Newsletter, November 15, 2024
The day after the daunting election, I woke up and decided not to renew the lease on my beloved 20 Jay Street studio, but rather to yank myself out of the comfortable silo where I have been holed...
Dear friends, colleagues, and family,
The day after the daunting election, I woke up and decided not to renew the lease on my beloved 20 Jay Street studio, but rather to yank myself out of the comfortable silo where I have been holed up for years. I’m currently arranging the logistics – renting storage space, getting a post office box, culling the archive, and attending to all the other details artists face when they relocate. For the past ten years, I’ve worked in DUMBO, a wonderful brick-and-cobblestone post-industrial neighborhood I could never have afforded without the generosity of the Two Trees Cultural Space Subsidy Program. But now I’m looking forward to a new adventure, exploring fresh territory, and in some ways returning to the free-spacing ethos of the pre-DUMBO days.
If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you already know that I’ve scheduled what will be the last DUMBO-based Two Coats of Paint Open House for writers, supporters, and readers on Saturday, December 7, 1 – 5 pm. Two Coats itself, I hasten to add, will live on. Consider this your invitation to stop by, say hello, and maybe throw a few coins into the fountain. Two Coats is currently in the middle of the 2024 Year-end Fundraising campaign, and you can help support the project by buying a mug, tote bag, some pencils, or a small painting specially priced for the Two Coats community. Organizations often ask artists to contribute small work for auctions and holiday sales that they sell at extremely low prices, and I thought, why not sell a few pieces to benefit Two Coats this year? Consider it a win-win: holiday gifts for your loved ones (or yourself) and warmly appreciated support for independent art writing.
The studio, in case you are wondering, will still be part of the Two Trees program. The rent has gone up but it’s still extraordinarily low by NYC standards. Earlier this week, they brought by an artist who may take the space. The New York art community, though large compared to those in most other cities, is more intimate than you might think: she and I taught together years ago at Parsons. She recently had a terrific solo show that revolved around ideas of flight and freedom, which I find oddly poetic. As she looks to dig in, I’ll be chasing dreams of escape.
So mark your calendars:
Two Coats of Paint Open House
Saturday, December 7, 1 – 5 pm
20 Jay Street #308
Brooklyn, NY
Details: Look for the next newsletter on December 14 — the night of the Cold Moon. To see images and information about recent projects, visit my website at www.sharonlbutler.com. Follow me on Instagram at @sharon_butler. As always, thanks for your generous support of Two Coats of Paint.
See you later,
Sharon