User:Arena Gallery

Renee Riccardo began her career as an independent curator, organizing shows of contemporary art in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles from 1985-1990. During that time, she was an Adjunct Curator for Photography (1987-88) at P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in Long Island City, NY and organized a nationwide traveling exhibition, Acceptable Entertainment for Independent Curators Inc.

In 1991, Riccardo founded ARENA, a contemporary gallery for new and emerging artists, at 128 Wooster Street in Soho. Two years later, ARENA moved to a brownstone apartment at 313 Clinton Street in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, where it functioned as a salon style gallery space for six years. There ARENA presented the first solo shows of Ann Agee, Karen Arm, Tanyth Berkeley, Margaret Curtis, Joanne Greenbaum, Beom Kim, Rachel Harrison, Giles Lyon, Jason Middlebrook, Paul Henry Ramirez, Jovi Schnell and Calvin Siebert.

While exhibiting art in Brooklyn, she co-organized (with John Good) The Art Exchange Show, a contemporary art fair utilizing 9 floors of abandoned office space in Lower Manhattan that combined art galleries with live performances in 1996 and 1997. After being featured on the cover of The New York Times Magazine for the article “Neo-Dealers” and on City Arts, a PBS cultural magazine on television, ARENA moved to Williamsburg to join forces with Feed Gallery and became ARENA@Feed.

In 2002, ARENA relocated to Chelsea to a space designed by Stephen Holl in the renowned Chelsea Arts Building at 526 West 26 Street. In 2003, Riccardo established ARENA Projects as a nomadic gallery, continuing to promote the work of emerging artists by organizing independent exhibitions for galleries and institutions. Recent projects include an ongoing series of exhibitions entitled, Wrap Around (2013-present) at ARENA@Suite 806, a micro gallery at the office of her therapist, Lee Shapiro, Psy.D. on Fifth Avenue, NYC, "Everything Happens at the Same Time", a solo exhibition of the work of Rhonda Wall (2015) SPRING/BREAK Art Show, NYC, "By Invitation Only" (2014) Kinz + Tillou Fine Art, Brooklyn, NY, "Crossing Boarders" (2010), A.I.R. Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, The Garden at 4AM (2009) Gana Art Gallery, New York, The Rain, the Park and Other Things, (2008), Nicole Fiacco Gallery, Hudson, New York, Homegrown (2007) at David Krut Projects, New York, Intrigue, The Art of Sensuality (2007), Location, New York, Emotional Landscape, (2006), Rotunda Gallery, Brooklyn, New York, It's a Beautiful Day (2006), Ise Foundation Gallery, New York, Paper Chase (2004), Axel Raben Gallery, New York; Orchard (2004), an exhibition in a former Manhattan midtown store for the Big Apple Fest, a citywide public art project; Word (2004), at the Bronx River Arts Center, Bronx, New York, Me Myself & I (2004) at Florida Atlantic University Galleries, Boca Raton, Florida and Me, Myself & I: Video Remix (2004) in Miami's Design District during Art Basel Miami Beach. '''

Since its inception, ARENA has focused on the work of young and emerging artists. Renee Riccardo has exhibited the following artists early in their careers: Chuck Agro, Heather Allen, Tim Barber, Larry Bamburg, Rande Barke, Leslie Brack, Chris Caccamise, Laura Carton, Fritz Chesnut, Megan Cump, Margaret Curtis, Robin Dash, Matthew Deleget, Satoru Eguchi, Sara Eichner, Jane Fine, Lino Fiorito, Jill Galarneau, Megan Gerety, Deborah Grant, Theresa Hackett, Malcolm Hill, Eric Hongisto, Joanne Howard, James Hyde, Erick Johnson, Jennifer Karady, Rajkamal Kahlon, Jennifer Karady, Misaki Kawai, Beom Kim, Shin-il Kim, Margaret Lee, Charlene Liu, Greg Lamarche, Margart Lee, Simone Leigh, Eva Lundsager, Cotter Luppi, Frank Magnotta, Fabian Marcaccio, Chris Martin, Adia Millett, Marilyn Minter, Doug Morris, Wangechi Mutu, Vik Muniz, Bryan Osburn, John-Paul Philippe, Jessica Rohrer, Jon Rosenbaum, Aaron Spangler, Diana Shpungin & Nicole Engelmann, Wendy Small, Bill Smart, Shinique Smith, Molly Smith, Charles Spurrier, MIckalene Thomas, Mette Tommerup, Lee Tusman, Vargas-Suarez Universal, Ken Weaver, Frank Webster, Kehinde Wiley, Tad Wiley, William Wood, Angela Wyman and Tamara Zahaykevich. The mission continues…