src="http://www.woostercollective.com/images2/dragonbart.jpg" align="left" />Say
it isn’t so! The Islington Gazette is reporting today that the Dragon Bar, a
favorite watering hole for many of the artists featured on the Wooster website,
is scheduled to close so that the space can be turned into “Luxury Flas”
/>
Here’s the article:

Luxury
flats to kill off gallery
22 June 2005

A THRIVING bar and
art gallery which has helped launch the careers of several well-known artists is
closing down - to make way for luxury flats.

The Dragon Bar, in
Leonard Street, Finsbury, has been providing up-and-coming talents with a place
to display their work for free for more than seven years.

People like
James Jessop - who now has his work on show in the Saatchi Gallery - and
graffiti artist Banksy, who has worked with Damien Hirst, have all used the
venue as a springboard.

But now the hip bar faces closure after
council chiefs granted planning permission for four-storey building above the
bar to become luxury apartments.

Owner Justin Piggott, who designed
and created the bar, said: “We are well-known in the art community and 1,400
people signed a petition objecting to the application from as far away as New
York, South Africa, Stockholm and Paris.

“A lot of artists have gone
on to bigger and better things after showing their work here.

“This
is an art-based area but this is all about big corporate money moving into
another suburb of the city.

“A vibrant community on this street is
being killed off for luxury apartments.”

He added: “We have an
entertainment and music licence until 2am every night and often have live bands,
so there is no way the owner will allow us to stay in our current form with
luxury flats above. This basically means we will shut down.”

Mr
Piggott’s lease does not expire until 2008 but it can be discontinued with just
six months notice.

He hopes to find a new premises nearby but admits
it will be a struggle with soaring property prices.

Occupants in the
rest of the building will also have to find a new home.

The site is
owned by the Trustees of Central Foundation School who need money to improve the
school’s facilities. A spokesman for the trustees said: “The school is a
registered charity. All the money will go to the school to be used by them as
they see fit.