In a struggling economy, luxuries are usually the first thing to go. The art industry has certainly been hit hard in this recession, according to Theo Dorian, a St. George photographer and artist. But in one way, that might not be such a bad thing for Staten Island, in that New York artists who once shopped around for space in SoHo and Chelsea have been seen lurking around St. George-and even stopping into Dorian's gallery SHOW on Stuyvesant Place.

"Rents are going up in Manhattan," Dorian says. "With fewer options, people will be looking in the outer reaches."

In fact, several new galleries are popping up all over the Island's North Shore. One, called SHOW, opened last July. Dorian's space is centrally located right in the heart of Staten Island's civic district. Dorian admits he's paying a premium for the space, but says he needs it to be close to the ferry. Dorian has run many art spaces around the Island since he himself moved here from Manhattan 25 years ago.

"It's all about trying to get here," he says, which is why his proximity to mass transit is key. His directions for getting to the gallery are simple: walk out of the ferry terminal and look up. A big neon sign next to Borough Hall reads "SHOW." The gallery's current exhibit is "Lost & Found: An Exploration of Earnestness in Art." A hodgepodge of paintings, Dorian describes the show as the works of artists who are "unknown, undiscovered, and under-appreciated." Two walls in the gallery are lined with paintings under heading such as "Fake Picassos." Chairs from an old theatre invite people to come in and sit for a while. "We don't have a lot of meeting places/run-into-each-other places on Staten Island," Dorian says. He's hoping to change that.

The gallery is already on its 5th exhibit since opening last summer, and Dorian has many more planned. He says he's currently courting a few more artists; one is famed rock 'n' roll photographer (and Staten Island resident) Mick Rock, who has photographed iconic '70s and '80s artists like David Bowie, Bob Marley, Mick Jagger, and Joan Jett.

But SHOW is not just a venue for professional artists. Dorian teaches art on the side at South Richmond High School, known as a "last chance" school for struggling teens. Dorian says his students are thriving in his photography class, and he's planning an exhibit of their work in May. "One kid took a blurry picture as he was walking, but it looks cool," Dorian says, which is pretty much his attitude about any serious artist who wants to exhibit his or her work. "Maybe the person down the block can't compete with Mick [Rock]," says Dorian. "But we'd still like to show him."

Galerie St. George

One St. George couple is proving that location isn't everything. Gary and Jamie Brant run Galerie St. George. Off the beaten path on Phelps Place, tucked behind Curtis High School, the gallery is a space in which Brants have turned an apartment on the side of their 19th century landmarked home into a 3-room business which has been attracting artists from all over the world. Galerie (spelled the French way, for a little panache) is currently showing fabric collages by Sue Ehrlich. Galerie has also attracted Portuguese sculptures, works on paper, tapestries, photography, and more.

The Brants are themselves artists. They both design funky furniture, and Gary is also a photographer. Bored with the West Coast art scene, the couple moved to Staten Island from San Francisco about 25 years ago. They recently saw an opportunity to open their own gallery when their tenant moved out last year. "We thought it could become a focus for creativity in the neighborhood," said Gary. The gallery has grown beyond its show space and now has a permanent art annex in a front room of their home. "At the end of all this," Gary says, "we won't be living in the house anymore. It will be filled with art."

Just as they saw an art opportunity in Staten Island, the Brants say they believe other artists will do the same. Galerie St. George has only been open since September, but Gary's already developed a clique of collectors who know they can count on him for quality art. Unlike galleries in Manhattan, which are struggling for sales, Brant says he's been successful-and his ability to sell is attracting more artists to show their work with him.

Brant says he's one of many who hopes the struggling economy will pay off for the Island with a cultural expansion. "The North Shore is suited for that," he says.

City-run Center?

Another group of artists-known as the Staten Island Creative Community-is also trying to create a niche for artists. With many vacant buildings on the Island-particularly on the St. George Lighthouse Museum property-some artists have been asking the city to designate one of them a community-run art center.

Theo Dorian agrees. He knows firsthand how proximity to the ferry can boost business. He believes being so close to the world's gateway to Staten Island will encourage visitors to come, stay for a while and soak in all of the great art happening Downtown. "If we could have enough going on," Dorian says, "we can get people off the ferry."

www.showhownyc.com

www.galeriestgeorge.org