What is the Shirt Factory Today?
The Shirt Factory is an ongoing evolution. The building as you see it today is not the result of a magical, overnight transformation, it has been a slow, gradual process. Rehabilitating and preserving the space wasn’t done with government finding or tax breaks, it’s taken a lot of time to get to this point. The path to where we are now was not mapped out ahead, not entirely. There was an idea, but it was a loose idea, allowing for flexibility as things change. The same is true of our future. We have some ideas, as we continue adapting to the world, while being directed by passion and following dreams.
It all began in 1996 when the current owner, Eric Unkauf, visited the property for an auction and fell in love with the building and its history. He began work to preserve the building, which had begun to show signs of neglect and abandonment.
It would be three years before his purchase of the property was finalized. His intention at that time was to move his machine shop here and bring in a few other industrial tenants to share the space. To his surprise, once he began advertising space for rent, the responses were not primarily industrial, as he had imagined, but local artists.
Attracted by the natural light and inexpensive rent, artists of all kinds began began pouring in, bringing with them ideas, passion, and energy. At that time, the building still needed a lot of polishing, and the rents was a bargain basement rate.
When Eric first acquired the building, each floor was wide open, with few, if any walls diving it up. Slowly, each floor was divided up piecemeal, according the needs of those early tenants. Even today, the space continues to change as needs change. This piecemeal approach has created a maze here that can be equally frustrating and exciting!
Early tenants requested large open spaces. A few of these studios remain today, but the recent demand has been for smaller spaces, with a few folk beginning small and slowly taking down walls as they expand into larger spaces. For the most part though, many of those large spaces have been broken into smaller studios.
Today the building features 77 unique studios, home to more than 100 different individuals. With so many people in one location, the building offers a wide range of opportunities for visitors! Don’t take out word for it, though, check out our full directory to see who is here! If a listing is missing information, let the individual know when you touch base when them.
Next door in The Shirt Factory Annex (on Curran Lane), you will also find a Glens Falls Distilling, K Fanciullo Photography, Sweet Side Records, Rockhill Bake House, Freedom Machines and Dakine Cuisine.
Events at The Shirt Factory
Holiday Open House
In 2001, a group of tenants asked Eric if they could hold a holiday event and invite guest vendors in to set up in the halls. Initially the intent was to raise money for a cooperative gallery that would showcase the work of artists at the building. Ultimately, tenants were not able to save enough money for this, but Eric created the Shirt Factory Gallery space in 2012 for this purpose. While we no longer run this as a cooperative gallery space, it is home to North Country Arts and used for events.
Since 2001, the Holiday Open House’s have remained a favorite event! Every year these are held on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving, and again two weeks later on Saturday and Sunday. Visitors find open studios on all four floors, as well as guest vendors throughout the building. With so many folks here, it’s easy to fill your Christmas list with unique, handmade gifts. If that’s not reason enough for you, there’s one more highlight of these events. Each day of Open House, we hold an raffle. When you’re done shopping for the day, bring all of your receipts from the building to the volunteers who will total them. For every $25 spent at the building, you will receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win that day’s basket. Each basket is valued at about $300 and is filled with items from the studios at the building and vendors participating in the event. We have been celebrating the joys of supporting local makers long before it was cool!
Other Events
The holiday open house was just the beginning, since then we have tried a variety of events here, some of which have been more successful than others.
Currently our on-going annual events are:
Valentine’s Day One Stop Shop
Winter Meltdown Spicy Food Festival
Spring is Sweet, Maple in April
Thursday Market and Food Truck Corral
Apple vs Pumpkin Fall Throwdown
Holiday Open House
To read more about these events and find the links to the current vendor applications, please visit our annual event page. To read more about the current event features and vendors, please check out our event listing.
As we have had repeated success with certain events, others have reached out, asking to hold their events here too. For events not listed on our event page, we are not organizing the event. Please contact the event coordinator with all questions on those events.
