Soho just received a little gem in the form of a newsstand. Petrella's Imports is the pet project of artist friends Sophie Stone, Anne Libby, and Elise McMahon. The stand is a fresh take on the classic NYC street kiosk, filled one-off artist creations, independent publications, and imported goodies and gourmet snacks by the upstate NY restaurant Crimson Sparrow. Fun trinkets like hand-drawn matchbooks, tabloid-themed card decks, ceramic mugs by Cynthia Talmadge (hand-painted with the names of different rehab centers), deodorant candles by ECKHAUS LATTA, and Petrella's exclusive I <3 NY shopping bag-print umbrellas fill the stall's every nook and cranny.
Until now, the stand (which was under different ownership as Petrella's Point until it shuttered nine years ago) has been vacant. But one of its aims today is to challenge the seemingly antiquiated notion of the newsstand in the age of the Internet. Postcards made from Google Earth images, Art Blog (a free, printed version of Joshua Below's blog), and a zine of Twitter screen shots are just some of many items that explore the concept. Not looking for anything out of the ordinary? Just a bottle of water or the daily newspaper, don't worry they've got that too and with changes made daily to the inventory there is always a reason to stop by. You can read more about Petrella's Imports in my interview with Sophie below.
Shannan Smith: What inspired you guys to start this project?
Sophie Stone: When we thought about newsstands in an Internet era, they seemed ripe for reconsideration. They're not the primary sources for the kind of information they provide, and we were interested in how their utility could be re-imagined. The particular structures around the city are recent architectural solutions, more carriers for advertising than anything else, and that brought us back to a kinship with the Internet. We started considering how content online could be presented statically. Many of our contributors extend from that realm, although we've expanded to include zines, snacks, umbrellas, and other materials that are surrogates for normal newsstand offerings.
Can you tell me about each of your backgrounds?
All three of us are interested in a broad range of disciplines including painting, filmmaking, performance, and sculpture.
How did you hear about Petrella's Point newsstand?
Elise learned about its history from a friend, and then the three of us worked on the idea for it collectively before approaching the stand's lease holder. The stand itself was not in operation when we expressed interest.
What was the process of getting the newsstand running again like?
Sophie: The preparation of Petrella's Imports combined both the editing and printing of new content and sourcing existing content from a large number of collaborators. We wanted to be sure to accommodate people visiting the newsstand who didn't have pre-existing awareness of the project, so we sourced the more adventurous versions of the functional items normally available for purchase: snacks, water, basic toiletries, tobacco, umbrellas, etc.
What makes Petrella's different from other newsstands?
The history of the site, the inventory, and the fact that it's operated by women.
Why did you choose to carry the magazines and zines you have?
We spent a lot of time considering each piece and its author, and we have a great fondness for everything we included. Among them are: Philip Tomaru's Young Man wit
Until now, the stand (which was under different ownership as Petrella's Point until it shuttered nine years ago) has been vacant. But one of its aims today is to challenge the seemingly antiquiated notion of the newsstand in the age of the Internet. Postcards made from Google Earth images, Art Blog (a free, printed version of Joshua Below's blog), and a zine of Twitter screen shots are just some of many items that explore the concept. Not looking for anything out of the ordinary? Just a bottle of water or the daily newspaper, don't worry they've got that too and with changes made daily to the inventory there is always a reason to stop by. You can read more about Petrella's Imports in my interview with Sophie below.
Shannan Smith: What inspired you guys to start this project?
Sophie Stone: When we thought about newsstands in an Internet era, they seemed ripe for reconsideration. They're not the primary sources for the kind of information they provide, and we were interested in how their utility could be re-imagined. The particular structures around the city are recent architectural solutions, more carriers for advertising than anything else, and that brought us back to a kinship with the Internet. We started considering how content online could be presented statically. Many of our contributors extend from that realm, although we've expanded to include zines, snacks, umbrellas, and other materials that are surrogates for normal newsstand offerings.
Can you tell me about each of your backgrounds?
All three of us are interested in a broad range of disciplines including painting, filmmaking, performance, and sculpture.
How did you hear about Petrella's Point newsstand?
Elise learned about its history from a friend, and then the three of us worked on the idea for it collectively before approaching the stand's lease holder. The stand itself was not in operation when we expressed interest.
What was the process of getting the newsstand running again like?
Sophie: The preparation of Petrella's Imports combined both the editing and printing of new content and sourcing existing content from a large number of collaborators. We wanted to be sure to accommodate people visiting the newsstand who didn't have pre-existing awareness of the project, so we sourced the more adventurous versions of the functional items normally available for purchase: snacks, water, basic toiletries, tobacco, umbrellas, etc.
What makes Petrella's different from other newsstands?
The history of the site, the inventory, and the fact that it's operated by women.
Why did you choose to carry the magazines and zines you have?
We spent a lot of time considering each piece and its author, and we have a great fondness for everything we included. Among them are: Philip Tomaru's Young Man wit