Recovering From Art Studio Bombing

Hi, my name is Laura Spector. This past Monday my art studio building, Winter Street Studios in Houston, TX, was bombed. The bombing caused a fire to break out and a great deal of the building has structural damage.

There was no studio left untouched by soot and smoke. My studio contained artwork created over a twenty-six-year span along with a new painting series that was supposed to be exhibited for a solo show in September 2023, and all of my materials for painting, sculpture, and photography.

When I checked in on my studio on Tuesday night to assess the damage the smell was horrific. Noxious fumes coated the air and I could taste the chemicals the next day. I only ran into my studio for about 10 minutes, but could easily see how smoke had come through the ventilation system and oily soot covered every single thing in my studio.

While I have liability insurance for my studio in case someone hurt themselves while visiting me, the insurance does not cover the materials or artwork in the studio. This all comes on the heels of dealing with identity theft after having my wallet stolen a few weeks ago.

I am not sure if any of my artwork can be saved. I have been in touch with many art conservators and have gotten a lot of helpful ideas for reducing odor, but there is a tremendous amount of work to do. It is likely not in my budget to hire a conservator to clean any of my artworks so I will be making plans to try and rescue as much of it as I can.

I need to start over. To do this I need help. I'll need to get cleaning supplies, rent a storage facility, eventually find a new studio, and repurchase most of the materials that were lost so I can get back to making my artwork. In 2023, I have an artist residency and a solo show. These are reasons to set up shop again and keep going. It's hard and I'm devastated. But, with some help, I know I can do this.

Thank you for considering a donation toward my new start.

Things I will be purchasing immediately with donations:

Cleaning supplies (ranging from chem sponges to ozone air purifier and HEPA vacuum)

Boxes

Tyvek wrap

Plastic

Van rental

Storage space rental

Deposit on studio space

New Art Materials (Sculpture, painting - acrylic and oil, painting supports, photography)

New Studio furniture/easel?

I may try to get a couple of my sculptures cleaned professionally if possible