A.I.R. Gallery facts for kids

A.I.R. Gallery, 155 Plymouth St, Brooklyn

A.I.R. Gallery (which stands for Artists in Residence) is a special art gallery in the United States. It was started in 1972 by a group of women artists. Their goal was to create a professional place where women could show their art. At that time, most art galleries in New York City mainly showed art by men.

A.I.R. Gallery is a non-profit group. This means they don't try to make money from selling art. Instead, they focus on supporting artists. The gallery is run by its own artists who live in New York. It used to be in SoHo and then in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Since 2015, it has been at 155 Plymouth Street in Brooklyn.

The gallery wants to show how talented and diverse women artists are. It also works to challenge old ideas about female artists. A.I.R. hopes to be an example for other artists who want to start their own art groups.

History of A.I.R. Gallery

A.I.R. Gallery was founded in 1972. It was the first non-profit, artist-run gallery for women in the country. The gallery's main idea was not to sell art. Instead, it wanted to change how people thought about art made by women. It offered women artists a place to show new and creative work. This work didn't have to follow popular market trends.

The gallery was built on ideas of working together and making decisions as a group. This way, A.I.R. still gives women artists a unique place to show their art. It helps protect their creative process and individual artistic voices.

How A.I.R. Gallery Started

Two artist friends, Barbara Zucker and Susan Williams, found it hard to find art dealers. So, they decided to look for other women artists to start a cooperative gallery. In the 1970s, there weren't many women artists shown in New York. For example, a protest at the Whitney Museum in 1970 showed that less than 5% of the art was by women.

With help from art critic Lucy Lippard, Barbara and Susan, along with Dotty Attie and Mary Grigoriadis, visited many studios. They invited women artists to join their new co-op.

First Meeting and Challenges

The first meeting was on March 17, 1972, in Susan Williams' loft. Many important women artists attended. These included Maude Boltz, Linda Vi Vona, Nancy Spero, Louise Bourgeois, Howardena Pindell, Ree Morton, Harmony Hammond, Cynthia Carlson, and Sari Dienes.

The artists wanted their work to be seen as high quality. They also had to deal with fighting old ideas and fears. Some people thought art by women might be "second-rate." After the gallery opened, one man even said, "Okay, you did it; you found 20 good women artists. But that's it." This showed the challenges they faced.

How the Gallery Works

A.I.R. Gallery was designed to be both an art space and a progressive organization. Because it's a cooperative, all members vote on decisions. They also meet monthly to plan shows and the gallery's future. Each artist pays membership fees. This means they own a part of the organization and have control over their own careers. This is different from galleries run by art dealers.

New artists are chosen carefully. Current members review their work, have long discussions, and visit their studios. Each artist gets to plan her own show. This allows for new ideas and risks that might not be possible in regular art galleries. The group also started working with other artists and holding international shows.

Why the Name "A.I.R."?

The name "A.I.R." came up during one of the first meetings. Artist member Howardena Pindell suggested "Jane Eyre." From that, the word "air" came up, and then "A.I.R." This name also referred to the "Artist in Residence" certificate. This certificate allowed artists to live in commercial buildings in SoHo that were not usually for homes.

Programs at A.I.R. Gallery

A.I.R. Gallery offers several programs to support artists and the community. These include:

• Solo shows for gallery artists.
• Group shows for artists from across the country.
• Lectures and discussions about art.
• A special Fellowship Program.
• An Internship Program.

The Fellowship Program

The Fellowship Program started in 1993. It is open to women and non-binary artists. To join, artists must not have had a solo show in New York City recently. This program helps Fellows get ready for their own solo art shows. They also build connections with other artists and art professionals. The program teaches them skills needed to run a non-profit gallery. Fellows leave the program with new relationships, experiences, and skills to help their art careers.

Gallery Locations Over Time

The first A.I.R. Gallery exhibition opened on September 16, 1972, at 97 Wooster Street. The artists renovated this space themselves. Over the years, the gallery moved several times to different locations in New York City. Since May 2015, its current home has been at 155 Plymouth Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

Founding Members

These are some of the artists who helped start A.I.R. Gallery:

• 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
• Louise Kramer
• Anne Healy
• Rosemary Mayer
• Patsy Norvell
• Howardena Pindell
• Nancy Spero
• Susan Williams
• Barbara Zucker

Current Members

A.I.R. Gallery has different types of memberships for women artists. The New York Artist membership is for women artists living in the New York area. The National Membership program includes women artists from all over the United States. There are also Alumnae and Adjunct programs for past members who want to stay connected to the gallery.

Artists Exhibited

Many artists have shown their work at A.I.R. Gallery. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: A.I.R. Gallery para niños