Photo by Elizabeth Dranitzke of John Harrod founder Market 5 Gallery
The painting above his head is by Alex Maddson.
(Painting by Stevens Jay Carter of John Harrod and entrance to Market 5 Gallery at Eastern Market)
What is a hero? What makes an iconoclast? What is a visionary? What does courage look like?
Answer: John Harrod.
On Monday, August 23, 2010, John Harrod, Founder of Market 5 Gallery, The Arts and Crafts Festival and The Flea Market at Eastern Market passed. He was...
He was a gruff, loud, bossy, harsh, big hearted, sometimes vulgar, tough as hell, visionary, original...man. He was the original hell raiser at Eastern Market. He was one of my heroes. He was far from perfect.
There are two memories that burn...
What forces drove me to Eastern Market, I cannot recall, but the one force that kept me there was Mr. Harrod's kindnesses.
I started at the market in the summer of 1991. Being an artist at the market has never been easy, and being a craft artist who makes jewelry even harder--there is a lot of jewelry at the market. My work has always been different (et un peu o tres cher.) The exact date escapes me--it was sometime before 1995, in the winter; all my bills were overdue, and it was very cold outside at the market. My stand was just a little west of the front door of Market 5 Gallery on the plaza.
John started Market 5 Gallery in 1969 and the Arts and Craft Festival around 1974. So, in the early 1990 he had seen his share of folks come and go. I am not someone who stands out in a crowd; rather I am a part of it, the mass; but for some reason that day and for numerous subsequent months Mr. Harrod saw me. It was late midday in winter and John came out to collect booth fees from the few folks who were out that day. He said, "hey baby, how you doing?" I said, "all right." He asked if I'd made any money that day; I said, "a little, not much." He put his receipt book away, saying, "that's all right." He went to the next vendor, but all that winter, into the spring, he asked me the same question. My responses were consistent, and he passed on my rent for months. I am not the only exhibitor who was able to stay, grow and build a community, business, and life because of Mr. Harrod's kindness, mercy and big heart.
Years later, when I went to Ireland on my own dime to study silversmithing, I sent Mr. Harrod a postcard from the Emerald Isle. At present, I hell-raise at Eastern Market in his and in my mother's names.
( A view on what was Market 5 Gallery at Eastern Market)
What I call the Market was and is the result of four forces coming together: first John Harrod, second Tom Rall, third the exhibitors, and fourth the community that loves and supports us all.
My second remembrance of Mr. Harrod goes to that small segment of the community surrounding Eastern Market which did not approve...
It was never really clear what their objections were to our being inside and outside of Market 5 Gallery, and now the north hall of Eastern Market. Since the fire and reconstruction and the disintegration of Market 5 Gallery, we, the outside exhibitors, have not been invited back into the refurbished Monument to share, sell and show our wares.
For a time in the mid and late 1990's, these anti-exhibitor folks would descend on us during the weekends. In truth, I only saw three of them. A 'bruja' would creep into the booth, pick up an artist's work, take pictures, make notes in a book, talk about the artist in the third person to her fellow haint, throw the work back down on your table and accost another exhibitor. This went on for years. On one occasion Mr. Harrod was in his office and one of us told him what was going on outside. I will never forget. He came out of the North Hall on fire, barrel chest heaving, captain's hat on, cigarette clenched in his lips.
He gave the witch "what for"; he called her everything but a child of God. At one point, because we are not talking about a saint here but John Harrod, some exhibitors felt the need to get between Mr. Harrod and the bruja. John, encouraged by us, went back to his office. We held the line in front of the Gallery 'contre la chose mauvaise'. It left.
( a view of my old space on the plaza at the market)
John Harrod stood his ground; he had built it, after all. Those bricks in front of Market 5 were his bricks; he had had them put in. Before that the plaza was hard-scrabbled dirt. He was a force, like my mother, who stood between me and the world. On that day he was yelling, "leave my vendors the hell alone."
In 1969, when I was two years old, Mr. Harrod, at the suggestion of Harold Washington (Mayor of the District of Columbia) founded an art and performance space--in a space without heat, running water, air conditioning or bathrooms. He, along with a board of directors and Tom Rall(co-founder of The Flea Market at Eastern Market) breathed life into a section of the city considered by many 'a ghetto.' He inspired, trust, anger, confidence, love, and, more than anything, artistic creation. His background was of course in athletics, not art. He built with his life something far greater then himself--a world community at Eastern Market.
It was suggested to me some while back by Curtis Baity, a long time exhibitor at the Market, that the North Hall formally Market 5 Gallery be named after Mr. Harrod.
What serves to ensure a legacy? The renaming of the North Hall is clearly in order. Moreover, what John Harrod created was an arts/performance space open to all, regardless of resources, and a world renowned international exhibitor community. Ensuring that this legacy endures takes leadership, wisdom, vision, courage, resources and thoughtful legislation. I ask, beseech and implore you to be vigilant in insuring that John Harrod's legacy is safeguarded and endures.
Witnessing,
Sonda T. Allen
Turtle's Webb
For more on John Harrod google Ruth Ann Overbeck Capital Hill History Project. Mr. Harrod was interviewed twice on May 19, 2009 and June 16, 2009 by Elizabeth Lewis.
*A tentative date and time for a memorial Service for John Harrod at Eastern Market-"Harrod Hall" formerly Market 5 Gallery is Saturday October 9, 2010 7:00-10:30pm*
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