Welcome to the Brooklyn Fire Proof Community!

ABOUT:
Brooklyn Fire Proof is a community built to facilitate the growing body of micro-manufacturers and entrepreneurs. Housed in former factories and industrial buildings of historical relevance, Brooklyn Fire Proof provides commercial spaces for a network of Brooklyn-based creatives including filmmakers, painters, sculptors and musicians who are striving to develop their artistic pursuit into viable small businesses.

HISTORY:
Brooklyn Fire Proof began as a multidimensional arts complex, with a mission to create a nurturing community of studios, and a gallery.  Founded by Thomas Burr Dodd in 1999, Brooklyn Fire Proof was named to honor Brooklyn Fire Proof Sash and Door Company, a factory that had thrived at it’s location in Williamsburg at the turn of the century.  Brooklyn Fire Proof was the antithesis of the often stoic, cookie-cutter art environment typified by many New York galleries.  Reminiscent of the forts he had built throughout his childhood, Burr envisioned Brooklyn Fire Proof to be a self-contained entirely sustainable environment in which the art maker and viewer could engage and dialogue together.  The primary focus was experimentation and expression.

Shortly after the 9/11 tragedies in 2001, Burr met Pearl Son and together they began a journey exploring the emergent art that was flowing onto the Williamsburg art scene.  The pair developed diverse and vibrant programming featuring works by traditional, emerging and graffiti artists, many of whom are now internationally known, including:  Lara Allen, Tauba Auerbach, Devendra Banhart, Jeff Bechtel, HIsham Bharoocha, Chris Bogia, Matt Borruso, Mailena Braun, Fritz Chestnut, Nathan Davis, Eric Elms, Asia Engles, Stacy Fisher, Dana Frankfort, Maya Hayuk, Zylor Jane, Chris Johanson, Hein Koh, Mark Kostabi, Justin Lieberman, Sam Martineau, Barry McGee, Keegan Mchargue, Craig Metzger, Jason Molina, Neck Face, Jeffrey Ralston, Patrick Rocha, Dasha Shishkin, Daniel Smith, Erica Somogyi, Todd St John, Alex Stein, Ann Toebbe, Daniel Zeller

Collaborations with independent curators and New York galleries alike were opportune and included MOMA PS1 Urban Beach in summer 2003, Kathy Grayson of Deitch Projects, Naked Duck Gallery, Ad Hoc Vox, The Alan Lomax Collection, Sophia Dixon, Marc Gartman, David Gibson, Summer Guthery and Lumi Tan.  In 2004, Brooklyn Fire Proof added a dedicated performance space, enabling them to host many multi-faceted openings with art, live music and experimental audio/visual or theatrical programming including:  The Baird Sisters, Devendra Banhart, Mark Borthwick, Loren Connors, Nathan Davis of Loop 2.3.4, Jad Fair, The Mountain Goats, Black Dice, Daniel Smith and The Danielson Famile, Soft Circle, Jason Molina, David Pajo.

Simultaneously, the couple opened Little Brooklyn, an outpost located in Pearl’s commercial loft on Canal Street, New York for more extensive programming and dinners for artists and collectors to gather.  Brooklyn Fire Proof also self-funded an international residency program, sponsoring artists whose aim was to produce large-scale projects culminating in public exhibition.  Nearly ten years of progressive programming resulted in press by New York Times, New York Magazine, as well as several contemporary art publications, including Art in America, Artnet, ARTILIES, and Repellentzine, as well as online Gothamist.com, and Artcat.com.

On June 1, 2005, Brooklyn Fire Proof began it’s inevitable transition and expansion of it’s 4000sf operation to Bushwick.  Building out more than 160,000sf of workspaces and music studios, 17,000sf of film stages, and a café/bar with gallery, each component was a realization and extension of Brooklyn Fire Proof’s original initiative.