As you may already know, our landlord Lorraine Zhang has put 285 E. 3rd St. on the market, and has taken Steve Cannon to court for what she asserts is an unlawful use of the premises. As a result, we are now subject to a legally binding agreement to leave by April 15.
Zhang purchased the building from Cannon in 2004 for $950,000. She is currently asking $3.35 million — an amount which we believe exceeds the value of the property.
We are reaching out to you now with an urgent appeal to avert the displacement of Cannon and the dissolution of this internationally recognized arts space.
A Gathering of the Tribes was founded in 1990 here at 285 E. 3rd Street. We are a 501 C3 and have received funding support from the New York State Council of the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Jerome Foundation, Andy Warhol Foundation, Bloomberg LP, as well as an abundance of private donors.
Our literary magazine, which is published annually, is distributed to museums, schools and libraries worldwide. Our gallery space showcases both seasoned and emerging artists from across the US, as well as Russia, India, China, Africa and beyond. We host an average of 10 exhibitions per year, in addition to the annual Charlie Parker Festival in August. Fly By Night Press, our publishing arm, publishes poetry by writers from diverse backgrounds. Tribes also sponsors and hosts music and dance performances, poetry readings, lectures, forums, open mic’s, and other happenings. We have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, literary magazines, art journals and numerous local and international publications.
Because we’ve been established for close to 25 years and have made the East Village our home, we would like to continue to operate here and offer a base of support and community for artists in our neighborhood.
This is why we need your help. Tribes is in search of a benevolent donor to purchase this property on behalf of our 501 C3. We plan on continuing and expanding our activities on the second floor as described above (gallery, poetry and performance salon, publishing magazine bi-annually, as well as 2 to 4 books per year). And we would like to convert the rest of the building to residences for poets, writers, musicians, and artists of all stripes. Our plan is to partner with foundations, schools or other institutions that can provide stipends to artists to reside here for 3-6 months, up to 1 year periods of time. We will continue offering internships through local universities to young artists, who can get involved in our programming and be mentored by the artists we house.
In order to manage such an operation, we would expand our staff to include at minimum a full-time office manager, grant writer, program coordinator, online editor and maintenance staff.
[The cost of running this building is relatively low. Fuel is approx. $10,000 per year (heat and hot water), insurance is approx. $5,000 per year, and real estate taxes are just $3620 per year. That’s a total of $18,620 annually.]
There are many possibilities for how Tribes can thrive and grow—including leasing floors to groups that could fund such artist residences. We are open to any and all kinds of creative financing. At this point what we need is to secure the building.
If you are interested in buying the building or donating to a fund to purchase the building, please get in touch. We have exhausted our legal appeals, so we either need to find someone(s) to purchase the property or get out.
This year, the HOWL! Festival will honor Steve Cannon by naming him the poet laureate of the Lower East Side. There is even now a Two Boots pizza named after A Gathering of the Tribes.
It would be a tragedy to lose our space in spite of such ongoing recognition of the services we provide as an arts incubator on the Lower East Side. We are one of last places left that nurtures young aspiring artists in all disciplines. Please help, or help pass the word. SAVE TRIBES!
Thank you for your careful consideration of this matter. If you would like further information about the property or any details of our legal situation, please do not hesitate to call.
Sincerely,
Steve Cannon
Director, A Gathering of the Tribes aka the Blind Guy
Au Za'atar is a Middle Eastern restaurant with a French twist. Our menu offers everything from Lebanon's national dish (Kibbe Kras) to classical Parisian fare with influences spreading from the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean Sea.
To complement this blend of flavors we serve an extensive selection of organic wines, by the glass, and delicious craft brew beer.
For brunch our free-trade organic coffee and espresso comes from a "craft" roaster straight out of Brooklyn.
Our intimate and beautiful interior was designed and built using only recycled materials.
This retail space features highly visible frontage along the south side of East Houston Street. Located steps from the 2nd Avenue Subway Station, it is also highly accessible. Included in the space is a brand new kitchen build-out with new kitchen equipment and venting. The lease is available for review upon request.
The HiFi Reading series brings you a selection of “undiscovered” writers, curated each month by an established author. The notion here is simple: we think great, accomplished writers have excellent taste, and we can’t wait to see whom they think we should be watching out for.
On the first Wednesday of every month, The HiFi Reading series will take place in the newly renovated back room of the The HiFi Bar. Other than the guest curator, none of the writers featured on The HiFi Reading series will have a book out…yet. These are writers at the beginning of the career, regardless of background.
Since beginning its National Pancake Day celebration in 2006, IHOP restaurants have raised $13 million to support charities in the communities in which they operate. On March 4, 2014, guests from around the country will once again celebrate National Pancake Day at IHOP restaurants and enjoy a free short stack of Buttermilk pancakes*. In return for the free pancakes, guests will be asked to consider leaving a donation for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals© or other designated local charities. Visit IHOP between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. to receive a free short stack of pancakes during the restaurant's effort to raise awareness for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
Our Bhakti Buffet has been off to a great start, nourishing body and soul through the Fall and Winter. As the Spring approaches, we are looking forward to an exciting season of increased services and offerings. Our chefs and host team are working to provide you with expanded hours, developing menus, and enhanced dining experiences.
To make this happen, we will need to close our doors for a few short weeks to facilitate a few renovations and upgrades to our operations. Beginning Monday February 24th and through the month of March, the Bhakti Buffet will be closed; we will re-open the first week of April. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause any of you and we deeply hope that you can share the excitement with us as we patiently await the coming Spring and look to re-open in April.
Watery, chalky supermarket tofu this is not. The chain sources their product from Oakland-based Hodo Soy, which crafts artisanal tofu with beans sourced from organic, sustainable farms across the country. The partnership reflects the company's commitment to natural products, as well as the desire for the best-tasting product they can find. The quality stands out, both in the tofu's slightly chewy texture and the subtle nutty flavor.
To create the sofritas, the tofu gets seared and then ground into crumbles similar to the chorizo bits you might find in a taco. The tofu is also braised with chipotle chilies, roasted poblanos and lots of spices, in a treatment similar to the ones given to other protein offerings. The resulting product has a deep, earthy flavor with bright notes of cumin and lots of heat from the peppers.
Plate on cab that crashed store today at 14th/2nd has 18 violations on record, 4 for running red: https://t.co/4Z2tpKitJs h/t @alter_spaces
— newyorkist (@Newyorkist) March 2, 2014
The impact was so loud that a nearby store owner came outside thinking that a bomb had gone off.
It was my daughter in the back of the cab. She was on her way to the airport. She has severe whiplash. Very grateful her injuries were not worse.
Launched in late 2013, Louis 649 is now proud to be featuring a unique Rotating Art Program that showcases the work of talented local artists from across the five boroughs. Artists display their work on the walls at Louis for a duration of six weeks; all displayed artwork is available for purchase, with a price list available at the bar.
We're celebrating the gallery opening of our second artist, photographer Michael DeBruyn aka 'insky', tonight at 7. DeBruyn will be in attendance.
His gallery is themed around F Scott Fitzgerald's "The Crack-Up" — a selection of his pieces on display may be found here.
