White Columns was founded in 1970 by a group of visionary artists in New York City. The organization – which was originally known as ‘112 Greene Street’ – would act as a catalyst for the subsequent ‘alternative art’ space movement of the 1970s and 1980s. Over the past six decades literally thousands of artists have benefitted from the early support of White Columns, many of whom would go on to change the course of art history.

Lee Quiñones and Fred Brathwaite had their debut New York exhibition at White Columns in 1980. Read on to learn how White Columns was influential in bringing the subway graffiti movement into the gallery and contemporary art world.

As we reflect on our past, we hope you consider making a donation of any size to ensure White Columns’ continued independence and commitment to supporting artists.

“An artist takes a leap of faith in every work they create and gallerists should be able to identify that and take that same leap of faith forward in support of them.

Back in 1980, White Columns, then under the direction of Josh Baer, took note of the counter-culturalists Charlie Ahearn and Glenn O’Brien’s recommendation to take that leap forward and introduced the subway graffitist movement to the New York art world. With this, White Columns gave myself and Fred Braithwaite our first New York gallery exhibition, New Painting: The Third Phase.

Back then the gallery was located in the outer reaches of West Spring Street, which was a no-man’s land and off the radar, but Baer placed his finger on the pulse of what was to come. Hence, White Columns played an essential role in the birth of what would become the world’s largest art movement.”

– Lee Quiñones

White Columns
91 Horatio Street
New York, NY 10014
Tuesday–Saturday, 11 AM – 6 PM
info@whitecolumns.org
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