named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
Artists Registry
Online curated registry identifying significant emerging and under-represented visual artists
Exhibitions and Public Programming
Ongoing schedule of exhibitions and artist projects showcasing emerging and under-represented visual artists
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 2 activities
- Organizing exhibitions and public programsPresents an ongoing program of free exhibitions, talks, screenings, and events featuring emerging and under-represented visual artists, with a public exhibition space open eleven months per year. Recent exhibitions include solo and group shows by artists such as Philip Van Aver, Piero Penizzotto, Rachel Handlin, and Tamar Halpern.
- Supporting emerging and under-recognized artistsProvides early exposure and support to emerging artists who have not yet received broad critical, curatorial, or commercial recognition, having supported hundreds of artists over fifty-four years through exhibitions, programming, and the Curated Artist Registry.
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Archival Digitization and Preservation 1 activity
- Operating a public archive and digital archive accessMaintains a fifty-year institutional archive of exhibitions and related materials, including reviews, out-of-print publications, and unpublished images, made accessible to researchers and the public through a digital archive.
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Nonprofit Music Recording and Distribution 1 activity
- Operating a record label for artist-performersRuns a record label that releases vinyl-only recordings by artist-performers, such as the debut EP _No More Evening Plans_ by Karryl Eugene, presented as part of a sound installation.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Operating the Curated Artist RegistryManages an online Curated Artist Registry that features over 500 New York-based artists without gallery representation, allowing them to share images and information about their practices annually. The registry serves as a platform for organizing exhibitions and summer programs.
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financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$1.23M
Contributions & grants$983K80%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$82K7%
Other revenue$169K
expenses
Total expenses$1.26M
Program expenses63%
Admin / overhead20%
Fundraising17%
Salaries & benefits$710K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$3.41M
Cash$1.98M
Investments$0
Liabilities$1.12M
Net assets$2.29M
Liquid reserves18.9 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue -13.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATTHEW HIGGS | DIRECTOR/CHIEF CURATOR | 45 | $251K |
board members · 15
- ALES ORTUZAR — BOARD MEMBER
- DAVIDA SCHWABSKY — BOARD MEMBER
- ERIC DIEFENBACH — BOARD MEMBER
- GAVIN BROWN — BOARD MEMBER
- GREGORY MILLER — PRESIDENT
- JASMIN TSOU — BOARD MEMBER
- JEANNE GREENBERG ROHATYN — BOARD MEMBER
- KEVIN YAO — BOARD MEMBER
- MARILYN MINTER — BOARD MEMBER
- MARTIN EISENBERG — BOARD MEMBER
- MONICA HALPERT — BOARD MEMBER
- POLLY APFELBAUM — BOARD MEMBER
- RANDY SLIFKA — BOARD MEMBER
- STEPHEN ABRAMSON — TREASURER
- YVONNE FORCE — BOARD MEMBER (THROUGH DEC 2023)
relationships · 23
Who they work with
- 47 Canal Partner — Employer of Grace Sanabria, curator of the exhibition
- Adeja Sterling Partner — Gallery Assistant organizing White Columns’ 2026 summer programs.
- Adeja Sterling Partner — Gallery Assistant who organized White Columns’ 2026 summer programs
- Andrew Kreps Gallery Partner — Hosted a group show featuring Tamar Halpern, exhibited at White Columns.
- Carlo McCormick Partner — Collaborated on a published conversation accompanying the Piero Penizzotto exhibition.
- Collaborative Arts Network New York (CANNY) Partner — Acknowledges generous support from CANNY, a coalition of small to mid-sized multidisciplinary arts organizations committed to strengthening arts nonprofits in New York.
- Eileen Quinlan Partner — Co-presented in a dialog-based exhibition with Elena Pankova in 2006.
- Elena Pankova Partner — Co-presented in a dialog-based exhibition with Eileen Quinlan in 2006.
- Esteban Jefferson Partner — Hosted a solo exhibition titled "Petit Palais" in 2019–2020.
- Goliath Visual Space Partner — Hosted a group show featuring Tamar Halpern, exhibited at White Columns.
- Helene Aylon Partner — Presented an exhibition of "Pourings and Liftings" in 1979.
- Hunter College Network — Artist Piero Penizzotto, featured in the exhibition, graduated from Hunter College with a Bachelor’s in Fine Art.
- Jack Pierson Partner — Collaborated with White Columns to organize the Philip Van Aver exhibition
- John Ahearn Partner — Facilitated an in-person studio visit and connection between artist Piero Penizzotto and sculptor John Ahearn.
- Kantor Gallery Partner — Hosted a group show featuring Tamar Halpern, exhibited at White Columns.
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Receives public funding support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Receives public funding support from the New York State Council on the Arts.
- Piero Penizzotto Partner — Collaborated on an exhibition of sculptural works in 2023.
- Rachel Handlin Partner — Presented a solo exhibition titled "strangers are friends I haven’t met yet" in 2024.
- Violet Saxon Partner — Curatorial Assistant organizing White Columns’ 2026 summer programs.
- Violet Saxon Partner — Curatorial Assistant who organized White Columns’ 2026 summer programs
- Whitney Museum of American Art Partner — Located adjacent to the Whitney Museum of American Art at its current location on Horatio Street.
- YAI Arts Partner — Collaborates with YAI Arts, a nonprofit studio supporting artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities, in presenting the work of artist Oswald Saenz.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Alternative Space for Non-Commercial Art Practicesmethodology: alternative_spaceBy operating as an alternative art space, the organization prioritizes non-commercial and non-mainstream artistic practices, because removing market-driven pressures enables experimental, critical, and socially engaged work to flourish.
- Artist Support Platform for Underrepresented and Emerging Artistsmethodology: artist-support-platformBy providing a public platform and curated registry, the organization increases visibility and early-career opportunities for emerging and underrepresented visual artists without gallery representation, because access to exhibition spaces is a critical barrier to recognition and sustainability in the art world.
- Curatorial Framework of the Unhomelymethodology: unhomelyBy applying Homi K. Bhabha’s theory of the “unhomely,” the organization recontextualizes domestic objects and destabilizes fixed notions of home and identity, because this conceptual disruption enables critical reflection on displacement, belonging, and cultural hybridity.
- Dialog-Based and Conceptual Curatorial Pairingmethodology: dialog-based-exhibitionBy using dialog-based exhibition formats and conceptual pairings between artists’ works, the organization generates new interpretive frameworks and critical engagement, because juxtaposition fosters deeper understanding and challenges mainstream art narratives.
- Living Archive and Historical Artistic Recoverymethodology: living archiveBy continuously curating a living archive and recovering historical and early-career works, the organization creates a dynamic institutional memory and highlights formative artistic development, because preserving and re-presenting underrecognized work challenges canon formation and expands art historical narratives.