Eric V. Goode (born December 19, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, conservationist, and Emmy nominated filmmaker. He is known as the creator of the art nightclub

Area Area is the measure of a region's size on a surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an open surface or the boundary of a three-di ...

, numerous hotels and restaurants, including the Bowery Hotel, the Waverly Inn, and the Hotel El Roblar in Ojai, CA. Goode is also known for being the founder of the Turtle Conservancy and Goode Films, which produced ''

Tiger King ''Tiger King'' (subtitled in marketing as ''Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness'' for its first season, ''Tiger King 2'' for its second season and ''Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story'' for its third season) is an American true crime document ...

'' (

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

) and ''

Chimp Crazy ''Chimp Crazy'' is an American documentary series directed and produced by Eric Goode (''Tiger King''). It follows Tonia Haddix, whose love for a chimpanzee spins into a wild game with authorities and the animal rights group PETA. It premiered ...

'' (

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

Biography

Born in

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

in 1957 and raised in New York City until the age of 8, Eric V. Goode relocated with his family to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. He is the second of five children born to Marilyn Goode, a naturalist and conservationist, and Fredrick Goode, a painter and teacher. He has lived in New York City since 1977. Eric began his career as an artist, educated at the

Academy of Art University The Academy of Art University (AAU, or ART U), formerly Academy of Art College and Richard Stephens Academy of Art, is a private for-profit art school in San Francisco, California. It was founded as the Academy of Advertising Art by Richard S. ...

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, and

Parsons School of Design The Parsons School of Design is a private art and design college under The New School located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Founded in 1896 after a group of progressive artists broke away from established Manhattan art ...

. Much of his early work was displayed in group shows with other upcoming artists of the day, the earliest in 1981 which was curated by

Keith Haring Keith Allen Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an American artist whose pop art emerged from the Graffiti in New York City, New York City graffiti subculture of the 1980s. His animated imagery has "become a widely recognized visual l ...

. He continued to make and show his art throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s. In 1983, Goode formed the nightclub

. Area was known for its constantly changing themes and collaboration with artists of the time (

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

Jean-Michel Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat (; December 22, 1960 – August 12, 1988) was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the neo-expressionism movement. Basquiat first achieved notoriety in the late 1970s as part of the graffiti ...

David Hockney David Hockney (born 9 July 1937) is an English Painting, painter, Drawing, draughtsman, Printmaking, printmaker, Scenic design, stage designer, and photographer. As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considere ...

, Keith Haring,

Kenny Scharf Kenny Scharf (born November 23, 1958) is an American painter known for his participation in New York City's interdisciplinary East Village art scene during the 1980s, alongside Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Scharf's do-it-yourself pract ...

, and others). Area was Goode's first business venture where he merged art into the context of a nightclub. In the early to mid-1990s, he directed several music videos for bands such as

Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN (stylized as NIИ), is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent col ...

and

Robbie Robertson Jaime Royal Robertson (July 5, 1943 – August 9, 2023) was a Canadian musician of Indigenous and Jewish ancestry. He was the lead guitarist for Bob Dylan's backing band in the mid-late 1960s and early-mid 1970s. Robertson was also the ...

. He and Serge Becker earned a music video production award for their work on "Pinion". Over the next two decades Goode transitioned into restaurants and hotels, including many in collaboration with his partners Serge Becker and more recently Sean MacPherson. His most recent projects include th
Ludlow Hotel
an
Hotel El Roblar
During the 2010s, Eric became focused on filming various characters that led to the creation of Tiger King, and Tiger King 2. The success of these docuseries led to the creation of Eric's film studio, Goode Films. Eric Goode currently lives in New York City and California.

