There is nothing easy about starting your own art gallery. Nothing. Finding a space, production costs, building a network, shipping work, and finding artists are all just scratching the surface of what it takes to build a lasting gallery. Especially now, when so many remarkable galleries have shuttered over the last few years, it feels like we are at a particularly turbulent moment in navigating the art world post-COVID.
Even still, there are, and always will be, people who see a hole in the market, or groups of underrepresented or overlooked artists in need of a place to show their work. Visionary individuals who believe in the power of art and artists, and have the ability to see their ideas materialize into physical forms, while also considering the mechanics of running a small business with efficiency and focus.
In comes Ada Potter, the founder of the recently opened non-for-profit gallery, Parent Company. What started in a shipping container in 2023 has now turned into an exciting new exhibition space with strong community roots and a compelling framework for a new way of considering what a gallery looks like and how it can operate. Having already moved into her second gallery space since opening, she is squarely focused on demonstrating how an untraditional model of operation might help preserve the necessary spaces for artists to hone their crafts and experiment.
We sat down with Potter for a candid conversation about how the gallery came into existence, her current exhibition with P.A.D., how her model as a non-for-profit works, and what it might prompt others to consider who are thinking of starting their own spaces.
WHITEWALL: Can you tell us about how you decided to start Parent Company?
ADA POTTER: I started Parent Company on a kind of whim. I occasionally search Craigslist for very cheap commercial rentals and I would fantasize about starting a project space. I love organizing shows and seeing artists have the opportunity to create exhibitions. One day I came across a listing for a shipping container in downtown Brooklyn. I went to see it and I was immediately sold. It was a month-to-month lease, so I knew that if the project turned out to be too much or didn’t work out I could wind it down fairly easily. I signed a lease and opened our first show a couple weeks later.
Encouraging Artists to Experiment with Installation
WW: The Gallery began in a shipping container, a fairly unique place to have a gallery! What was the reason behind that location, and how do you feel it functioned as a gallery space?
AP: It was very unique. The landlord had installed a row of five containers in an alleyway. I was in the last container. It was small but simple. The scale was perfect in that it encouraged artists to try something different or be experimental with their installation. It was literally a white cube and served as a great blank canvas. I tried to keep overhead very low and did all the work myself or with the help of friends and family. The artist Nick Fusaro gave me his old gallery lights and my partner helped me build a wall. Because we were “off the beaten path”, I decided our program would focus on summer and spring. We also had this nice outdoor alleyway that allowed openings to spill outside in warm weather. In the winter, we hosted a studio residency for installation-based artists. The 6-week program gave two artists the opportunity to use the space as a studio, working towards a culminating installation. Overall it was a wonderful spot to get started.
A Non-Profit Organization with a Spirit of Generosity
WW: Another compelling element of your gallery is that it is set up as a non-for-profit organization. What made you decide to pursue that model as opposed to a traditional for-profit route of most other art galleries?
AP: As an artist myself, I feel very inspired by meeting peers, doing studio visits, and seeing them create and show work. I think artist-run spaces and the ecosystem that surrounds them are critical for the art world. Without these peer-run incubators, no one gets their start. It also helps dismantle the competitive, scarcity mindset that traditional commercial space and institutions can perpetuate. Artists help each other rather than fight for scarce resources. The spirit of reciprocal generosity is fundamental to the project.
When I started, I quickly formed as a sole proprietor but knew I had to set up either an LLC or a non-profit. I am a former member of the feminist collective A.I.R Gallery so I had some experience with being on a nonprofit board. I also have some experience working in commercial galleries and knew my passion did not lie in sales and cultivating collector relationships. I’m not knocking commercial galleries, we need them, but I knew that’s not where I wanted to pour my energy. I talked with my accountant and they asked ‘Do you see this making money?’ I laughed and said ‘No, not really’. He said ‘Then you’re a non-profit!’ I met with two non-profit lawyers. One told me it would be expensive, annoying, and not worth it. The other had worked in the arts and was like ‘Oh we got this, it will be easy’. And it was!
I would love to encourage more galleries and artist organizations to consider becoming a non-profit. It costs a couple thousand dollars which can be a real barrier to entry but if you hire a lawyer to form an LLC the costs are comparable. Importantly, as a non-profit the project’s existence isn’t tied to sales. Opening up more sustainable avenues for income, like donations and grants, is what has kept the project going. I’m now embarking on a real push to get grant funding. It’s a lot to learn but really interesting.
“I think artist-run spaces and the ecosystem that surrounds them are critical for the art world,”
Ada Potter
Meaningful Collaborations and Relationships Unfold
WW: Collaboration seems to be an important element of the gallery, and you just recently opened an exhibition with P.A.D. (Project Art Distribution). Can you tell us about how that show was conceived of?
AP: I am a huge fan of P.A.D! The project’s creator, Patrick Mohundro, has such generous, exuberant energy. In grad school, I started an email-based art space called SCREEN_. A couple of years ago Patrick invited SCREEN_ to do a show at the NYABF and the invite came at such a crucial time for me. I had two kids and was feeling isolated and disconnected from my life as an artist and curator. The pop-up with P.A.D. felt so good and reminded me that I am part of an art world. He does a lot to cultivate and support the community and I wanted to reciprocate. He’s done more than 80 shows since the project started in 2017. Making space for each other is what it’s all about.
WW: Speaking about collaboration, I am curious about how you work with different artists. I noticed that you don’t have a list of artists that you “represent” on your website. Is this an intentional decision you made?
AP: Yes, I don’t want to have a roster of artists in the traditional sense. I do view working together as a shared commitment and I take it pretty seriously. But since I’m not a full-fledged commercial gallery I can’t offer a lot of what comes with that style of representation. The name Parent company sort of references this. I think of myself as a shell company or container for artists to execute projects. I am also a parent and think about care work a lot. I see my curating as an extension of this care work. So I hope to cultivate genuine, meaningful relationships with the artists I work with that is a departure from the traditional mold.
“I hope to cultivate genuine, meaningful relationships with the artists I work with that is a departure from the traditional mold,”
Ada Potter
The Limitless and Inspiring Next Phase of Parent Company
WW: You somewhat recently relocated to a new location downtown. How has that transition gone?
AP: Sadly, this summer we lost our shipping container in Downtown Brooklyn. The landlord only gave us two weeks’ notice. When I found out I was very disappointed. I thought it might be the end of the project. But that night I went on Craigslist thinking well let’s just look. And I found our current location for less than we were paying in Brooklyn! It’s a basement on East Broadway. It was a lot of work cleaning and getting set up but I’m so excited to be in such a great neighborhood with so much art nearby. We’re getting a lot more people in the door, which is great. It’s still a rough basement, there isn’t a bathroom for example, but the architecture gives artists something to respond to. I’m really excited to figure out this next phase.
WW: It seems like we are in the midst of a pretty robust reckoning in the art world, with many galleries closing or consolidating. Do you feel like your approach to operating a gallery could provide a new model or method of operating that might be worthwhile for others to adopt?
AP: Definitely! Since our success is not tied to the art market as directly and our overhead is very low, I’m able to sustain the project. I hope artists and art workers feel emboldened to keep making their own spaces. Seeing some of the small and midsize galleries close has been sad. The economics of the NYC art world are wild. It’s unsustainable and squeezing everyone. On the other hand, I try to remember that how we define success matters. Longevity might not be the main characteristic of success for Parent Company. I have to remind myself that sometimes endeavors have an expiration date and that’s ok. As long as new galleries and organizations step in to support artists and their work then perhaps it’s part of how the art world evolves and make space for new voices.