The Invisible Dog Art Center facts for kids
The Invisible Dog Art Center is an art museum and center located in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, New York City. It was started by Lucien Zayan in 2009. The center got its unique name because it used to be a factory that made "invisible dog" toys. You can still see some old buckles, belts, and factory tools inside the building today. Now, this cool space is used for art shows, live performances, and as a place where artists can live and create. Many artists get ideas from the building's old factory style.
History of The Invisible Dog
Lucien Zayan found the building in 2008 and shared his idea for an art center with the owner. Once he owned it, Zayan immediately cleaned the building. He collected all the leftover items from when it was a factory and held a big flea market. He later said that what looked like junk at first turned out to be a "treasure-trove" of cool old items and furniture, especially thousands of belts from the 1960s.
In March 2013, a video game and art magazine called Kill Screen used the building. They held their 2013 two5six conference there. This conference happens every year in a different spot in New York City.
The Building Itself
The Invisible Dog is located at 51 Bergen Street. The building was built a long time ago, in 1863. In the 1950s, it became a factory that made belts and jewelry. Then, in the 1970s, the fun idea of the "invisible dog" toy was created right here! When Lucien Zayan found the building in 2008, it was "packed full of stuff and junk." Also, all 68 windows were broken and needed to be replaced.
The building still has a working manual freight elevator. Along the elevator shaft, there is a large painting by Giuseppe Stampone from around 2009. This painting shows text from Dante's famous poem, Inferno, written in its original Italian language.
