Fire devastates Germantown’s ARTrageous Brush & Flow

The fire has halted services within the space, but the owner, Moneek Pines, will continue virtual and mobile services. She says the community has also rallied behind her to ensure a stable future.

On Monday, January 27, Moneek Pines received a call alerting her that her storefront, ARTrageous Brush and Flow, had caught fire while she was out of town.

“I didn’t wanna believe it,” Pines told the Germantown Info Hub, recalling phone calls from neighbors. “It felt like a joke when I first heard it.”

Pines says that Fire Marshalls said the fire started on the top floor and was caused by either smoking or an unplugged heating pad, which is more likely, she says.

While there is no estimated cost of damages right now, the owner knows they are substantial, naming a few significant damages to the storefront alone, like a caved-in ceiling, damaged floors, and replacing parts of the electrical system.

Damaged storefront. (Photo provided by Moneek Pines)

“There’s so many costs I wouldn’t have even thought about,” Pines shared.

One is mold remediation to mitigate any potential health hazards caused by the water used to extinguish the fire.

Pines owns the entire building, including the bottom storefront and an apartment on the top floor. She says the tenants are safe.

Of course, this calamity will affect Pines’s business, as this is her main storefront. However, she says she will continue to offer virtual and mobile hosting, which she will focus on more as she rebuilds and renews.

She says that for more substantial recurring events, which people usually anticipate, neighboring businesses, like Our House Culture Center, have offered space to ensure they can still happen.

Pines shares that the outpouring of support from neighbors and other businesses, whether to lend space, offers to help clean, and even prayers, have helped bring her hope through this experience.

“At the end of the storm, there’s always a rainbow,” she said, setting hope to tragedy.

Pines says that while she will start a GoFundMe when she receives the full estimate of repairs, a family member who also works in the space has already set up an initial GoFundMe.

The owner says she will keep the community updated on ARTrageous’ journey.