gently artists association

A callback to the zone south of Houston Street, formerly called Hell’s Hundred Acres because of its undesirability. After organization and pressure from artists, it was approved for living and working in 1971. We decided to highlight the repeated loss of accessible creative spaces still taking place today. Between the mall-esque reconstructions of SoHo and Williamsburg and the guided tours of Bushwick, the consistent rebranding of previously dilapidated “artist neighborhoods” continues at a more rapid pace than ever. Is a hoodie going to solve gentrification? No. But you can’t move forward without looking back. Eventually, if enough people pull together, we can make sure we have thriving hubs for collaboration, creation, and shared knowledge that can stand alone long after we are gone.