After almost a year of exhibitions that have invigorated and inspired an eclectic neighborhood, Heist Gallery is changing its chosen course of operations to re-open on April 4, 2009 as the Eisenberg Grocery & Deli, a vital addition to the vibrant community of bodegas, tchotke stores, Judaica shops and local delicatessens of the Lower East Side. While we are sad to no longer work with the brilliant artists whose work has graced our walls for the twelve glorious months that we have been in business, we must concede to the economic predicament in which the economy, and in effect, our business finds itself.

To celebrate the exciting novelty that the Eisenberg Grocery and Deli will surely provide to our clientele, we open our doors with the presentation of Ryan Watkins-Hughes’ Yes We Canned bodega reception that will showcase his “Shopdropped” cans, while satiating our loyal clients’ voracious appetite for tasty bodega treats such as fresh ramen, Ho-Hos, Twinkies, canned beans and other delightful items of epicurean longevity. Shopdropping is Watkins-Hughes on-going project in which he infiltrates the supermarket setting and replaces bought cans of food with ones that he has reconfigured by placing his photographs, prints and multimedia works on the can while keeping the original barcode in tact. In so doing, he creates a certain social chaos within the context of the store whose own organization, predicated upon the continuous exchange of commercial activity, is undermined. And here at the newly revamped space of the Eisenberg Grocey & Deli, shedding light on the contrivances of social decorum is our specialty, along with cold beer and satisfying snacks.

Please join us on Saturday, April 4th as we open our doors to our patrons, neighbors, friends and fellow artists while the Eisenberg Grocery & Deli caters to all your cravings. Ryan Watkins-Hughes will grace our shelves with Yes We Canned, adding to the visual cornucopia of assorted and affordable goodies.

Ryan Watkins-Hughes was born in Atlanta, GA and attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. He has exhibited his work in New York City and throughout the Americas and Europe. Watkins-Hughes currently lives in New Orleans where he will receive an MFA from Tulane University in 2010. His work can be viewed at www.ryanwh.com and www.shopdropping.net. From Gallery to Grocery: Yes, we canned will be on view at Eisenberg Deli & Gorcery from April 4 – May 3, 2009.

The Eisenberg Grocery & Deli, formerly known as Heist Gallery, is a vibrant space of creativity located in the heart of the Lower East Side. Happily operating since 2008, whether you know us as Heist Gallery or the Eisenberg Grocery & Deli, our doors are always open and faces always eager to greet you. Shalom to all!