A New Joint in Town for the Creative Soul

The ShapeShifter Lab is open in their new location, and that means music, yoga, art and much more.

The 1970s music scene in the lofts of SoHo has been replaced by high end apartments and retail, but the energy of that era is still thumping at ShapeShifter Lab in Park Slope. Business partners Matt Garrison and Fortuna Sung have made a career of supporting artists and creating experimental, collaborative spaces.  

Matt grew up in the Soho loft scene in the early 1970s. His parents were artists; his mother, Roberta Escamilla Garrison, a modern dancer/choreographer and his father, Jimmy Garrison, a bass player most notable for his work with the classic John Coltrane Quartet. His mother bought a loft, for pennies on the dollar at the time, and put on shows and performances inside their home.  

Matt and Fortuna opened ShapeShifter Lab in 2010, but their friendship dates back much farther. They met at high school in Rome, Italy where both of their families, each with their own fascinating stories, relocated for a time.  

Years passed; they lost touch. Fortuna became an interior designer and Matt followed his father’s footsteps and became a bass player, himself. They reconnected in Japan while Matt was on tour, and Fortuna learned he had relocated to New York City. She was ready for a change and decided to visit. Her trip was supposed to be 4 days long, but upon arrival she unpacked and moved in.  

This wasn’t an unfamiliar motif in their lives. When Matt’s family went to Rome, it was for a 3-month stay that turned into 10 years for him. His mother still resides in Rome, today. 

Fortuna and Matt began hunting down different spaces and nontraditional buildings to house their vision. They wanted to build a creative laboratory.  

They found this in their Gowanus space, where they operated for 10 years. They started out as a music venue, but began hosting events such as recitals, mitzvahs, workshops, music lessons, and even weddings. Hosting these private events helped them make enough money to support their initial goal of supporting artists who lacked the following and profitability of sold-out  shows.  

 Saying “YES!” to all artists has come with its misfires, but none they can’t laugh about now.  When they first opened their doors, their initial booking agreement was 2 pages long. Now it’s 15.  

Their AC has been busted by fog machines, their space has been spray-painted mid-show, and  their stage has even been set on fire.  

One artist took to the stage completely naked aside from the food they arranged on their body, which they invited the audience to eat off of them. This performance was not a favorite of the NYC Health Department. 

ShapeShifter Lab now occupies the former location of the Tea Lounge, a Park Slope landmark that has significant meaning to the pair. Matt used to bring his kids to the Tea Lounge to hang out and listen to music. It’s also where Matt and Fortuna met regularly with their liquor license attorney to prepare for their original Gowanus location.  

They kept the Tea Lounge in mind as they created their new space, which houses The ShapeShifter Café. It’s a huge, open, inviting space with plenty of room to work, relax, and even sit in on rehearsals if you’re there at the right time. They’ve got homemade chai, a stocked bar, and plenty of spaces to gather and get creative.

 The ShapeShifter Café is open from 8AM – 3PM weekdays, and 9AM – 4PM on the weekends. 

The building at 837 Union Street itself is black-owned, and their lease was as meaningful to  ShapeShifter Lab as it was to the building owners.

They’ve continued to grow their business in their new space with yoga and dance offerings. The dance program will be overseen by Matt’s sister, professional dancer and choreographer, Maia Claire Garrison.  

 Everyone that works at ShapeShifter Lab is an artist or musician – baristas, bartenders, interns and all.  

ShapeShifter Lab offers internships and training in recording, production, performance, event planning, and more. This summer, they had 18 interns on rotation. Many graduate from their internships to work for part or full-time for them. 

If you’re interested in internships, reach out on their website.  

They’re passionate exploring technology in the music industry. They even developed an app that ultimately caught the eye of Apple CEO, Tim Cook. They’ve worked closely with Apple in developing and marketing their software. Their app, TuneBend™, allows musicians to play, collaborate, and even record tracks together from different locations. 

In 2014, Matt and Fortuna launched ShapeShifter Plus, their non-profit 501(c)(3) that supports art of all disciplines. This allowed them to accept charitable donations while continuing to support young artists looking for spaces to perform or present their crafts.  

In October 2022, ShapeShifter+ partnered with the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) to put on an outdoor festival in Fort Greene Park honoring Grammy-winner Jack DeJohnette.  

Matt’s network within the music industry has helped secure big names for fundraising events.  He even plays bass alongside the headliners, many of which he has performed with throughout his career. While recovering from the pandemic, they put on sold-put shows with the likes of Dave Holland, Jason Moran, Jon Batiste, John DeJohnette, Savion Glover, Living Colour, Carlos Santana, Cindy Blackman, Roy Wood Jr and many others. 

You can find Matt playing bass at ShapeShifter Lab’s free weekly workshops and jam sessions. Musicians of all ages and skill levels are invited to come play and learn.  

Check out all upcoming events on their ShapeShifter Plus website, such as live music, yoga &  dance classes, film screenings, fundraising events, volunteer opportunities, and artistic  performances of all kinds.