STEVEN WATSON
INTERVIEWS
IRA SILVERBERG
ABOUT BURROUGHS, GIORNO, AND THE PEOPLE OF 222 BOWERY
Free, RSVP required
INTERVIEWS
IRA SILVERBERG
ABOUT BURROUGHS, GIORNO, AND THE PEOPLE OF 222 BOWERY
Free, RSVP required
Thursday,
September 25, 2025
6:30
Doors
7pm
Event begins
Limited capacity
September 25, 2025
6:30
Doors
7pm
Event begins
Limited capacity
This fall, 222 Bowery turns 140 years old.
In June 1882, the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) bought the lots at 222 and 224 Bowery, in downtown Manhattan. 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 provided 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, Jackson Pollock’s brother Charles Pollock, Warren Brandt, William Walton, and others. Lynda Benglis arrived in 1977 and still maintains her loft on the 2nd floor.
In June 1882, the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) bought the lots at 222 and 224 Bowery, in downtown Manhattan. 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 provided 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, Jackson Pollock’s brother Charles Pollock, Warren Brandt, William Walton, and others. Lynda Benglis arrived in 1977 and still maintains her loft on the 2nd floor.
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, became his 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 brings back the voices of people who once lived in this building. It also marks the launch of a newly-released video interview with John Giorno, conducted by Steven Watson in 2001 for his interview series Artifacts. Excerpts from this interview, a second interview with John from 2008, and Artifacts' interview with the artist-filmmaker Wynn Chamberlain 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.
This event brings back the voices of people who once lived in this building. It also marks the launch of a newly-released video interview with John Giorno, conducted by Steven Watson in 2001 for his interview series Artifacts. Excerpts from this interview, a second interview with John from 2008, and Artifacts' interview with the artist-filmmaker Wynn Chamberlain 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.
Left to right: Stuart Meyer, Ira Silverberg, John Giorno, Andrew Wylie, James Grauerholz, and William S. Burroughs at 222 Bowery, New York, 1985.
Photo: Allen Ginsberg, courtesy Allen Ginsberg Estate.
Artifacts is a new online video platform exploring the avant-garde, the arts, and queer culture. It houses over 40 years of archival footage, featuring rare, firsthand accounts from pioneers such as Marsha P. Johnson, John Cale, Quentin Crisp, Betsey Johnson, and many others. The online platform, artifacts.movie, offers free, unlimited access to its extensive collection of video interviews and multimedia content. Artifacts was founded by cultural historian Steven Watson and artifacts.movie was developed in conjunction with filmmaker and creative director William Markarian-Martin.
Ira Silverberg is a literary agent and editor. He was a literary agent at Donadio & Ashworth, Editor-in-Chief at Grove/Atlantic Press, and editorial and publishing director at Serpent's Tail's U.S. projects, High Risk Books and Midnight Classics. He also developed the marketing and public relations firm, Ira Silverberg Communications, which as attracted clients like The Academy of American Poets, William S. Burroughs, Dennis Cooper, City Lights Publications, Re/Search Publications, and the estate of David Wojnarowicz.
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.
