Hurricane Sandy Devastates New York Art Community

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck the Atlantic coast from Florida to New England after ravaging the Caribbean, causing unprecedented flooding and damage across New York City. The storm, described as a 'terrible sublime' digital spectacle, hit just days before the presidential election. Unlike the government's mishandling of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, the response under President Barack Obama was swift and effective, exemplified by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's bipartisan praise of Obama despite earlier criticism. The art world suffered severe losses: galleries and studios in low-lying areas of Chelsea, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island were inundated with up to 1.5 meters of water. Artist Will Villalongo lost all works stored in his gallery's basement; Chuck Close lost three years of work; Phong Bui, editor of The Brooklyn Rail, lost 25 years of art stored in his Williamsburg basement. The MoMA conservation department advised artists on salvaging water-damaged works, and art logistics companies offered free transfers. Printed Matter, the artist bookshop founded by Sol LeWitt, Lucy Lippard, Pat Steir, and others in 1976, lost over 9,000 books—more than a third of its stock. Many exhibitions were postponed or canceled indefinitely. The full extent of the damage was still being assessed weeks later, with parts of the city remaining dark for over 72 hours and some areas for ten days.