Long Island City's Oracle Club nurtures the creative community

Artists have always sought to find ways to come together in community. It’s an important part of the process of making work, sustaining careers, staying inspired and feeling a healthy dose of motivating competition. Queens has a long history with the creative classes, so it’s no surprise that a new space, The Oracle Club, has emerged in Long Island City in support of creative work. It just took the effort of the right people, who happened to be Jenna Gribbon and Julian Tepper.

Gribbon, a native of Knoxville, TN, is a painter with an impressive CV and a credit making work for Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film, Marie Antionette. Tepper, who grew up on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is a musician and writer with a recently released novel, Balls. Together they appeared, as pretty much themselves, in an episode of “Gossip Girl.” Together they have a son, Silas. And together they dreamed of a place where like-minded creative people could interact, commune, and be mutually stimulated and encouraged. So, they transformed the ground and basement floors of their apartment building into a club with a social salon, extensive library, and studio and work spaces for visual artists and writers.

Artists join The Oracle Club for $175/month, which grants them access to a light-flooded shared studio space and a private locker – not a bad deal for a newly graduated MFA who can’t yet afford a full studio.  For $125/month writers can spend hours working in the medieval yet modern library. It’s a perfect setting for hosting studio visits, group critiques, writing workshops and other work-related gatherings. Gribbon and Tepper hope someday to be able to offer free memberships to artists – sponsored residencies – through fundraising and earned revenue endeavors (the space is available for private events).

The social packages are $50/month, providing access to the salon and library, a place to check in with friends and colleagues, have coffee and read the latest copy of Art in America. Members are chosen through a simple application process, upon acceptance they receive keys and can visit the Club from 8 am to 11 pm.

All members also receive special access to a popular schedule of events – open to but ticketed for the general public – especially beloved are the collage classes, free-form and appropriate for all levels of talent and skill. This Wednesday night, September 12, pianist Harriet Stubbs and cellist Tim Cho are performing selections from Brahms.

As you’d expect from two creative people, there is love in every detail of The Oracle Club, from the lp selection to the eclectic furniture and fixtures, from the surrealist adorned walls to the presence of softly chirping birds – all designed to inspire conversation and creativity in classic aesthetic surroundings. Is it working? For Gribbon it is. Her most recent body of work, painterly and representational, has been highly influenced by the social interaction that takes place at the Club. It could be an inspiring setting for you, too.

The Oracle Club, 10-41 47th Ave., Long Island City, NY 11101; (917) 519-2594; theoracleclub.com (GMAP)