This August, Gallery Particulier began leading an exciting new effort to change how visual art is distributed through New York City. Called The Lab: Network the Visual Arts, the initiative’s mission is simple but ambitious:
to connect artists, institutions, community groups, and other stakeholders in ways that spark new ideas and real changes in how art is distributed and experienced.
Visual art should be part of daily life—not confined to galleries or museums, but woven into the spaces where people actually live, work, and gather. The Lab is the place to design that future collectively.
The First Session
On August 5, the inaugural working session brought together voices from art, education, community organizing, and beyond. The conversation ranged from murals that transform neighborhoods, to collaborations with women’s shelters, to mobile art installations, to the possibilities of augmented reality. What united all these ideas was a shared belief that art can—and should—be accessible, community-driven, and deeply connected to place.
Key themes from the discussion included:
- Collaboration across sectors – connecting with schools, housing authorities, social services, and local businesses
- Art in everyday spaces – from laundromats and playgrounds to shelters and street corners
- Community authorship – fostering pride and ownership through art created by and for local residents
- New tools for access – exploring augmented reality and lending-library models for art distribution
- The minutes are available and here are the full transcripts, including the chat, and the recordings.
Ways to Contribute
The Lab remains open to new voices and supporters.
Those who wish to contribute can:
- Participate in upcoming Lab sessions (next one planned for late September)
- Connect the initiative with people or organizations that can bring valuable perspectives
- Support the effort through donations, fundraising, or grant partnerships
- Share ideas for making visual art part of everyday spaces
As Justin Freeman, our Co-Executive Director, puts it:
“If people aren’t going to galleries or museums, then we need to rethink where art belongs. We’re asking who gets to live with it, and how we can rewire the system so visual art is present in the spaces where real life happens.”
Those interested in participating, fundraising, or commenting can contact us at contact@galleryparticulier.org. Together, an art network can be built that truly belongs to everyone.
Participants in the first session:
Alberto Aguilar
Alberto Aguilar is a Chicago-based artist who transforms everyday materials and encounters into playful, boundary-breaking works. His projects—shown in museums and unconventional public spaces—invite connection and reimagining of the familiar.
Alex Pint
Alex Pint is the coordinator for Gallery Particulier’s Lab project, facilitating connections between artists, institutions, and community stakeholders. With a background in design, Alex focuses on fostering collaboration to expand access to visual arts in NYC. He has his own design studio, Doorstop Design Studio.
Allan Wexler
Allan Wexler is a New York artist whose work blends architecture, design, sculpture, and performance to reframe daily rituals. His installations encourage viewers to slow down, interact, and reconsider how we live together.
Andrew Lockhart
Andrew Lockhart is a curator and cultural connector who links artists, communities, and institutions through public art and collaboration. He creates spaces that foster authentic relationships and creative exchange.
Arabella von Arx
Arabella von Arx, founder of Gallery Particulier, is an art critic and writer who connects people, ideas, and art across borders. Her work is guided by joy, curiosity, and inclusivity.
Harry Siegel
Harry Siegel is a Brooklyn-born journalist covering New York City’s political and social justice challenges. He brings insight, wit, and a commitment to accountability in his writing and public commentary.
Hayley Ferber
Hayley Ferber is a Brooklyn-based curator, educator, and artist dedicated to supporting creative communities. She produces exhibitions, programs, and advocacy that amplify artists’ voices.
Ivi Lewis
Ivi Lewis is an urbanist designing inclusive public spaces and neighborhood plans rooted in residents’ lived experiences. Her work bridges policy, grassroots organizing, and design.
Justin Freeman
Justin Freeman is a community leader and arts advocate connecting diverse communities through accessible, transformative art. He sees the arts as a unifying force for social change.
Monxo Lopez
Monxo López is the Community Curator at the Museum of the City of New York and its first Latinx curator. A Bronx-based cartographer, educator, and storyteller, his work explores place, identity, and social justice. He brings his vision and expertise to Gallery Particulier’s Lab initiative.
Sharan Sklar
Sharan Sklar is a San Francisco–based cultural strategist who helps organizations design equitable, community-rooted communications. Her work centers on trust, local voices, and participation.
Quiana Dumas
Quiana Dumas is the manager of our Gallery Particulier nonprofit, junior curator, and its Community Engagement Manager at Gallery Particulier, where she builds connections between artists and audiences. Her work reflects a deep commitment to community-driven cultural exchange.