Drawing Center facts for kids
.jpg)
The Drawing Center at 40 Wooster Street
|
|
| Established | 1977 |
|---|---|
| Location | 35 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10013 |
| Type | Art, Special Interest |
The Drawing Center is a unique museum in Manhattan, New York City. It is a special place that focuses on showing drawings. You can see drawings from many different times and by various artists here. It is a non-profit space, meaning it uses its money to help its mission, not to make a profit.
History of The Drawing Center
The Drawing Center was started in 1977 by Martha Beck. She used to be a curator at the Museum of Modern Art. Her idea was to show how important and varied drawing can be. She wanted to highlight drawings as a major art form.
The museum first opened in a warehouse in SoHo. It was at 137 Greene Street. Later, in the late 1980s, it moved to its current home. This building is at 35 Wooster Street. It's a cool 19th-century building with a cast-iron front. In its first year, about 125,000 people visited the center.
In 2012, the museum had a big makeover. It cost $10 million and was designed by Claire Weisz. Now, the museum has two and a half floors. This means it has 50 percent more space to show art!
What You Can Do There
Each year, The Drawing Center puts on special shows. These include "Selections" exhibitions. They feature art by new and upcoming artists. They also show drawings from history and from today.
The museum started a new project in 2012. It plans to show many drawings from Latin American artists. The Drawing Room is another cool part of the center. It's across the street from the main gallery. Here, you can see exciting art installations and shows. These are often by new or less-known artists.
The center also has many programs for everyone. There are events for both kids and adults. You can watch films, listen to readings, or hear artists talk. They also have "The Big Draw." This is a fun day or series of events. Artists lead drawing activities for people of all ages.
How The Drawing Center is Run
Laura Hoptman became the Executive Director in 2018. She used to be a curator at The Museum of Modern Art.
The Drawing Center gets money from different places. In 2005, it received a large grant. This was part of a $20 million donation from New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. The money came from the Carnegie Corporation. For its 2012 renovation, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation gave $3 million. This was one of their biggest gifts for a building project.
The number of visitors has grown over the years. In 2011, about 35,000 people visited each year. By 2018, this number grew to 55,000 visitors a year.
