Down Home Building Fund
10341 San Pablo Ave. Home of Down Home Music, Arhoolie Foundation, and Les Blank Films
Down Home Music Store in El Cerrito, California. Photo by Emily Duffy ⓒ 2024
May 2025
Dear Friends,
THE SALE HAS SUCCEEDED!
We could not have been able to purchase our building without the help of hundreds of generous supporters and fans. THANK YOU!!!
Celebration plans will be coming soon!
OUR STORY:
In the mid-1970s, in a quiet suburb across the bay from San Francisco, a unique artistic duo started working to preserve and share multiple genres of American music and culture. El Cerrito, or “Little Hill,” is a town of 26,000 residents located north of Berkeley, California.
In 1976, Chris Strachwitz, (founder of Arhoolie Records and Down Home Music) and Les Blank (founder of Flower Films, since renamed Les Blank Films) moved their work and creative spaces to the now-historic building on San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito, (where it intersects with the city of Richmond.)
Strachwitz bought the original building, (where the Down Home Music Store is still located) and, over the years, added a back warehouse, (for his record production company) as well as a parking lot. Blank leased office space where he ran his documentary film company.
For almost forty years they were friends and colleagues, sharing a deep appreciation of American music culture and the desire to preserve it for future generations. They each pursued their own projects, and collaborated on several influential films together, including:
In 2013, Les Blank passed away and his son, Harrod Blank, (also a filmmaker), turned Flower Films into the non-profit,
Les Blank Films. Harrod’s goal has been to restore his father’s many films and increase their visibility around the world.
Les Blank Films. Harrod’s goal has been to restore his father’s many films and increase their visibility around the world.
In 2016, Chris Strachwitz sold his Arhoolie collection to Smithsonian Folkways which now distributes his hundreds of recordings. Shortly thereafter, Strachwitz formed the non-profit, Arhoolie Foundation with Adam Machado (Director).
In 2023, Chris Strachwitz passed away. The complex that houses Down Home Music, Arhoolie Foundation, and Les Blank Films then transferred to Strachwitz’s estate. As of May 7, 2025 Les Blank Films and Arhoolie Foundation have purchased the building from the estate, and Down Home Music Store, (now a non-profit as well) will remain where it has been. This momentous purchase insures that our three entities will continue on in our original location!
Together, our vision is to make 10341 San Pablo Avenue a gathering place for music, film, and roots culture. Inspired by the work of our founders Chris Strachwitz and Les Blank, who spent their lives documenting and sharing culture, we see the building as a living museum, event space, and music store. It will be a place where our community can come together for film screenings, performances, exhibitions, and classes. More news as things move forward.
THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN, AND SUPPORTING US!
Sincerely,
Harrod, Emily, Adam, Clark, Maggie, JC, John P., John M., and Lyuba.
LINKS FOR YOUR INFORMATION AND ENTERTAINMENT
Les Blank Films:
YouTube (Trailers for all our films)
Arhoolie Foundation:
Website
Website
Down Home Music Store:
YouTube (Live Performances)
COVERAGE OF OUR FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
- VIDEO: by Arhoolie Foundation featuring Harrod Blank by Auston Marek with Cory Evans and Aaron Wojack
- VIDEO: Son of documentarian Les Blank spearheads effort to buy cultural headquarters By Kenny Choi, CBS Bay Area
- Historic Bay Area record store has to pony up millions to stay in business By Jessica Lipsky, SF Gate
- Down Home Music seeks community support amid building sale By Kathy Chouteau, Richmond Standard
- 3 American roots music institutions could lose longtime East Bay building By David Mills, Berkelyside.org
- Will Down Home Music Keep its Home in El Cerrito? By Dave Weinstein, El Cerrito Historical Society
