Fabricolor Building presents Escape From New York.

Our heroine runs with purpose through the darkened streets of Chelsea, looking for a way out. At every corner she’s met with roadblocks. Turning down 24th Street, racing past Feuer, Boone, and Gagosian, she sees a clearing. She leaps across 11th Avenue without a thought, spotting the Hudson! “If only I can make it!” Darting through the traffic of the West Side Highway, she leaps over the concrete barrier. Herein lies the pier. Out of breath, she looks up. Spotting lights in the distance, New Jersey’s glacial cliffs taunt her, their lights of shimmering color bouncing off the water’s edge. A sirensong like Gatsby’s eyes, she walks to the end of the path. She has no vessel. “How will she get there?”

Throughout American history, the concept of Manifest Destiny has greeted us with a newfound optimism for the future of what COULD BE versus what IS. “Go west, young man” held true for generations. Escape From New York concentrates specifically on the breaking free of long-held notions and beliefs that Manhattan only can be the center of the art world. An active experiment in reverse bridge and tunnel, Escape From New York highlights Paterson, NJ—a historic community in transition with massive venues less than a 15 minute drive from the George Washington Bridge. Ready and waiting with open arms to help reignite a cultural renaissance, the city has given us heretofore unheard of space to showcase contemporary art in a former silk factory.

Escape From New York spotlights the work of 45 top contemporary artists. The exhibition includes a broad breadth of genres—from painting, to video, photography, installation, sculpture, performance and social media-based art Leaving behind the cramped spaces of Manhattan, for the broad horizons of New Jersey.

Participating artists:

2010 Whitney Biennial selectees - The Bruce High Quality Foundation - Kate Gilmore

Robert Aitchison Robert Appleton Man Bartlett Adam Bateman Jason Robert Bell Alison Blickle Boyce Cummings Jennifer Dalton Vicki DaSilva Sumner Dilworth Debra Drexler Murray Dwertman Richard Eagan Jeremy Earhart Agnes Eperjesi Stephan Fowlkes Nicholas Fraser Angela Freiberger Micah Ganske Alex Gingrow Dean Goelz Grant Haffner Iliyan Ivanov Kezam Daniel Leeb Thomas Lendvai Julie Lohnes Michelle Manley Jason Metcalf Michael Paul Miller Laelia Mitchell Laurel Nakadate Mia Pearlman Rafael Perez Don Porcella William Powhida Christopher Saunders Robert Schatz Emil Silberman Sean Slemon Peter Soriano Tamas Veszi An Xiao