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Please support Leon Reid IV Studio Disaster Relief by purchasing Artworks: Limited edition sculptures>> Sales contact: Lenora Hendley, rhiannon@leonthe4th.com |
"REBUILD" screenprint by Chris Stain. I am humbled to have Chris Stain volunteer his remarkable talent to Studio Disaster Relief; he recently pumped out an edition of 50 prints and donated them to me as means to generate additional funds. Equally commendable is photographer Luna Park who provided the source photograph for the print. It is hard to express how grateful I am for all of those who've helped me during this time of need. Good friends and family are by far the best insurance policy.. Love, Leon.
What happened. We here in New York City have suffered a natural disaster unseen in this city's history. Hurricane Sandy tore most of our coastline to bits. That which took decades to build was dismantled in hours. My studio was a victim of this disaster along with many other artists spaces at 99 Commercial Street in Brooklyn. Our studio compound is located directly on the Newtown Creek. A serene -but polluted- body of water separating Brooklyn from Queens. The view from the creek offers a spectacualar view of Manhattan and gives the sense that one is in the city but also removed from it. Proof of its magic: I met my wife Caroline at the studio compound for the first time in 2007, I showed her the view on the creek, in 2012 we are now married with a child. But beauty and terror are family. The Newtown Creek flooded often, never getting more than a couple of feet at the back end of the compound. My studio usually wasn't affected because it is located about 60 yards uphill from the creek. There were of course precautions that we all took when heavy rains came, such as placing all our equipment on the table, sealing our doors and windows etc. Hurricane Sandy laughed at all of our precautions. My studio absorbed 4.5 feet of water. With only 8 feet of ceiling height you get the idea -it looked like a fish tank in there. The real terror of the situation came in realizing that this is not rain water that flooded our studios, this is Eau D' Newtown Creek and is not what you would call "drinking water". |
 Noah Sparkes working on Showpaper commission. |
 Devastation of Hurricaine Sandy flooding. |
 Genevieve Morton working on 100 Story House. |
 Flood waters rose over 4.5 feet. |
The wreckage. It is impossible to quantify the sense of loss that we feel at 99 Commercial feel right now. We can be thankful that nobody died, but that's about all. In moving to the studio Caroline and I cleaned, scrubbed, painted and built it to be a hybrid work studio and gallery. With our hard work now erased only after a year, our morale is the first casualty. I've only begun to take toll of the physical damage; I will learn more when the electricity is on. Below is an itemized list of what I can confirm to be damaged or destroyed so far. The future losses are yet to be assessed and involve the labor effort necessary to clean the Studio, tools and artwork and the resulting loss of business. Unpriced Artwork/itmes: Priced Artwork: Priced tools and equipment: |
 Mother and son working together. |
 Flood waters rose over 4.5 feet. |
The way forward. Hurricane Sandy did not destroy the artists at 99 Commercial, rather the tools and the evidence of our creativity. The way forward is to clean, repair and rebuild. Put our worldly possessions 5ft high off the ground next time:) I alone was not responsible for building my studio nor will I be alone in bringing it back to life. The studio was a place of apprenticeship and teamwork. Those who have visited or worked here can tell you that the doors were open to anyone who was willing to work hard and learn about how to make art. Simply put, your support will help me and Brooklyn's wider creative community. This is why I am calling on those who can afford it to purchase artworks in efforts to support the rebuilding effort. For questions regarding sales, please contact Lenora Hendley: rhiannon@leonthe4th.com We are also accepting volunteers to help clean and rebuild. To volunteer please contact Caroline Reid: caroline@leonthe4th.com Thank you all so very much for your support in this time of need. Love, Leon Reid IV
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