Park Place Gallery facts for kids

The Park Place Gallery was a special art gallery in New York City. It was open from 1963 to 1967. This gallery was important after World War II. It showed art that used shapes and explored space.

It was one of the first galleries in the Lower Manhattan area known today as SoHo. The gallery first opened in 1963 near Park Place. In 1965, it moved to a bigger spot at 542 West Broadway. This new space was large and open. It had a main exhibition room and a smaller showing area in the back. Often, they featured two artists at a time: one painter and one sculptor.

The first director of the Park Place Gallery was John Gibson. He later started his own gallery. Paula Cooper took over as director after him. When Park Place Gallery closed, Paula Cooper opened her own gallery. She became a leader in the modern art world. She helped many new art galleries open in New York City in the 1970s.

History of the Gallery

Artists Move to SoHo

In the early 1960s, many artists came to Lower Manhattan. They found large, cheap spaces in old warehouses. These became their art studios. Soon, art dealers and gallery owners also started opening new places nearby.

By 1966, SoHo was becoming a lively artist community. The Park Place Gallery became a popular meeting spot for artists. Many people came to the gallery for music shows and other special events. During the 1960s and 1970s, places like Max's Kansas City and St. Adrian's bar were also popular hangouts. Young artists, writers, and creative people gathered there.

Starting the Park Place Gallery

The Park Place Gallery first opened near Park Place in Lower Manhattan. It was started in 1962 by 10 artists working together. These artists included Mark di Suvero, Dean Fleming, Robert Grosvenor, Forrest Myers, Peter Forakis, Leo Valledor, Tamara Melcher, Tony Magar, and Edwin Ruda. John Gibson was the first person to manage the gallery. Later, artists like David Novros, John Baldwin, and Gay Glading joined the group.

The gallery showed art by younger, less famous artists. They focused on art with clear shapes, called Geometric abstraction. They also showed shaped canvas art, Hard-edge painting, and Op art. Many artists who showed their work here were interested in new ideas. This included modern architecture, electronic music, and minimal art.

Later Years and New Location

In 1965, the gallery moved to 542 West Broadway. This spot is near LaGuardia Place and Houston Street, close to SoHo. By this time, Paula Cooper was the director. The gallery became a very important place for the art scene downtown. It was a hub for new and experimental art. They held weekly poetry readings and concerts by new music composers. Their art show openings always brought in big crowds of young artists. The Lannan Foundation also gave them money to help.

Closing and What Came Next

The Park Place Gallery closed in 1967.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, art in New York City changed a lot. New styles appeared, like Conceptual art, Earth Art, and Minimal Art. The growth of art galleries in SoHo was a big change. The Park Place Gallery helped to start this new gallery scene. After the gallery closed, Paula Cooper used her experiences there. She opened the Paula Cooper Gallery in SoHo.

In 2008, the Blanton Museum of Art in Texas held a special art show. It was called Reimagining Space: The Park Place Gallery Group in 1960s New York. This show featured the artists from the Park Place Gallery.

Artists of the Gallery

Many artists connected to the gallery were known as The Park Place Group. The Park Place Gallery showed works by both new and older artists. Often, it was their first time showing art in a gallery.

Founders of the Gallery

The artists who founded the Park Place Gallery included:

Artists Who Exhibited

The following artists showed their work at Park Place Gallery: