Olympia Lambert Makes The Case for “Escape From New York”

Artist Nicholas Fraser doing his installation at “Escape from New York” (via Village Voice)

The Village Voice interviewed art blogger-turned-curator Olympia Lambert about her big exhibition in Paterson, New Jersey, which opens today. Escape From New York was a sponsor of Hyperallergic a few weeks ago, and it opens today. She offers her thoughts on the state of the New York art world, though she does slag New York a little too much for my taste, and please don’t try to make Bushwick and New Jersey parallels (um, no comparison … I heart Bushwick).

How do you feel about the art industry in New York right now as related to the economic state?

I think it’s a lot of smoke and mirrors personally. It really depends on the individual gallery. It also depends on how much inventory you have, because the galleries have to depend on other means of survival in tough times.

I think that’s certainly a way galleries are surviving, with special events, marketing to new collectors, expanding from the usual collector … you know, when Pace laid off some of its staff, that was like a huge moment in the art world.

The exhibition features art by 43 contemporary artists. It runs each weekend from 11am to 6pm through June 19 at 24 1/2 Van Houten Street, Paterson, New Jersey.