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A.I.R. Gallery

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Jump to navigationJump to search A.I.R. Gallery, 155 Plymouth St, Brooklyn A.I.R. Gallery (Artists in Residence) Is the first all female artist-run cooperative gallery in the United States.[1] It was founded with the objective of providing a professional exhibition space for women artists during a time in which feminism had barely penetrated the New York Art scene. A.I.R. is a not-for-profit arts organization in which the New York artist members serve as the board of directors. The gallery was structured to be both an exhibition space for art by women and a radical and progressive, even subversive, not-for-profit institution. A.I.R. gallery aims to show the diversity and artistic talent of women. The gallery has a cooperative nature and its democratic structure as members vote on all decisions and participate in monthly meetings to plan exhibitions, programs and the overall direction of the gallery. Each artist pays membership dues and thus has ownership over the organization itself and their own career. In this way, the structure of A.I.R. differs from that of dealer-driven galleries. Incoming artists are chosen through a rigorous peer review process that includes reviewing the works of applicants, lengthy discussions and a studio visit by current members.[3] Each artist has to curate her own show, which allows for experimentation and risks that are not always possible in commercial settings.[4] The group soon acknowledged the importance of building a foundation: collaborations and international group shows, in parts curated by their members, were established. Contents

1	History

2	Name

3	Programs

4	Gallery locations 5	Founding members 6	Artists

7	References

8	External links History

Barbara Zucker and Susan Williams, two artists, confronted the challenges of finding a dealer and decided to look for other women artists to start a co-op. Directed by activist art critic Lucy Lippard, the two, together with Dotty Attie and Mary Grigoriadis, visited 55 studios to select and invite women artists to form a co-op. At a first meeting on March 17, 1972, in Williams' loft, female artists met, among them Maude Boltz, Nancy Spero, Louise Bourgeois, Howardena Pindell, Ree Morton, Harmony Hammond, Cynthia Carlson and Sari Dienes. In the end, there was a mix of 20 artists (some of the approved declined joining the group). Together, they established A.I.R.’s policies and renovated their first gallery space at 97 Wooster Street. For the artists themselves, their work and exhibition goals were all about quality. Still, having to deal with feminist politics was in the center, the women still had to confront fighting prejudices and fears that the showings would be considered second-rate. The gallery first opened on September 16th, 1972, showcasing ten out of the twenty artists. https://www.airgallery.org/history/ The name “AIR” arose when, in a first meeting, artist member Howardena Pindell suggested “Jane Eyre”. From that came “air” – then, “A.I.R.” This was also a reference to the “Artist in Residence” Certification given by the city to allow artists to live in otherwise illegal Soho commercial spaces.[7] The gallery was structured to be both an exhibition space for art by women dedicated to their work. Its cooperative nature and its democratic structure have meant that the members vote on all decisions and participate in monthly meetings to plan exhibitions, programs and the overall direction of the gallery. Each artist pays membership dues and thus has ownership over the organization itself and their own career. In this way, the structure of A.I.R. differs from that of dealer-driven galleries. Incoming artists are chosen through a rigorous peer review process that includes reviewing the works of applicants, lengthy discussions and a studio visit by current members.[3] Each artist has to curate her own show, which allows for experimentation and risks that are not always possible in commercial settings.[4] The group soon acknowledged the importance of building a heritage: collaborations and international group shows, in parts curated by their members, were established. The fellowship program in its earliest years provided sponsorship on a case-by-case basis as funds were available. [5][6] Programs From the first year, A.I.R. gallery hosted a variety of programs, including internships, performances, discussions on topics of art and feminism, and community-based events. Programs included Monday-Night Program Series 1972-1981 and Current Issue Series 1982-1987, which included general-audience panels on criticism, the market, public art as well as ‘how-to’s – for example ‘tax night’, and so on. Additionally, there were Exhibition Programs such as Solo Shows of Gallery Artist, and Sponsored Solo Shows for Fellowship Artists, which allowed for certain artists to possess control over the entire gallery, as