Rare bird: Artist leases entire Hell’s Kitchen building

Hunt Slonem taking 37,000 square feet at 595 11th Avenue

Artist Hunt Slonem in front of 595 11th Avenue (Getty Images, LoopNet, iStock/Photo Illustration by Steven Dilakian for The Real Deal)
Artist Hunt Slonem in front of 595 11th Avenue (Getty Images, LoopNet, iStock/Photo Illustration by Steven Dilakian for The Real Deal)

Renowned artist Hunt Slonem ended his hunt for space by taking all of a Hell’s Kitchen building.

The painter, sculptor and printmaker is leasing all 37,000 square feet of Marin Management’s 595 11th Avenue, the Commercial Observer reported. Slonem signed a five-year lease for the property, where the asking rent was between $52 and $55 per square foot.

The previous tenant at the building was creative marketing firm Mother New York, which left Manhattan for Gowanus in 2020. Slonem is making the opposite move, switching from Brooklyn’s Sunset Park.

Slonem was represented in the lease negotiations by Cushman & Wakefield’s Carri Lyon, according to the Observer. Nick Berger of Newmark represented Marin.

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The 70-year-old Slonem intends to take advantage of the creative perks of the building, including high ceilings, oversized windows, skylights and a central atrium. Slonem will be able to use all of the building to create his works, including the basement and the roof.

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The artist is best known for his neo-Expressionist paintings of butterflies, rabbits and tropical birds. Slonem has secured numerous accolades during his long career, including a National Endowment for the Arts Grant in 1991.

“The fact that he chose to relocate to this building from Brooklyn speaks to Manhattan’s continued ability to attract creative tenants,” Berger said in a statement.

His works have been featured in famous venues, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney.

Slonem has several shows coming up in the tri-state area, including the National Arts Club Solo Exhibition in the city and the Samuel Owen Gallery in Greenwich, Connecticut; the former begins April 12 with an opening reception on April 20.

One question about the artist’s new space is what its pet policy is: Slonem writes on his website that he has 60 birds.

[CO] — Holden Walter-Warner