Public Events

Every March, artists, galleries, collectors, critics and curators from all over the world make New York their destination during Armory Arts Week (AAW). The concept of a week of arts-related events grew organically, and was formalized with the support of the city in 2009.

Mission of AAW
In celebration of the city’s unparalleled artistic communities, it is The Armory Show’s goal to highlight a neighborhood or borough’s arts scene each night of AAW with events for all levels of visitors. Past events have included special receptions, open studios, art tours, museum discounts, performances, panels, artist discussions and parties. From exclusive parties in the VIP Calendar for our top collectors to public programming for local artists and the general public, The Armory Show hopes to saturate the city with art-related events.

AAW Audience
AAW already attracts visitors from all over the world, as well as residents of New York City and the Tri-State area. According to a 2007 independent economic impact study, of the 52,000 visitors to The Armory Show, 56 percent (29,000) were visitors to New York City; out-of-town visitors were comprised of 11,000 from other countries, 5,000 living in the suburbs of NYC, and 13,000 from elsewhere in the United States; and among all out-of-town visitors, 73 percent cited The Armory Show as their primary reason for being in New York City.

Past AAW Programming
Some highlights of AAW 2009 included open studios at The Studio Museum in Harlem during Uptown and Museum Mile Day; a tour of Selections Spring 2009 with exhibition curator Nina Katchadourian and exhibiting artists at The Drawing Center on SoHo Night; a talk about works from the Citi Collection of Fine Art by Suzanne F.W. Lemakis, director and curator at the Henry DeFord III Gallery on A Day In Queens; the grand opening of The Boiler, featuring an installation of Tavares Strachan’s “The Distance Between (Arctic Ice Project),” a 4.5 ton block of ice from the Arctic, displayed in a solar-powered glass freezer, on a street that closed to traffic for a festive evening in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; and a Sunday gallery walk in the Lower East Side beginning at the New Museum Lobby and featuring limited edition artist-designed maps.

AAW Promotion
The Armory Show has established an AAW website, armoryartsweek.com, to promote the array of events and participating organizations. It also partners with NYC & Company, the city’s official marketing and tourism firm, to publish and distribute 50,000 maps with schedules at participating venues, tourist kiosks and Bloomingdale’s.