Update, Nov. 9: This article has been revised to include comments about Chaos Manor from Invisible Dog owner Lucien Zayan.

On Friday and Saturday nights on Bergen Street in Boerum Hill, residents know to close their windows and turn up the TV to block the din from outside.

The music and noise resulting from a trend in area art galleries hosting loud parties has all but ruined any chance at weekend peace and relaxation, they say.

“It's impossible to hear the conversation in the house with all this noise," says Vicky Vossen, a Bergen Street resident who is helping organize neighbors to stop the loud events. 

But Lucien Zayan, director of the Invisible Dog Art Center at 51 Bergen St., called the complaints “out of proportion.”

“We strive not to bother our neighbors and to be a good neighbor,” he said. “We’re very involved with our neighborhood and support local artists here.”

In the past twelve months, he said, his gallery has hosted half a dozen wedding receptions – the only special events where music is played. According to Zayan, music is not played at frequent art gallery openings.

But residents said they’ve experienced the noise far more often. Frequent calls to 311 and area police have not resolved the issue, they say, as noise complaints are not a high priority. A special Community Board 2 meeting to address the noise issues has been postponed until later this month or early December.

The Invisible Dog and Muriel Guepin art galleries are located in a 30,000 square-foot former warehouse on Bergen Street. The factory sat empty for more than a decade before the owner, Frank DeFalco, purchased the property and installed new businesses a few years ago. The galleries host art exhibitions, musical performances and artists’ studios.

Last year, the galleries began renting out the spaces for special events like weddings and bat/bar mitzvahs to raise extra cash. The galleries do not have soundproof walls or air conditioning – a raucous combination when overheated event-goers open the windows to get fresh air, spilling loud music onto the street.

 “We appreciate what they’re trying to do with the building and creating an artists’ space,” said Dean Street resident Chris Peters, who lives in an apartment building across from the Invisible Dog's parking lot. “It’s just unfortunate that in order to pay their rent they’re hosting these events that hurt the quality of life for people in the area.”

DeFalco is traveling abroad and could not be reached for comment.

Zayan said DeFalco is working on the problem and will soon install air conditioning and soundproof walls. In the meantime, he said, the gallery has someone on staff during events to ensure the windows are closed and people are not loitering outside.

Councilmember Stephen Levin, who represents Boerum Hill, said the noise problems on Bergen Street aren’t unique to the neighborhood – rather, they’re found throughout the city, especially in flourishing artist communities.

“The creative spirit of Boerum Hill and the numerous nearby cultural institutions are what made this neighborhood a draw for so many residents, but there needs to be a balance between the lively arts community and the rights of all residents to enjoy peace and quiet,” Levin said.

In September, the City Council voted to approve a rezoning to preserve the neighborhood's brownstone character. The rezoning was an initiative by the Boerum Hill Association and halted DeFalco's construction plans to add additional artist space onto the buildings. There has also been some talk about creating a Bergen Street "arts district."

Residents insisted they welcome local artists and the galleries into their neighborhood. What they can’t stand is loud partying and noise masquerading as art.

The last straw, they said, was a two-day event held Sept. 16 and 17 called Chaos Manor, a performance installation where artists Christopher McElroen and Sam Stephenson attempted to recreate photographer W. Eugene Smith’s “jazz loft” project. The famed World War II photographer took more than 40,000 photos of jazz musicians playing live at his Manhattan loft apartment from 1957 to 1965.

The Chaos Manor event was supported by the Boerum Hill Association and was a bookend to the Brooklyn Book Festival.

According to an event press release, “Chaos Manor will be staged within the 22 exterior windows and on the building façade of The Invisible Dog with the audience on the street below. Using the building itself as an instrument…layers of recorded sound and live music will be woven through 22 exterior windows.”

Residents, including some parents of young children, compared the event to a rave with loud music emanating from the building into the wee hours of night and people dancing and yelling on Bergen Street. When repeated calls to 311 did not solve the problem, Peters took video of the party scene and noise to show police later.

"We never did a 'rave party'" said Zayan. "Chaos Manor is a true artistic project, produced by established writers, directors and producers."

Though neighbors had complained amongst themselves before, Chaos Manor banded them together in their calls for a community meeting with DeFalco and the gallery directors.

“Beyond a certain hour, the strobe lights and the noise – it’s unconscionable,” Peters said.

Upon hearing of residents’ complaints, Zayan circulated a letter of support from Bergen Street residents who don’t find the Invisible Dog disruptive. On the contrary, the letter states, the Invisible Dog is a positive asset to the local community that adds cultural and artistic value to the area. Thirty-five people signed the letter.

Levin says the groups have to find a way to live together.

“I hope that by working together and engaging in a constructive dialogue, we can find a suitable compromise that meets the needs of Bergen Street residents and allows Invisible Dog to continue to support local artists.”