Nightclubs, restaurants and hotels

*1981 – The Club with no Name *1983 –

*1988 – MK *1989 – BC (LA) *1990 – Time Cafe and Fez *1994 – B Bar & Grill *2000 – The Park *2001 �
The Maritime Hotel
*2003 – Matsuri (closed) *2003 – La Bottega (closed) *2003 – Hiro Ballroom (closed) *2006 �
Waverly Inn
*2006 �
Lafayette House
*2007 �
Bowery Hotel
*2007 – Gemma *2008 �
The Jane Hotel
*2014 �
Ludlow Hotel
*2024 �
Hotel El Roblar

Philanthropy and land preservation

After a career in the hospitality business, Goode shifted his focus to wildlife philanthropy after being approached by John Behler of the Wildlife Conservation Society in 2003. Goode first created a rescue and breeding center for endangered turtles and tortoises under Behler's guidance. In 2005, Goode formed his own public charity the Turtle Conservancy. The mission of the Turtle Conservancy is to protect threatened turtles and tortoises and their habitats worldwide. Goode's conservation philosophy centers around turtles as umbrella species, whereby thousands of species are saved by protecting land for turtles and tortoises. Since its inception, Turtle Conservancy has helped to protect over 60,000 acres of wild land around the world. The organization works to protect turtles, tortoises and other animals on five continents. Guerilla documentaries and public service announcements directed by Goode and the Turtle Conservancy have amassed millions of views across various social media platforms. These documentaries raise awareness of wildlife trafficking, habitat destruction, and the pet trade. Goode has personally donated over 30 million dollars towards wildlife conservation and land protection. His conservation work has been featured on 60 Minutes, Charlie Rose, ''Racing Extinction'', The New Yorker, NPR and CNN. Goode was recognized by the wildlife community for his efforts, with a tortoise named after him in 2016. The

Goode's thornscrub tortoise The Goode's thornscrub tortoise, also known as the Sinaloan thornscrub tortoise, Sinaloan desert tortoise or Goode's desert tortoise (''Gopherus evgoodei''), is a species of tortoise that is native to the Sinaloan desert region. First described i ...

(''Gopherus evgoodei'') is a desert species from Northern Mexico described by a team of American and Mexican biologists.

South Africa

In South Africa, the Turtle Conservancy, along with its partner organizations, has purchased over 1,000 acres of the last remaining habitat for the critically endangered

geometric tortoise The geometric tortoise (''Psammobates geometricus'') is a critically endangered species of tortoise and one of three members of the genus ''Psammobates''. It is found in a very small section in the South-Western Cape of South Africa. Identific ...

(''Psammobates geometricus'').

Sonora, Mexico

The Turtle Conservancy secured approximately 1,000 acres of tropical deciduous forest in southern Sonora, Mexico, for the protection of the Goode's thornscrub tortoise (''Gopherus evgoodei'').

Durango, Mexico

The Turtle Conservancy has purchased a significant portion (over 60,000 acres) of the last remaining habitat of the

Bolson tortoise The Bolson tortoise (''Gopherus flavomarginatus''), also called the Mexican giant tortoise, Mexican gopher tortoise, yellow-bordered tortoise or yellow-margined tortoise, is a species of tortoise from North America. Of the six North American tort ...

(''Gopherus flavomarginatus''). The largest of the North American terrestrial reptiles, this tortoise has been known to science only since 1959.

Palawan, Philippines

1,890 acres was secured for the protection of the critically endangered Palawan forest turtle (''

Siebenrockiella leytensis ''Siebenrockiella'' is a small genus of black marsh turtles. It used to be monotypic but now has two species with the addition of the Philippine forest turtle (moved from the genus ''Heosemys''). The genus was originally erected in 1869 by John E ...

'') in the Philippines.

Other conservation projects

Other conservation projects that Eric Goode has spearheaded include: * Goode leads conservation for the

ploughshare tortoise The angonoka tortoise (''Astrochelys yniphora'') is a critically endangered species of tortoise severely threatened by poaching for the illegal pet trade. It is endemic to Madagascar. It is also known as the angonoka, ploughshare tortoise, Madagas ...

, the world's rarest tortoise through a partnership with

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is a conservation organization with a mission to save species from extinction. Gerald Durrell founded the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust as a charitable institution in 1963 with the dodo as its symbol. Th ...

. Goode has supported conservation both in Madagascar and sits on the Angonoka Working Group Committee. * Goode supports emerging research for turtles and tortoises by funding the Turtle Conservation Fund, Chelonian Conservation & Biology Journal, and the Turtle Survival Alliance every year since 2005. * Goode has created a conservation center in Ojai, CA to support local education and wildlife protection.

