Bargemusic
Encyclopedia
Bargemusic, formally known as Bargemusic, Ltd. is a classical music
venue and cultural icon in Brooklyn
, New York
. Founded in 1977, it is housed on a converted coffee barge
moored at Fulton Ferry Landing on the East River
near the Brooklyn Bridge
.
"Actually, we're practicing great economy of motion here," said Bloom in 1990. "Water exerts a universal pull on humanity. People commune with nature here, to a degree. They even see a soaring seagull occasionally, and I have my scraggly, brave pines on the deck. We also offer an unmistakably warm social occasion. Our audiences are small - we can hold 140, but I usually try to cut off at 130 - so even though they don't know each other, they speak to each other readily during the intermissions. They are sharing values. And they are experiencing a noble performance of great music. All in one visit."
The current barge, 102-feet long and built in 1899, was the third that Bloom purchased for this use after the first two barges' acoustics
did not suit concert performances. She found the current barge near the Statue of Liberty
and a tugboat captain advised her of the free slip near the Brooklyn Bridge that still houses the barge.
In 2003, a mishap with a pipe nearly caused the barge to sink. It took hundreds of gallons of water into its bilge when a pipe feeding water into it snapped due to freezing weather. Listing, it began taking on seawater through a crack in its side. A repair crew pumped more than 1,500 gallons of water out of the bilge before it started to level.http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/ny_local/2003/03/10/2003-03-10_barge_rescuers_keep_concert_.html
and throughout New York City, Bargemusic's attendance suffered after 9/11 and that caused questions about its continued existence. To make money, Bloom and Bargemusic have rented the barge out for weddings and solicited donations from foundations, corporations, and individuals. Some believe that if Bargemusic were given landmark
status, it would help secure the necessary corporate sponsorship to ensure the program's continued success.
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
venue and cultural icon in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Founded in 1977, it is housed on a converted coffee barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
moored at Fulton Ferry Landing on the East River
East River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
near the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
.
History
Olga Bloom founded Bargemusic in 1977, following the transformation of the coffee barge into a music hall in that same year, and the programming has evolved over time while not losing the intimacy of the performance space, which some compare to a floating living room."Actually, we're practicing great economy of motion here," said Bloom in 1990. "Water exerts a universal pull on humanity. People commune with nature here, to a degree. They even see a soaring seagull occasionally, and I have my scraggly, brave pines on the deck. We also offer an unmistakably warm social occasion. Our audiences are small - we can hold 140, but I usually try to cut off at 130 - so even though they don't know each other, they speak to each other readily during the intermissions. They are sharing values. And they are experiencing a noble performance of great music. All in one visit."
The current barge, 102-feet long and built in 1899, was the third that Bloom purchased for this use after the first two barges' acoustics
Acoustics
Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician while someone working in the field of acoustics...
did not suit concert performances. She found the current barge near the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
and a tugboat captain advised her of the free slip near the Brooklyn Bridge that still houses the barge.
In 2003, a mishap with a pipe nearly caused the barge to sink. It took hundreds of gallons of water into its bilge when a pipe feeding water into it snapped due to freezing weather. Listing, it began taking on seawater through a crack in its side. A repair crew pumped more than 1,500 gallons of water out of the bilge before it started to level.http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/ny_local/2003/03/10/2003-03-10_barge_rescuers_keep_concert_.html
Funding
Like many organizations in Lower ManhattanLower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
and throughout New York City, Bargemusic's attendance suffered after 9/11 and that caused questions about its continued existence. To make money, Bloom and Bargemusic have rented the barge out for weddings and solicited donations from foundations, corporations, and individuals. Some believe that if Bargemusic were given landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
status, it would help secure the necessary corporate sponsorship to ensure the program's continued success.