Leslie Ferrin Opens Second Gallery Joining Storefront Artists in Pittsfield
Galleries Open Evenings of Third Thursdays
By: Charles Giuliano - Jul 09, 2007
"We Are Here" Ferrin Gallery, June 14 through July 29.
Artists: Morgan Bulkeley, Gordon Chandler, Cynthia Constentino, Gregory Crewdson, Randall Deihl, Peter Dudek, Bart Elsbach, Gene and Susan Flores, Walton Ford, Warner Friedman, David Gloman, Stephen Hannock, Giselle Hicks, Sergei Isupov, Ellsworth Kelly, Lisa Krivacka, Jane Lund, Maggie Mailer, Linda Nisselson, Scott Prior, Deborah Putoni, Janet Rickus, Katy Schneider, Joel Sternfeld, Nancy Vonnegut. 443 North Street, Pittsfield, Ma, 01201 413 442 1622 http://www.FerrinGallery.com
Mark Shapiro, studio pottery and Susan Thayer, works on paper. Ferrin Gallery, July 14 to August 12, 69 Church Street, Lenox, Ma. 01240 413 637 4414
"Selections from the Cultural Corridor 11." Storefront Artist Project. July 7 through July 29. Artists: Jon Anzalone, Hugo Bastidas, Suzanne Bocanegra, Brad Brown, Joe Carreiro, Gail Downey, Eric Drury, Robert Gero, Joe Goodwin, Paul Graubard, Philip Grausman, Susan Jennings, Laurie McLeod, Alex Ross, Michele Segre. 124 Fenn Street, Pittsfield, Ma, 01201 413 442 7201 http://www.storefrontartist.org
Because of an evening commitment last Saturday we dropped by early for the grand opening of the new Ferrin Gallery in Pittsfield. We had to pass up the snacks provided by he nearby Spice restaurant which was welcoming gallerist Leslie Ferrin to the neighborhood. She e mailed me later that from 4:30 on it was "wall to wall people."
Arriving early, however, offered the opportunity to appreciate the wonderfully generous new space and discuss with her ambition plans to operate two galleries this summer. Arriving at 443 North Street gave an odd sense of déjà vu all over again. Last summer it was the address of the avant-garde Gallery Boreas run by Scott Laugenour who is now operating out of the garage of his home in Lenox. Actually Scott programmed the garage last summer mostly for video work, a particular passion and specialty. But last summer the space was ultra funky. Scott has a flair for making what were formerly cheap rentals into functional galleries with the minimum of investment. But as Pittsfield becomes ever more developed the once rock bottom prices for real estate just are no longer available.
Last summer, for example, when I interviewed Stuart Chase about the $9 million expansion of the Berkshire Museum, locked in to a tight footprint and renovating from within, I suggested that for another million or so they might pick up an affordable industrial space as an annex for future expansion. At the time he replied that he had a lot on his plate raising $9 million. But in hindsight another ten percent increment in the capital campaign would have reaped enormous long term benefits if the development of Pittsfield as a cultural destination continues at the pace that many anticipate.
Certainly Pittsfield is looking up with the great success of Barrington Stage and the arrival of the upscale Spice Restaurant. There is also a new Brazilian restaurant with live music and a micro brewery as well as some ethnic restaurants, pubs, trattorias, and pizza joints. All hoping for that much anticipated and long awaited uptick. The biggest question mark appears to be the Colonial Theatre; an architectural landmark that has been lovingly restored. But so far the programming is underwhelming. At best a string of enervating dog and pony shows. So the Colonial does not appear to be pulling its weight in the new arts chemistry. It would seem there is a lot of fine tuning before Pittsfield grows into its full potential.
But for Ferrin the time is now. As she expressed it, making such a significant gamble and move she wanted to put down roots. So she bought her space and has put her heart and soul into its meticulous buildout. On this Saturday afternoon she was upbeat as she described the current group show, which she put together on rather short notice, as an overview of leading artists in a geographic circle reaching to the Northampton realists like Randall Deihl, Jane Lund and Scott Prior, to prints by Ellsworth Kelly who works and visits within the perimeter as well as photo star, Gregory Crewdson. She demurred from implying that this is a definitive representation of the best work created in the region but rather reflects her own taste and works that she was able to borrow from several cooperating galleries.
Primarily Ferrin is internationally known for her knowledge of the field of ceramic art. She has published and lectured extensively on the topic. For this summer the ceramic work will be shown primarily in Lenox as the programming and rent were calculated long in advance of the seemingly recent focus on the current space and its renovation. When the lease expires at the end of the season the Lenox space will close and she will move the ceramic works to Pittsfield. She is planning to do that with a splash. But the new larger space allows for showing more fine art- painting. works on paper, sculpture- so it reflects an expansion of her vision and representation.
Of course the Lenox gallery, with its proximity to Tanglewood, gets tons of traffic, but try to park. Actually she reports a steady flow but states that now her new gallery is more of a destination for people seeking the kind of quality work she shows rather than tourists passing through to and from Tanglewood. As in all business plans there is an element of risk taking but there seems to be a growing synergy.
Oddly enough this expansion and growth of the arts and new business has an inverse impact on the Storefront Artist Project. Now several years old the group which was founded by Maggie Mailer took advantage of vacant and cheap real estate. It is a familiar story as artists move in and develop depressed real estate this attracts shops and business with the commensurate rise of rents which in turn forces out artists.
The gallery for Storefront Artists at 124 Fenn Street occupies space in a building which has been under development as an artist/ loft building but has not made the progress which was anticipated. Peter Dudek, the current head of the group, was preparing for an opening when we chatted in the large and funky space. There is a jury rigged lighting system which is cheap but adequate. Dudek described how initially artists thought they could grab up cheap buildings but found that it takes a lot of resources, energy and entrepreneurship to develop a space and they concluded that they really didn't want to be landlords.
The issues of affordable housing and exhibition spaces for artists are a perennial conundrum. Now and then there are times of opportunity but there are always daunting risks involved. Several years ago we bought a loft in the Eclipse Mill in North Adams and have seen the equity double in just a short time. Also since then the costs of materials and labor have increased dramatically. Significantly, as property values increase so do the taxes. So the arts in tough towns like Pittsfield and North Adams are a significant aspect of the overall economy as the region pulls itself out of endemic depression. Hey, the arts are good for business.
Bottom line, the Berkshire Museum should have picked up that million dollar industrial scale space when it was still affordable. Right now it looks like Pittsfield is happening.