SELECTED CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
Art State works over long arcs of time, accompanying the emergence, migration, and preservation of cultural districts. The projects below reflect a continuous engagement with West Chelsea as an evolving cultural ecosystem—its galleries, studios, buildings, and the policies that shape their futures.
West Chelsea Cultural Migration — Lerner Group Era (1995–2008)
The early transformation of West Chelsea emerged through sustained cultural strategy, gallery relocation, and the adaptive reuse of industrial architecture. Between 1995 and 2008, more than five hundred galleries were guided into the neighborhood, reshaping its industrial landscape into what would become one of the world’s most influential contemporary art districts. This foundational work established the cultural geography that continues to define West Chelsea’s identity and global artistic relevance.
West Chelsea Gallery Ecology & Cultural Resilience (1995–Present)
Following the formation of the district, the work shifted toward sustaining its long-term cultural life. As the neighborhood matured, strategies focused on preserving the presence of artists and galleries, anticipating displacement pressures, and helping reshape how the city understands cultural policy and cultural infrastructure. Three decades of continuous stewardship have contributed to the endurance of a once-fragile ecosystem that remains central to New York’s cultural landscape.
Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts (1998)
Identified and negotiated the acquisition of an 85,000-square-foot building that became one of New York City’s major nonprofit cultural anchors, providing subsidized artist studios, a renowned printmaking workshop, and exhibition programming. The project contributed to the long-term stability of a large community of artists and reinforced Midtown as a vital center for cultural production.
529 Arts (2023–2025)
A contemporary cultural hub in Chelsea encompassing galleries, conservators, and foundations, designed to strengthen community, creative work, and interdisciplinary exchange.
• The Private Lounge — A member-based creative workspace supporting artistic focus, wellbeing, and connection.
• The Curator Lab — An exhibition platform for experimental, research-driven, and socially engaged projects.
• The Viewing Room — A boutique art-handling and presentation space currently in development.
Together, these spaces expand the cultural fabric of West Chelsea and deepen its support structures for artists, gallerists, and art workers.
Cultural Stewardship & Creative Land Trust Research (Present)
Strategic advising for nonprofit and community-led initiatives developing long-term models for cultural permanence. Current work focuses on Creative Land Trust frameworks, new governance structures, and sustainable cultural infrastructure capable of withstanding real-estate volatility. This research builds on three decades of ecosystem development, extending cultural stewardship toward new forms of collective ownership and community control.
SELECTED CURATORIAL & CULTURAL PROJECTS
Jack Shainman Gallery (2022–2025)
Cultural strategy, site acquisition, and conceptual visioning for The Hall, a landmarked 30,000-square-foot interior in Tribeca’s historic Clocktower Building. The project reframed a richly ornamented architectural environment as a new model for contemporary exhibition-making, treating heritage architecture not as constraint but as an active participant in artistic experience. This collaboration helped expand the possibilities for cultural space-making and reimagined how galleries might inhabit New York’s historical fabric.
Guided by Invoices — Contemporary Gallery & Experimental Platform (2011–2013)
A Chelsea-based gallery dedicated to interdisciplinary and conceptually driven work across painting, sculpture, installation, and new media. The space functioned as a site for artistic experimentation and inquiry, contributing to the intellectual and aesthetic ecology of Chelsea’s contemporary art scene.
Markel Fine Arts (2018) — Four Degrees of Abstraction
A group exhibition exploring how abstraction is shaped by geography, cultural context, and artistic lineage.
Québec Government Office in New York (2012) — Under the Radar: The New Visionaries
An exhibition presented at Guided by Invoices and featured within the Armory Show VIP program. The project brought together Canadian artists whose work examined displacement through environmental, psychological, and domestic lenses.
RESEARCH, POLICY & PUBLIC CONTRIBUTIONS
High Line Public Hearing — Surface Transportation Board (2003)
Provided expert testimony during the federal hearing on the High Line’s proposed demolition, advocating for its preservation and transformation into civic cultural infrastructure.
Center for an Urban Future — Reports (2010, 2015)
Contributed expert insight to two landmark policy reports that shaped the citywide conversation on affordability and the long-term sustainability of creative life in New York.
New York City Council — Testimony on Cultural Space (2011)
Invited to testify at an oversight hearing on vacant urban space, emphasizing the need for long-term cultural strategy and stability for artists.
PANELS, JURIES & PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
• Panelist, Women in Spaces Past/Present — FXCollaborative (2019)
• Juror, Chelsea International Fine Art Competition (2017)
RECOGNITION
Endorsed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as an individual of extraordinary ability in the arts (O-1 visa), later naturalized as a U.S. citizen for ongoing cultural contributions.