Siren : a mythic presence said to call to those who are meant to find it.
Not a creature of danger, but a guide of wonder; its voice rising from water, time, and imagination.
At the edge of Brooklyn, that presence lives again. In this mid-19th century building, weathered by tides and history, the siren’s call is carried through beams, stone, and ocean wind. A call that guides the curious towards safe harbor, creativity, and discovery.
Siren Studios at 499 Van Brunt street will be an enigmatic arts and performance space that embodies that call; a sanctuary for creators, visionaries, and wanderers who sense that something extraordinary waits within.
Where the world meets the waters edge.
What is Siren Studios?
Siren Studios will become a cultural lantern for Red Hook, a place where creativity and the arts are shared not only with our immediate community, but with the world.
For centuries, Brooklyn has been the threshold through which countless stories, cultures, and dreams first entered America. Standing at the edge of this historic gateway, Siren Studios continues this tradition, bringing in new voices, new visions, and new artistic lineages from across the globe.
Our Mission
To honor the historic gateway of Red Hook while igniting its next chapter as a site where global artistry and craft meet on the edge of the water.
Siren Studios exists to:
Bring world-class cultural programming to Red Hook, increasing visibility and economic growth
Protect and celebrate the historic identity of 499 Van Brunt
Foster meaningful artistic creation rooted in mastery, integrity, and tradition
Preserve the quiet majesty of the pier through thoughtful, controlled, and elegant events (noise control, tenant respect, non-disruptive scheduling)
Build community partnerships that benefit Red Hook’s local businesses and residents.
Offer the highest-caliber performance and recording capabilities in a space unlike any other in New York
Commitment to long-term tenancy, building maintenance, and respectful use of the historic structures
This is a place where craft is taken seriously, audiences feel cared for, and the building itself becomes part of the artwork.
Meet the Directors
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Eric Casey Baugh
DIRECTOR OF PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS
E. C. Baugh is a multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker whose three-decade career has produced internationally collected paintings, sculptures, and performance works exhibited in museums and cultural institutions around the world. His current project, As Within, So Without, expands his practice into theatrical and cinematic realms, affirming his role as a visionary voice shaping the future of immersive, multidisciplinary art.
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Genevieve May
DIRECTOR OF ARTS, DESIGN AND FASHION
Genevieve May is a New York-based artist and designer whose work bridges fine art, fashion, and movement. Her paintings and installations have been exhibited internationally and draw from her classical training, global residencies, and a heritage of creative lineage. With a unique fusion of allegory, portraiture and immersive design, she brings to Siren Studios a visionary capacity for storytelling through sound, fabric, space and performance.
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Christos Vayenas
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC AND CURATION
Christos Vayenas is a cultural curator, impresario and pianist who has organized and presented over 500 events, building an international network of artists in the fields of music, fine art, dance, gastronomy, design, and more. He is the creator of the Autumn Salon, an underground arts organization that presents the world’s emerging and established artists across a wide range of cultures and traditions.
Siren Studios activities will be three fold:
1. Performances
Intimately Curated Concerts - featuring top classical, jazz, modern and other musical traditions of the world
Theatrical Productions - intimate, atmospheric works that blur the line between performance, installation, ritual and cinema (physical theater, contemporary dance, visual installations, experimental sound, immersive storytelling)
2. The Siren Sessions
Seasonal residencies that invite and empower a select group of artists from around the world to come together to create new, synergistic productions to be presented in a series of special events
3. Multipurpose Events Space
Cultural Events (antique exhibitions, fashion shows, book fairs)
Community and Cause-Driven Fundraisers
Development
Partnerships:
Serving as a dynamic cultural hub that collaborates with other Red Hook businesses (cideries/wineries/breweries/distilleries, caterers, storefronts) to cross-pollinate and cultivate a strong and dedicated audience, creating ‘destination events’ that draw in traffic and business.
Recording: film and audio recording capabilities, using a blend of the finest analog and digital resources to craft beautiful, thoughtful productions for both film and musical mediums
Advisory Board:
To guide Siren Studios into its fullest potential, we will be forming a small, dedicated Advisory Board composed of leaders from the worlds of art, film, architecture, performance, cultural programming, and community development.
This board will serve as a constellation of trusted voices, offering perspective, expertise, and support as we shape the identity, programming, and long-term vision of the space. Their role is not managerial, but guiding: providing insight, fostering meaningful connections, and helping Siren Studios evolve as a world-facing cultural landmark rooted in the history of Brooklyn’s waterfront.
We intend to lease 1A and/or 2A on the ground floor.
We propose a 10-15 year lease with annual review, committed to high-quality tenant operations, and a dedicated fund for the building upkeep.
Our lease will be supported through a combination of private investors, long-standing art patrons, philanthropic donors, and consistent revenue from performances and programming.
We invite you to meet with us to explore terms, tour the space, and envision how Siren Studios can become your building’s next chapter.
Programming Examples
Past events curated by Siren Studios’ co-director Christos Vayenas
Speak Low
A prohibition-era themed speakeasy in Red Hook at the evocative studio of Eric Casey Baugh—featuring bathtub spirit cocktails, banned jazz tunes and delectable delights.
Salon Vénitien
A magical evening in Venice featuring four-hand piano music in the historic Palazzo Contarini Polignac
Black Sea Hotel
The Enchanting Balkan a cappella group Black Sea Hotel perform in an historic 18th century barn in Portsmouth, NH, accompanied by the artwork of Katie Swatland.
Fashion & Performance
A beautiful evening of fashion and performance at Boston’s French Cultural Center, including a runway show, craft cocktails accompanied by Gypsy Jazz, and intimate performances of classical piano music, French art songs and ballet.
Owczarek
South Indian dancer Yamini Kalluri performs her own choreography set to the Medusa Quartet’s ‘Owczarek’ - recorded in an abandoned gothic church in front of a live audience.
Sacred Voices
Renowned Persian vocalist Mahsa Vahdat presents a concert with Palestinian cellist Naseem Alatrash and kamanchech virtuoso Farzin Dehghan in Boston’s historic Gordon Chapel.