How to Help the Artists, Designers Devastated by Red Hook Blaze
The five-alarm fire ripped through a Brooklyn warehouse complex that was home to galleries, studios, and creative businesses
More than a week after a devastating fire ripped through a Red Hook warehouse complex, artists, designers, and business owners are still trying to assess the damage. The area was home to numerous galleries, studios, and local businesses, with hundreds of artists utilizing the space to store their work.
“This studio has been our creative home for the past nine years, holding 15 years of archives, prototypes, sketches, tools, and countless collected memories,” Dylan Davis and Jean Lee of Ladies and Gentlemen Studio, said in a statement. “It was where so many ideas were born, where our team came together, and where we hosted magical events and dinners. Those who visited know how special the space was. The process for many of us affected by the fire means we’ll be grieving for a while but a big part of us believe that our creative spirit can exist beyond the physical space and we believe we can transmute this darkness into something new, bright, and transformational.”
Lee told a local news outlet that all of the work inside the studio was disseminated. “While the loss is heartbreaking, we believe our creative spirit lives beyond any physical space,” their statement continued. “We are committed to transforming the darkness into something new and hopeful, guided by our desire for adaptability, creativity, and curiousity that have always been at the heart of our studio.”
Other spaces were shared by several artists, with drone footage and other early assessments suggesting all work has been lost.
“Nothing from our studio has survived or is salvageable,” Andrew Schneider wrote on GoFundMe. “We’ve heard that the walls of the building are starting to buckle from all the water and there’s a fear that the entire 150 year old structure may also collapse. Dozens of artists’ life work has been destroyed.”
Megan Suttles, owner of Hot Wood Arts, lost her work, and also had to inform the 19 other artists whose work was housed in her studio. “Some of us lost a whole lifetime of work,” Suttles told Gothamist. “It’s not something you can just replace. I don’t have the words for the feeling because I’m still in such shock. It doesn’t really feel like it’s happened yet.”
“The fire may have devastated everything but we’re eager to get back to work,” Mark De La Vega, a Galerie Creative Mind designer who operated a studio in the building for 16 years with his wife, Maggie, wrote on Instagram. “We’re searching for a temporary studio space to resume operations while the full extent of the damage is assessed and the building is made safe for renovation.”
Immediately following the devastation, Small Business Services and Red Hook Business Alliance began relief efforts, but dozens of supporters have also set up fundraisers to help offset the costs of restoring, rebuilding, and relocating.
See below for some of the ways to help:
–Help Red Hook Artists and Businesses Rebuild
-Support Brooklyn Waterfront Artist Coalition
–Help ayo ohs, Samantha DeMaryela, Marina McGehee, Faye Harnest, and Andrew Schneider Rebuild
-Help Megan Rebuild Hot Wood Arts