History

Westbeth Artists Housing was conceived in the 1960’s as a partial solution to the acute need to provide affordable housing and studios for artists and their families. In so doing, it became one of the first examples of adaptive reuse of industrial buildings for artistic and residential use in the United States.

Located in New York City in Manhattan’s Far West Village, it is a complex of 3 buildings of which the main building is for artists housing, the L Building, which is the New School, and the I Building, which has artists studios and commercial spaces. It originally was built as a complex of 13 buildings in 1868 for Western Electric. In 1898 Bell Laboratories took over and turned it into one of the world’s most important research centers. It was here that the first talking movie, the condenser microphone, the first TV broadcast, and the first binary computer were demonstrated. In 1966 Bell Labs relocated outside of Manhattan.

With innovative funding spearheaded by the J. M. Kaplan Foundation and Roger Stevens of the National Endowment for the Arts, Westbeth became an ambitious renovation project designed to create 383 live-work spaces for artists of all disciplines and their families under the direction of developer Dixon Bain. Joan Davidson of the J. M. Kaplan Foundation supervised the conversion of the building and its operation. Richard Meier was the renovation architect. Westbeth opened in 1970.

Westbeth was added to the National Registrar of Historic Places on Dec 8, 2009. Subsequently, the New York State Historic Preservation Board placed Westbeth on the State Registrar of Historic Places on December 8, 2009.

On October 25, 2011 the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously designated Westbeth Artists Housing a New York City landmark. Significant research on Westbeth’s behalf was done by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.

Westbeth is owned by the not-for-profit Westbeth Housing Development Fund Corporation, administered by the Westbeth Board of Directors. Cultural events are sponsored by the Westbeth Artists Residents Council, a tenant-elected not-for-profit organization. For further info see Westbeth Artists Residents Council.

In addition to its residential component, Westbeth also contains large and small commercial spaces, performance and rehearsal spaces, and artists studios both individual and communal, such as the Westbeth Sculpture Studio, Westbeth Painters Studios, Westbeth Ceramics Studio, and the Westbeth Print Studio.

Westbeth is also home to major cultural organizations, including the New School for Drama, The Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, and the Kitchen. The first LGBT synagogue in New York, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, was here for almost 40 years.

Bell Labs photos reprinted with permission of Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc

Westbeth Through the Years

Click image to start the slide show #1, Click page number at bottom for slide shows #2 and #3

Westbeth apartment 1970s. Photo Leonard Freed.

The Village Halloween Parade was started in Westbeth Courtyard in the 1970s by Parade founder Ralph Lee. Shown here is the very first parade.

Curated by Jack Dowling, Westbeth Gallery Director, celebrated the early painters at Westbeth for Westbeth's 40th Anniversary. Robert De Niro Sr, Mary Frank, Benny Andrews, Anne Tabachnick, Philipp Weischberger, Jonathan Borofsky, Irving Kreisberg, Harry Shunk, Jay Milder, Thomas Maile, Bill Anthony, Peter Ruta, Kathleen Zimmerman, Ralph Lee, John Dobbs, Lucia Salemme, Beate Wheeler, Spencer Holst, Jon D Órazio

One of the first feminist theater companies of the 1970s. co founded by playwrights Gwen Gunn, Pat Horan, Susan Yankowitz, Helen Duberstein (not shown), Sally Ordway, Christina Maile, and Dolores Walker. Their papers are in the collection of the New York Historical Society

Westbeth Icon won the Pulitzer Prize for Music

First Fridays is a year long series of music concerts by Westbeth musicians and their friends. Sponsored by Westbeth Artists Residents Council (WARC)

Readings and awards are funded annually by the Miriam Chaikin Writing Foundation. She was a noted author of children's stories, and former Literary Chair of Westbeth Artists Residents Council

Dance rehearsal in Courtyard 2000s

Westbeth Print Studio was founded in 1970 with donations of Charles Brand print presses. The 2023 Westbeth printmakers in this show included Hans Haacke, Juanita McNeely, Parviz Mohassel, Claire Rosenfeld, Cari Rosmarin, Simon Carr, Jackie Lipton, Francia Tobacman Smith , Sheila Schwid, William Kennon, and Gerry Marcus

Ze'eva Cohen and Avri Ohana exhibition featured an interview with Terry Stoller, WARC Literary Arts chair.

Dance performance in Westbeth inner courtyard, part of the Unnatural Processes exhibit at the Westbeth Gallery, curated by Valerie Hallier, Visual Arts chair of WARC.

Westbeth artist Veronica Ryan won the 2022 Turner Prize . She is also a volunteer gardener for Westbeth Beautification Committee

Poetry readings sponsored by WARC.

PEN America sponsors the Westbeth Literary Quest of PEN authors doing readings of their work in Westbeth apartments. Visitors self guided the hallways in search of apartments where the authors were reading, A green balloon at the door was a clue!

PEN author reading in Westbeth apartment

Westbeth apartment. 2019 Photo Joseph Holmes

Working with Artists Freedom Initiative, Westbeth offers temporary Safe Haven artist residencies to international artists who are at risk for producing art in their countries. Program initiated by Westbeth Board of Directors.