A.I.R. Gallery

Founded in 1972, A.I.R. Gallery is the first all-women artist-directed art gallery in the United States. The name, A.I.R., stands for Artists in Residence, and comes from a habit that arose in 1970s SoHo, when artists put up signs on commercial spaces they were occupying to warn the fire department that artists were living there.

The gallery offers a fellowship program designed for emerging or underrepresented artists, which allows the artists to have one solo show, as well as participate in a community project, such as a discussion, a demonstration, or a performance piece.

The gallery is comprised of 22 New York artists who are also in charge of curating and installing their own exhibitions. This gives the artists a sense of control over their media and presentation. In addition to exhibits, A.I.R. Gallery offers an extensive public programming that engages artists of all backgrounds and generations.

The Plymouth Street space is the first time since their founding in SOHO in the 70s that the gallery returns to a street level location.