Press Contact: Alexandra Fanning Communications www.lesartweek.com [email protected] Announcing the Inaugural Lower East Side (L.E.S) Art Week 2018: 24 Galleries Present Female Artists The Inaugural L.E.S Art Week takes place from October 17-21, with a Press Preview on Wednesday October 17 at Perrotin, 130 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002. “We came together as a group of galleries to create LES Art Week motivated by our desire to share our unique gallery platforms and show off the Lower East Side as a cultural destination. To make the week distinctive we have a theme for the exhibitions as well as a larger number of events occurring at participating galleries. This year each gallery will mount an exhibit of a female artist or group of female artists within their space.” –Lesley Heller of Lesley Heller Gallery and Bart Keijsers Koning of LMAKgallery (New York, NY, September 2018) – From October 17-21, twenty-four prominent galleries on the Lower East Side will join together to host the inaugural L.E.S. Art Week. All participating galleries are located within walking distance of one another, allowing both the casual gallery goer and the connoisseur to navigate the neighborhood with ease. For the inaugural L.E.S. Art Week, each gallery was asked to present a solo or group show featuring the work of female artists. Though given the same parameters in which to work, the unique character and vision of each gallery is apparent in the variety of work they have chosen to present. Throughout the week, many of the galleries will host special events pertaining to the week’s theme, which will include artist talks, tours, performances, and panel discussions as a way to expand and enhance the visitors’ understanding of each individual gallery in the larger context of the Lower East Side. L.E.S Art Week has partnered with the audio-guide developer, The Two Percent, to offer an hour-long tour of participating galleries and their shows. This tour will be available for purchase ($15) at LESartweek.com and MP3 players will be available at Lesley Heller Gallery. A press preview brunch will be held on Wednesday October 17, at Perrotin, 130 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002 from 10AM-12PM. Galleries throughout the week will showcase exciting female artists, both emerging and established. Highlights include: • A feature wall, outdoor work by artist Tamara Gayer located at 54 Orchard St, New York. • Protest signs from the Women’s March, Still They Persist presented by LMAK Gallery • A group show featuring Mary Beth Edelson presented by David Lewis Gallery • A solo show by Rachel Monosov, presented by Catinca Tabacaru Gallery • A solo show by Jessee Edelman at Denny Gallery • A window display by Cal Lane and gallery show by Sherry Parker at Foley Gallery • A small solo show by Despina Stokou at Derek Eller • Erika Keck and Carole Cole at Empirical Nonsense • A solo show by Amy Hill at Front Room Gallery • A solo show by Grace Weaver at James Cohan Gallery • A solo show by Drew Shiflett at Lesley Heller Gallery • A solo show by Jill Baroff at Pablo’s Birthday • A solo show by Coady Brown at 1969 Gallery • A solo show by Dania Mattis at High Noon • A group show featuring Elaine Reichek at Marc Straus • A solo show by Maureen Mcquillan at Mackenzie Fine Art • Emily Mae Smith and Genesis Belanger at Perrotin • A solo show by Umber Majeed at Rubber Factory • Hyon Guyon and Loredana Sperini at Shin Gallery • A solo show by Heather Guertin at Brennan & Griffin • A solo show by Barb Smith at Step Sister • A group show of female artists at Thierry Goldberg • A solo show by Joyce J. Scott at Peter Blum Gallery Participating Galleries James Cohan 1969 Gallery Lesley Heller Gallery Brennan & Griffin LMAKgallery Catinca Tabacaru Marc Straus David Lewis McKenzie Fine Art Denny Dimin Gallery Pablo’s Birthday Derek Eller Gallery Perrotin Empirical Nonsense Peter Blum Foley Gallery Rubber Factory Freight + Volume Shin Gallery Front Room Gallery Step Sister High Noon Thierry Goldberg Ierimonti Gallery Partners and sponsors: Upon completion, Essex Crossing will include 1.9 million square feet of residential, commercial, and community space on nine sites set across six acres that had been mostly vacant since 1967 and represents one of the most significant urban renewal developments in the history of New York City. The project, expected to be completed by 2024, includes 1,079 residential units—more than half affordable— 350,000 square feet of Class A office space, 400,000 square feet of retail space, and the highly anticipated new home of the International Center of Photography, which will open in 2019 within 242 Broome -- Essex Crossing’s first condominium building. Delancey Street Associates—composed of BFC Partners, L+M Development Partners, Taconic Investment Partners, Goldman Sachs, and the Prusik Group—is the team behind the project. For over 13 years, The Two Percent has provided the highest-rated private tours of contemporary galleries in New York with a fresh wit and intelligent eye. Recently, owner David Behringer has redefined the audio tour with secret events called “CRASH”. These one-day-only unauthorized audio tours of museums and galleries have quickly reached viral (though mostly unknown) success. This is the first "known" CRASH after 3 years of operation underground. The Two Percent additionally produces a weekly newsletter and educational YouTube videos found on www.thetwopercent.com. less than half is a website that covers women artists working and exhibiting in New York City. Founded by critic and art historian Hall W. Rockefeller, less than half recognizes the disproportionate representation of women in the art world and seeks to right that balance through exhibition reviews, studio visits, and interviews, as well as an up-to-date “What’s On” page, featuring current exhibitions in NYC. It can be found at www.lessthanhalfthepicture.com and on instagram @all.the.lady.artists. .