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From P.S.1 to I.S.1
In 1978, eight artists left the studio
program at P.S.1* in Long Island City. In desperate need of studio
space, they discovered a large loft with beautiful light nearby.
Together, they transformed this raw space into Independent Studios
1.
The studios occupied 10,000 square
feet in a furniture factory on 46th Avenue. Because this was too
much space and the rent was too high, the original members-- Phyllis
Bilick, Jacqueline Freedman, Betty-Ann Hogan, Frances Hynes, Vera
Manzi-Schacht, Karen Shaw, Joan Weber, and Susan Weil--sought
out additional artists, bringing their number to 14.
In an essay for the group’s first
open studios in 1982, Bill Miller, then head of the Jamaica Arts
Center in Queens, wrote: “At Independent Studios 1, the artists
enjoyed beautiful views, gorgeous light and, most important, peace.
I.S.1 is not a gallery, not an arts center. As Lawrence Alloway
has written of the group, ‘The artists had no shared esthetic…They
were a stylistically plural group who discovered their solidarity
without any slackening of their diversity.’ To understand
their success one must understand their goals. Each needed inexpensive
studio space, and each felt the need to be with other artists.
With intelligence, pragmatism and the willingness to compromise,
they have survived, indeed, flourished…”
From 8 to 16
Although the number of artists has
grown, and only four of the original eight remain—Jacqueline
Freedman, Betty-Ann Hogan, Frances Hynes and Vera Manzi-Schacht--the
goal of I.S.1 has never changed. The 16 current members want to
maintain affordable studios in a congenial atmosphere so that
they can continue to contribute to the vital art community of
New York City.
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