Entrance

Entrance is a window into a lifestyle. There’s a definite DIY sensibility and grassroots vibe to this sunny gallery at both its Ludlow Street site and over at its outdoor sculpture center in Red Hook.

Many of the artists showcased at Entrance are friends who got their start in zine and skateboard culture, which in NYC and Brooklyn is a high-sensibility pursuit that sparks many creative careers.

That said, the shows feel closer to the studio than the street. The art here could be paintings, ceramics, or assemblages made from trash. Subjects can range from upstate farming and Canadian speed skating to knights, castles, or fantasy lands.

No matter the materials they use or the places they take us, we always feel close to the maker’s process and connected to how the artist is thinking about life. The intimacy brings us closer to the driving force of creativity in everyday life.

Louis Shannon, the founder of Entrance, grew up in Tribeca around artists, so it’s unsurprising that he has an eye. In 2011, he and some friends started the Luck You Collective in the basement of what is now the gallery's Ludlow Street location. The space was hard to find, so they hung a sign above the cellar door that said "Entrance." When Louis took over the upstairs storefront in 2017, the name stayed because it fit his mission to showcase artists making their a solo debut. In 2024, he added a sculpture center in Red Hook, not far from his other venture: The New Day More Club, a membership project for people who love beater cars.