FROM ISABEL

ISG’s New Chelsea Pop-Up

Visit us at an oasis in Chelsea – We’ve popped up at Jim Kempner Fine Art

I have some exciting news that I’ve been looking forward to sharing with you.

I’ve just opened a pop-up location in Chelsea at Jim Kempner Fine Art (yes, we still have our Tribeca space!) in one of the most well-known buildings in the Chelsea gallery district.

This is, in fact, the same place where I started my career thirteen years ago. I first walked into this building in 2013, just a year after graduating from university. I had little experience and was pretty insecure about entering the workforce, and certainly had no idea of where this career would ultimately take me. I was 22 years old.

I began as an intern at Jim Kempner Fine Art and would later manage the gallery for over four years before going on to run other galleries in New York for another five+ years. So when Jim and I began discussing the possibility of launching a pop-up for our gallery on the second floor, it felt like the perfect next step for us, like things coming full circle. Jim is a person known for his integrity and his warmth. We both value creating a gallery space that celebrates openness and feels welcoming, so this collaboration felt like a great brand match.

We’ve set up an exhibition on the 2nd floor of Jim’s gallery, located at the corner of 10th Avenue and 23rd Street. Jim is well-known in the art world as a leading expert in contemporary master prints. You will find works by many of our artists and designers – such as Ole Aakjaer, Liu Shuishi, Cat Spilman, George William Bell, Frank Webster, Stephanie Monteith, Richard Hambleton, among others – alongside works in Jim’s space by Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Robert Motherwell, and many others.

The Space & Architecture

In the art business, space is everything. We want to be able to show work, we need walls to hang the paintings, we need light to illuminate the pigment, we need stillness to be able to experience the art. This space has always been my dream. It offers something complimentary to Tribeca. On Lispenard street, we have tall ceilings which allows me to show pretty big work. And I love big work. But in Chelsea, there is a special kind of energy there, and it’s different.

To be able to show my artists here is an incredible opportunity. To be honest, I’ve literally dreamt about this space for many years. In my dreams, the space was always changing somehow, but Jim was always there. It was always grand in my memory, a beacon of promise and opportunity. It clearly represented something to me.

What’s particularly great about this space is the abundance of natural light and the coziness of the atmosphere. It feels a bit more like you are in a living space rather than an art gallery, and I think that helps people to visualize work in the home. The architects designed it in away to create a sense of calm and zen, and they achieved that in way I haven’t experienced in any other gallery space.

This building was designed by Smith & Thompson Architects, I recommend the article titled Making Manhattan an Island of Calm from The New York Times that tells the story of the building’s origins. It’s known for its towering corten steel facade, cascading glass windows, and a serene sculpture garden tucked into the middle of bustling Manhattan. Located at the corner of 10th Avenue and 23rd Street, it sits at the heart of the Chelsea art district. Jim has been here for nearly 30 years, and I’m deeply grateful that he has welcomed us into his space.

Art & Design on View

I want to share a little teaser of what we are showing in Chelsea. Here is one of the George William Bell sculptures we have on display. I am completely in love with these sculptures. They are quite strange in the most beautiful way–soft fluxing forms that illuminate deep amber and gold hues. The sculptures really come to life in this space, as they look incredible under natural light.

I was really excited to tell my good friend and mentor Ole Aakjaer about the opportunity in Chelsea. He loves the area and was very excited to have his work in Chelsea again. Here is my current favorite, Miss Pinot Noir, and she is the first thing you will see on the wall when you come up the stairs.

New York has been so brutally cold that our visitors have all seemed to be drawn to the warmth of these vibrant outdoor scenes by Australian artist Stephanie Monteith. I’m really happy to show Stephanie’s work as I truly believe she is a really unique painter, and it so happens that we have a small exhibition coming this Spring.