Recession Art is pleased to welcome Ivy Challis and Rachel Posner, the first class of RAC interns. In just a few weeks, they’ve become essential members of our team and we can’t thank them enough for their hard work.
Ivy Challis is a Manhattan native, raised in South Florida, and currently lives in Brooklyn. Before moving to New York City, she attended Wheaton College in Massachusetts where she studied Fine Art. Her passion for art and culture lead her back to New York where she continued her art education, taking classes at the New School and the School of the Visual Arts. During this time, she began working at Arthouse Films, a company that distributes films about art and artists. Currently, Ivy is focused on expanding her education and experience working with artists. She says, “I’m really looking forward to going on studio visits to our various artists and seeing where they work- it’s so inspiring!” She was attracted to Recession Art because, “I’ve always believed that art should be accessible to everyone”.
Rachel Posner is a recent graduate of Drew University, receiving a dual degree in Fine Arts and Art History. Prior to joining Recession Art she organized shows at her university’s art gallery, where she says, “I thoroughly enjoyed working in an intimate environment with peers and colleagues as well as the opportunity to work directly with artists and guest curators.” Recently, Rachel interned for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum. When she came across Recession Art’s job posting, she says, “it seemed like a wonderful opportunity to compare working in a gallery to a larger art organization. I was excited that we would all be embarking on this new experience for Recession Art and would give me the chance to try out other areas and ‘departments’ in the art world.” Rachel is also an artist who works between the natural and the abstract working in oil paints and pen and ink. As RAC comes together, she says, “I am really looking forward to watching a show from inception to opening night.”
A few weeks ago, the Recession Art curatorial staff got to take a much-needed reprieve from all the madness that’s been surrounding the preparations for RAC’s Grand Opening. We took a little field trip over to Red Hook, Brooklyn to visit our Featured Artist Megan Berk‘s studio. Going on studio visits is probably one of the most exciting parts of our job because we get a glimpse into the artist’s personal workspace and artistic process. We love being able to see the artists’ progress, their new work, and all their sketches and plans for new projects. We invariably leave feeling very humbled and inspired.
Megan Berk’s studio was no exception. We want to thank Megan for letting us inside and allowing us to share the experience with you on our blog. The following photos are a sneak peak of what you can expect to see at Megan’s solo exhibition, Weird Party on the Other Side of the Hedge, including finished work and works in progress. We hope this glimpse into Megan’s studio will inspire and excite you. Make sure to come out for RAC’s Grand Opening on Saturday January 21st to see it all for yourself.
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Recession Art is thrilled to ring in the New Year by introducing you to RAC, our new space on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. In addition to our semiannual group shows at the Invisible Dog Art Center, Recession Art is partnering with CULTUREfix to open RAC, a contemporary art gallery, store, and performance venue devoted to emerging artists and aspiring collectors. The RAC Grand Opening will take place on January 21 with the opening of Weird Party on the Other Side of the Hedge, a solo exhibition of paintings by Featured Artist Megan Berk.
You can make RAC a reality by donating to Recession Art this season. Donations are welcome in any amount, from $5 to buy paint rollers to $5000 to underwrite an exhibition. In addition, we are offering a rare opportunity for our patrons to receive special recognition and acknowledgement of their role in the creation of RAC. Patrons who make a tax-deductible contribution of $1000 or more will have their names painted by one of our Featured Artists on a prominent, permanent mural inside the RAC storefront.
You can contribute online by visiting RecessionArtShows.com and clicking DONATE at the bottom of the page, or by check made out to “Fractured Atlas” with “Recession Art” in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to us at 9 Clinton Street NY, NY 10002. Recession Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of Recession Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Thank you for your generous support throughout the years. We look forward to celebrating with you at the RAC Grand Opening on January 21 at 9 Clinton Street.
Sincerely,
Emma Katz
Executive Director
Recession Art
RAC
9 Clinton Street
New York, NY 10002
We can’t believe that 2012 is right around the corner. With the new year brings new and exciting changes for Recession Art. On January 21st, we are opening RAC, an additional permanent home in the Lower East Side at the CULTUREfix gallery. We couldn’t be more excited to partner up with the CULTUREfix team and wanted to introduce to you the amazing people we will be working with henceforth.
Ari Stern and Cole Schaffer are the brains behind the Clinton Street bar and gallery. Yes, that’s right, it’s a bar and a gallery. But really the idea behind CULTUREfix is a bit more dynamic, and to call it just a bar/gallery doesn’t really do it justice. Ari and Cole wanted to create an environment that offers “a different idea of a public space”. The idea of CULTUREfix was born when they realized they could offer a space for people to come together in a casual, intimate environment while fueling their creative passion with a dynamic variety of local culture- including artists, writers, musicians, and performers. And because Ari and Cole have a passion for food, they wanted their space to also offer people an eclectic selection of wine, beer and great eats. It’s no question why we are so excited to team up with this dynamic duo and we really couldn’t have done it without them.
To find out more about CULTUREfix, go to: http://culturefixny.com. And stay tuned to the Recession Art blog to track our progress as we prepare for the Grand Opening of RAC on January 21st.
Megan Berk, Greenwich Village Last Days of Youth, 2011
After three years of activity, Recession Art is thrilled to announce its expansion to an additional permanent home on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Recession Art is partnering with CULTUREfix to open RAC, a contemporary art gallery, store, and performance venue devoted to emerging artists and aspiring collectors.
