Two Histories, One Continuum

Noho/M55 Gallery carries forward the histories of two artist-run organizations that developed independently in New York before eventually coming together: 55 Mercer and Noho Gallery.

55 Mercer was founded in 1969 at 55 Mercer Street in SoHo, during a period when artists were creating new forms of self-organization outside conventional commercial and institutional structures. Noho Gallery was founded in 1975 and developed its own membership, identity, and history within the broader culture of artist-led activity in downtown New York.

For a period, the two galleries existed remarkably close to one another. While 55 Mercer remained at 55 Mercer Street, Noho Gallery later operated at 168 Mercer Street. They shared the same physical and cultural landscape, yet followed separate paths as independent artist-run organizations.

Their histories also reflect the changing geography of the New York art world. Noho Gallery moved to Chelsea in 2001, while 55 Mercer later left its original SoHo location and continued in Long Island City as M55 Art. Each adapted to changing urban and economic conditions while maintaining a commitment to artist-led organization.

In 2012, these two histories converged. Noho Gallery and M55 Art entered into partnership and began operating together as Noho/M55 Gallery. Their coming together did not erase their separate histories; rather, it brought two independent traditions into a shared structure.

Seen in this way, the history of Noho/M55 is not a single continuous line, but two parallel histories that gradually intersect. The significance of their partnership lies not only in institutional continuity, but in the way artist-run organizations survive through change: by moving, adapting, redefining their structures, and sustaining communities over time.

The archive therefore records more than exhibitions and artworks. It also preserves the history of organization itself—the relationships, relocations, decisions, and acts of cooperation that have allowed two distinct artist-run histories to remain active in the present.

Yosuke Ito

30 FOUNDING MEMBERS OF NOHO GALLERY, JANUARY 1975.

L to R

Row 1: Ira Horowitz, Hy Bush, Rebecca Cooperman, Margot Robinson (founder), Robert Perrault

Row 2: Paul Singer, Steve Palermo, Jean Creighton, Erma Martin Yost, Janet Bosse, George Beauchamp, Irene Peslikis

Row 3: Gladys Brodsky, Jan Gelb, Kate Millett, Juliet Leff, Elizabeth Lienau Blumenthal, Libby Robinson

Row 4: Tom Rose, Joe Woods, Tom Laidman, Jeannie Smith Williams, Carl Grassini, Dorothy Hayes, Pedro Fracaso, Olga Sheirr 

Not pictured: Robert Civello, Bob Ebers, J. Gary Kornmayer, Adele Seronde

Photo credit: Leon Yost