Pop-Up Art Gallery Opens On Upper West Side

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — A pop-up arts gallery has opened up in the site of a former retail store on the Upper West Side, according to a press release.

The gallery, called North of History, celebrated its grand opening this week on Columbus Avenue and West 81st Street. The 1,000-square-foot space used to be home to bridal store and tailor Ellen’s Couture. The one-room gallery's white walls act as a blank canvas for the art being exhibited, according to a press release.

North of History was opened by architect Gene Kaufman to showcase under-represented artists of a wide variety of disciplines, according to a press release. The pop-up space aspires for a "relaxed, lounge-like feel" and will feature coffee for visitors.

"Due to rising real estate prices and business licensing obstacles, maintaining an art space in New York City is increasingly difficult — even though the art itself is alive and well," Kaufman said in a statement. "As a result, we must expand the definition of ‘gallery’, ‘concert venue’, and other terms in an effort to fully integrate the arts into neighborhoods across the city."

Photo courtesy Gene Kaufman