Issue #49, March 16, 2007

Last Show

Historic Tower Gallery Forced to Close after Dan Rattiner Cartoon Exhibit

By Victoria L. Cooper

I’m sure that you read Dan Rattiner’s article last week that detailed the recent raid at the Ferregut Tower Gallery in Southampton, the one of only two such raids in the history of art galleries in the Hamptons, which both happened to take place at the Tower Gallery. Now, due to the lack of a commercial/business Certificate Of Occupancy (COO), the owner of the gallery, Yolanda Merchant, has decided to cancel the next two shows and close the door to the public until further notice.

So this is the last Hoorah. The Ferregut Tower Gallery sits on the sacred corner of Main Street and Jobs Lane in Southampton Village, across from the Parrish Art Museum. Ironically, it is placed in the heart of the historic district but is not recognized by the Town of Southampton as a landmark. Local authorities state that it does not adhere to the Southampton Village Codes, having found that the space does not have a commercial or business COO but only a residential COO, which does not allow for business usage. This has transpired even though the lease states otherwise.

It has also come to the surface that the gallery lost its “grandfather” status after it ceased to be a gallery in 1986, subsequently after operating as a gallery for 30 years. One must continue the use of the space in order to become grandfathered and Yolanda has only been running the show since May 2005. In reviewing the building, Town Building Inspector, Jon Foster, found two problems, one being that the staircase does not meet code (it is under by one inch) and also that there is no second egress or fire escape.

Yolanda hopes to get a landlord one day who will “realize what a gem this place really is and will want put it in their portfolio and be proud.” The Tower Gallery was built in the late 1800s, near the turn of the century and according to Yolanda, it was built in 30 days. It has endured throughout the years and has become a staple to the Town of Southampton and East End art community. Local architects Jay Sears and Eric Woodward, have come to look at Tower and believe that it may cost too much money to widen the stairwell and make the proper adjustments, which in many ways would change the space entirely. The architects also mentioned that, in order to be properly maintained, the building would need to be pointed and sealed every year, since there are so many leaks and spaces in the mortar job.

It is without a doubt that the owner of the Tower has been very negligent by misrepresenting what could be done in the space and allowing someone to sign a lease and operate a business when the COO clearly states otherwise. Yolanda believes that the Tower is like the “Duomo in Florence, Italy or the Lighthouse in Montauk, or the Halsey House in Southampton. People want to see it.” Some of the most recognized names in 20th Century art have shown their work at the Tower Gallery including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Larry Rivers, Fairfield Porter and most recently, Dan Rattiner. Your last chance to see the show, “Ode to the East End,” featuring Dan’s pen and ink drawings, will be March 18, at 6 p.m., when the gallery closing becomes official.

Yolanda is actively looking for new and available spaces and although she is very saddened by the closure, she does not want to run a business in an illegal space. She wants to maintain the special environment that exists in Southampton and preserve the Tower Gallery. She hopes that maybe the Town of Southampton will have an interest in buying it and that the situation will be rectified by summer.