Background
The organization was founded by Kyong Park in 1983 in a tiny storefront at 51 Prince St, NYC. Glenn Weiss joined Park as co-director between 1984-86 then and was succeeded by Park's partner, the contemporary artist Shirin Neshat. Park was the Executive Director from its founding until 1998. Subsequent Directors were Sarah Herda (1998 - 2006); Joseph Grima (2006 - 2010); and Eva Franch i Gilabert (2010 - present). Storefront's program includes exhibitions, events, competitions and publications with the stated intention of "generating dialogue and collaboration across geographic, ideological and disciplinary boundaries."
At the beginning, Storefront balanced solo/group exhibitions with idea competitions/exhibitions to functionally and/or poetically address NYC issues with broad implications including the polluted Gowanus Canal '83, NYC Homeless Shelters '85-86, preservation of Adam Purple's "Garden on Eden" '84 and removal of Richard Serra's "Tilted Arc" '85. Early exhibitors included Lebbeus Woods, Imre Makovecz, Neil Denari, Zvi Hecker, Thom Mayne and Tehching Hsieh.
The 1987 exhibition "Bodybuildings" was the first solo show of the New York-based architecture practice Diller + Scofidio (Now Diller, Scofidio + Renfro). The exhibition of the practice's early work explored concepts related to both art and architecture.
In 1992, artist Vito Acconci and architect Stephen Holl created a new facade through the installation of a series of panels that open onto the sidewalk. This facade, still in place, challenges the distinction between public and private space and is perhaps what the organization is today most known for internationally.
In 2006-2007, the exhibition "Clip, Stamp, Fold" addressed the important role of independent architecture publications in the architectural movements of the 1960s and 1970s.
Storefront responded to the 2011 Occupy Wall Street movement in New York City by calling for public submissions of ideas for improving communication with economic and political powers.
Read more about this topic: Storefront For Art And Architecture
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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