NYC Arts: The Complete Guide to Art and Culture

The sponsor of an especially active exhibition program, White Columns exhibits the work of over 200 working visual artists each year. The intent here is not a historical recapitulation of the great high moments of fine art, but an ongoing survey of new work by living artists. Annual exhibitions include the White Room, an exposition of new work by 18 emerging artists; ten or so thematic exhibitions touching on issues as diverse as artistic technique, social issues and new technological forms; and the installation of numerous large-scale works by emerging artists often specially commissioned by the galley. Many of the country's prominent artists have had their first public exhibitions here—Gordon Matta-Clark, Alice Aycock, William Wegman and, more recently, Lorna Simpson, Andres Serrano, Ashley Bickerton and Cady Noland. The gallery publishes limited edition artists books and pays an honorarium to artists exhibiting here, which is certainly a unique approach. The gallery functions as both artist-support agency and popular public gallery.