Mother and daughter team Barbara Anderson and Jackie Graham’s response to the pandemic, the shuttered stores, barren windows and deserted neighborhoods was to create an on-street social initiative to support local artists and bring life back to the streets.
Turning New York’s Columbus Avenue’s empty storefronts into a gallery space, Art on the Ave reimagines street art and democratizes art spaces and access.
Their second exhibition launches in the West Village and runs from April through May. In one year Art on the Avenue has established itself as an organization that spotlights the work of under-represented artists.
After over 150 submissions to their latest exhibition, their curated works will be displayed along Bleecker Street, Christopher Street and Hudson Street, creating what Barbara calls the West Village wander.
Through organization like Art on the Ave and collaborations with initiatives like Back The Neighborhood, we can reimagine what a neighborhood is, and build common-unity.
In their words
“Art on the Ave will not just liven up shopfronts and activate the street, but it will put artists at the center of a discussion that has to happen. A discussion about community and change, about history and healing, about division and diversity.
Showcasing the work of local artists will amplify voices that need to be heard. Voices that tell stories about the marginalized and the disenfranchised – from the Indigenous people who once lived in Manhattan, to the under-served citizens who were disproportionately affected by COVID-19, and the peaceful protestors with a legitimate case to make.
We want this initiative to have a legacy of its own. We know that a ‘pop up’ parade of art in shop windows is fleeting and temporary, but it marks the beginning of something more lasting and meaningful. It’s not enough on its own, but it is enough to get started. We have a chance here to create a “socially distanced” gallery walk. We hope you’ll walk it with us.”