The Painting Center

The Painting Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to the exploration of painting in all its possibilities; it does not champion one school or tradition, but welcomes and encourages diverse viewpoints regardless of their market appeal. The Painting Center is a gathering place for painters and those who love painting; it is a democratic arena that fosters dialogue, experimentation, and community among artists.

Founded and managed by artist-members, the gallery hosts approximately 20 exhibitions a year, and fills several important needs in the New York art world: exhibition opportunities for emerging, mid-career and under-recognized artists and a space for curators to mount challenging shows. These shows have received critical support and have been recognized in the community of artists as presenting an alternative voice. Guest curated exhibitions as well as solo and small group presentations are often accompanied by catalogs, panel discussions, lectures, readings and concerts.

Guest curators have organized and mounted over 80 exhibitions over the twenty-year history of the organization. High school and college students participate in educational outreach and internship programs. The Painting Center also sponsors and participates in traveling and exchange exhibitions, nationally and internationally. The public events held at The Painting Center in connection with curated group exhibitions have gained momentum and have drawn audiences of over a hundred people. These educational initiatives further The Painting Center’s goal of engaging artists and gallery visitors as participants. They foster thinking about the cultural, aesthetic and political issues surrounding contemporary art, and, in particular, further a crucial discussion regarding the vast traditions of painting and evolving present artistic practice.