Cops Called On 700+ Artist Gallery, “The Patriot,” Opening-Night

Cops Called On 700+ Artist Gallery, “The Patriot,” Opening-Night

Image via @evgrieve on Twitter

The Lower East Side was abuzz for the opening night of “The Patriot” on July 14th. “The Patriot” was an art exhibit for the art gallery O’Flaherty’s — a ten-month-old gallery spearheaded by artist Jamina Juliano-Villani. Juliano-Villani described the exhibit as “we literally took any piece of shit you brought in, whether it was awesome or total trash.” It was, according to Juliano-Vilna, intended to deconstruct the sophistication and structure of normative summer group shows. After the events of Thursday night when the cops were called, this idea was taken to a whole new meaning. 

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Crowd waiting outside O’Flaherty’s to view “The Patriot” (Image via @Joy_of_photos)

The exhibit was an open-call show in which all artists were accepted as long as they met the criteria set by the gallery: under 36×36 and no use of wet oil paint. Over the course of a few weeks, Juliano-Villani and her co-founders reviewed submissions. By the end of the process, there were a total of more than 700 pieces placed throughout the gallery — covering the walls from ceiling to floor. 

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Image taken inside the exhibit (Image via @Joy_of_photos)

Any spaces, including bathrooms and closets, were converted into gallery walls to display the artworks. The artworks, ranging in material, style, and skill connect through their lack of association.

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Wall of “The Patriot” covering from ceiling to floor (Image via @Joy_of_photos)

Given flashlights, spectators weaved through the darkened rooms to view the art pieces. Sadly, only a few gallery-goers were able to make it into the building on 55 Avenue C. Snaking through the streets surrounding the O’Flaherty’s, an estimated 1,000 people attended the opening-night of “The Patriot” in Alphabet City. 

By 8:30, only a half hour following the start of the show, cops were called in to disperse the group. After a few more reinforcements were summoned, the safety and fire hazard was quelled over the following hour. 

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Police officers called in to disperse the crowd outside the gallery (Image via @Joy_of_photos)

This unorthodox gallery will be open until August 10, 2022. While the exhibit will be only viewable for a little less than a month, after its first opening-night, its message has been heard loud and clear.

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