kids encyclopedia robot

The Times Square Show facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Public poster produced for The Times Square Show
A poster for The Times Square Show.

The Times Square Show was a super cool art show that happened in Times Square, New York City, in June 1980. It was put together by a group of artists called Colab (which stands for Collaborative Projects, Inc). They used an old, empty building for the show. This exhibition was special because it was open all day and all night, every day for a whole month! It featured not just paintings and sculptures, but also music, fashion, performances, and videos. For many artists, it was a place to share ideas and try out new ways to make art that talked about social and political topics.

Why This Art Show Was Important

The Times Square Show was a big deal in art history. Its importance was highlighted again in 2012 with a new exhibition called The Times Square Show Revisited. This newer show was held at The Hunter College Art Galleries. It helped people remember how special the original show was. There was also a book and a website with interviews from the artists who were part of the first show.

A magazine called WideWalls said that the Times Square Show was the first art show to really bring together people from all different backgrounds. It connected people who might not have met otherwise.

Getting the Word Out: Promoting the Show

The art world in New York found out about the Times Square Show in some interesting ways. The Colab group advertised on TV! They also put ads on a giant digital screen in Times Square. This was possible thanks to Colab member Jane Dickson.

They made three short TV commercials that played on Channel 5. One ad even featured a unique performer named Jack Smith. Other artists like Glenn O'Brien and Betsy Sussler also appeared in video ads. Colab artists also made and handed out posters and flyers on the streets. A writer named Richard Goldstein wrote a long article about the show in The Village Voice newspaper. All this promotion helped many different people come to see the art show in the busy Times Square area.

What Happened at the Show

The Times Square Show was open 24 hours a day for 30 days straight! Most of the artists came from groups like Colab, White Columns, Fashion Moda, or The Harlem Workshop. There were films, videos, poetry readings, live music, and art performances. Sometimes, the audience would even get into arguments about whether a performance was good or not! Some Colab artists even stayed overnight at the show.

Many cool artworks were displayed:

  • Tom Otterness showed a sculpture called Symbolic Anatomy, which was half-skeleton and half-man. It was placed in the front window.
  • Justen Ladda made a huge drawing in the basement.
  • Coleen Fitzgibbon and Robin Winters showed their special wallpaper.
  • Cara Perlman displayed large portrait paintings.
  • Jenny Holzer had hand-painted metal signs with messages, like "Many Dogs Run Wild in the City."
  • Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf showed a video they made together.
  • David Hammons displayed broken wine bottles.

Artists John Ahearn and Rigoberto Torres made plaster sculptures of people right there on the street! Sophie VDT and Mary Lemley even put on fashion shows.

The show also had a "Gift Shop" area, which later became known as The A. More Store. It sold affordable art items made by the artists. You could find things like:

  • Bobby G's "Money Talks" pins.
  • Kiki Smith’s "Bloody-Hand Ashtrays."
  • Joseph Nechvatal's "Nuclear War Table Placemats."
  • Jenny Holzer’s "Manifesto" posters.

The A. More Store became so popular that it opened in other places too!

Important people from the art world, like gallery owners and art writers, came to visit the show. Artists like Bobby G, Mathew Geller, Mitch Corber, and Julie Harrison made videos inside and outside the show, often interviewing people who came to see it. Photographers like Andrea Callard and Tom Warren took pictures of the art and performances. The rock band The Raybeats even played live music there!

Artists Who Participated

Many artists were part of this amazing show, including:

See also

  • Colab
  • ABC No Rio
  • No wave cinema
  • Post-punk
kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
The Times Square Show Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.