The Culture Mill Lab
An update from our team on October 29, 2025:
Since 2017, the Culture Mill Lab has grounded us, has helped us to welcome our ecosystem of artists and collaborators into Saxapahaw, and has created for us a deep sense of belonging and community. Since settling into the lab, putting our logo on the window, and grounding our practices, rehearsals, administration, and many of our programs there, it has been the anchor of our place-based work.
After Tropical Storm Chantal dumped an enormous amount of rain on Saxapahaw this past summer, the amount of water that came in through the back of our building into our space dramatically increased what was already an ongoing moisture issue. Upon returning from our summer break, our team discovered an evolving mold issue that raised health concerns for ourselves and our community. Complete physical remediation of the space can only be achieved by digging out the back hillside and sealing the outer walls of the historic building. Our landlords are not prepared to do this, and, as renters, we do not have the resources to continue to fight this uphill battle.
Simultaneously, in this political climate, we have found ourselves in increasingly uncertain territory as a nonprofit largely dependent on both public and private funding. The effect on us is that we must consider prioritizing our funds towards the long-term sustainability of our core resource: people.
In recognition of the reality of this moment, it is time for us to move out of the Culture Mill Lab at the end November 2025.
We are grieving this move. And we welcome this moment as an opportunity for the emergence of possibilities we cannot yet foresee.
In the face of the current political climate and funding landscape, releasing our space means keeping staff employed and it means keeping artists paid as federal funding cuts continue to ripple through nonprofit ecosystems across the nation. It remains the case that local, county, state, and regional grant opportunities are limited for Culture Mill's particular work and geographic location. Now, national opportunities are more competitive than ever.
At the same time, individuals are feeling financial pressures as policy changes and the current government shutdown directly and indirectly reverberate through households and communities. We name this with transparency as our own work seeks to practice generosity in the face of uncertainty. In collaboration with our partners, we are re-imagining how we sustain our practice of gifting space to artists.
While Culture Mill's operations are in a moment of challenge and transition, the art we create remains responsive, imaginative, and deeply engaged with our community. Here are ways you can help sustain it:
Engage with our work -- your presence matters.
Grow our community -- bring a friend or invite someone new.
Join our Patreon, starting at $5, or increase your current Patreon by $5.
Contribute a one-time gift or make a multi-year pledge (more info here).
We thank you, our community, for your ongoing support and partnership.
In movement,
The Culture Mill Team
