Dan Bush has been “obsessed” with acting and the theater since childhood. He studied acting in college, either emoting on stage or building sets for productions. Immersing himself in the medium revealed a root truth about his potential future in the arts.

The exterior of 78th Street Studions—the former Baker Motor Vehicle Company.“I realized, as an actor, that I was a really good carpenter,” says Bush, owner and operator of 78th Street Studios, the Gordon Square arts enclave now celebrating its 25^th anniversary.

Although Bush never made it on stage, he is now running a complex that boasts 170,000 square feet of galleries, recording studios, and event spaces. Bush purchased the former American Greetings HQ in 2001—ironic, considering he worked there as a display designer in the 1990s.

Bingo bargain
The Lake County native inherited the real estate bug from his parents—serial browsers who would scope out small apartment complexes without buying anything. Bush owned a few multifamily homes on the near West Side and was negotiating a duplex the day he bought the former warehouse on West 78th Street.

At the time, the building hosted a countertop business and a bingo hall. A handful of arts-related entrepreneurs had spaces there as well, among them Keri-Lee Studios proprietor Keri Gortz and Martin Geramita, owner of the Derek Hess Gallery.

The 78th Street Studios management team: Top row, L-R, owner Dan Bush, Hilary Gent, Bill Baran, and Noelle Armitage; (bottom row), Terry Tekushan and Madeline Moriarty.“I had these anchor tenants, plus a handful of artists with a lot of space, and who were possibly living here, too,” recalls Bush. “They had free rein of the place and were relatively unsupervised. I still have three of those tenants.”

After Bush bought the building, he had the entire exterior scoured of ivy—a job that ended up filling 10 large dumpsters. He had no true roadmap for the studio’s operation, though early years saw the facility host its share of food festivals, parties, and art exhibits, he says.

In 2017, Bush and the late artist, author, and illustrator William Scheele—also a tenant at the studio—devised a grander get-together to draw the public to the site. From this concept came Third Fridays, a monthly event that attracts hundreds of guests eager to meet the 80 artists housed in the facility.

“We had a three-page piece [about Third Fridays] in the arts section of the ‘Plain Dealer,’” Bush says. “Then tenants here said, ‘this is too good, so let’s have a party every month.’”

‘An artist among other artists’
Bush hosts a diverse mix of artists and projects at 78^th Street Studios, including interactive installations like The Poetry Psychic Project, where guests divine their fortunes from poems randomly selected by Cleveland Public Theatre general manager Denis Griesmer.

Cleveland artist Brian Asquith's watercolor butterflies.“I like to keep things interesting,” says Bush of his studio lineup. “We’ve got a marketing team and a staffer who came to us as a college intern. He’s good with reels on social media, so we’re having a blast with that.”

Constructed in 1905, the historic facility that today houses 78^th Street Studios was initially home to the Baker Motor Vehicle Company, with American Greetings occupying the space until the 1980s.

Various artists and entrepreneurs have harnessed the building since. One tenant artist is Jason Toth, who creates hyper-color photographic art in a 1,800-square-foot gallery space and exhibition area.

Toth turned to art and photography upon a diagnosis of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS, a chronic condition that causes a rapid heartbeat and extreme fatigue, among other symptoms.

“I needed to find a fulfilling life,” says Toth, a Beachwood native whose photography can also be found in FreshWater Cleveland’s mastheads each week.

“I was just learning how fragile everything is—it was a confrontation with my mortality. How do I exist and not be miserable and depressed?”

Along with displaying his surreal color photography, Toth constructed a 12.5-foot-by-15.5-foot listening room featuring acoustic treatments from Cleveland-based company Audimute. 

Toth says Dan Bush is one of his heroes—not only for bringing him into 78^th Street Studios, but for building a sanctuary centered on camaraderie and free expression.

“I’ve been an artist my whole life, but what’s new to me is being an artist among other artists,” Toth says. “I’ve worked for companies and corporations that never felt like they were the right place for me. Then I started interacting with these folks, and I’m like, ‘Holy shit, I’m not alone.’”

Care until it hurts
While 78^th Street Studios veteran Geramita is not an artist, he is the long-time manager of Cleveland artist Derek Hess, who is an illustrator with works including album covers, apparel, and even tattoo designs.

Operating out of the building’s second floor, Geramita handles all book sales and signings while maintaining a second gallery space downstairs.

Lagoon and the Jewel (Cleveland Museum of Art)The work may have changed over the years, but the vibe at 78^th Street Studios remains electric, says Geramita.

“If you want to be creative, be around creatives,” Geramita says. “This place is perfect for anything you want to do, create, or make happen.

“R. Crumb was here [when he worked for American Greetings],” Geramita continues, “so there’s some insane history in this building. Maybe the ghost of that lives on.”

Additionally, Geramita lauds Bush for growing about 5,000 square feet of occupied space into a 170,000-square-foot beehive of activity.

“To be successful, you have to be what this building is,” Geramita says. “It has to be walkable, open on a certain night, and full of interesting artists and events. Dan is sensitive to all that. That’s what’s special about him guiding the ship.”

For his part, Bush feels lucky to have grown alongside a creative landscape that includes Cleveland Public Theatre and Near West Theatre.

78^th Street Studios marked its long-standing neighborhood presence earlier this month, on Saturday, July 11, with an outdoor celebration featuring live music, food, unique vendors, and large-scale art displays.

As Bush nears 65, that personal milestone takes a backseat to the enduring community he’s helped forge, he says.

“I care about this community until it hurts,” says Bush. “I want to work with people I believe in, and who believe in me.”