WEST VILLAGE — The artists at Westbeth are holding their annual flea market this weekend, stocked with their own clothing, art, jewelry, home goods and other objects.
"That's why we say 'collect like an artist,'" explained Christina Maile, 70, who's one of the organizers. "These are things collected by the people who live here."
The block-long former Bell Telephone office building on Washington Street between Bethune and Bank streets was dedicated as affordable housing for artists in the 1970s, and several of the original residents, including Maile, still live there.
Maile, a printmaker, said the flea market started when Westbeth residents noticed a little over three decades ago that the trees planted along Bethune Street were being damaged by people repeatedly chaining their bikes to the tree trunks.
The residents decided to raise money for tree bed protectors and organized a flea market. They held it on Election Day, and have done so every year since. After a Wednesday and Thursday hiatus, the sale resumes for the weekend, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Now in its 31st year, the flea market has become a tradition. The proceeds from the sales go to Westbeth's "beautification committee," which takes care of the trees lining the street, flowers for the gallery and the public space in the middle of the building, among other things, most of which developed after the flea market.
They also use some of the money to sponsor classes for locals interested in learning a particular form of movement helpful for actors and seniors, Maile said.
And once a year they donate to a disaster relief fund — one year they picked charities that worked with animals, another year Hurricane Katrina victims, and so on.
"There's always a disaster," Maile said.
The flea market's existence was threatened when Hurricane Sandy hit, flooding the basement-level artists' studios used for the market.
The artists are still grappling with building management over their studios, but in the meantime, Maile said, they're able to use a space down a narrow flight of stairs at the corner of Bank and Washington.
"This space is temporary and the building will not commit to giving us a permanent space," Maile explained "We're hoping to get a permanent space because we fulfill a lot of really deep community needs."
Maile said they have regulars who flock to the sale each year from other boroughs.
"Every year they find something amazing," Maile said.
And it's an important event for people in the building, she said, particularly for seniors.
"A lot of people, as they get older, don't have a lot of contact," she explained. "They come down and help fold, spend time."
Maile hopes if they can keep the space they're in, they can use it for book signings and poetry readings during the rest of the year.
The flea market will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, Nov. 8, and again next weekend on Saturday, Nov. 14.
Sunday, Nov. 15 is a special "bag 'n' box sale" from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., where customers can grab a bag or a box and fill it up for just $5.
Westbeth Flea Market, enter through the stairs at 137 Bank St. at the corner of Washington Street, or gain elevator access at 55 Bethune St. at the corner of Washington. Friday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Email westbethfleamarket@gmail.com for more information.
