Real Art Muse: The Arts Connection and Reflections on Thankfully Giving Back

The Arts Connection and Reflections on Thankfully Giving Back

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210 11th Avenue, Chelsea, NYC - Royal Card & Paper Co

Thanksgiving isn't just about making turkey and stuffing yourself while still making room for
seconds on Thanksgiving Day. We also make room in our lives to give back to family, friends
and to those less fortunate.

For the BACP team and partners including our friends at ABS we had several challenges.
The challenge was finding something I could pull off in the lobby at 210 11th Avenue not to upset
the gallery tenants and also give the visitors something they can appreciate.

Kicking off the Fall and Holiday season for BACP means showing appreciation for arts and education. Giving back was RAM's goal and figuring out how to overcome
a challenging opportunity. Naysayers had to be dealt with and the landlord supported
my decision in partnering with Arts Connection in celebrating the talents of teen artists.

210 11th office building is filled with art galleries so finding lobby artwork that would not create
conflict and ruffle the feathers of the gallery/owner tenants was an obstacle.
RAM was eager to give young artists this opportunity and BACP saw an opportunity to create a connection by partnering up with ABS's lobby and the Arts Connection's Student Art Program.

BACP curated an exhibition that showcased work by students in grades 6-12 from New York City public schools expanding their art experience beyond the classroom into a lobby group exhibition. There are 50,000 students a year that are engaged in the different Arts Connection's programs.

Lobby at 210 11th Avenue, with Arts Connection Teen Award Recipients

The curation, Reflections of New York is kaleidoscopic view of NYC by teen artists from New York City Public Schools. The lobby exhibition was curated and coordinated by the Building Arts Curatorial Program (BACP), whose aim is to match commercial building owners, collectors, and tenants with established arts organizations, young, emerging and mid-career artists.

Steve Tennen, Amanda Guest,
Teen Award Recipients & artist Rachel Lee Hovnanian

The exhibition’s opening reception was at Leila Heller Gallery. Included appearances from Earle Altman, Gregg Schenker, Joe LaRosa of ABS Partners Real Estate.

Rachel Lee Hovnanian had a solo show and we organized a reception hosted for Arts Connection, and most importantly the 12 lucky teens. Award recipients and their teachers and principals from 6 NYC public schools.

Left to right: teen award recipient, Gregg Schenker, (ABS) Steve Tennen- Exec Director,
teen award recipient, Me, Earle Altman (ABS)

ABS Partners Real Estate is honored to be a part of this initiative coordinated by BACP and ArtsConnection with special thanks to ABS for sponsoring this exhibition of student artwork in the lobby of 210 11th Avenue in Chelsea, NY.

We invite you to come visit the lobby exhibition on 25th street and 11th. The student's art work turned an empty lobby into a fulfilling experience for all parties involved, without taking away from the professional nature of the building and the gallery tenants that fill it.