ABC No Rio
Encyclopedia
Social center
Social centers are community spaces. They are buildings which are used for a range of disparate activities, which can be linked only by virtue of being not-for-profit. They might be organizing centers for local activities or they might provide support networks for minority groups such as prisoners...
located at 156 Rivington Street on New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
that was founded in 1980. It features a gallery space, a zine
Zine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
library, a darkroom
Darkroom
A darkroom is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of light sensitive photographic materials, including photographic film and photographic paper. Darkrooms have been created and used since the inception of photography in the early 19th century...
, a silkscreening studio, and public computer lab. In addition, ABC No Rio plays host to a number of radical projects in New York City, including weekly hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
matinees and the NYC Food Not Bombs
Food Not Bombs
Food Not Bombs is a loose-knit group of independent collectives, serving free vegan and vegetarian food to others. Food Not Bombs' ideology is that myriad corporate and government priorities are skewed to allow hunger to persist in the midst of abundance...
collective. ABC No Rio seeks to be a community center for the Lower East Side, sponsoring projects and benefits for the community, as well as a center of radical activism in New York City, promoting "do it yourself
Do it yourself
Do it yourself is a term used to describe building, modifying, or repairing of something without the aid of experts or professionals...
volunteerism, art and activism, without giving-in or selling-out to corporate sponsors."
Founding
Beginning in the late 1960s, the Lower East Side of Manhattan was facing massive disinvestmentDisinvestment
Disinvestment, sometimes referred to as divestment, refers to the use of a concerted economic boycott, with specific emphasis on liquidating stock, to pressure a government, industry, or company towards a change in policy, or in the case of governments, even regime change...
by absentee landlords — by the late 1970s up to 80% of the area's housing stock was abandoned and in rem (seized by the city's government for non-payment of taxes). By the late 1970s and 1980s, a growing squatter movement and a small but visible “downtown” arts scene developed from within the burgeoning gentrification of the largely Puerto Rican community in the Lower East Side.
ABC No Rio itself grew out of the 1979 Real Estate Show, organized by the artists' group Colab
Colab
Colab is the commonly used abbreviation of the New York City artists' group Collaborative Projects, which was formed after a series of open meetings between artists of various disciplines. Colab came together as a collective in 1977, and initially received an NEA Workshop Grant through Center for...
(Collaborative Projects), in which a large group of artists seeking to foster connections between these communities occupied an abandoned building at 123 Delancey St.
Delancey Street (Manhattan)
Delancey Street is one of the main thoroughfares of Manhattan's Lower East Side, running east from the Bowery to connect to the Williamsburg Bridge to Brooklyn. It is an eight-lane, median-divided street....
and turned it into a gallery to show solidarity with working people in a critique of the city's land use policies — policies that in essence kept buildings empty until the area again attracted investment from developers — and a demonstration of what can be achieved through solidarity. The show was to explicitly "illuminate no legal issues" and it called for "no rights"; instead, it was "preemptive and insurrectionary." The show opened to the public on January 1, 1980; it was promptly shut down before the morning of January 2 by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). In the following negotiations with HPD, the organizers of The Real Estate show were granted the use of the building at 156 Rivington Street. That space became ABC No Rio. The name derives from the remaining letters of a mostly-effaced sign that was on the building: "Abogado Notario."
ABC No Rio was conceived of as an "art-making center," a community-oriented alternative to what its founders perceived as an overly hierarchical art world and gallery scene. It was to be "a place where you could do things that wouldn’t even cross your mind to do in a gallery."
Recent legal struggles
In the negotiations following the occupation of 123 Delancey St, ABC No Rio was given tacit permission to use its current building, located at 156 Rivington Street. ABC No Rio was in legal limbo for decades, sometimes a squat, sometimes paying a small rent to the city. In 1994, the city revoked ABC No Rio's commercial lease and stopped accepting their rent checks. The city planned on selling the building to Asian Americans for Equality for only $4,000. This city tactic of attempting to divide non-profit community groups had been used many times to split groups that the city approves of from more confrontational ones was used frequently against Lower East SideLower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
squatters throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. In October 1994, in response to the attempted eviction, a few activists began squatting the upper floors of the building, which had been unused for several years. The squatters' presence stalled the eviction proceedings for several years, along with the community-based protests, which resulted in several arrests. ABC No Rio refused to give up the space and embarked on a project of raising money and reforming their image, to appear to be a more legitimate organization in the eyes of the city.
In 1997, the city agreed to sell the building to ABC No Rio for $1 provided ABC could raise the money to renovate the building and bring it up to code, and that the squatters living in the upper floors of the building vacate to free the space for public use. After three years, the squatters, numbering around 10 and including a young family, left their apartments, which were converted to a zine library, a "Food Not Bombs
Food Not Bombs
Food Not Bombs is a loose-knit group of independent collectives, serving free vegan and vegetarian food to others. Food Not Bombs' ideology is that myriad corporate and government priorities are skewed to allow hunger to persist in the midst of abundance...
