This fall, 222 Bowery turns 140 years old, and this event brings back the voices of some of the people who once lived in the building.

In June 1882, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) bought the lots at 222 and 224 Bowery and in the fall of 1885, they opened The Young Men’s Institute. The idea was to promote the intellectual, physical, and social health for young working men and to provide members with places to sleep, read, learn, meet, and exercise. It remained open for almost 50 years, closing in 1932.

Since then, 222 Bowery has the been home to many artists—one of the first to arrive was Mark Rothko, in 1958. Later on came Wynn and Sally Chamberlain, Michael Goldberg and Lynn Umlauf, Lynda Benglis, Jackson Pollock’s brother Charles Pollock, Warren Brandt, William Walton, and others.
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In 1972, the writer William S. Burroughs moved into what once was the gym’s locker room, on the mezzanine floor, and called it his “Bunker.” John Giorno, who lived on the 3rd floor, was a close friend and took over the Bunker when Burroughs passed away in 1997. Today, as many of you know, this loft serves as the GPS headquarters.

This event marks the new release of a video interview with John Giorno, conducted in 2001 by Steven Watson for his interview series Artifacts. Excerpts from that interview, from another Artifacts interview with the artist-filmmaker Wynn Chamberlain, and excerpts from a 2008 interview with Giorno, are publicly screened for the first time.

Then comes a live taping of a future Artifacts video—Steven interviews Ira Silverberg. Ira was a close friend of Burroughs’, was Giorno’s literary agent, and even spent several months living in the Bunker himself.

Due to the age and character of the building, the space is not optimized for ADA accessibility and is located up a single flight of 20 stairs with handrails. If you have questions about access, please contact us in advance of the event, and we will make every effort to accommodate you.