A fascinating exhibition takes a close look at the roots of today’s New York gallery system in a time before it became synonymous with money and glamour. Curator Melissa Rachleff provides a richly researched overview of New York’s scrappy downtown art scene in the 1950s and ’60s. Camaraderie, gusto, talent, and chutzpah made up for a lack of material resources at spaces such as Hansa Gallery, 79 Park Place, and the Spiral Group, where artists ran the show. Larry Poons, Danny Lyon, and Yoko Ono are but a few of the artists whose work and contributions are seen in a new light. —Lindsay Pollock
Pictured: Norman Lewis: Untitled, 1965, oil on canvas, 62 by 37 inches. Courtesy Seth Taffae Fine Art, New York.