SPECIAL REPORT: Surviving the First Year — Art Haus SYR, Syracuse

By Mary Beth Roach

Entrepreneurship is booming, according to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce report issued in February.

This trend includes several new entrepreneurs profiled here who have opened their businesses within the last year in Onondaga and Oswego counties.

They have traveled very different paths to start their respective businesses and while they may have experienced some trepidation doing their journeys, their passion overrode any nervousness.

They share their stories with us — some of the surprises, good and bad — that came up, some of their marketing strategies for their start-ups; and resources they have found helpful.

Art Haus SYR, Syracuse

Michael Schwarzer, Marianna Ranieri-Schwarzer: People ‘Should Be Surrounded by Art’

What began as a move from New York City to Syracuse during COVID-19 turned into a new concept gallery space called Art Haus SYR, that opened in May in downtown Syracuse’s Armory Square.

Michael Schwarzer and Marianna Ranieri-Schwarzer were living and working in New York, overseeing two galleries, when the pandemic hit and everything came to a standstill. The couple opted out of the crowded city and moved to Syracuse, where Ranieri-Schwarzer is from and where they have family.

Once they settled here, the two began their creative pursuits again and began taking walks through downtown.

“One of the things that we noticed when we walked through the streets of downtown, there was no visible art, and we needed to change that,” Schwarzer said.

Inspired by the Art on the Avenues program in New York City, in which temporary walls of art are displayed in empty storefronts, the couple worked on bringing that idea to Syracuse. They also did pop-up galleries in spaces throughout the downtown area.

Eventually the couple was ready to establish a more permanent space and found a kindred spirit in Jeffrey Appel, who with Spiro Spiliotis, owns the Bentley-Settle Building in Armory Square, a mixed-use edifice with commercial space on the lower levels and apartments on the upper five floors.

Appel, an artist and art collector, was invested in the idea of bringing a commercial gallery to downtown Syracuse. The first-floor corridor is an extension of the gallery, with art pieces, available for sale, lining the walls. The building owners are partners in Art Haus SYR.

The 1,500-square-foot Art Haus SYR space sits on the first floor, slightly above street level, with floor-to-ceiling windows that open — perfect for displaying art and capturing attention. The studio has high ceilings and a lot of natural light, allowing ample room for displays. Schwarzer said they plan on doing new exhibits every six to eight weeks, with many group showings that would feature several artists’ works at one time.

Each piece has a QR code that patrons can scan to learn more about the artist, the details of the work and its price.

Schwarzer refers to the location as a concept space. Realizing they cannot solely rely on artwork sales, he envisions it as a retail space for the artwork; workspace and event space. Art Haus SYR is available for rent for creative events, such as book signings and wine tastings.

Schwarzer admitted there were some who discouraged them from taking on such an endeavor as this, telling them there was no market in this area.

“But we can’t help ourselves. This is what we do,” he said. “Obviously, we have proven them wrong many times already.”

They are hoping to begin an art rent-to-purchase program soon, as well.

“That’s what this is all about,” Schwarzer said. “Wherever somebody lives, works, spends time, they should be surrounded by art.”