Get Outside (The [White] Box): Recess Activities

Featured Member Profile

Ask my 6-year-old son the not-particularly-well-thought-out question, “What was the best part of school today?” and there’s a good chance that his response will be, “Recess!”.  And why not?  Recess offers him a host of opportunities: creativity, self-expression, the exchange of ideas with peers, and meaningful interactions with others who share his interests. How appropriate that a contemporary art venue in NYC’s SoHo that prioritizes and facilitates interactions between working artists and the community goes by the name “Recess”.

A new, non-traditional, street-level art space that provides contemporary and emerging artists with space to use as a studio, exhibition venue, or grounds for experimentation, Recess Activities is open to the public, facilitating meaningful visual and intellectual interactions between artists and the community. Recess offers artists two- or three-month public residencies, during which artists define the context of their creative goals and gain public visibility. Founder and executive director Allison Weisberg tells us what happens when the artistic process is demystified…

Allison, would you please tell us about Recess’s mission?

Recess aims to support the creative process of the contemporary artist by providing a space for productive activity and a platform for a partnership with the public. We offer flexible work/exhibition residencies, giving artists agency to determine distinctions between their process and product, as well as allowing them to control the visibility of their work and the parameters of its presentation. Recess facilitates everyday interactions between artists and the public in order to promote the artist’s studio as a site of valuable visual and intellectual interactions.

Recess is neither a studio nor gallery; instead, we ask each artist to define the space in relation to his or her own specific creative goals. Rather than presenting a finished product one might encounter in a gallery, we hope to expose the rigor implied by the creative process. We have no interest in setting up a fishbowl for visitors to observe the artist at work from a distance; Recess hopes to engage visitors in projects that acknowledge the role of an active audience.

What led you to create Recess?

I formed Recess in May 2009 to address concerns that emerging artists cannot afford to live or work in proximity to exhibition communities. Securing a platform to gain visibility, as well as to develop creative goals and a professional career, is often an insurmountable task. A second goal was to actively respond to changing modes of production. Contemporary artwork, unlike more traditional forms, is often site-specific, performance-based or ephemeral in nature. The traditional gallery space cannot always respond to interactive, process-based artistic production. The artist’s studio is also changing: no longer bound to conventional space, the studio of the contemporary artist is the street, the gallery, or anywhere the practitioner chooses to work. Recess hopes to address these concerns, while also breaking down barriers between emerging artists and an inquisitive public.

Are there other art spaces in the U.S. that have inspired you, either to offer something similar, or to offer something that would not be otherwise available?

Before founding Recess, I worked in the education departments of the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. As a painter, educator and administrator, I enjoy a uniquely personal relationship to the visual arts. I formed Recess because I believe in rigorous arts programming that responds to the conditions of contemporary artistic practice. Preparing for the 2008 Whitney Biennial, I noticed that emerging artists were forced to adjust their goals to fit the exhibition space. Recess seeks to become an alternative to venues in which artistic intent might be compromised.

How much public visibility do your resident artists have, or choose to have?

Most of our resident artists choose to be present during public hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 12 – 6 PM. We solicit proposals that take advantage of our built-in audience. In addition to these open hours, artists can choose to host events in conjunction with their residencies. Like all activities at Recess, events are free and open to the public.

What are the benefits –- for the artists and for the rest of us — of having artists’ creative processes on public view?

Recess residents can take risks and experiment in our non-traditional space while gaining visibility in SoHo’s “traditional” exhibition community. Recess artists are given ample space, within which they can choose to create large-scale, process-based and/or site-specific work, and a stipend with which to purchase project materials.

As far as the benefits for the rest of us, we tend to think of the artistic process as a romantic act that takes place in secluded, privileged spaces. When a piece is finished, we receive it in the pristine context of the museum or gallery. Recess offers an alternative to this experience, placing the conscientious, creative voice in the context of the street and its community. As a result, Recess supports artists and audiences in a manner that promotes an open social structure. We hope to cultivate a non-alienating environment that demystifies the contemporary arts.

Has there been a moment when you said to yourself, “This is exactly why we are doing this!”

Recess moved into its storefront space on September 1st, 2009, and received nearly 100 applications for residencies beginning September 15. We had had little opportunity to market ourselves and advertise our program, yet it was clear that artists wanted an opportunity outside the (white) box. The overwhelming response to our first open call confirmed the need for this kind of experimental programming that offers artists and audiences agency to define the creative process.

What has been your greatest success to date?

Recess is lucky enough to share the victories of our artists and audiences. Our great successes are often modest and quiet: an artist solving a problem with the help of a visitor, a potent conversation provoked by issues raised in our space.

How did you find out about Fractured Atlas and what motivated you to become a member?

I attended a panel discussion at NYU that addressed available artist resources. One of the panelists was Fractured Atlas’ Executive Director, Adam Forest Huttler. Everyone on the panel that evening spoke with vehemence about the need for innovative programming to address a changing market and creative culture. Adam Huttler discussed some of the membership benefits at Fractured Atlas. The next day, I visited the website and signed up.

How have you benefited from your Fractured Atlas membership?

While applying for our own 501(c)(3) status, Fractured Atlas served as Recess’s fiscal sponsor. I got to know several members of the program staff and everyone was helpful and enthusiastic about the work we were doing. Eventually, I chose to get our liability insurance through Fractured Atlas as well. In addition, I found FA’s grant-writing assistance to be incredibly useful; before submitting proposals, FA staff gave the document a thorough once-over and made editing and content suggestions. Though Recess is now a fully incorporated tax-exempt public charity, we intend to remain active members of the FA community.

What’s next on your professional horizon?

We will remain committed to perfecting our existing programs, while aggressively fund raising to support our artists to the best of our ability. In addition, we will continue to add series and classes to our roster. Who knows, maybe one day Recess will have multiple locations…

How can we learn more about Recess?

Visit our website at recessart.org, join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and/or check out our Flickr page. Email questions to info@recessart.org.

Or better yet, just come by our space at 41 Grand Street and visit: Wednesday – Saturday, 12 – 6 PM.