Workspace: 120 Broadway
2004–2006
From 2004 to 2006 the Workspace studio residency program was located in 12,000 square feet of raw space on the 8th floor of 120 Broadway, the historic Equitable Building, generously donated by Silverstein Properties, Inc. In 120 Broadway, Workspace was able to continue to provide emerging artists working across all media and genres with free studio space, professional development opportunities, a community of peers, and access to new audiences through robust Open Studio Weekend programming. Simultaneously, LMCC was activating temporarily vacant, architecturally significant space in Lower Manhattan by partnering with area real estate owners. Artists literally occupied the proverbial “corner office.” Like previous sites including the World Trade Center and the Woolworth Building, positioning artists in the belly of the Financial District created unique opportunities for observation and response to environment, site, and location and the open-plan studio space continued to play key role, fostering dialogue and creating the opportunity for collaboration.
Writers including poets, novelists, essayists, creative nonfiction, play- and screenwriters were also welcomed to Workspace in 2004 to work alongside the visual artists. This aspect of the program was piloted with the support of NYU’s Creative Writing Program, which nominated writers for the program the first year. The following year, writers applied through an open call for applications and each Open Studio Weekend since 2004 has included a reading event by writers-in-residence.
Another important expansion of Workspace that occurred during this period was the initiation and cultivation of the Salon Evening series. Regular group meetings were held as well as panel discussions, events with museum collectors’ groups, and individual and group studio visits with arts professionals from throughout the field. By 2006, this professional development and community-building component had become a vital part of an artist’s experience in Workspace.
Open Studio Weekend programming also broadened to include not only readings with resident writers, but also screenings by time-based media artists, neighborhood walking tours with architectural historians, and cross-promotion with other area events.
Additionally, partnerships were developed with educational institutions and fellow arts organizations giving artists access to resources, facilities, and expertise beyond the studio. Harvestworks, Materials for the Arts, Fractured Atlas, NYU’s Department of Art and Art Professions at the Steinhardt School of Education in collaboration with NYU’s Information Technology Services, and the School of Visual Arts MFA Computer Arts Department became lasting partners in these years.
