78th Street Studios Celebrates 25 Years of Bringing Fine Art to Cleveland

In July 2001, Dan Bush purchased a nearly century-old, massive brick warehouse on West 78th Street in Cleveland’s Gordon Square neighborhood. Twenty-five years later, 78th Street Studios is the largest art and design complex in Northeast Ohio with more than 170,000 square feet of galleries, recording studios and event spaces. 

Bush did not have a background in the arts, nor was he looking to break into the arts world. Before purchasing it, he shared the space with a countertop manufacturer and a bingo hall. He used his background as a stage carpenter to fix up the space and create individual studios suitable for tenants.

The 78th Street Studios building was first constructed in 1905 and used by the Baker Motor Vehicle Company; it would eventually become the headquarters of American Greetings, which occupied the space until the 1980s. For the next 20 years, the space was used sporadically by a variety of companies and individuals. Before Bush turned it into an art studio, its brick structure, original hardwood floors, freight elevators, towering ceilings and plethora of windows were already attractive to artists looking for a place to keep their work. Among those, Derek Hess, an illustrator with work in the Louvre and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, was using space in the building before Bush even came along. He became one of Bush’s earliest tenants in 2001 and still keeps his gallery in the studio 25 years later.
“We've created a very cohesive and supportive community. I'm here every day,” Bush says. “I even met my wife, Hilary Gent, here, who runs Hedge Gallery in the building. And now we have a small family.”

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Since its early years, 78th Street Studios has been holding events ranging from weddings, art exhibits, markets and food festivals. In 2007, Bush had the idea for a new event where the public could come in to view or purchase art from the tenants.

If it succeeded, he would make it a quarterly event. When more than 1,000 guests attended, he realized it needed to be more recurring. The monthly event would soon be named Third Friday, which continues today and remains a staple at 78th Street Studios. Today, it attracts hundreds of guests and features more than 80 artists. 

“I don't take any of this for granted,” Bush says. “The Third Friday event just took off exponentially, in a way none of us could have seen or expected. And fortunately, Third Friday has kept things fresh, and that's really a big part of our success.”

While Bush did not set out to join the Cleveland art scene, 78th Street Studios has become integral to it by bringing in and highlighting new and original talent. To celebrate 25 years of that cultivation, the studio is hosting an outdoor event on July 11 with music, food, unique vendors and vast art displays. 

For the next 25 years, Bush hopes to open several more studios for new artists to help with the high demand for space. Construction on the new studios will be taking place next year. This move will hopefully bring in even more diversity and creativity to both Cleveland and 78th Street Studios.

“78th Street is longer than I’ve done anything in my life,” Bush says. “It feels amazing to know people still want to work with or visit us. And this event is really just celebrating that, as well as the wonderful artists who work with us and the Cleveland art scene which has grown so much in the last 25 years.”

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