Matzo-Gate
The NYC arts community has been stunned by the mass eviction of 200+ artists from their live-work spaces in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. In a clumsy and chaotic process that began last Sunday, January 20th, a host of city agencies including the Department of Buildings, the Office of Emergency Management, the Fire Department, and the Policy Department have forced an “emergency evacuation” of 475 Kent Street.
There are conflicting stories about what’s going on and what’s motivating it, but it ostensibly hinges on an illegal silo of flammable matzo meal in the basement. Yes, really.
Hi Low & In Between has a good chronology as told by the artists themselves.
Tags: nyc, real estate
Thank you very much Adam for writing about 475 Kent Avenue and our forced evacuation from our homes and workplaces on January 20th. I’m a member of Fractured Atlas and the support of the larger Fractured Atlas community is very welcome right now. We are asking the international art community to write to NYC Mayor Bloomberg on our behalf. For further information please see the NYT Metro article published Sunday 10th (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/nyregion/10building.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin)
as well as our 475kent.com website.
Thank you very much for your support,
Lisa Mordhorst
Artist, Arts Administrator
Fractured Atlas Member
475 Kent Avenue Resident
[...] readers know that we’ve been tracking the 475 Kent saga. Well the light at the end of the tunnel is here! Congratulations to our [...]