" kitchen, a silk screening studio, a computer lab, and other artist spaces. Over the years the city changed the scope and price of renovation several times, until 2004 when it was agreed that renovation could be broken into three phases and that the property would be sold when the collective had the funds for phase one in place. On June 29, 2006, the city completed the proposed sale, selling 156 Rivington St. to ABC No Rio for $1, still including the provision that the organization must raise the rest of the money to renovate the building.http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/04/nyregion/04abc.html
Current projects
ABC No Rio is a collective of collectives; the individual projects enjoy a great deal of autonomy in their day-to-day affairs. Building-wide matters are addressed at building collective meetings. Some of the current projects are:Development project
In June 2009, ABC No Rio was awarded $1,650,000 in capital funding from New York City for a development project of the Rivington Street site.Punk and hardcore
Perhaps ABC No Rio's best known project is the Punk/Hardcore Collective. Since December, 1989, ABC No Rio has hosted weekly punk/hardcore matinees on Saturday afternoons. For most of the 1980s, the NYC punk/hardcore scene had been focused around the Sunday matinees at CBGBCBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
's. These shows devolved into weekly bloodbaths due to gang violence and, therefore, in November, 1989, CBGB's stopped hosting them. The new shows at ABC No Rio were carefully set up to be devoid of the violence, homophobia, sexism, and machismo that took over the CBGB's matinees, and to this day follows a policy of booking only independent (i.e., non-major label) bands that do not in any way promote sexism, racism, homophobia, and so on. ABC No Rio is also one of the few places in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to host regular punk/hardcore shows that are all ages. It is often considered the Gilman Street
924 Gilman Street
924 Gilman Street is an all-ages, not for profit, collectively organized music club usually referred to by its fans simply as "The Gilman." It is located in the West Berkeley area of Berkeley, California about a mile and a half west of the North Berkeley BART station and a quarter-mile west of San...
of the East Coast, having hosted and nurtured many of the bands in today's punk scene. The weekly hardcore/punk matinee opens between 3 and 3:30 on Saturdays, bands start at 4, the entry cost is US $7. More information can be found at http://www.abcnorio.org/punk and http://www.myspace.com/abcnoriopunk.
Zine library
ABC No Rio holds a large collection of zines formerly hosted by the now-defunct Lower East SideLower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
radical bookstore and infoshop
Infoshop
An infoshop is a storefront or social center that serves as a node for the distribution of political information, typically in the form of books, zines, stickers and posters. Infoshops often serve as a meeting space and resource hub for local activist groups....
Blackout! Books. The collection spans over two decades, and features many zines with a radical political perspective, or a focus on punk and other DIY art forms. Some titles include: Love & Rage, Maximum RocknRoll
Maximum RocknRoll
Maximum rocknroll is a widely distributed, monthly not-for-profit fanzine based in San Francisco, USA. It features interviews, columns, and reviews from international contributors...
, Profane Existence
Profane Existence
The Profane Existence Collective is a Minneapolis-based anarcho-punk collective. Established in 1989, the collective publishes a nationally-known zine , as well as releasing and distributing anarcho-punk, crust, and grindcore music, and printing and publishing pamphlets and literature...
, Slug and Lettuce
Slug and Lettuce (fanzine)
Slug and Lettuce is a free newsprint punk zine started in New York City and currently based in Richmond, Virginia. Its byline reads "A zine supporting the Do-It-Yourself ethics of the punk community". It is published quarterly and in spring 2012, it will be twenty five years old...
, Retard Riot as well as many other less regularly printed or single-issue titles.
Food Not Bombs
The New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
chapter of Food Not Bombs
Food Not Bombs
Food Not Bombs is a loose-knit group of independent collectives, serving free vegan and vegetarian food to others. Food Not Bombs' ideology is that myriad corporate and government priorities are skewed to allow hunger to persist in the midst of abundance...
cooks on the second-floor kitchen of ABC No Rio every Sunday, and serves free food in nearby Tompkins Square Park
Tompkins Square Park
Tompkins Square Park is a 10.5 acre public park in the Alphabet City section of the East Village neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is square in shape, and is bounded on the north by East 10th Street, on the east by Avenue B, on the south by East 7th Street, and on the...
.
Darkroom Collective
The Darkroom Collective runs a public darkroomDarkroom
A darkroom is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of light sensitive photographic materials, including photographic film and photographic paper. Darkrooms have been created and used since the inception of photography in the early 19th century...
on the third floor of ABC No Rio that is open 2 days a week.
Computer lab
The Computer Center on the fourth floor of ABC No Rio seeks to close the digital divideDigital divide
The Digital Divide refers to inequalities between individuals, households, business, and geographic areas at different socioeconomic levels in access to information and communication technologies and Internet connectivity and in the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use the information...
by providing a public computer lab to the underserved Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
. The computer lab is made up only of donated computers, and runs almost exclusively free
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
or open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
software.
Silkscreening Collective
The Silkscreening Collective runs a public screen-printingScreen-printing
Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink or other printable materials which can be pressed through the mesh as a sharp-edged image onto a substrate...
studio, also located on the fourth floor.
