BY RICHARD LEE
Hearst Connecticut Media
The Christopher Robert Gallery popped up last weekend at Harbor Point in Stamford, and the response was so impressive that the two organizers plan to keep it open this week through Sunday.
Plans had been to reopen it Friday and close it Sunday, but the opening went so well that they opted to keep it open all week, said David Morico, a partner in the gallery with Darien resident Bruce Horan, 40. They are leasing 4,000 square feet at 110 Washington Blvd. from Harbor Point developer Building and Land Technology.
“The space is huge. We’ve been able to fill it with work by 17 artists. There are about 60 pieces of art,” said Morico, 44, a Norwalk resident. “We got about 75 people last weekend. Pop-up galleries are how some people got their start. We want to start a gallery with artists with a cutting edge. We have artists from Manhattan, Brooklyn, upstate New York and Connecticut.”
Horan and Morico are targeting interior decorators and corporations, as well as individuals who are starting to collect art.
The location is ideal, according to Morico, noting its proximity to new apartment buildings constructed by BLT, as well as nearby restaurants and businesses that have found a home at Harbor Point.
“I did a lot of research. My background is in marketing and graphic design,” he said, impressed by the vibe generated by the neighborhood. “Harbor Point is a beautiful development. These guys are bringing something beautiful to the community. Stamford is an amazing city. It’s grown so much. We’d love to stay and bring some culture.”
But Morico said he realizes that the occupancy agreement is for the short term.
The space is being given to the gallery free of charge, said Jon Sabrowski, leasing director at Building and Land Technology.
“It gives us more exposure to the community. Some people haven’t been down here. They haven’t seen the restaurants and businesses,” said Sabrowski, adding that the space, with its 25-foot ceilings, had been occupied by an artist as a studio. It is occasionally used by nonprofit organizations for events. “We wanted to activate the space.”
Harbor Point was developed with the goal of creating an urban environment for its office and residential tenants, said Ted Ferrarone, chief operating officer of Harbor Point.
“So the vision that David and Bruce had for the space was in line with our mission, and so we were thrilled to see the space used for such a creative endeavor,” he said, and it is an opportunity to demonstrate the attributes of the location, including “any tenant looking to take advantage of a heavily foot-trafficked corner that is a stone’s throw from the waterfront and easily accessed from a bustling transportation center.”
Incorporating a pop-up strategy can benefit both the temporary tenant and the landlord, said Jack Condlin, president and CEO of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce.
“Interim uses for vacant space has been going on for many years because landlords realize you’re better off having activity in a storefront rather than it being vacant,” he said. “It better displays the space. It’s why Realtors will do models in a new house ”“ so people can see what it will look like.”
“It’s a win-win. In this case, artists get to show their stuff, and the landlord might get a tenant. It’s an opportunity to get exposure,” Condlin said. “The south end has always been the antique and arts center for the city.”
It has lured people from outside Stamford, he said, but with the development of Harbor Point, a gallery like Christopher Robert Gallery is benefiting by attracting people who live in the new district.
Hearst Connecticut Media includes four daily newspapers: Connecticut Post, Greenwich Time, The Advocate (Stamford) and The News Times (Danbury). See stamfordadvocate.com for more from this reporter.