Boards and councils

* Board membe
Turtle Conservancy
* Board membe
Global Wildlife Conservation
* Board member Rainforest Trust * Board membe
Chelonian Research Institute
* Board membe
Turtle Conservation Fund
* Board membe
International Iguana Foundation

Publications

''The Tortoise''

''The Tortoise'' is an annual magazine publication of the Turtle Conservancy dedicated to the conservation of turtles and tortoises. The wide scope of the magazine reaches readers from all over the world. Its audience includes everyone from world-renowned scientists and biologists, to travelers, naturalists, ecologists and conservationists, as well as a general audience interested in wildlife preservation and environmental protection. It is not a scientific journal. It is a publication about the wonder of turtles and tortoises and about the conservation challenges they face, and it is about the people who are devoted to saving these creatures from extinction.

''Area: 1983–1987''

In 2013, Abrams published a 360-page

coffee table book A coffee table book, also known as a cocktail table book, is an oversized, usually hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table intended for use in an area in which one entertains guests and which can serve to inspire conversation o ...

on the seminal nightclub AREA, authored by Eric and Jennifer Goode. Drawing from a rich archive of material, Eric and Jennifer tell the behind-the-scenes story of the club and its people, creating an illustrated memoir of an exciting time and place in the history of New York nightlife. To accompany the launch of the book Eric collaborated with

Jeffrey Deitch Jeffrey Deitch (pronounced ''DIE-tch'';Mike Boehm (January 12, 2010)''Los Angeles Times''. born July 9, 1952) is an American art dealer and curator. He is best known for his gallery Deitch Projects (1996–2010) and curating groundbreaking exhib ...

to curate an exhibition at The Hole gallery. The show consisted of original installations as well as pieces from many of the artists that participated or were influenced by the club.

Film and videos

Docuseries

In 2020, Netflix premiered ''

'', a seven-episode docuseries directed and produced by Eric Goode about people who own and breed lions, tigers, and other big cats. The show quickly became one of the most watched shows on the

platform. After the success of the first season, '' Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness'' was followed up with a second season in 2021 called '' Tiger King 2'', and '' Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story'' for its third season. In 2024, Goode directed and produced ''

'' for

, revolving around animal broker Tonia Haddix, caught up with authorities and animal rights groups over her chimpanzee Tonka.

Natural history films

Music videos

Art

Most of Goode's art is created as a vitrine, or display case, with three-dimensional artwork inside. Similar to

Joseph Cornell Joseph Cornell (December 24, 1903 – December 29, 1972) was an American visual artist and filmmaker, one of the pioneers and most celebrated exponents of assemblage. Influenced by the Surrealists, he was also an avant-garde experimental filmma ...

, his work incorporates many aspects of assemblage. Goode's work also has notable similarities to

Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist and art collector. He was one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingdom's richest ...

and Jeff Vaughan, especially his tendency to represent elements of the natural world in his mixed-media installations.

Exhibitions

*1981 – Group Show curated by Keith Haring, Mudd Club *1987 – "Subject Object", Group Show, 56 Bleecker Gallery *1988 – Group Show, Bess Butler Gallery *1989 – One Man Show, Bess Cutler Gallery *1989 – "American Pie", Group Show, Bess Cutler Gallery *1989 – "Don't Bungle the Jungle", Group Show, Tony Shafrazi Gallery *1989 – "New Work, New York", Group Show, Helander Gallery *1990 – "Amnesty International", Group Show, Tony Shafrazi Gallery *2013 – "AREA: The Exhibition", Group Show, The Hole Gallery, curated by

and

Glenn O'Brien Glenn O'Brien (March 2, 1947 – April 7, 2017) was an American writer who focused largely on the subjects of art, music, and fashion. He was featured for many years as "The Style Guy" in ''GQ'' magazine and published a book with that title. He ...

Awards

* 2022 – ''Turtle Conservancy Legacy Award'', United Nations Hospitality Committee for UN Delegations (HCUND) * 2016 –
Behler Turtle Conservation Award
'

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goode, Eric Living people 1957 births Nightclub owners American hoteliers American restaurateurs American documentary filmmakers American conservationists Artists from Rhode Island Academy of Art University alumni American music video directors