Alternatives in Retrospect: Artist-run Spaces in the 1970s and 1980s

New York nurtured many alternative art spaces in the 1970s and 1980s, crucial venues for fostering community and supporting young artists. Reflecting both local concerns and international movements, these spaces provided artists and curators with the opportunity to present challenging work, address current events, and renegotiate the definition of art. Taking its title from a 1981 New Museum exhibition, this panel discussion looks at the ways in which artists created and took control of their own contexts.