Left, an opening at Ad Hoc Art; right, wrapping art at a recent Lumenhouse fundraiser. — Photos by Aaron Short

It’s no secret the economic downturn has hit Bushwick’s art galleries hard, but two stalwart institutions, Ad Hoc Art and Lumenhouse, have drawn attention because of recent personnel changes and fundraising events that have forced them to alter their business models in unexpected ways.

Two months ago, Ad Hoc Art laid off its dynamic curator, Andrew Michael Ford, after owners Garrison and Alison Buxton determined the gallery was not bringing in enough money to keep Ford on staff.  In November 2008, the Buxtons moved to buy out Ray Cross, a former partner in the screenprinting side of the business.  Ford has since moved on to work in a gallery in midtown Manhattan while Cross is looking to launch a screenprinting collective in East Williamsburg.  All parties say the departures and negotiations proceeded amicably.

While losing Ford and Cross will alter some of the energy in the front room of the gallery, Garrison Buxton sees the change as an opportunity to reinvent Ad Hoc through diversification and return to their screenprinting, public art roots.

"Our goal is to continue to provide a platform for the artists we support.  Things are really busy.  I feel incredibly optimistic about the things we’re doing."

This Spring, the Buxtons have been busy promoting Peripheral Media Projects (PMP), the screenprinting arm of Ad Hoc, in different parts of the city, teaming up with 3rd Ward to table at events like the Brooklyn Bailout Party in Fort Greene, and The Fountain Art Fair on the Chelsea Piers.  Plans are in the works to curate storefronts in Dumbo and outdoor construction spaces near the Metrotech BID in Downtown Brooklyn.  Expect several dance performances, film screenings, DJed shows, and performance art events this summer, too.

Ad Hoc will continue to feature art openings in the front room of the gallery, though the Buxtons are being careful how they book future shows. After Ford was let go, several artists canceled their commitments to the gallery for shows this Fall.  Buxton said he had no trouble replacing them, as the demand for artists to show their work in Bushwick remained strong.  Still, the drop in sales, which led to Ford’s departure, has been disconcerting.

"Art sales aren’t cutting it," said Buxton.  "We want to create a sustainable model… our vision is to stay here through the end but we need to course correct."

This may mean more shows featuring New York-based friends of the Buxtons’ with a street art aesthetic, such as Lady Pink, Aiko, Armsrock, Elbow Toe, Imminent Disaster, Chris Stain, Swoon, Ron English and others, and fewer international and less established local artists which Ford championed.

Originally from Oklahoma, the Buxtons screenprinted on fabric in Red Hook before moving to East Williamsburg in 2005.   The success of the gallery seemed parallel to the rise in rents for industrial loft spaces off the Morgan L stop.   Though sales have been dropping over the past year, rents, particularly first-floor storefront spaces, remain high, and new neighbors including a wine shop and a falafel place had settled in.  The Buxtons’ lease on the Bogart Street space runs for another 18 months.  In the meantime, they may try to negotiate with their landlord to reduce their rent or move the production side of PMP to a less expensive location in the neighborhood. 

"That’s the fascinating thing about life," said Garrison Buxton.  "Would I personally like to stay here?  Yes.  Am I attached to it?  No, not really."

Lumenhouse, the photography studio-slash-gallery-slash event space, faces a similar quandary.  Visual artist Aurora Robinson and cinematographer Marshall Coles are about halfway through their four-year lease on the space.  Their landlord, who runs a staircase manufacturing company in the other half of the building, is looking to sell the property on the condition that Lumenhouse remain a tenant.  However, said Coles, he could change his mind and they don’t know what the next owner will demand of the space.  Rent remains their biggest cost, though utilities and overhead aren’t cheap either.

"Part of the big goal since we started the space is to get the word out that we’re here and that we offer photo services and studio space and art gallery space," said Coles.  "We’re not personally wealthy.  We’re doing things hand to mouth to try to keep things going."

To that end, Coles wants to invite more outside curators to come to the space and have more gallery openings.  They are looking into whether the space may make sense as a nonprofit organization while also apply for other grants.  The majority of their income is derived from commercial photography, and they aim to schedule ten to twelve photo shoots in-studio per month with rates of $300 for 8 hours and $175 for four hours.

"We’ve been told by many clients that it’s the cheapest 20-foot white cyc (curved white wall) in the city," said Coles.

Coles, like many other gallery directors, is cautiously optimistic. Their fundraiser last month netted $3500 and they also received a small donation from Arts in Bushwick‘s benefit sale last week.  Still, every day is a struggle to book commercial photographers and Lumenhouse’s plans can change once a new owner gets on board.

"Our space is a valuable resource," said Coles.  "We’re more interested in seeing it exist and see it as an art space than something we can make money off of."