In a move to revitalize the Upper West Side this fall, an Upper West Sider is seeking artist submissions to fill empty storefronts on Columbus Avenue.
Barbara Anderson of the initiative Art on the Avenue NYC says she hopes to install art in empty storefronts along Columbus Avenue. Photo: Lee Uehara
Barbara Anderson, an Upper West Sider and educator at a private school downtown, is one of three teachers who in June created the initiative, Art on the Ave. The program aims to offer the neighborhood a free, 10-block, physically-distanced gallery walk from West 67th to 77th Streets along Columbus Avenue, utilizing empty storefronts to showcase art from creatives with diverse backgrounds.
“This initiative is happening because everyone in the community wants something positive and uplifting,” Anderson said. So far, while reaching out to corporate sponsorships to raise the $50,000 needed to cover the costs of things such as moving gallery walls, professional art installations and marketing, Anderson and her team say they have received support from the Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District and the New York Foundation for the Arts.
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“Every day, I would see more and more businesses close, and as summer went on, you would know they’re not reopening … I thought, Oh my goodness, we’re going into the fall and more people are going to lose their jobs. At the same time we had the protests going on, and I felt that these were important ideas and issues and as a teacher, things that need to be talked about,” Anderson said, continuing, “How do we go back into the fall? We’ve got to deal with things and have a way to do something useful.”
More: New & Opening Soon on the UWS | Recently Closed
That’s when Anderson enlisted the help of her coworker, teacher Leigh Majer, and her educator-daughter Jackie Graham. Working for an arts council in British Columbia, Graham had just produced a gallery walk with much success, implementing what worked there. But there was just one problem: Anderson said she didn’t know anything about art. So she did an online search and found a willing curator in Lisa DuBois, owner of Gallery X in Harlem. Anderson says DuBois has been a much-needed leader on the project from the beginning.
“I’m not anybody who knows a lot about art, but I know how uplifting it can be,” Anderson said. “It can have a positive effect on people of this community and raise the dialogue because we want to highlight the artists and stories of people who normally don’t get represented enough in the art world.” Artists whose work appears on the moving gallery walls to be installed in the vacant storefronts will be able to sell their pieces and receive 100% of the fee, Anderson also said.
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“For the artists especially, because of this past year – COVID, the Black Lives Matter movement – so many special issues that are coming up to the surface, we felt that the art we wanted to see should be reflective of the moment that we’re in,” Graham said. “So we’re looking for artists from traditionally under-represented groups that have been historically excluded from the art world. So Black, Latino – anyone that has a story to tell that is reflective of this time.”
Artwork will be placed on temporary walls facing the street so viewers can take it in without entering the enclosed space of the vacant shops.
Art on the Ave’s gallery walk is expected to take place from the end of October through January 2021. To submit artwork for review, to donate or for more information: www.artontheavenyc.com.
Lee Uehara is not only a journalist and documentary-style photographer, she is also the host of the podcast, House of Lee NYC. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and many other news outlets through her work as a former reporter for The Associated Press. You can usually spot her in the neighborhood walking her dog with a camera in hand. Visit HouseOfLeeNYC.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Oh, I’m sure comrade de Blasio and his flock will paint BLM and other ideological leftists messages. DE BLASIO NEEDS TO RESIGN!
I respectfully call your attention to the plight of artists in general from all walks of life and backgrounds who struggle to find gallery representation in the highly competitive New York art world. If you make this about BLM an admitted marxist communist organization with declared intention to bring down my country i will not support your initiative. Your concept is a noble one but please don’t detract from its nobleness by making it exclusive to a narrow selection of ethnic groups.
What a beautiful project but I think if we WANT equality you can’t leave out anyone, otherwise you created exactly what you don’t want: inequality.
I feel left out from this artist submission. And even as a viewer, one thing I am yearning for is NO messages about Covid in the art, and not messages about BLM. It has been 6 months of that, and I am tired. Why can’t it be a message that is uplifting for everyone, no matter the race, the color or political party? What DOES unite us all?
I concur, Barb. Covid, BLM, politics, racism – while I agree these are the issues of the day, we are bombarded by these issues 24/7. Can we just have something joyful or beautiful to take us away for a moment or two. PS – I think this is wonderful idea. Can a 69 year old white guy graphic designer from Alabama count as a minority?
It’s kinda Orwellian when even art is compelled to a serve a a political purpose regardless of your view of any particular cause. My goodness, just accept submissions from *anyone* in the neighborhood and go with what seems good. This is the UWS; I’d bet you’d get a ton of inspiring, even challenging ideas. We all might learn something.
We all know that great art has always been the product of non-artists telling artists who can and who can’t produce it and what the content must be. They thus must really be after great art here.
This is a bad idea all around. This will not have a happy ending. The person is already seeking to politicize this project. Like we don’t have enough problems in this neighborhood already. Putting up art with political messages & with only certain groups of people allowed is only going to further polarize & divide our neighborhood. Enough is enough already.
I think the art work displayed should not focus on HIM or Covid. You should open this too all artists instead of discriminating against those not a minority. I would prefer to view uplifting images of nature or something that touches my soul or makes me smile. We need more smiles and laughs!
While presenting art in an open environment is a noble cause, the real issue is that small businesses are closing. We need an initiative from the private sector that subsidizes small business owners that will promote occupancy of these closed storefronts. Let’s keep politics and inefficient partisan government agencies out of the equation.
What a privilege to be “tired” of Covid and BLM!! I’m sure we all can’t wait until these “fads” are over!!
Peace to ALL!! How’s THAT for a positive message? I truly mean it!!
So here it is almost November and NOTHING.
Sounded like a good idea but you have to execute it.
Lost opportunity.