Arthur Wood, the infamous octogenarian artist who is fighting to remain in his iconic Clinton Hill artwork-cum-abode, has been granted an extra two weeks in his home, as a small housing court victory last week pushed his eviction date back to March 31st.

Neighbors and community activists organized two fundraising events for Wood this past Friday: first, a “block party” in his own backyard from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., with hot food, a DJ, live musicians and a guest appearance by Reverend Billy; then a late-night dance party a little ways off in Fort Greene.

The block party turnout was impressive, but the party afterward was small, according to organizer Kara Blossom.

Despite that, Blossom said they were able to raise a good amount of money in donations, thanks in large part to Arthur’s decision at the end of the night to auction off some of his art.

“He just sort of climbed up this ladder and was like, ‘does anyone want to buy this?’” Blossom said. “Then Reverend Billy auctioned it off, it was very impromptu and cute.”

The block party appeared to have a strong Occupy Wall Street And Occupy Sandy Relief presence, from a table of Occupy-related pamphlets in the backyard, to a station wagon with “Occupy Sandy Relief” written on the windows parked outside.

Wood’s son, Christopher, could be seen earlier during the event testing a projector aimed out of one of the upper floors of the building against the side of a nearby building. The elder Wood himself stood in front of his building in a red-hooded sweatshirt as reporters hovered around him.

Wood’s son expressed gratitude for the turnout, and said it meant a lot to his father to have the community come out for him in such numbers.

He acknowledged the extension on the eviction date, but maintained the crux of the problem remains: as it stands now, his father will be evicted and the house could be destroyed forever.

A petition against Wood’s eviction was rapidly accumulating signatures, but the younger Wood was not sure what steps were being taken, other than his father’s continuous legal battles.

One of Arthur’s supporters at the block party on Friday. (Credit: Danielle Tcholakian.)

According to Elisabeth de Bourbon, a spokesperson at the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the Commission has not received any requests to consider the building for landmark designation.

Wood’s son expressed interest in the idea, gazing at his childhood home on Friday.

“I guess it would just have to stay this way, though, right?” the younger Wood mused. “We couldn’t build it back like it was again?”

According to reports from Gothamist, Wood’s son has expressed ambivalence about continuing to fight for the house, and recounted struggles growing up in the structure.

“Cops were always getting called because they saw a five-year-old kid running around the building,” the younger Wood told Gothamist. “We had to hide every time the fire department responded to our wood stove … We hid in the closet with my sister.”

“At least it’s coming to some type of conclusion,” he added. “At least you have a point to move on from.”

The elder Wood repeated his possible plans to go to China, expanding on some architectural ambitions.

“A building a mile and a quarter tall, It’s the tallest building that’s ever existed,” Wood said. “It has levels at approximately 230 feet up, and those sections are sealed up from each other” so if a fire starts in one section, all the others would be safe.

The note about the fire-proof layout is especially poignant given the building’s history: the majority of Wood’s troubles with the city were set off by a fire in 2006, that resulted in the Department of Buildings demanding he tear down the top half of the structure, which once reached to over 100 feet.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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After three decades and several legal battles, the iconic Broken Angel House may have its wings clipped for good.

Long-time owner Arthur Wood, who built the house with his wife, will be evicted this Friday, March 15.

“It’s very poetic, March 15th is the Ides of March,” Wood quipped, as his son Christopher loaded up a U-Haul truck with his artwork and valued possessions last Friday.

Wood and his wife Cynthia moved into the building at 4 Downing Street in 1979, and lived there for over 30 years before her death from cancer in 2010.

Wood, now 81 years old, blames lawsuits with the city for his wife’s death.

“They dragged us out of this house because of a $100 fine,” Wood asserted. “They locked up our house and put us out on the street to die.”

Wood said they were declared ineligible for the city’s shelter system because they technically owned property, even though they were barred from living there.

The trouble apparently started with a fire in 2006 that drew the attention of the Department of Buildings. DOB reportedly determined that the upper portion of the building and the fourth floor needed to be demolished.

Watching his son load his possessions into the U-Haul, Wood said affectionately, “That’s my little boy.”
Surveying the full truck, the younger Wood joked that it looked like “a new Broken Angel might appear in Beacon, NY,” where he lives. (Credit: Danielle Tcholakian.)

Local City Councilmember Letitia James represented Wood in court during this process, and helped arrange the settlement to remove the parts of the structure said to be in violation of building codes.

Wood decided to partner with local developer Shahn Andersen, and they secured $4 million in funding to develop part of the property into condos, but apparently struggled to stay on schedule.

“Arthur is a very creative artist, but trying to get him to work inside the legal framework of the New York City Buildings Code and Zoning Resolution was very difficult,” Andersen said. “Many of the things he wanted us to do could not be done legally.”

The loan was declared in default around the same time as the Lehman Brothers collapse, and the general tightening of credit markets. The property was foreclosed on last year.

“I still have a lot of admiration for Arthur,” Andersen insisted. “I have thought about Broken Angel a lot over the years, and when I think of Arthur and that building, I always have the same thought: you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t keep it from drowning itself once it gets there.”

What happens now?

Councilwoman James called the building “a piece of art” and “an iconic structure in the community,” and spoke of Wood as a beloved fixture in the neighborhood.

“It’s unfortunate because he built the Broken Angel with his bare hands,” James said. “We would hope that whoever has taken over the property would work with him so that he could remain on the premises for the rest of his life.”

A recently registered LLC by the name of 4-8 Downing Purchaser bought the property for a little over $2 million this January, according to public records.

According to a spokesperson, Shane Kavanagh, “the owner is now pursuing a remedy through the proper legal process that will allow them to control the property.”

Kavanagh confirmed that “proper legal process” meant Wood’s eviction.

81-year-old artist Arthur Wood will be evicted this Friday from the home he built over 30 years ago. (Credit: Danielle Tcholakian.)

The fate of the property is unclear: 4-8 Downing Purchaser LLC bought the property as an investment from the bank, and will now attempt to re-sell it.

According to the property listing, the vacant lot next to Wood’s building, located at 8 Downing Street, can be “developed” into a two-unit building, but the existing structure at 4 Downing Street can be “converted” into an eight-unit building.

CPEX Real Estate, the firm that listed the property, refused to say whether the existing structure can be demolished, or if it must remain standing to be “converted.”

What does the future hold for Wood?

For his part, Wood is determined to keep up his various legal battles.

“My case is still going strong,” Wood declared. “I’m gonna win it.”

He paused, then looked downward, smiling. “Maybe,” he conceded.

In fact, he prematurely filed with the Supreme Court, despite having not gone through the necessary lower courts.

“The law’s an art and in all art,  a new approach — you can try whatever you want,” Wood shrugged. “I arrived at my destination and then I figured out how to get there.”

Wood said he was assured once he had gone through all the lower courts, his appeals case would still be open and waiting.

As the younger Wood walked by carrying a visibly weighty four-foot-tall curlicued steel cross, his father’s eyes lit up.

“I made that,” he said proudly. “I’m going to give it to St. John the Divine.”

Asked where he’ll go come Friday, Wood shrugged.

“I have no idea. I was thinking of going to China.”

DNAinfo.com reported that neighbors will be throwing a send-off block party for Wood this Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. Broken Angel House served as the backdrop for Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, released in 2005.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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