Art in General

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Art in General [1] is a non-profit contemporary art exhibition space in New York, New York.

Mission Statement

Founded in 1981 in Lower Manhattan, Art in General is a nonprofit organization that assists artists with the production and presentation of new work. It changes in response to the needs of artists and informs and engages the public about their work.

History and Background

Art in General was founded by artists Martin Weinstein and Teresa Liszka in the General Hardware building-- hence the name "Art in General." Weinstein and Liszka aimed to create a space where artists could exhibit unconventional work and exchange ideas with their peers. Nearly twenty-five years later, Art in General maintains its place as an important resource for emerging artists, presenting exhibitions of new work in all media.

Starting in the fall of 2005, Art in General will focus on commissioning challenging new work that may not otherwise be publicly realized. With an inventive new commissions program, the organization will facilitate the production and exhibition of original work, adapting its mode of support (whether technical, social, academic or undefined) according to what is required for the full realization of projects. Half of the selected new commissions projects were selected by Art in General and half were selected from an open call for proposals reviewed by an advisory panel comprised of artists, curators, writers, and other arts professionals.

Art in General also maintains an Artist Residency Program designed to give national and international artists the opportunity to present and create new work. The residency allows artists to create original work on site in an open studio atmosphere and to establish a dialogue between artists and the public. Beginning in 2005, Art in General is participating in a residency collaboration with five different contemporary Eastern European art organizations in Poland, Hungary, Croatia, and the Czech Republic. Five New York artists will travel to different European partner sites, while five residencies will bring Eastern European artists to Art in General.

Art in General’s street-level Project Space gives prominent store-front space to single, room-size installations and group exhibitions by artists. The elevator hosts a changing selection of artists’ audio works that are played during the journey up and down from the 4th and 6th floors.

With an inner-city arts education program, artist residencies, other exhibition opportunities and a full calendar of public programs, the organization has become a magnet and a resource for those interested in new ways of thinking about contemporary art. Since Art in General’s foundation in 1981, over 4,000 artists have exhibited their work in a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, installation, audio, video, performance, and new media. Audiences for public programs now number 25,000 annually and through various publications, collaborations with other institutions and a website, Art in General extends its programs beyond the exhibition space.