In the News
We haven’t kept up with adding articles to this list, but here’s a list of several pieces written about the building and it’s tenants over the years.
Read what others are saying
One woman’s recollections of working at The McMullen-Leaven’s Factory:
Seamstress reflects on 80-year career, where she rubbed elbows with stars, The Post-Star, December 2014
About this old factory’s transformation and it’s role in the community:
- Another rodeo for food truck corral, The Post-Star, August 2017
- BLOG: Food truck ‘corral’ was a fun night, The Post-Star, August 2017
- Shirt Factory to hold musical carnival and sideshow Saturday, The Post-Star, July 2017
- With focus on food, corral is a hit, The Post-Star, July 2017
- Food Truck Corral expanding, The Post-Star, July 2017
- Shirt Factory to hold second ‘Food Truck Corral’, The Post-Star, July 2017
- Arts Trail plan moves forward, The Post-Star, February 2017
- Unkauf reflects on entrepreneurial spirit, The Post-Star, February 2017
- Glens Falls artisan saves church windows, The Post-Star, December 2016
- Building a Wee Lassie canoe with the Adirondack Folk School, The Post-Star, December 2016
- Huskie wins People’s Choice award, The Post-Star, November 2016
- As holidays approach, Shirt Factory comes alive, The Post-Star, November 2016
- Boosting tourism is a goal of Arts Trail, The Post-Star, August 2016
- Police dogs will visit Shirt Factory, The Post-Star, June 2016
- Shirt Factory holding open house, The Post-Star, April 2016
- Small business is big business, The Post-Star, November 2015
- EDITORIAL: Arts are a great avenue for local economic development, The Post-Star, August 2015
- Building owner brings history back to Shirt Factory, The Post-Star, March 2015
- Art Group seeks grant for arts district, The Post-Star, January 2015
- Small Business Saturday means big bucks for some, The Post-Star, November 2014
- Life inside The Shirt Factory, The Post-Star, September 2014
- Artist step into the sunlight to help homeless shelter, The Post-Star, August 2014
- A Visit to The Shirt Factory, The Post-Star, January 2014
- Keeping it Local, The Post-Star, November 2013
- Shoppers flock to support local businesses in the region for Small Business Saturday, The Post-Star, November 2013
- Hyde Collection generated $2.3 million for Warren County economy in one year, The Post-Star, November 2013
- Glens Falls Journal: Historic Adirondack Mill Town Brings New Life to Downtown, Travel Writers Magazine, April 2013
- Explore the Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY, Albany Kid, December 2013
- Growing creativity: Shirt Factory adds new businesses, The Post-Star, November 2012
- 16 artists awarded at annual Mohawk-Hudson Regional, The Times Union, October 2012
- Glens Falls, N.Y.: ‘Small-Town Feel, Big-Town Style’, NPR: Destination Art, August 2012
- Get Local: LocalFest comes to The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, The Free George, August 2012
- Shirt Factory adds new welcome area, The Post-Star, January 2013
- The Shirt Factory, Your News Now, March 2011
- Open House showcases Shirt Factory’s growth, The Post-Star, November 2010
- Former factory, arts hotbed, The Chronicle’s Glens Falls Visitors Guide, 2010
- Glens Falls factory finds new life as artisan haven, The Post-Star, July 2010
- A lot happening at Troy Shirt Factory, The Post-Star, July 2010
- Making the engines go, The Post-Star, January 2006
- From Lo Mein to High Octane, The Post Star, April 2005
- A Year of Growth, The Post-Star, December 2002
- Fall Show Draws Attractive Mix of Artisans, The Post Star, November 2002
- A Stitch in Time, The Post-Star, October 2002
- Art as a business, The Post-Star, June 2002
- Crew of artists draws hundreds to old factory, The Post-Star, February 2002
- Artists show off factory’s metamorphosis into studios, The Post-Star, December 2001
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