Westbeth at 50
The 50 Moments of Creativity
and Photographs by Leonard Freed and Frankie Alduino

The 50 Creative Moments installed on the Bethune St Lobby

Out of the thousands of moments of creativity and wonder that the artists of this legendary building have generated, here are presented 50 that capture the range and diversity of endeavor and artistic discipline that have inspired so many. On the wall, the moments begin in 1970 and proceed all the way to 2020. Of course, though, they never stop.

The Westbeth 1970 Photographs of Leonard Freed in the Project Room

One of the very first residents were Leonard Freed, his wife, Brigitte Freed a fashion designer, and their daughter Susannah. In those early years, Freed captured moments of child-raising, celebration, creativity, exhibition and production. Originally published in an issue of Avant Garde magazine, the photos in the exhibition reflect an intimate history of Westbeth from through the lens of a world-famous documentarian.

The 2017 – 2020 Photographs of Westbeth by Frankie Alduino on windows in the Courtyard

On his way to work each morning at Annie Leibovitz’s studio nearby, Alduino became captivated by the utilitarian complex when he discovered it was housing for generations of artists. He set out to photograph as many artists in their homes as he could, transfixed by the metaphor of home as a place where creatives can bend convention, build families, and hone their vision.

Book

Frankie Alduino’s book, Vertical Village – A Book of Photographs from Westbeth Artists Housing, is available at https://shop.frankiealduino.com/