The Bushwick Community Darkroom, a Brooklyn-based film lab, has allegedly thrown out members' artwork and personal belongings onto the street after its sudden closure this week. The facility, which opened in 2011, reportedly ceased operations because it could no longer afford rent, leaving former members distraught and claiming significant losses.
Members reported finding lockers filled with their photography paper, negatives, and other stored items dumped on Himrod Street. Some individuals who paid up to $300 per month for storage claimed that locks on their lockers were cut, and their belongings were either stolen from the street or from within the darkroom itself. One anonymous member described the situation as "profoundly distraught and confused, and it made me feel betrayed."
The closure was announced without warning, and members stated they were not given sufficient time to retrieve their possessions. The darkroom's administration posted an image on Instagram showing lock-less lockers on the curb with a message inviting the public to take items, stating, "Come & get em. If you wanna throw us a few bucks cool if not just take em."
Accounts on social media echoed similar losses, though the Bushwick Community Darkroom reportedly denied some accusations, with one instance involving an administrator allegedly using offensive language towards a member seeking clarification. In a now-deleted post, the darkroom accused "vultures" of descending on the lockers, later reversing its statement to claim the lockers had been cleared before being placed on the street.
Earlier this month, the Bushwick Community Darkroom launched an online fundraiser to gather $39,000 to reinstate its lease, but the effort reportedly raised over $9,000, which organizers deemed insufficient to save the facility. The owner, Lucia Rollow, could not be immediately reached for comment.
This is not the first controversy involving the darkroom. In 2022, Rollow was ordered to pay $50,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a former volunteer who accused her of operating a for-profit center that failed to compensate him for his work. The former volunteer has since opened his own darkroom in Bed-Stuy.