On Monday night, a former synagogue in Manhattan played host to a number of accomplished women in the arts, as Project for Empty Space marked its 15th anniversary with the latest edition of its annual Badass Art Woman Awards. The initiative—helmed by Project for Empty Space co-directors Rebecca Pauline Jampol and Jasmine Wahi—spotlights diverse professions of the art world: teaching, curation, writing, and advocacy among them.
The Locale: This year’s celebration unfolded in the Angel Orensanz Foundation in the Lower East Side, which now serves as a cultural hub, lending the evening a rarefied gravitas not often captured in a new build.
The Crowd: The honorees—Dr. Deborah Willis, chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at Tisch School of the Arts at New York University; Ebony L. Haynes, the newly appointed Global Head of Curatorial Projects at David Zwirner; and Helen Toomer, the founder of Stoneleaf Retreat and Upstate Art Weekend and co-founder of Art Mamas Alliance—were joined by a cohort of 15 women nominated by the trio for their own transformative work. These included a range of curators like Ruba Katrib and Legacy Russell, and artists and scholars like Dr. Cheryl Finley and Tatyana Fazlalizadeh. Also in the crowd were a coterie of artists including Mickalene Thomas, Derrick Adams, Marilyn Minter, and Bevy Smith.
The Atmosphere: Guests mingled beneath towering arches before taking their seats at candlelit tables adorned with limited-edition candelabras commissioned from former Project For Empty Space artist-in-residence David Antonio Cruz. Onstage, guests watched performances from Mia X, Marcy De Pina, and Armana Khan.
What You Missed: The after-party carried the spirit of the evening forward, with DJ Armana Khan keeping the crowd dancing late into the night—a fitting close to a landmark anniversary for Project for Empty Space, which has uplifted New York and New Jersey artists for over a decade with its exhibition, residency, and studio programs.
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