Artists Space (Manhattan, NY)

“The mission of Artists Space is to encourage diversity and experimentation in the arts, to provide an exhibition space for untried art and artists, and to foster an appreciation for the role that artists play in our community as reporters, provocateurs, commentators, and peers.”

The gallery, Artist’s Space, is fairly hard to find. It’s located on a small cobblestone side street of Soho on the third floor. The short stone building with tall windows and columns is just about the same as all the others on the block. There is now a banner to indicate that the gallery is inside, but the number above the door is easy to miss.

The gallery space, a single floor in a loft, is divided up by interior walls that create a kind of twisty, maze-like feeling. There are only a few freestanding pieces, which makes the gallery seem to be fairly sparse, almost empty. The staff provides good explanations of the artists’ motives, helping to make the artwork more understandable and accessible to the uninitiated.

If you like the New Museum of Contemporary Art, then Artist’s Space would most likely interest you as well. Even someone who is interested in art in general, not specifically contemporary art, would probably enjoy a look around. Since the gallery is small, a visit there should only take about an hour, once you find it that is.