"Does opening a gallery in a borough or a neighborhood not previously associated with the art market immediately lead to gentrification?
In the past, artists have been accused of being at the vanguard of unchecked real estate development in low-income areas. But it’s hardly the artists’ fault alone.
American cities have not acted to stave off what geographers and urban planners call “uneven development,” and the story, even in recent years of warp-speed real estate shifts, is much more complex. While artists look for affordable space to live and work in the city, they continue to mount exhibitions showcasing their own work and the work of their friends and associates.
In this roundup of Brooklyn galleries — pushing to the edges of Queens — I’ve highlighted art spaces that confront traditional gentrification and displacement or show how artists and others have responded to the changing geography of art in New York City."
