Interview: Barbara Anderson, Founder of Art on the Ave NYC

1. Tell us about your journey in becoming an art gallerist in New York City after being a school teacher for 27 years.

I would not really call myself a gallerist. If anything, I think I am quite the opposite. A gallerist curates a specific space, works with a select group of artists, and advocates for those artists by fostering relationships with collectors. Art on the Ave NYC is not really about a single space or even about a select group of artists. And though we love people who buy art, don’t get me wrong, we are more about encouraging those who don’t know they are collectors or who have never bought art to connect with a piece and to take that step. 

The journey from school teacher to what I do now is, therefore, not a distant one. As teachers, we should curate environments where people feel comfortable to learn. It is about bringing together all kinds of minds, personalities, and skill sets, and creating a safe yet inspiring space. That is how I think of this project.

We bring people together to collaborate on a final result. The exhibition is the result, but the fun is in the process. Getting a property owner to donate a space, finding local artists who have not exhibited much, and making it all accessible to people who aren’t necessarily looking for art that day. This is the part that is exciting.

2. How did you set up Art on the Ave?

My daughter, Jackie, and I started it during Covid. She lives in Vancouver, Canada, but together, we worked on the plan - from ideation to execution. Though a continent apart, it felt like we were at the kitchen table. 

We found a Business Improvement District that was willing to help connect us to owners. We put out a call for art and reached out to anyone who would help spread the word on social media and via traditional media. We knew we needed funding, so we worked on our pitch. It was hard, and there were many obstacles, but every time it seemed that there was no way, someone would give us a hand or show us a workaround. People helped us because they liked the idea. 

3. How many art shows do Art on the Ave hold annually?

We do two big neighborhood exhibitions a year and then three or four at Fulton Center. We also have several artist residency programs around the city. 

4. Your art shows are held in empty storefronts.  Does the general public react and respond to the artwork on exhibit?

In four years, we have sold almost $400,000 worth of art, which is a lot when our price cap is $3,000. So YES. I would say people are reacting to and appreciating the art.

However, the sales are really secondary. What is more meaningful is the way passersby in communities react to the art. They stop, they scan QR codes, that write to the artists. Very often people thank us for bringing art to the street level and into their community. That is what we love the most.

5.  What interested you in hosting the  UNESCO OCEAN DECADE TIDES OF CHANGE WAVES OF HOPE ART SHOW? Tell us about your interest in ocean preservation.

I think you are living in a deep hole today if you are not interested in the planet's preservation and conservation. The Oceans should be our biggest concern. They surround us all and determine our climate issues. There is not one place anymore that is not being affected by rising water temperatures, for example. It is not about the future any more. It is now that there must be action.

6.  How does the artwork in the UNESCO OCEAN DECADE TIDES OF CHANGE WAVES OF HOPE ART SHOW draw attention to ocean preservation and ocean literacy to better understand, manage, and sustain ocean resources?

When people enter Fulton Center this spring, I think it will be clear what the exhibition is about. Tides of Change Waves of Hope is curated in such a way that we tell a story about the oceans, about what we are doing to them and about what we are risking. There are images of littered waters, abstract work about coral reefs, sea life, and human interaction with it all. It ends with a more fantastical window where people can imagine what they wish. But the message delivered through the artists’ interpretation is clear. And that is the power of art. 

7. Where is the UNESCO OCEAN DECADE TIDES OF CHANGE WAVES OF HOPE ART SHOW taking place?

The art is exhibited over three levels of Fulton Center subway station at 200 Broadway downtown. 

8. Do you have any other ocean—or environmental-themed art shows planned for this year, especially during Climate Change New York, which takes place from September 22 to 30 during the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York?

Tides of Change Waves of Hope will run for three months. We’ll see what else can be planned, but Art on the Ave NYC works with a short lead time as we never know which spaces we will have from one month or exhibition to the next. Our spaces are all for rent, so we can not plan too far in advance. 

Parallel to the UNESCO OCEAN DECADE TIDES OF CHANGE WAVES OF HOPE Art Show, Art on the Ave NYC is also hosting an art show at 33 Maiden Lane, with a theme of Climate Change.

The "Art to Save the Planet Artist Collective" curated by Izzy Church, is timely. Because, this art show is taking place as an EU agency, the Copernicus Climate Change Service announced on April 8 that in the 12 months to March 31st, the world’s temperature had been, on average, 1.58 C, crossing a critical barrier to temperatures never experienced by human civilizations and is featuring work from the latest United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28) by artists Alfons Rodriguez, Fatma Kadir, Ilhan Sayin, Mehmet Kuran and Selva Ozelli.

9. How can people reach you?

People can follow us on Instagram @artontheavenyc. We answer all messages, and of course, we can be reached via the contact link on our website, www.artontheavenyc.com.