(Photo: Emily Colucci)
In what’s quickly becoming the art-world trend of the summer, another Chelsea gallery is heading downtown.
Following in the footsteps of Klemens Gasser & Tanja Grunert, Inc., Monya Rowe Gallery is leaving its second-floor space on West 22nd Street. Rowe says she was looking to “increase the visibility of the gallery by moving to a ground-floor space, and this one on the Lower East Side became available at the right time.”
The larger space at 34 Orchard Street is positioned between the Miguel Abreu Gallery and Kerry Schuss, as well as across the street from the new Klemens Gasser & Tanja Grunert, Inc. As Rowe observes, “This is a great location because of the proximity of the other galleries. I’m on one of the best blocks down there. People can conveniently visit a large number of galleries in the Lower East Side in the same way that they can in Chelsea.”
While Rowe plans on renovating the new space throughout August, she isn’t touching the sign that formerly belonged to a clothing shop. “I fell in love with the gold and black facade,” she said. “It stands out, and is quite beautiful. I am often told that my gallery has a distinctive point of view, so it seemed right to choose a space that is a little unique.”
The new space’s inaugural show, opening September 8, will be a group exhibition of the gallery’s represented artists including Ann Toebbe, Larissa Bates and Vera Iliatova. The new space also features a basement level exhibition space, which will open with a video by multimedia artist Jacolby Satterwhite.