest, he was employed at Wheaton Village in Millville, New Jersey.

The Glass Studio now faces a somewhat uncertain future for where to set up shop while their Banana Factory home comes down and its new modern facilities go up.

While the process of relocating was disruptive for the studio artists, finding a temporary space for hot glassmaking has its own challenges.

According to Gardner, talks are taking place with the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading about using their hot glass studio for ArtsQuest Glass Studio work. Some of the Banana Factory Glass Studio members have headed to GoggleWorks’ Hot Glass Studio for now.

“GoggleWorks seems happy and ready to work with us,” said Gardner, “ I am hopeful this will work out for the first half of this year.”

Securing a small finishing studio on Union Boulevard in Allentown is in the works.

There are also ongoing efforts to partner with an unnamed party in Easton for temporary quarters during construction.

ArtsQuest’s hot glass artists plan to maintain their presence at Musikfest, Oktoberfest and other Bethlehem events.

“We are evaluating and restructuring the studio artist program for the Creative Factory to ensure the program aligns with ArtsQuest’s mission. We will be asking all former Banana Factory Resident Artists to reapply for studios.” says Sr. Director of Visual Arts and Education Lisa Harms.

“All of our visual arts and camps will continue during construction,” said Hilgert at a Jan. 13 press conference. “We are thrilled with all the partners in and around Bethlehem who helped make that happen.”

“We are approximately 80 percent to the goal for the ArtsQuest Creative Factory powered by PPL and more than 95 percent to the goal for the LVHN Turn & Grind,” said ArtsQuest Public Relations Coordinator Bryn Keeney in a recent email. The nonprofit continues seeking donations to close the gap.

While the W. Third Street campus is currently closed for the raze and rebuild cycles, the Alvin H. Butz Gallery, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, continues hosting exhibitions. The latest, “Claire Marcus: Industrial Strength,” continues through May 11.

For information, call 610-332-1300 or visit artsquest.org