The Bronx Museum of the Arts Announces New Space Downtown
New Exhibition and Artist Workspace To Host Expansion of AIM, the Museum’s Signature Emerging Artist Program
Photo: ARGENTUM, a new site-specific commission by AIM alumna Grimanesa Amorós. The 9-foot wide sculpture, located at the future home of the extended AIM program in Lower Manhattan at 80 White Street, connects the island of Manhattan and the Bronx.
(New York, NY — September 28, 2018) — The Bronx Museum of the Arts is proud to announce it will soon open an artist workspace and exhibition venue located at 80 White Street in Lower Manhattan, furthering the museum’s mission to support underrepresented artists in New York. Designed to support AIM, the museum’s career development program for emerging New York City artists, the space will serve as a community resource hub featuring private workspaces, exhibition facilities, meeting rooms, and career management resources for the creative and professional development of AIM alumni.
“Room for artists to work, think, and experiment is vital, and this new program at 80 White Street will afford exactly this opportunity,” said Deborah Cullen, Executive Director of The Bronx Museum of the Arts. “We are committed in our advocacy for artists and to the importance of programs like AIM.”
ABOUT AIM AT 80 WHITE STREET
Starting in 2019, the second-floor space at 80 White Street will host an ongoing series of programs including exhibitions, performances, artist talks, and workshops inviting the public to engage with resident artists and the AIM community. AIM’s expansion reinforces the museum’s mission to champion under-recognized voices and support innovative cultural production to ensure that New York’s diverse creative community continues to thrive.
With the addition of a workspace program at 80 White Street, the Bronx Museum will now serve 46 New York- based artists every year at venues in the South Bronx and Lower Manhattan, including 36 emerging artist fellows through the ongoing AIM program and an additional 10 alumni residents at the new space. AIM artists will have the unique opportunity to access a range of professional development resources throughout their careers including training in exhibition design, art handling, documentation exercises, and critical reading, in addition to taking part in clinics on art and law, entrepreneurship, and writing. Resident artists will have full use of the incubator’s 4,500 sq-ft facilities, including a gallery to exhibit new work and works-in- process, a multipurpose space to host programs, and a conference space for meetings.
The space at 80 White Street is a gift from General Hardware Mfg. Co., Inc., helmed by Gerald Weinstein, Martin Weinstein, and Teresa Liszka, longtime supporters of The Bronx Museum of the Arts and the AIM program. They are also the founders of the nonprofit organization Art In General, which they established in 1981 in the Weinstein family’s tool manufacturing business, General Tools.
“We are tremendously grateful to Martin Weinstein and Teresa Liszka, who so generously made the space available to us, and to the enduring legacy of Holly Block, the late Bronx Museum Executive Director. The expansion of the AIM program is a testament to their spirit and generosity,” said Joseph Mizzi, Chairman of The Bronx Museum of the Arts Board of Trustees.
Photo: 80 White Street. Photo by Stefan Hagen. Courtesy of the Bronx Museum of the Arts.
CONNECTING THE CITY
On October 25, 2018, the Bronx Museum will offer a preview of the newly renovated 80 White Street space with a launch party, providing guests with an opportunity to be among the first to see the future home of the AIM alumni residency program and new exhibition space. Tickets are available here.
The celebration will feature the unveiling of ARGENTUM, a luminous site-specific sculpture by AIM artist alumni Grimanesa Amorós, commissioned by Martin Weinstein and Teresa Liszka. The artwork is comprised of two main sections which connect the location of the Bronx Museum with its new hub at 80 White Street—the left side is based on the island Manhattan, while the right is the Bronx. The sculpture is made of LEDs, diffusion and reflective material, custom lighting sequence, electrical hardware, and steel.
“The relationship between 80 White Street’s steel reinforced foundation and AIM’s second home in Lower Manhattan inspired me to combine two vital parts of the building; it’s foundation and residents. As the piece occupies most of the entrance, the viewer is constantly interacting with it. When entering and exiting the building, the observer sees themselves, but much like light’s speed, it can never be fully captured and only appreciated in movement,” said Grimanesa Amorós, AIM alumni artist.
ABOUT AIM
For nearly 40 years, The Bronx Museum of the Arts has supported New York’s artist community through AIM, the museum’s signature artist training program offering career enhancement resources to emerging artists living in New York City. Mentored by a distinguished faculty of industry experts, AIM artists engage in an intensive series of seminars and activities that aid artists in building sustainable studio practices while expanding peer and professional networks. Since its founding, AIM has provided pivotal support to a diverse roster of over 1,200 artists including Diana Al-Hadid, Firelei Báez, Abigail DeVille LaToya Ruby Frazier, Debbie Grossman, Sarah Oppenheimer, Jason Peters, and Jacolby Satterwhite. Full list of AIM artist alumni here.
ABOUT THE BRONX MUSEUM OF THE ARTS
The Bronx Museum of the Arts is an internationally recognized cultural destination that presents innovative contemporary art exhibitions and education programs and is committed to promoting cross-cultural dialogues for diverse audiences. Since its founding in 1971, the Museum has played a vital role in the Bronx by helping to make art accessible to the entire community and connecting with local schools, artists, teens, and families through its robust education initiatives. In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the Museum implemented a universal free admission policy, supporting its mission to make arts experiences available to all audiences. The Museum’s collection comprises over 1,000 modern and contemporary artworks in all media and highlights works by artists of African, Asian, and Latin American ancestry, as well as artists for whom the Bronx has been critical to their development. Located on the Grand Concourse, the Museum’s home is a distinctive contemporary landmark designed by the internationally recognized firm Arquitectonica.
CONNECT
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PRESS CONTACT
Marcella Zimmermann
Vice President, Cultural Counsel
marcella@culturalcounsel.com
1040 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY, 10456 T: 718 681 6000 F: 718 681 6181 W: www.bronxmuseum.org
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