Entrepreneur Extends Artistic Realm Beyond Red Bank To Fort Monmouth

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By Laura D. Kolnoski
With his Detour Gallery is nearing its highly anticipated completion just off Red Bank’s Broad Street, now, businessman Kenneth Schwartz has turned toward Fort Monmouth, where he plans to continue promoting arts, culture, and emerging artists.
The Red Bank resident has proposed a cultural hub in Eatontown that’s been favorably received by members of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA). After hearing Schwartz’ plans, FMERA has made a suitable 2.7-acre parcel available for purchase. Better known as owner of the area’s World Auto dealerships, Schwartz, a collector of art and antiques for more than 40 years, envisions a thriving, diverse artists’ community. A trip to Miami’s lively Wynwood Arts District of galleries and museums inspired him to create something similar in Monmouth County.
“I want to have an integrated arts and cultural center with music, artists’ residences, mini-concerts, performing arts, sculpture, and free art classes for children and seniors,” Schwartz said. “Eatontown is a great town, but it’s basically a bedroom community that people drive straight through on their way somewhere else. Many artists are poor and need a place to paint. I will subsidize that. It will be good Karma for Eatontown and the entire county.” To honor the fort’s military heritage, Schwartz plans therapeutic art classes for veterans.
Calling it “outside the box thinking” FMERA members praised and expressed support for the plan, voting unanimously on a resolution offering the property through the Request for Offers to Purchase (RFOTP) process. The site is a former 24,780-square foot fort barracks, consisting of six two-story wood frame buildings on the main post constructed in 1942.
A memorandum accompanying the resolution stated, “Staff believes the barracks are a worthy candidate for preservation and reuse for several reasons.” All other fort barracks are currently slated for demolition. Schwartz’s plan would help preserve “a unique and irreplaceable component of the fort’s history,” the memorandum noted. The ability to use the adjacent Soldier’s Park for outdoor exhibition and performance space was a further enticement. The fort’s Reuse Plan called for the site to be added to Soldiers Park as open space. Bruce Steadman, the authority’s executive director, said open space elsewhere in Eatontown would be substituted.
Schwartz is planning an “extremely substantial” renovation, saying, “I’m used to redoing places and will make the barracks a piece of tasteful artwork while keeping the historic nature.”
After lengthy reconstruction, a former warehouse on Clay Street in the borough’s business district is expected to re-open as Schwartz’ Detour Gallery before the end of the year. The 9,000 square foot structure will be easily recognizable for its 40-foot Sergio Furnari sculpture, “Lunchtime on a Skyscraper – A Tribute to America’s Heroes,” outside. Schwartz said the building would be “a piece of art” with moveable walls that can exhibit interchangeable murals. Art will include folk, urban, avant-garde, and more. Like at his proposed Fort Monmouth arts community, Schwartz’ goal is to help the artists while bringing life-enhancing exhibits and instruction to the public. Classes will be held and collaborations with local cultural groups are planned.
“It will be such an eclectic group of emerging and established artists in one place,” Schwartz said. “It will be 90 percent state-of-the-art gallery and ten percent museum.” Items from Schwartz’ extensive personal collections will be on display, including folk pieces by renowned artists, 1800s cigar store Indians, paintings, and more.
The long road to completing Detour Gallery included repairing extensive Superstorm Sandy damage to the old warehouse shortly after he purchased it. Schwartz donated its use to the Red Cross for supply storage after the storm. The 75year-old building had no plumbing or working bathrooms and needed a new roof. Schwartz said he would be able to offer artworks at a fraction of New York City prices.
“I live here and want to do something for Monmouth County, that’s why I did it,” he said, adding he bought the building to avoid paying high Manhattan rents and will therefore be able to offer the same quality art at 50 to 70 percent less than Big Apple galleries. Tara Amelchenko, an artist with experience in business of art, is gallery director.