Montgomery Street Gardens may not look huge, but it packs a lot into the space it has. Eamonn Farrell says, “We are a little space collective on Montgomery St. between Washington and Franklin called Montgomery Street Gardens. We offer our members office and studio space – basically an artistic home for local artists.”

When I arrived to shoot some photos, Eamonn was in the office, meeting with his cohorts Lucy Smith, Jessica Weinstein and Josh Hoglund, planning a soon to be announced secret project involving the Anonymous Ensemble. They took time out to show me around the performance space, answer some questions, and perform an impromptu concert of drum, tambourine, accordion and a pennywhistle.

The Crown Heights sustainable art space first opened in December 2007 to provide some needed facilities to artists who live in the area. It’s shared by a group of 10-15 different artists or groups of artists called shareholders. The rent is split between the shareholders each month and each share entitles the shareholder to at least one 4-8 hour slot in the studio per week and unlimited use of the office. In the past, people have used the former wine cellar for photo shoots, voice overs (a soundproof booth, mics and sound equipment are available), video shoots (a green screen and a lighting kit are available), theater, music and dance rehearsals, and even trapeze training.

The Montgomery Street Gardens is looking for a few more shareholders. Call Eamonn Farrell for more information 917.701.8388. And keep your eyes peeled for the Anonymous Ensemble’s big announcement.

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