opposed to a group of artists. Group Shows of National Artists and Group Shows were designed to include a broader community of women artists such as the "Generations" invitational series and juried Biennial Exhibitions. A.I.R. hosted lectures, symposia, and panels for members and nonmembers. The Fellowship Program, founded in 1993, is open to all self-identified women artists who have never had a solo show in NYC. The Fellowship Program is structured to give the Fellows the opportunity to develop their work in preparation for a solo show, to build relationships with other artists and arts professionals, and acquire skills necessary to maintain a not-for-profit gallery or arts organization. The fellowship program in its earliest years provided sponsorship on a case-by-case basis as funds were available. [5][6] Gallery locations The first, self-renovated location for the inaugural A.I.R. exhibition was 97 Wooster Street, which opened on September 16, 1972. After occupying a gallery space at 63 Crosby Street from 1981–1994, A.I.R. Gallery was located at 40 Wooster Street from 1994–2002, at 511 West 25th Street from 2002–2008 and opened a new space at 111 Front Street # 228, Dumbo - Brooklyn, New York, starting with The History Show on October 2, 2008. In May 2015, A.I.R. Gallery moved to a new location. The current address is 155 Plymouth St, Brooklyn, NY 11201; telephone (212) 255-6651. Founding members Dotty Attie, Rachel bas-Cohain, Judith Bernstein, Blythe Bohnen, Maude Boltz, Agnes Denes, Daria Dorosh, Loretta Dunkelman, Mary Grigoriadis, Harmony Hammond, Laurace James, Nancy Kitchell,[8] Louise Kramer, Anne Healy, Rosemary Mayer, Patsy Norvell, Howardena Pindell, Nancy Spero, Susan Williams, Barbara Zucker [9] Artists Artists whose works have been exhibited at the gallery include: Dotty Attie Nancy Azara Susan Bee Judith Bernstein Blythe Bohnen Enid Crow Rosalyn Drexler Sarah Beth Goncarova Judith Henry Jungil Hong Janice Kluge Marcia Kure Ellen McMahon Ana Mendieta Dolgor Ser-Od Erin Siegal Nancy Spero Janise Yntema Sue Hettmansperger Kazuko Miyamoto Zarina JoAnne McFarland Exhibitions Dialectics of Isolation: An Exhibition of Third World Women Artists of the United States. This exhibition was created by artists Ana Mendieta, Kazuko Miyamoto, and Zarina (artist), in which the three artists satirized feminism as a pursuit only for white women, and highlighted the further intersectional struggle women of color, or “the Third World” had to face. (cite this) Tuscan Spring:Rubbings, Scrolls, and Other Works. Artist Nancy Azara connects her body and spirituality with nature in this exhibition. The exhibition comprises of scrolls with leaf tracings, leaf rubbings, collages of leaves, and more. The color scheme includes many bold blues, reds, and purples. (cite this) Variations. Janise Yntema explores texture and shadow and layers materials, such as marble dust, iron powder, or wood on the ground which are then sanded or eroded as they are being painted. Her work is largely inspired by the Abstract Expressionist movement in America. Yntema uses many techniques, including calligraphy, cross-hatching, and drawing. References Gardner-Huggett, Joanna (2012). "Artemisia Challenges the Elders: How a Women Artists' Cooperative Created a Community for Feminism and Art Made by Women". Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies. 33 (2): 55–75. JSTOR 10.5250/fronjwomestud.33.2.0055. Carey Lovelace, a.i.r. ways. From the Catalogue: “A.I.R. Gallery: The History Show, Sept. 16 – Dec. 12, 2008 at Tracy/Barry Gallery, Bobst Library, NYU and A.I.R. Gallery: The History Show, Oct. 2 – Nov. 29, 2008 and Nov. 6 to Nov. 29, 2008 at A.I.R. Gallery, Dumbo, NY” Kat Griefen and Susan Bee, artists in residence: a short history. From the Catalogue: “A.I.R. Gallery: The History Show” "Guide to the A.I.R. Gallery Archives ca. 1972-2006". Fales Library and Special Collections. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2018. Dena Muller, A.I.R. Gallery: a space-time continuum. From the Catalogue: “A.I.R. Gallery: The History Show” Meredith A. Brown 'The Balance Sheet: A.I.R. Gallery and Government Funding' vol.Jan 27, 2011 n.paradoxa: international feminist art journal pp.29-37 Carey Lovelace, a.i.r. ways. From the Catalogue: “A.I.R. Gallery: The History Show” "Guide to the A.I.R. Gallery Archives". Joan M. Marter (ed.) The Grove Encyclopedia of American Art, Volume I, page 151, Oxford University Press (2010). ISBN 978-0-19-973926-4. External links

A.I.R. Gallery website

A.I.R. Gallery on left matrix

NYU's Fales Library Guide to the A.I.R. Gallery Archives

Meredith A. Brown 'The Balance Sheet: A.I.R. Gallery and Government Funding' n.paradoxa:international feminist art journal vol.Jan 27, 2011 pp. 29–37 Harmony Hammond Harmony Hammond (born February 8, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American artist and writer.[1] Hammond was a part of the feminist art movement in New York City in the 1970s.

