NYC Seventh Regiment Armory to Become Contemporary Art Space

September 4th, 2007

via New York State Military Museum, DMNA

Motorcycles leaving behind fluorescent skid marks in Drill Hall in the Seventh Regiment Armory hardly seems the norm, but beginning September 18th through the 23rd, they will be part of a performance piece by Aaron Young named “Greeting Card”, according to an article that appeared this weekend in the New York Sun.

The Seventh Regiment Armory Conservancy took over the space last November, which is used mainly for art and antique fairs. Starting this fall, they will begin a series of event and exhibits to “reintroduce New Yorkers to the Armory, now called the Park Avenue Armory and Drill halls, as a contemporary art space.”

An exhibit highlighting events in the timeline of the Armory will open on October 3rd. Independent curator and scholar Nina Gray (who is mostly known for her specialization in decorative arts and architecture of the 19th and early 20th centuries) will curate the video exhibit designed by leading graphic design firm Pentagram.

The restoration process will include installation of central air conditioning and replacement of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, as well as other amenities to bring the building up to energy conservation codes. It is expected to take about five years total, but the end result will be a unique space for contemporary art in New York.

“There’s no space in New York of this scale and flexibility available for the arts, in a location that’s so centrally located and well-serviced by transit,” according to Rebecca Robertson, the president of the Conservancy.

The Park Avenue Armory is located on 646 Park Avenue at 66th Street.
The Armory Goes From Guns to Art [NYSun]
Seventh Regiment Armory Conservancy