Cultural Economies: Histories from the Alternative Arts Movement, NYC

Initiating the exhibition through a call for exhibition proposals from the New York State Council on the Arts, The Drawing Center presented Cultural Economies: Histories from the Alternative Arts Movement, NYC, organized by guest curator Julie Ault, which offered an economically and socially contextualized view of alternative practices and structures in New York City over the course of the twenty years prior. Formed as a response to the dominant art-world economy and ideology, the alternative arts movement had found expression in a wide variety of sites including exhibition spaces, support organizations, distribution centers, public spaces, journals, and artist collaboratives. For the show, alternative spaces were asked to evaluate and assess the alternative arts movement, its history, and the contributions made by individuals and institutions within the movement to the field of contemporary art.

The Drawing Center suspended its policy of only showing drawings for the duration of the show to include all media. Works ranged from painting, drawing, and sculpture to video, installation, and performance; also featured were extensive archival materials such as slides, photographs, correspondence, publications, and other ephemera. Designed to encourage the viewer's interaction and engagement, the exhibition documented the ways in which the alternative movement had transformed the artistic and social landscape of contemporary art.