The National Sawdust Company was a sawdust factory in operation in industrial Williamsburg, Brooklyn during the 1930s. It closed in the late 20th century, leaving the space empty. After a zoning change in Williamsburg in the early 2000s, many historic industrial buildings in the area were demolished to make room for residential construction. By 2015, the National Sawdust Company building was one of few original structures remaining in Williamsburg, and it was surrounded by new developments. Kevin Dolan, an attorney, organist, and philanthropist based in New York City with a passion for contemporary music, began planning to create a new concert hall in 2008. He asked composer Paola Prestini to join him as the Co-founder and Artistic Director of the organization.. Beginning in 2011, Bureau V Architecture worked alongside SLAB Architecture and acoustic design consultant Arup New York to remodel the interior of the space. The concert hall was designed based on computer modeling and acoustic tests. For example, to protect the space from outside noise and vibration, it was constructed as a concrete room suspended by a chassis of springs within the original building. Other than the addition of a mural by artist Eli Sudbrack, the exterior of the building was left unchanged; the words "National Sawdust Co.," dating back to the building's original tenant, are still visible from the outside. In its inaugural performance on October 1, 2015, National Sawdust featured Philip Glass, Nico Muhly, Chris Thile, Glenn Kotche, and Eve Gigliotti. In 2016 alone, the organization hosted over 500 performances.
Strategy
National Sawdust has the goal of providing "composers and musicians across genres... a setting where they are given unprecedented support and critical resources essential to create and share their work." Every season, National Sawdust selects several curators to fill its calendar with a wide array of musical performances. These performances feature both up-and-coming and established artists from around the world, performing classical, experimental, electronic, rock and roll, folk, and other genres of music. In addition to providing a performance space for these musicians, the organization gives young artists the professional assistance necessary to grow their careers, including workshops, marketing assistance, and an artist in residency program. Artists in residency at National Sawdust receive commissions up to $15,000 and have access to the organization's performance space, the ability to curate concerts, and the opportunity to record their music.
