Lark Street artists start fundraiser after store fire losses

ALBANY — Lark Street artists affected by a store fire on Sunday night have launched an online fundraiser to replace equipment and artwork, while also supporting an upstairs neighbor who was forced to relocate.

Artists who had their art and wares at the Yamaguchie artisan shop at 221 Lark St. lost all their pieces in Sunday’s blaze, which caused fire damage to the store and smoke damage to the two apartments above it. Albany firefighters put out the fire at the storefront within 30 minutes after breaking the window glass. The cause and source of the fire are still under investigation.

“Six years I’ve been trying to build something and to have it go all up in flames like this, I don’t know what to say,” co-owner Yamar Carter said in a video posted on the day of the incident, his voice quivering.

Last year, the brothers started sharing the store with Saleena Gulmohamad, who sells handmade earrings, necklaces, incense holders and other decorative household items as Nocturnal Fairy Co. Anna Copp from Sunlit Dreams, which mainly offers crystal jewelry, joined the store in the summer.

In an interview, Carter said his business and partners lost all their work in the fire.

“Usually they go out to events and take their stuff with them, but they left it all in there because they didn’t have an event to go to,” Carter said of Nocturnal Fairy Co. and Sunlit Dreams. 

So far, the online fundraiser has received 241 donations, reaching about 35 percent of its $35,000 goal. Carter said the funds will help in replacing the store’s laser engraving machine and shirts, as well as supporting new art projects to make up for the hundreds that were destroyed.

“I have to make something different because when you get an artistic thought, it’s not something you keep doing,” Carter said. “When something’s gone, it’s gone for me.” 

As part of the GoFundMe fundraiser, the artists aim to help an upstairs neighbor with a new apartment’s down payment and storage fees. 

“He’s always been super cool, when we’re not there, looking out just in case anything weird’s going on in the store,” said King. “He used to bring me like really cool supplies and boxes for us to work on.”

During the incident, Carter could be seen wearing a Yamaguchie beanie. A friend hugged him as he spoke with police.

“I was surrounded by lots of great people,” Carter said. “There was a lot of people out there who were trying to help me understand that it’s not the end, it may be a new beginning, and I should just chill out and let’s see what happens.”