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Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Out of the Blue Art Gallery Too is at 541 Massachusetts Ave. in Central Square through November.

The Out of the Blue Art Gallery, home of all-ages rock shows, literary events, women’s wrestling and of course plenty of local artists and craftspeople, must move Dec. 1 to a cheaper home. To help it make the transition, the venue is hosting a party, Indian food feast and silent auction Saturday.

There’s music throughout the day (with a free music jam at the end) that shows off the gallery’s eclecticism: a bit of EDM, some Hindustani, gypsy-microtonal, a bit of dulcimer and hallucino-psychadelic with the occasional burst of bellydancing, mirrored by the art on the walls and offered during the silent auction.

Dug McCormack is contributing art for Saturday’s silent auction.

The auction includes eight local artists and at least a dozen pieces of art, with starting bids ranging from $35 to $125.

The nonprofit Out of the Blue has been in business for 21 years, with a long stretch at 106 Prospect St. between Central and Inman squares before a rent increase forced it out in June 2014. The gallery landed at the former Blockbuster space at 541 Massachusetts Ave. with a lower than usual lease for the prime real estate. “We can’t afford this, but he’s given us a chance,” Tipton said at the time, referring to Landlord 3MJ Realty and its principal, Morris Naggar.

But it hasn’t been easy to keep up, even at the bargain price.

“We are good at bringing people, art, music and more together in a fun and creative space. We are good at finding ways to be able to give everybody some kind of opportunity for their creative efforts to be seen or heard – everybody,” Tipton said Wednesday on Facebook. “I guess we aren’t very good at making money.”

The gallery is exploring spaces in Cambridge and Somerville, he said.

The event runs from 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday at Out of the Blue Art Gallery Too, 541 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square. Admission is $10, with the full price going to the gallery. Information about the event is here. Information about the gallery and move is here.