The Space Upstairs is the creation of Jaka Porter (formerly Pearlann Porter) from an otherwise unfurnished room. In search of an uncommon venue for a performance in 2006, she discovered a place to build a lasting home, for herself, and for others.
As a warehouse loft, The Space Upstairs brings professional art to couch comfortable level. Artists connect here, and audiences make meaningful connections with the art, which is up-close and sincere. Music, dance, and poetry are all equally jazzed. We engage in mindful experiment, we improvise, we play the moment. Our events encapsulate our philosophy of quality, confident play.
Outfitted as an art-lounge of the 60’s Brooklyn loft, The Space serves as our private studio for gatherings, live music and dance. We arrange new configurations of the room for each public event; the room changes dramatically, in accordance with our needs. And the environments we curate serve the needs of those who come--to hopefully find inspiration in seeing unself-conscious, individual creation.
We offer a sober, supportive environment that welcomes others’ self-expressions. We each get to experience being artists while we’re here, and no less as witnesses. The presence of persons feeling a moment with us profoundly affects and shapes the performance. We relate to art as a shared experience, a shared creation. We’ve shared the action verb of ‘poetry’ for twenty years here.
And we trust that some part of us will always be here, as we’ve felt so much for so long in this space. It’s this feeling we share, welcoming an audience. It’s just as unlikely an accident you’re here.
