Rush Arts Gallery Resource Center and Corridor Gallery

In the 1990s, the mission of Rush Arts Gallery was to provide resources and support to early career, non-commercial artists of color who lacked representation in Chelsea’s art district. Since it’s establishment, this mission has been expanded to support the diverse creative practices of the entire emerging artistic community, including artists, curators and writers from around the globe.  Rush Arts Gallery and Corridor Gallery provides an inclusive space for new audiences and promotes experimental ventures in visual production, curatorial work, performance art and community involvement.

Artist and Curator Submissions

The curatorial approach showcases innovative and quality work, with an eye toward social, political and environmental consciousness and representing artists of color in a way rarely seen in the commercial gallery world.  The projects include thematic group exhibitions and solo artist exhibitions that range from performance or video to traditional 2D and 3D works.

Artists and guest curators are selected from an annual pool of submissions that are reviewed by art professionals and is free and open to the public.

Artist in Residency Program (AIR)

Rush Arts Gallery sponsors a summer Artist in Residency Program (AIR), that provides studio space to a recent MFA graduate student who is in need of workspace.  This AIR also includes a solo exhibition at Rush Arts Gallery Project Space.

First Look Program

Our First Look Program is an engaging community outreach program designed to bring in school groups to help demystify the art world  and to foster a new appreciation for art as a catalyst for personal and communal change.  The groups are invited to the space where they listen to a presentation about the gallery and are taken to various galleries in the area to discuss the differences between non-profit spaces and commercial galleries.

The Rush galleries maintain a very diverse audience that is constantly growing, evolving, and expanding in scope.  There is a strong ethnic diversity to our audience and by continuing to design the programming of our exhibitions thematically and across different mediums and aesthetics.  We are successful in attracting new and diverse audiences and topics of discussion for each of our exhibitions.  Both Galleries are a resource for the community and donates the use of its spaces for events in all disciplines, ranging from one-night events and book signings to grassroots fundraisers and educational lectures.  In 2008, the Gallery was awarded the Mayor’s Award for Arts and Culture from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs for its pioneering programming.

For more information about the artist submission process or to catch an upcoming exhibition, please visit the galleries at www.rushartsgallery.org.