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CollectionDowntown NYC
The Alternatives
The art spaces where the mission is the business model.
Last updated Sep 8, 2026
These nonprofits are by the neighborhood, for the neighborhood, and you can tell that by who turns up: first-timers, regulars who’ve been coming since the 80s, artists-in-the-making, somebody’s art professor. Doors are open to all.
Alternative SpaceEast Village
PS122
The city abandoned this 19th Century elementary school in 1976. Artists moved into the classrooms and it still runs on that make-something-from-nothing energy today.
Alternative SpaceNoHo
Atelier Jolie
As in Angelina. Basquiat’s former studio has been reanimated by the superstar actress into an impeccably designed living room/café concept and gallery.
Alternative SpaceLower East Side
Howl! Arts Howl! Archive!
The spirit of the bohemian East Village screams in this living shrine to its artist icons, past and present.
GalleryEast Village
Wilmer Jennings Gallery
A living archive of Black art and memory, part of the Kenkeleba House project since 1974. This sunlit, intimate space has been shaped by generations of artists into one of Losaida's most important cultural anchors.
Alternative SpaceLittle Italy
PARTICIPANT INC
One of downtown's most beloved alternative art spaces. Politics, performance, community, and experimentation collide here. Black walls and raw, deeply human shows that cling to your mind long after you leave.
Alternative SpaceLower East Side
601Artspace
Young curators get free rein at this Eldridge Street nonprofit to make shows about social justice, memory, and whose stories get told.
Explore the rest of downtown on the Big Map
Explore Big MapCollectionDowntown NYC
The Alternatives
The art spaces where the mission is the business model.
Last updated Sep 8, 2026
These nonprofits are by the neighborhood, for the neighborhood, and you can tell that by who turns up: first-timers, regulars who’ve been coming since the 80s, artists-in-the-making, somebody’s art professor. Doors are open to all.
Alternative SpaceEast Village
PS122
The city abandoned this 19th Century elementary school in 1976. Artists moved into the classrooms and it still runs on that make-something-from-nothing energy today.
Alternative SpaceNoHo
Atelier Jolie
As in Angelina. Basquiat’s former studio has been reanimated by the superstar actress into an impeccably designed living room/café concept and gallery.
Alternative SpaceLower East Side
Howl! Arts Howl! Archive!
The spirit of the bohemian East Village screams in this living shrine to its artist icons, past and present.
GalleryEast Village
Wilmer Jennings Gallery
A living archive of Black art and memory, part of the Kenkeleba House project since 1974. This sunlit, intimate space has been shaped by generations of artists into one of Losaida's most important cultural anchors.
Alternative SpaceLittle Italy
PARTICIPANT INC
One of downtown's most beloved alternative art spaces. Politics, performance, community, and experimentation collide here. Black walls and raw, deeply human shows that cling to your mind long after you leave.
Alternative SpaceLower East Side
601Artspace
Young curators get free rein at this Eldridge Street nonprofit to make shows about social justice, memory, and whose stories get told.
Explore the rest of downtown on the Big Map
Explore Big MapMore Curated Collections
Art and fun stuff to do nearby it. Block by block.
