The graffiti on the façade of 57 Great Jones Street in New York is not your standard wall tagging, but rather a tribute to perhaps the greatest street artists of the 20th century: Jean-Michel Basquiat. It’s also what attracted Angelina Jolie to the building when she was looking for real estate for her latest venture, Atelier Jolie, a workshop and creative studio for underserved tailors and artisans. The building’s deep connection to the art world began when Andy Wahol purchased it in 1970. Later, Basquiat rented an apartment and studio in the building from Warhol in 1983 until his death in 1988. “[Jolie] loved the façade of the building and it being tagged up with the street art as a memorial for Basquiat,” Garrett Kelly, a director at Meridian Capital Group, who held the listing, told ArtNews,
According to the report, the actor recently signed an eight-year lease on the building, which spans three floors and 60,000 square feet. Jolie plans to keep the exterior of the building as is to honor Basquiat, and transform the interiors into space for artisans to work and showcase their designs. “[Jolie] wanted to preserve the older art on [the building] and keep that Basquiat feel to the space,” John Roesch, another director at Meridian Capital Group, told ArtNews. According to the directors, she plans to get the new business set up as quickly as possible.
Even without a connection to the American painters, the property has a unique history. Before Warhol purchase the three-story structure, the gangster Paul Kelly—born Paolo Antonio Vaccarelli—owned the building and opened the Brighton Athletic Club in it in 1904. Later it was used as a metal works business and kitchen supply company before Warhol’s purchase. Most recently, the building housed Bohemian, an exclusive Japanese restaurant. Warhol also previously owned the building next door, 342 Bowery, which was connected to the building during the artist’s time in downtown Manhattan.