Friday, August 29, 2008

The Green House

Jerry Foust's Green House art gallery and artists' residence at 75 Greene Street in SoHo was, in the words of Bob Arihood, the "successor to the Cave Artist Co-operative." Now it looks like the Green House has gone into the Dumpster, just like the Cave.


photo by epicharmus

Housed in a landmarked cast-iron building, SoHo's (most likely) last bohemian art space existed under the auspices of building owner Sue Stein. New York Art World writes about this "time capsule from New York’s wild frontier days of the 1970s," saying that Stein "wouldn't mind if it was fixed up a bit, but when asked if she could see it as a commercial space, she insisted 'that will never happen.'"

The gallery and artists' home thrived for a while, a miracle in a SoHo that Trigger Magazine called "occupied with German-like precision by Chanel, Prada and John Fluevog" in their article about Green House.


found painting

This week, a reader of JVNY writes in to say: "Walked by 75 Greene tonight, saw a huge dumpster out front. I know it was Jerry Foust's gallery and one of the last remnants of SoHo's golden era. Dumpster was packed full of paintings and a friend and I managed to save these. Any info?"

All I can find about the Green House shutting down are from commenters to this youtube video of an opening at the gallery. They say that the space has been padlocked for not being "up to code." If anyone else has information to share about the fate of Green House, or the source of these rescued paintings, please let us know.


found painting

9 comments:

A Kell said...

Hey Jeremiah - I left some of those youtube comments. The latest I heard is that Sue sold the building, presumably to be converted into retail and apartments, under the condition that Sue keeps ownership of one of the floors.

Bob Arihood said...

Jeremiah , I have a fair-sized collection of images of the "good Old Days " at Green House when folks over there were drinking partying and painting non-stop .I had been considering a post but just never got around to putting it all together . Should I do so ?

The story of the end varies from teller to teller but to make it short and sweet there were some power plays made and Jerry lost control of it all .I see him and talk to him around TSP frequently , not clear though what he is currently doing .

Anonymous said...

NICE PAINTINGS

Jeremiah Moss said...

thanks for the info adam. i guess she decided retail would be ok. yes, bob, please do post your pics. would be nice to see them.

Anonymous said...

Thank God this sh*thole has closed.

You neglected, Jermiah, to mention that they would sh*t and piss in the backyard, blast music till the wee hours, were major druggies and alkies, and one of the leaders was busted for possession of a gun.

They riled that they were the 'last' of the 'old' SoHo, but their neighbors all around them, the real SoHo Artists who have lived there for decades and who helped create the art scene there, were glad to see these scum go.

If anyone disagrees, tell me where you live and your telephone number, and I'll come over and crap in front of your home and blast you with heavy metal at 2 am, and see how you like it.

Otherwise, pipe down.

Hopefully, these lowlifes and skells are all back in Missouri or wherever the eff they came from.

Anonymous said...

That's fine and good 10:39, and I'm sure that Jerry and his crew could be rambunctious asses but don't trump that "old SoHo artists" label too loudly. Look at the SoHo you left us (us being the current generation of artists who can't find lofts or studio space in even the deepest bowels of Brooklyn for less than $2k). You got your rent control and we got Prada and Old Navy.

Anonymous said...

9:37: "Look at the SoHo you left us "

That's rich!

We are not your parents. We are not obligated to leave you anything. What are you expecting from us, a last will and testament guaranteeing you a cheap loft?

If anyone gets my loft, it will be my family. Sorry about such formalities.

Nevertheless. there are plenty of fine cutting-edge and hardscrabble neighborhoods left to pioneer.

Lots of unused commercial space in Jamaica or Rosedale, Queens or try East NY or Brownsville.

dskunkdognegri said...

see this video ides of march
green house
with jerry jonnhy skunkdog and pierre david on this page http://www.myspace.com/dskunkdognegri

Anonymous said...

I use to live with Jerry and Alfredo and let me clear some things up, no one was taking drugs unless you consider pot a drug, and it was a conduit for other minds to finally connect, an intuitive network amongst vibes. The Greenhouse isn't "gone to the dumpster", it still lives, just not in 75 greene, just not under Sue Stein, that lady gave us alot and had gone through alot of hell with the FDNY and DOB. In the end fate is fate. But Jerry, myself and every one else are very much alive and happy. Go look around for other unknown locations in nyc. It just doesn't stop in between broome and spring you know.

-Jack