A campaign to landmark the building that housed A Gathering of Tribes on 3rd Street

Steve Cannon founded A Gathering of Tribes at 285 E. Third St. between Avenues C and D in 1991. Through the years, A Gathering of the Tribes evolved into a salon of sorts in Cannon's apartment for artists to meet and exchange ideas.

There's now a campaign to landmark the federal-style building that housed the arts and cultural organization. 

Here's more via the Gathering of Tribes website:

The Landmarks Preservation Commission recently made a commitment to "ensure diversity and inclusion in historical landmark designations, to make sure that we are telling the stories of all New Yorkers." 

Let’s hold them to it. Currently, the vast majority of historical landmarks in NYC honor the accomplishments of white, cis/het men from affluent backgrounds. 

Landmarking A Gathering of the Tribes would honor Steve Cannon’s legacy of radical inclusion, and protect a space that served as a second home and one-of-a-kind creative hub to countless diverse, revolutionary NYC artists for decades. Landmark status would protect this already historic building from demolition now, and in the future.

The organization, with the help of Village Preservation, is collecting letters of support for the landmarking through this Wednesday. (A previous effort to landmark the building was not successful in 2011.) This link has a sample letter and info about where to send a letter.

Cannon, a blind poet, playwright, and novelist, was evicted from the building following a lengthy legal battle in April 2014. Cannon died in July 2019 at age 84. 

A Gathering of Tribes continues on today, providing "a platform for diverse, traditionally under-represented artists and writers, amplifying the emerging and established revolutionary voices of our time." 

Image via