Thomas Dodd

Thomas was born in Connecticut and raised both there and in Colorado. He graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in photography, a minor in Art History and a deep love of abstract art and old buildings. When he moved to New York City in the early 90s, Thomas was confronted with an exclusive art world which was migrating from Soho to Chelsea. Longing for a more open, accepting and experimental environment, Thomas started his gallery Brooklyn Fire Proof Inc. in Williamsburg in 1999 as a place to showcase artwork he loved, much of which was outside of what established galleries deemed salable. When he moved the business to Bushwick, it was with the intention of creating jobs and building a community so that makers of all kinds and persuasions could survive and thrive. Eventually, Brooklyn Fire Proof added music studios, 100+ artists’ studios, two galleries, a cafe/bar and film sound stages to its  sprawling complex in Bushwick.

As both a beneficiary and then victim of gentrification, the businesses in Brooklyn contracted. Partnered with his wife, Pearl, Thomas began to look to places for creative incubators outside New York City. Eventually, the couple began to invest in property in Newburgh, NY, where they recognized a significant arts community growing. Drawn also to rich history of the area, Thomas rehabilitated Wiegand’s Tavern, a famed haunt of George Washington’s, before moving headlong into developing the P.S. 6 Center for Film and Television in a 19th century schoolhouse that had been abandoned for 40 years. In addition to returning to his own art-making practice, Thomas became involved in the local community and served as President of the Newburgh Preservation Society, as well as being a Board Member of BOCES, the Canterbury Brook Academy and an Executive Committee Member at the NAACP.