ART AND INDUSTRY Atlas Studios in Newburgh photos by Meredith Heuer
L
ike many of the tenants at Atlas Studios, Thomas Wright and Joseph Fratesi moved their business from Brooklyn. Owners of design and manufacturing firm Atlas Industries, Fratesi and Wright were looking for more space after 22 years in Gowanus. In 2013, they bought and moved into a 55,000-squarefoot warehouse off of Liberty Street in Newburgh that once housed a large-scale textile manufacturing operation. With their own firm, Atlas Industries, as the anchor tenant, the pair sought out creatives to occupy the rest of the building. Product designer Aaron Lown was one of their first tenants (page 63). “Aaron speaks to the demand for something like this,” say Wright. “We were able to fill the building via word of mouth and word on the street. We knew we were taking on a lot with such a large building in Newburgh. We were fairly confident, however. We knew there was a community of creative professionals in the area as well as people being driven out of Brooklyn by higher prices.” There are currently over 40 tenants at Atlas Studios, with studio spaces ranging from a few hundred square feet to over 10,000 square feet. Almost all the tenants are creative professionals, from clothing designers to illustrators to sculptors and photographers. (Meredith Heuer, who shot this feature, keeps a studio in the building.) The building also has a large gallery space where concerts and other events are held. On December 15 and 16, Atlas Studios will host its annual Winter Market, showcasing local makers and designers, many of whom work in the building. The weekend will include demos with The Newburgh Pottery, workshops with Steve Gerberich, Hudson River Bindery, and other artisans. Atlasnewburgh.com —Brian K. Mahoney
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