If being a gallery owner is a journey, then Cristin Tierney has just taken a giant leap in hers.
Back in 2010, she opened her first space in Chelsea, and last week, she and the crew left their second-floor spot on the Bowery for a two-story, street-level 4,000-square-foot space in Tribeca. The opening festivities included an invite-only party on Thursday, a public opening on Friday, and an open house brunch on Saturday. Guests included a lively group of collectors, gallery artists, family, and friends.
Tierney opened the doors at 49 Walker St. — an address with a very colorful history — with a group show titled “Fifteen,” referencing the number of years the Cristin Tierney Gallery has been in existence. The artists on display include Melanie Baker, Janet Biggs, Claudia Bitrán, François Bucher, Victor Burgin, Diane Burko, peter campus, Joe Fig, Julian V.L. Gaines, MK Guth, Malia Jensen, Debbi Kenote, Alois Kronschlaeger, Shaun Leonardo, Joan Linder, Mary Lucier, Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins, T. Kelly Mason, Maureen O’Leary, David Opdyke, Judy Pfaff, Dread Scott, Mark Sengbusch, Sara Siestreem (Hanis Coos), Audra Skuodas, Jorge Tacla, Francisco Ugarte, John Wood and Paul Harrison, and Tim Youd.
The works range from painting to sculpture to video, with some performance art thrown in, courtesy of MK Guth and Tim Youd.
Guth’s piece, “Reading Aloud,” consists of a number of people scattered throughout the gallery randomly reading out loud various texts about Tribeca and artists while the party goes on around them. Some people make it a point to get close and listen, while others contribute to the overall din that tends to drown them out.
Youd could be found in the corner typing – word for word – the entirety of Jay McInerney’s best-selling novel “Bright Lights, Big City” onto a single sheet of paper, typing over and over on the same page until the words become an unreadable mass of ink. This is the 83rd installment of Youd’s “100 Novels Project,” and it brought many attendees over to his table to discuss the project, including, notably, McInerny himself.
“We had a great conversation,” Youd recounted. “And then, when he left, he accidentally took my phone – which he returned. But yeah, Jay McInerny stole my phone!”
Gallery Director Candace Moeller discussed with us the many reasons why they moved to Tribeca, including the “need to do bigger shows and the desire to be closer to our colleagues”. Moeller says that they “outgrew the space on Bowery. Also, there used to be more galleries near us, and we were feeling isolated”.
As for future plans, Moeller says that with the new location, which took the better part of a year to renovate, “we will be able to connect to a broader audience. We plan to have artist talks, exhibit tours, and book launches.”
While the basement area is not yet finished, it promises to house a black box space that will feature “special previews and debuts of video art.”
The gallery has a roster of over 30 artists, many of whom were present at the opening. Talking to the artists and watching them interact with each other and the gallerists gives the feeling that they are more like a family than a list of commodities.
“I use the word family sparingly,” Moeller muses. “But the relationship with our artists is like dating – we’re looking at the long haul. And we’re building that relationship on honesty, trust and good communication.”
The gallery staff, who took to heart their leader’s maxim that “it’s not a party without cake,” had a special “Burn Cake” prepared by the Butterly Bake Shop as a surprise. After igniting the top, the image of Tierney’s first gallery in Chelsea burned away to reveal a pic of the new location.
Tierney stopped the party briefly to give a heartfelt thanks to everyone involved, and reiterated her remarks later.
“I meant what I said on Thursday evening,” she stated. “I know we live in stressful times, but never in my life have I had so much clarity. Every day we read about terrible things happening. Culture and the creative class are under attack. At a time like this, having a clear purpose is a gift. I know exactly what my job is: develop community. Support art and artists. Give them a platform and amplify their voices. It is that simple.”
And, she added, as she recalled the opening, “I felt lucky. So, so lucky. It was an absolute joy to be surrounded by friends, family, colleagues, artists. Never underestimate or overlook the opportunity to celebrate each other. It is everything”.
Gallery info is at cristintierney.com and on Instagram @cristintierneygallery.
