What do framed art, imported stationery, art books, and design magazines all have in common? If you ask graphic designer David McGillivray—who needed a name for his new art and design store—the answer is simple: corners. “I was looking at our initial product selection, and I thought, ‘Everything’s a rectangle,’” says McGillivray. “And the name ‘Corners’ popped into my head.” Located in downtown Livingston Manor, Corners offers an eclectic and curated mix of artwork from local and international artists.
Before launching the store, McGillivray—cofounder of the loungewear brand Offhours—had been splitting time between Brooklyn and the Catskills for several years. He and his wife, Rebecca Zhou—founder of skincare brand Soft Services—were especially drawn to Livingston Manor. “It was a town that had a lot of new energy constantly flowing through it,” says McGillivray. The couple bought a house in the hamlet in 2017 and made it their full-time residence earlier this year.
McGillivray had a longstanding dream of opening an art and design boutique, and when he saw an opportunity a retail space on Main Street became available. “I had my eye on it for years,” he says. “There’s nothing else like it.” Originally built in 1956, the mid-century modern building that now houses Corners stands out for its angular front facade of aluminum-framed square panel windows. Its other architectural features include wall-to-wall concrete floor, metal doors, and a floor level a foot above historic flooding levels. “It’s built like a fortress,” says McGillivray. “The space was originally built by an insurance agent, who was tuned into high tech and future-facing construction methods. It was built thoughtfully and built for the era.”
Enticed by the space, McGillivray sought to define his store’s concept. He settled on providing ready-to-hang, approachable art. “I have so many friends who’ve got poster tubes in their houses or apartments,” says McGillivray. “When you finally decide to frame those, you take it to the framer and discover that it would cost 20 times more to get it framed than the actual cost of the art. I wanted to sidestep that entire idea and present an accessible selection of art that is ready to put on your wall.”
With that concept in mind, McGillivray secured the building and collaborated with architect Michael Groth to renovate the space. That meant installing new drywall, removing an internal wall, and refinishing surfaces. The concrete floors were ground down to reveal the aggregate, and white oak was used throughout to complement the building’s original design. In the middle of the space is a solid white slab table held up by two locally sourced objects: a 600-pound river rock on one end and steel I-beams on the other. “A customer came in the other day and described the space as monastic,” says McGillivray. “It was nice for me to hear, because this is a place devoted to art and design. There’s a sense of reverence I wanted it to have.”
Corners opened on Labor Day weekend, and McGillivray is confident that the price range reflects his goal of making framed art accessible. Corners’ framed art collection includes vintage prints from iconic artists of the `70s, supervised by their estates and framed in solid wood, priced at a few hundred dollars. On sale now is a 1972 authorized reproduction of Joan Miró’s Personnage au Soleil Rouge I, framed in white oak for $500. On the other end of the price spectrum are higher-end art pieces, such as larger, one-of-a-kind works from local artists priced in the thousand dollar range like New York sculptor Patrick Kim’s exclusive collection of Catskills black walnut and cherry carved pieces.
Rather than using a specific process, McGillivray’s curation is totally organic. “The art comes from all over,” says McGillivray. “Sometimes directly from artists, from auctions—like an Ellsworth Kelly print from an auction in Paris—or even vintage prints from a dealer in Florida. There’s other works that ship in from artists all over the world. Sometimes, customers just come in and recommend things.”
Some of Corners’ other products include a selection of internationally imported stationery, and a range of multifunction pens from Germany and Japan. There’s also a rotating section at the front of the store, which currently has products from the Italian brand Alessi, like a lemon squeezer and a three cup espresso maker. “There’s already a lot of great places in the Catskills that really focus on local craftspeople and art,” says McGillivray. “Since that side of things is covered, Corners has a really international flavor. I have a small magazine selection, and people would come in and say, ‘I love this; you can’t get it anywhere up here.’ That’s a common reaction for people who come into the store.”
“In a way, I feel like an international selection does justice to Livingston Manor,” says McGillivray. “It reflects all the amazing things going on. We’re not just some local town. I meet so many amazing people—artists, designers, and architects. It’s an increasingly international place.”
Corners is located at 49 Main Street in Livingston Manor. The store is open on Saturdays from 11am-6pm, on Sundays from 11am-3pm, and Monday through Friday by appointment. Visit their Instagram for updated December hours.
