At first glance, Chelsea’s newest art gallery, Honey Space could be mistaken for a temporary street art installation. Most people passing by wouldn’t register it as any kind of proper establishment – it looks more like an abandoned warehouse. Behind its doors, though, is an art space that subverts any kind of traditional gallery model, with its founder, Thomas Beale, taking a hands off approach to running the place. The gates are opened up at 11 and close at 6, and beyond that you’ll be lucky to find any kind of staff to answer questions, or even take your money. The honor system is in full effect here. If you want to purchase a piece of art, you give a call to the artist directly.
From the New York Times:
Mr. Beale calls his creation a no-profit gallery, perhaps because nonprofit sounds far too official for a space where you can see your breath on a winter morning. Alf Naman, a longtime Chelsea real estate developer and broker who controls the property, has allowed Mr. Beale and several other artists to colonize the four-story building over the last few years, converting spaces that had once housed deep storage and a well-known gay bar into raw studios and places to show their work.
…“We want to give back something to the art community. Any kind of space in Manhattan these days for artists is just so hard to come across and so expensive.”
Mr. Beale still finds it all a little hard to believe. “Besides no rent, I’ve never paid an electric bill and haven’t even given Alf any art yet,” he said. But he knows there is an expiration date on this kind of luck. “Through this whole thing there’s this constant feeling that it could all go away very soon. And we know it will.”
NY Times: No Windows, No Heat, No Staff, No Rent. This Is a Gallery?
Facebook
Twitter
Digg
Reddit
StumbleUpon
I run an arts non profit in Pasadena, CA. We couldn’t keep paying rent on our 3000 sq ft basement space (which we fully fixed up and cleaned out over the years). After having had that experience, we now know what we want in terms of a gallery, and it is far less space than we had that we realize we need to make it work. This is interesting. It is so hard to survive in the arts. Rarely is there income. And the artists have to do something else to survive. I appreciate this concept. Wish it could be taken more seriously- all of this. Wonder if I’ll ever see the day…
March 5th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I am trying today to follow your idea in NYC and I see what is ahead .I give you my personal encoouragement and it is a great idea it should work. I think the community should take artists more seriously , we bring opinions , beauty and interst to them.
August 8th, 2008 at 8:09 am
I believe it is a good idea to have the exhibition for the artists without reputation like this. A precious encouragement at least.
December 31st, 2008 at 2:53 am