Biography[edit | edit source] (made more chronological/by subject and fixed grammar/made Hammond more at the forefront) Harmony Hammond earned a B.A. of Arts in painting from the University of Minnesota in 1967.[2] Hammond was part of a group called Heresies Collective alongside Joyce Kozloff, Miriam Schapiro, Joan Semmel, Lucy Lippard, Mary Beth Edelson, Nancy Spero. Hammond and the other members of the Heresies Collective founded the publication, Heresies.[4] Hammond moved to New York in 1969. During the late 1960's, Hammond was married for a short time, and found out she was pregnant with her daughter. Concurrently, she and her husband at the time decided to file for divorce.[6] In 1973, Hammond publicly came out as a lesbian. When Hammond was in New York City, she joined a women’s consciousness-raising group and later co-founded the A.I.R. Gallery, the first women's cooperative art gallery in New York, in 1972. She was an additionally instructor at the New York Feminist Art Institute.[5] Hammond curated A Lesbian Show in 1978 at 112 Greene Street Workshop, featuring works by lesbian artists.[7][8] Hammond additionally served as a co-chair of the Queer Caucus for Art from 1994 to 1996. She was one of the featured artists in the "Great American Lesbian Art Show" at the Woman's Building in 1980. She also curated an exhibition in 1999 at Plan B Evolving Arts in Santa Fe titled Out West, bringing together 41 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and two-spirit artists from the Southwest.[9]In 2000 she published Lesbian Art in America: A Contemporary History.[10] In 1984, she moved to New Mexico.[2] As a tenured full professor, Hammond taught painting, combined media and graduate critiques at the University of Arizona in Tucson, from 1988 to 2005.[2]Hammond continues to teach workshops and writes, curates, and lectures on feminist, lesbian, and queer art.[11]Her art is currently represented by the Dwight Hackett Projects in Sante Fe. (cite) She is featured in two 2010 films on feminist art. One of which is The Heretics, directed by Joan Braderman which focuses on the founders of the magazines Heresies: A Feminist Publication of Art and Politics in 1976. The other is !Women Art Revolution, directed by Lynn Hershman Leeson.[2] Works and recognition[edit | edit source] In her art, Hammond portrays that traditionally feminine qualities are worthwhile artistic subjects and means for artistic creation. To this end, for example, she created sculptures in the early 1970s featuring rag-rugs, which represented the products of women’s traditional handwork, as primary material. Hammond additionally used materials she found, such as gutters, buckets, hair, and straws. Her works are boldly textured and colored. There were four fabric series: Bags (1971), Presences (1972), Floorpieces (1973), and Wrapped Sculptures (1977-1984).[12][13] Harmony Hammond's paintings are almost all abstract.[11] Hammond typically combines paint and sculpture, creating multimedia pieces that relate often to themes of feminism, queerness, and abstractness. In her exhibit, “Inside-Out: Reversing Vandalism”, Hammond displays books that were “vandalized” as she cut holes in the text, which relates back to her theme of censorship. Hammond has had more than 30 solo exhibitions internationally. Her works have been shown in the Tucson Museum of Art, Museum of the City of New York, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, the Vancouver Art Gallery, National Academy Museum, and Museo Tamayo. Her works are also included in permanent collections in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Walker Art Center, the Brooklyn Museum, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Art Institute of Chicago, the New Mexico Museum of Art,[14] and the Wadsworth Atheneum.[15] She has received fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation, and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation among others.[15] In 2013, the Women's Caucus for Art announced that Hammond will be one of the 2014 recipients of the organization's Lifetime Achievement Award.[16] Floorpieces[edit | edit source] In 1973, Hammond created a series of artworks titled Floorpieces.[17] Hammond created these rugs through a traditional braiding style with colorful, remnant fabric she had found in dumpsters. The rag-rugs were then painted selectively with acrylic pigment and were displayed on the ground like rugs. Most of Hammond's Floorpieces were approximately 5 ft. (1.5 m) in diameter and almost 2 in. (5 cm) thick. Erasing Censorship

Erasing Censorship is part of Hammond’s ongoing series of exhibitions regarding voice, tolerance and intolerance, and censorship and how this shapes societal narratives. In 2001 at the San Francisco public library, two workers noticed 600 books relating to queer topics were vandalized. In 2004, Hammond exhibited these vandalized book jackets at the Center for Contemporary Arts in Sante Fe. The readers measured 43” by 29” and were printed on museo silver rag paper.