Nine months after its ejection from the Public Market, the AV Space is still without a home. Not for lack of trying: the curators have been in constant search for an appropriate space in town. Meanwhile, among the community of young creative folk in Rochester, the absence of AV is felt.

The unique and vibrant thing about the AV organization is that its upper echelon is populated by artists; the priority of these curators is, plainly, to provide an accessible and progressive public forum for young artists and musicians of every stripe. Sure, you can have all your upper-level galleries and Ren Squares, but when it comes to providing for the development of non-Broadway, non-tenured young artists and performers in a community, there needs to be this kind of grassroots-level stage option available also.

AV operated for over three years, putting on 300-plus events. Though there were some zoning miscalculations, the space went unnoticed because there were no problems. It seems that a group of staff, performers, and audience can get together after dark, enjoy a show, socialize (BYOB), and conduct themselves in a responsible, respectful manner that poses no danger to community and requires no outside intervention.

The obstacles to relocation of the AV Space are affordable rent (AV is not-for-profit; rent is divided among curators) and finding a space that is up to code and meets zoning requirements for public assembly. The search has been grueling and fruitless for the AV staff. With all the dead space in Rochester, why is this so hard? It occurs to me that perhaps the problem is that this kind of organization - profitless public assembly - is simply not provided for in current city planning ideology.

We see how difficult it is to manifest large-budget art projects; meanwhile, our creative friends and neighbors are just dying to put on shows and entertain and engage us in the most basic, simple manner. Why is this community blocked from viable expression in our own city? Rochester flaunts its artistic identity and worries about how to keep the young people engaged; it seems that an organization like AV actually provides a service that promotes the city's professed values and goals. Perhaps it would behoove our city to recognize the worth of these types of organizations and make a real effort to make them welcome here.

MARY LEWANDOWSKI, ROCHESTER