Design Diary: Space 428, A Creative Sanctuary for Body And Soul

At Design Diary, we love exploring historic homes, renovated garages, and the occasional church, while interviewing the fascinating folks who inhabit these unique spaces. Winter has kept us close to home — the rare foray to a gallery opening or a new wine bar is as adventurous as we’ve managed lately. But in Hudson, New York, a seemingly infinite source of architectural surprises, we can’t stay home for long. Thanks to a friendly tip, a short trip around the corner leads us to an unusual residence and its talented occupant.

Venturing north of Warren, Hudson’s prime shopping avenue, we’re directed towards an 1870s red brick Gothic church. Once the home of Saint Matthew’s Lutheran Church congregation, the 2,500-square-foot space, with stunning 30-foot ceilings, features the characteristic spire and cross, stained glass windows and pulpit typical of many early American Protestant churches from this time period. Currently, this former house of worship is the upstate headquarters of the Jonah Bokaer Arts Foundation.

Thanks to the timely acquisition of a number of well-deserved grants, coupled with the able guidance of Peggy Polenberg, a Hudson-based real estate agent, the historic church was acquired by choreographer Jonah Bokaer. Having grown up in Ithaca, and being a frequent visitor to Hudson since 2006, Bokaer felt it was time our culturally dynamic little city had a mid-sized performance space of its own.

Bokaer’s unique live/work space is an ideal example of adaptive reuse. It's located in a mixed-use neighborhood, where newbie neighbors share turf with locals, and there are other historic repurposed properties. Not far up the block, Hudson’s imposing public library (originally constructed in 1878 as an armory) is another example of the successful recycling of significant architecture. These vestigial venues, designed 150 years ago for worship or war, are now enjoying new identities.

Jonah Bokaer: Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. Photo: Mark Poucher

Converting the 19th-century church into Space 428 — a non-profit gathering place for 21st-century performing arts, with enough room for a visiting artist’s residency, and a Hudson Valley home for Bokaer when he's not traveling — became a reality four years ago. He describes Hudson as “a town of many venues." He says, "You can listen to the different venues — they will tell you what to do with them.”

Bokaer is a gentle young man with a staggering list of accomplishments (including performances and commissions at The Guggenheim, The Whitney, MASS MoCA and The New Museum, to name just a few) plus a passionate commitment to cultural diversity, the LGBTQIA community and the performing arts. As the recipient of dozens of awards and grants, he’s recognized worldwide as a choreographer, an acclaimed media artist, and an artist space developer. His first studio space, Chez Bushwick, was cofounded a few years later and continues to thrive with educational programs, residencies and affordable rental space for performers. His second organization, Center for Performance Research (CPR), was cofounded in 2007 and draws participants from all over the globe, with a focus on choreography, movement research and technical support.

Last year saw the debut of The Hudson Eye, an ambitious city-wide cultural event in Hudson that incorporates performance, diverse panels and exhibitions throughout a wide range of institutions. The event was produced by Bokaer, his foundation, and Aaron Levi Garvey, curator for The Hudson Eye and The Jonah Bokaer Arts Foundation. Like Bokaer, Garvey also has deep family roots in the region, and it appears that this ambitious duo have yet to encounter a project they can’t handle with style and grace. Discussing the professional value of Space 428 in the former Lutheran Church, Garvey said, “This is an incubator, where ideation happens and projects come to fruition.” Space is a rare commodity in a world of digital moments and high rent, and often vital to developing a creative concept from start to finish.

A globe-trotting career, ambition and international prestige mean little if there’s no home to go home to. The old church nave is now a dance hall, the former pulpit a perfect DJ booth, and a bedroom is nestled in the choir loft, so the sanctuary of the past continues to offer refuge. After performances in North Carolina and New York City, Bokaer was in Pakistan last week for the Lahore Biennale. Even with this demanding agenda, he graciously agreed to a phone interview with Design Diary while in Lahore, sharing in his typical thoughtful manner, “Hudson is where my heart is… no matter where I’ve been or where I’m going.”