by Larry Walczak
The future of Williamsburg, Brooklyn as any kind of art scene is very much a topic these days. The very use of the word “scene” is annoying to many artists in this neighborhood. But for some the idea of a “scene” is an artist community. And housing in the Northside or Southside, Williamsburg is way expensive for those thinking about living in this part of Brooklyn. Even Bushwick, once considered the next natural frontier for new artists arriving in Williamsburg, is currently no bargain these days & it just may be a little too much like the terrain of the South Bronx for some newly minted art graduates. Finding or hold onto existing housing have been two major themes in this neighborhood for some time now. Long-time artist resident Ken Butler says “The artists who own their buildings in the neighborhood will be just fine, however everyone else seems doomed to be priced out. It’s an old story, which I was unaware of coming in from Portland in 1988.” Nora Ligorano of the political art-making team of Ligorano & Reese (www.pureproducts.com) says “I ask you where oh where are younger artists going to find housing in this market? No housing, No community! Clearly artists & not just younger artists are in a housing crisis.” Can you have a “scene” without an actual artist community? Can a collection of scattered galleries that hopefully, do quality consistent exhibitions that attract enough gallery goers from other neighborhoods (including Manhattan) make for a “scene”. Several years ago Annie Herron & myself traveled to London primarily to check out the new galleries on London’s East End. It was referred to as the “Williamsburg of London” by some then & that very much intrigued us. But it took us days to locate these galleries they were so far apart from each other. It was very frustrating needless to say & made an afternoon of gallery-hopping through this neighborhood almost impossible.
But this still begs the question “Is there a bona-fide (visual art) scene in Williamsburg”? With a dwindling artist population and less-and-less studio spaces can a sprawling gallery community be enough to qualify as any kind of a “scene”? And without the net profits from the occasional art fair how many local gallery programs could survive? Could they subsist without this new art-economy? A system that could soon be less favorable with the proliferation of satellite art fairs and the condition of the international economy in general could be near. With the exception of long-established Pierogi Gallery and the not-for-profits that include Nuture Art could Williamsburg galleries sustain on the sales made in their own galleries?
Eileen Weitzman Installation at Boreas Gallery, 2005
Scott Laugenour opened Gallery Boreas (www.galleryboreas.com) in 2003 on Roebling Ave. in Williamsburg and closed last Spring after a string of strong exhibitions and consistent press. He faced a 15% increase in costs with a lease renewal but adds other reasons for leaving Williamsburg were “better business and art contacts (were) being made at art fairs rather than the gallery”. He also attributes his decision to leave to “declining gallery attendance”. He feels the factors leading to that are “the departure of several key galleries to Chelsea, not enough return gallery visitors (Williamsburg: been there-done that), people moving to this neighborhood not being arts supporters, declining press coverage and, of course, the L Train”. “The decline in international visitors, and the inability of the gallery community to truly galvanize its energy & effectively market the location” were other reasons that led to his move from Williamsburg to Massachusetts. Randall Harris, Director of Figureworks Gallery on North 6th St., a mere block from the Bedford ‘L’ stop, has been exhibiting work for over six and a half years. He told me his “...gallery attendance has dropped by 50% over the last two years”.
In a recent conversation Ronald Feldman of Ronald Feldman Fine Arts in Soho even admitted “…our attendance isn’t what it used to be” since Chelsea became the dominant gallery neighborhood. He also adds he is “…not interested in moving there”.
With the dramatic expansion of business in Williamsburg creating several neighborhoods with their own restaurants, shops & watering holes one may need a bicycle or vehicle to get around to span the nearly 50 galleries you can find listed in WAGMAG (Williamsburg and Greenpoint Monthly Art Guide, www.wagmag.com). Daniel Aycock, who came to the neighborhood in 1995 & started Front Room Gallery (www.frontroom.org) & publishes the WAGMAG says “There are now more bars, restaurants, cafes, and boutiques (& condos) and with them has come more foot traffic to the galleries. When I opened the Front Room Gallery in 1999 it was way off the beaten path & now it feels like it is right in the middle of everything”. But when asked about Williamsburg’s future as an art community he offered up a cautious “…only time will tell”.
There is a current project brewing to have a booth with a person armed with cell phone & computer right next to the North 7th St. Bedford ‘L’ station. It is hoped to get public funding for such an information station as the person would direct newcomers to all parts Williamsburg & give out up-to-the-moment information on various events as well as gallery listings/locations.
Earlier Williamsburg by comparison was very “underground”, no Wagmag’s or info booths to point you in any direction, in fact, some spaces (Arcadia comes to mind) simply would not give out their address’ to the press. Of course, it was that kind of allure that made the ‘hood all the more exciting & mysterious. Artist David Brody here since the 1980’s says “ (There is a ) big difference between the party industry present & the underground scene of before—to say nothing of a pure yuppie future. Reminds me of the day I realized jocks at college were doing psychedelics as a party drug, like beer. What happened to danger?” I recall Williamsburg’s so-called underground venues (many being illegal spaces) as being fairly centralized (you could easily walk to any of them) and the farthest I would have to go was the club “Room Temperature” on Hope St.
There are a number of local artists who exhibit in this neighborhood and enjoy what a primarily artist-based gallery community has to offer. While they might not enjoy the press coverage or the sales that Chelsea spaces afford there are advantages.
Local artist Jim Torok moved here from Tribeca six years ago with artist Mary Carlson & feels very positive about Williamsburg. Known for his optimistic, quirky narrative cartoon drawings he still sees the neighborhood as a real “alternative” to the “market driven gallery scene of Chelsea”. He feels that being in Williamsburg he remains outside the mainstream & has “the opportunity to do something different”. He enjoys a wonderful working relationship with Pierogi gallery (www.pierogi2000.com) where he regularly exhibits. He’s grateful for such a situation because as an artist he finds Chelsea simply “too confining”.
Brooklyn artist Adam Simon, who founded the venerable Four Walls, and exhibits his paintings at the Northside’s artMoving Gallery feels “there is a clear advantage in that there is a concentration of artist-run galleries (in Williamsburg). I’m thinking Vertex List, Momenta, Pierogi & Parkers Box. These are the ones I know the artists behind them. A lot of my interaction with artMoving feels collaborative. I’ve also worked with Manhattan galleries and you just don’t get that”.
Invasion of the Art School Graduates by Nelson Bradley
Williamsburg has a history of artist-run galleries and at one time many thought this to be the “soul” of the gallery scene, artists showing other artists and perhaps providing a quicker route to the neighborhood talent. Aron Namenwirth, Director of artMoving Gallery (www.artmovingprojects.com) on the Northside, says “artist run spaces are fundamentally different from dealer run spaces. Money is not the driving factor. The artwork takes priority. It is what sets them apart and also leads to their short life”. While some see this as a strength it is also be attributable to the long list of defunct exhibition spaces in the neighborhood.
Long-time artist resident Daniel Rosenbaum asserts “It’s a yuppie neighborhood now and that simply doesn’t foster inventiveness”. Don’t expect to see many interesting new gallery spaces popping up within walking distance of the Bedford ‘L’ stop amid the wave of condo construction affecting almost every block these days. Will increased “foot traffic” be enough to encourage old & new galleries alike? Or will, as Ward Shelley brought up in an earlier entry to this blog, will the romance of being a gallery owner sustain spaces that have difficulty creating incomes? As the exhibition spaces spread out further and the last line of artist housing & studio space is displaced, well, what’s left? More than memories, I hope.
