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Melanie Vote — The Washhouse, One Year Later


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Where: Equity Gallery, 245 Broome St, New York, NY 10002

When: March 31st- April 4th

Saturday April 3rd Afternoon Opening Reception 2-4pm

What: A socially engaged Happening/Installation in conjunction with the catalog release of The Washhouse, Nothing Ever Happened Here, Melanie Vote (2020)

Work drop off, Wed., Mar. 31st or Thurs., Apr. 1st at Equity Gallery, 12 – 6pm.
Curatorial staff will be available to assist artists with the installation of their work.

Works may be retrieved on Mon. Apr. 5th and Tues. Apr. 6th from 12 - 6pm


One year after the onset of Covid 19 in NYC, we invite artists to reflect on the last twelve months. This expanse of time has been a period of reckoning, full of social unrest and major upheaval. So much growth, but still so much left un-done.

When painting the Washhouse series, Melanie Vote was searching for the untold stories of what might have occurred there, reckoning with a troubled North American past, masked behind a seemingly banal 100year-old structure. In the spirit of The Washhouse, initially an outbuilding used by people to launder garments, we are asking artists to create a work on paper and hang it on a clothesline at Equity Gallery, to produce and make visible their deepest concerns and literally bring them to light. We challenge you to create a work in response to a social issue. What is troubling you, keeping you up at night? What is most important to you to reveal or disclose?


Who: This pop-up exhibition is open to artists willing to hang works collectively on a clothes line.

Why: To keep social issues at the forefront of our thoughts, to connect through our artwork, continue difficult conversations and perhaps provide some catharsis.

How: There will be two clotheslines, one inside the space and one outside in back of Equity. Artists choose to hang their work on the inside or outside. Work intended to be hung outside should be deemed durable or considered ephemeral/impermanent by the artist/maker as it will be exposed to the elements. Each participant is encouraged to make one lightweight artwork. Consider using paper or fabric. Pieces may be up to 12 inches wide and up to three feet tall/long. Works need to be for sale with the declared value at either $500.00, $400.00, or $300.00 Equity Gallery retains 50% of sales proceeds.



The artwork may be signed or anonymous, the gallery reserves the right to omit work that contains content which goes against the community’s ethics or deemed offensive.

Artist agrees to hold NYAE, its directors, officers, members, agents, employees and anyone acting for them, harmless from any claim, limited to loss of pieces, which might arise from his or her participation in exhibiting at the Gallery, including loss or damage to consigned works of art, from any cause whatsoever. NYAE does not offer insurance on consigned artwork. Insurance is the responsibility of Artist.


The Washhouse Catalog

The Washhouse Catalog
$15.00

A fully illustrated 44 page catalog with contributions by authors, Kelly Madigan and David Cohen, and photos by Bill Massey.

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