Art for Those Who Build Their Own Art History
The cosmically inspiring history making at 603 Arts Foundation's inaugural exhibition
Good afternoon! I am over the moon and beyond the stars excited to share details of the 603 Arts Foundation’s inaugural exhibition, opening tomorrow. Wait until you hear this story, it is so crazy inspiring I can barely contain myself. I feel like this is one of THE reasons you go into the arts, so you can feel this level of hope and fulfillment!
I am honored to be the founding curatorial director of this exciting new institution.
Kate Lee and Clovis Lima Jr. are two of the most passionate collectors with whom I am grateful to work. Kate is from the Philippines, Clovis is from Brazil, and they both have backgrounds in tech.
A few years ago, after attending several Anne Parke Art Salons and Gallery Walks, they joined museum patron groups around the city. They quickly realized two things: they loved contemporary art and they didn’t see many artists from their home countries represented within these institutions.
After choosing to spend their free time researching and understanding the contemporary arts landscape, Kate and Clovis decided to build their own cultural infrastructure: a nonprofit dedicated to supporting emerging artists from Asia, South America, and their diasporas. The 603 Arts Foundation was born!
Kate and I have spoken at length about what that type of support actually means: exhibition opportunities, studio materials, resource guides. But more importantly and here’s where we get into the nitty-gritty that I don’t often hear or read about, Kate and Clovis are the artists’ advocates. This is the part of the story I do not often hear or read about.
They’re the ones picking up the phones to call the shippers in China; they’re writing contracts and translating consignment agreements for the artists to get the artwork in front of a New York audience; they’re renting gallery spaces, producing catalogues, printing and mailing fliers. And all of this is after a full day’s work at their day jobs!
I don’t know how you spend your Sundays, but I have witnessed Kate spend hours writing and creating thoughtful, insightful, and helpful essays and videos about what she is learning from art. She gives so much of her time to seeing gallery shows, attending lectures, and visiting studios. Then she goes and shares her discoveries with the world.
Her Instagram videos and her Substack newsletter build a bridge for others to discover what she herself has learned. I’m not talking about just her top ten art fair picks or five shows to see now: I mean next level descriptions of why an artist’s practice fascinates her and why an exhibition feels original and worth seeing.
I know I get a little overzealous and loquacious, so I hope after tomorrow’s launch of 603’s inaugural exhibition The cataclysm of binary star systems, more publications pick up this story and give it the attention it deserves. Personally, I would love to read more stories about collectors who start with curiosity and end up contributing to shaping this generation’s cultural landscape.
Paid subscribers can view the available artworks in the exhibition below and inquire about buying them directly from the artists. We are also hosting three events throughout the exhibition (including a founders’ fireside chat moderated by yours truly!).
You can visit the exhibition all month, Tuesday through Saturday, 11am-6pm at Nunu Fine Art, 381 Broome Street, New York, New York 10013. All text about the artists and their practices below is courtesy of 603 Arts Foundation.
