Pat Greene is Bungalower Media’s first sponsored Resident Reporter. Greene has joined our team as our Arts and Culture Correspondent for the next quarter, supported by the efforts of Interstruct Design + Build, an award-winning Orlando-based design and build firm.
Recently, I spent a couple of weeks in Woodstock, New York, and four days in New York City.
I rode up with my good friend Matt Gorney. He and his longtime partner (and good friend of mine) Jessica Bryce Young of Orlando Weekly bought a house in Woodstock from composer Karl Berger and his wife Ingrid, a poet and vocalist.
The Bergers were involved in New York’s Jazz Loft Scene during the 1970s. A good example would be when Sam Rivers and his wife Bea ran the well-known Studio RivBea; when people turn their apartments into entertainment venues. The Rivers relocated to the Orlando area in the early 1990s and Matt was Sam’s manager for several years.
Matt has run the Civic Minded Five (Website) since the 90s. Full disclosure: I’m one of the five. We have booked New Music, more commonly known as avant-garde music. Matt has booked a few shows at people’s homes and while we were in Woodstock, he talked about the Bergers house shows.
Over the years, I have been to many house shows. They were mostly music performances. I found a vibrant scene in Mexico City. My favorite was Bucarelli 69, also the address; a big row home that doubled as an art gallery. The last time I was there, I saw a piano hanging by wires from the ceiling and a performer was beating on the exposed wires. A gallery was in an open area, and rain was pouring in. One guy told me they only put sculptures that can get wet in that area.
Many people in different cities have told me about apartment galleries and performance spaces. Many times, they double as rent parties. Much of this is a reaction to high rents for commercial real estate.
I have been talking about starting a circuit of home galleries. It’s also a way to have more creative access or not follow someone’s vision based on sales.
My good friend Richard Munster (Instagram) sent me a flier that addressed this. We haven’t been discussing this with each other, but it what was on the flier fed off my conversations with others. Richard Munster, Michael Galleta, and Julie Harbers are known in our community for their brilliant ceramics and their knowledge of the art and craft of ceramics. They are also community-minded. On Saturday, they will each host the Artists’ Home Studio Tour (Website), which starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m.
You can visit each of these artists’ home studios in any order you like during that time and each home studio will also feature other artists. Julie will show her art and workspace and work by Carly Gibran, Gabriel Isaac, Christine Francois, and April Tennyson. Richard will be showing his work, Jeff Rogers, Jesus Minguez, and Vince Sansone’s work. Michael will show his art and Warren Perko’s.
I have known Michael and Richard for many years. Of the three, Richard’s is the only studio I’ve been to. His hand-built kiln, pictured below, may be one of my favorite structures in Central Florida. If you have seen any film adaptation of Wicker Man, you might feel he built a kiln based on its central set piece.
The artists welcome questions. Pardon the pun, but this is one art form that I don’t have as much hands-on experience with. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about a beautiful craft from experts. I hope that this effort takes off. I would love for others to show art at their homes or demonstrate other skills. The website gives addresses and biographical information about all of the artists.
This weekend combines two of my favorite things: art and community engagement. I hope to see you there.
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