Books Through Bars
The Books Through Bars Collective sends free donated books to persons incarcerated in U.S. prisonsPrisons in the United States
Incarceration in the United States is one of the main forms of punishment and/or rehabilitation for the commission of felony and other offenses. The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world. At year-end 2009 it was 743 adults incarcerated per 100,000...
. BTB used to meet every regularly at No Rio, but in anticipation of the building being closed for renovation have relocated their efforts temporarily. Information on the project can still be obtained at ABC No Rio. (see also: Books to Prisoners
Books to Prisoners
Books to Prisoners is an umbrella term for several projects and organizations that mail free reading material to prison inmates. The first Books to Prisoners project was founded in Seattle, Washington, USA in 1973. There are approximately twenty similar projects in the United States and Canada...
)
COMA
The Citizens Ontological Music Agenda is a project that hosts experimental music, poetry, and other forms of performance on Sunday Evenings.Visual Arts Collective
The Visual Arts Collective co-ordinates shows and exhibitions in the main gallery, as well as the bi-annual building-wide Ides of March group exhibit.The purpose that drives this collective is to maintain a free and spontaneous environment for displaying art, as well as providing a venue for art which may be excluded from the mainstream due to its radical political content.
The visual arts committee has included Amy Westpfahl, Victoria Law, Steven Englander, Mike Estabrook
Mike Estabrook
Mike Estabrook is an American visual artist based in Brooklyn, New York, and originally from Quincy, Illinois.His work spans several media, including animation, painting, drawing, performance and installation....
, Vandana Jain, Julie Hair, Alan Moore, Brian George, Kelly Savage, Michael Cataldi, Joyce Manalo, and many others.
See also
- Bluestockings (bookstore)Bluestockings (bookstore)Bluestockings is an infoshop in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Collectively run by volunteers and a worker-owner collective, Bluestockings is Manhattan's only women's bookstore...
- 924 Gilman Street924 Gilman Street924 Gilman Street is an all-ages, not for profit, collectively organized music club usually referred to by its fans simply as "The Gilman." It is located in the West Berkeley area of Berkeley, California about a mile and a half west of the North Berkeley BART station and a quarter-mile west of San...
- Che CafeChe CafeThe Ché Café is a worker co-operative, social center, and live music venue located on the University of California, San Diego campus in La Jolla, California, USA.-History:Founded in 1980 by UCSD students, the Che originally began its life as a vegan cafe...
- Mr. Roboto ProjectMr. Roboto ProjectThe Mr. Roboto Project was an all ages, Do It Yourself , non-profit volunteer run cooperative venue and show space in Pittsburgh, PA. Since November 1999 it has been located in a former store front on Wood Street, near the corner of South Avenue. The structure of The Mr...
- C-SquatC-SquatC Squat is a squat located at 155 Avenue C in the East Village of Manhattan, New York City, in an area called Loisaida.-History:Journalist and author Robert Neuwirth described the situation that gave birth to many of New York's squats, including C Squat, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, "In the...
- Dos BlockosDos BlockosDos Blockos was a squat situated on East 9th Street in Manhattan, New York City. In active use as a squat from 1992–1999, the six-story building housed as many as 60 people at its peak...
- Lemp Neighborhood Arts CenterLemp Neighborhood Arts CenterThe Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center is a non-profit performance space, art gallery, and community center located in the historic Benton Park neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Since March of 1994, the organization has been the forefront of art spaces committed to the DIY ethic in St...
- Modified ArtsModified ArtsModified Arts is run by husband and wife team Kim Larkin , and Adam Murray . The duo succeeded Kimber Lanning, who opened Modified Arts in 1999 and developed it into a respected gallery and prominently recognized venue for live music and performance. Kim and Adam continue to present high quality...
- Paper HeartPaper Heart GalleryPaper Heart Gallery is an all-ages music venue, art gallery, and performance space in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. It is located on Grand Avenue, between 7th Avenue and Polk Street....
- The SmellThe SmellThe Smell is an all ages, alcohol and drug-free punk rock/noise/experimental venue in Downtown Los Angeles, California. The Smell, notable for its DIY ethic, is home to many of the area's avant-garde performers and artists...
- The Vera ProjectThe VERA ProjectThe Vera Project, or VERA, is an all-ages, non-profit youth arts organization in Seattle, Washington.-About:Based on the Vera club in Groningen, Netherlands, Seattle's VERA Project was founded in 2001 by James Keblas, Shannon Stewart , and Kate Becker , along with the help of many other...
- Trunk SpaceTrunk SpaceThe Trunk Space is an all-ages music venue, art gallery, and performance space in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. It is located on Grand Avenue, between 19th Avenue and 15th Avenue....
- Collective:Unconscious
External links
- ABC No Rio official website
- The Book: ABC No Rio Dinero: The Story of a Lower East Side Art Gallery
- New York Times article on the Real Estate Show
- 1981 BOMB Magazine interview with ABC No Rio by Shelley Leavitt
- Satya Magazine article about ABC No Rio from March 2006
- 1996 Village Voice article on the eviction
- NY Times article on the resolution of the eviction
- Time Out New York article on the resolution of the eviction
- 2004 CUNY GC Advocate article on fundraising efforts
- 2007 WireTap Magazine article on No Rio as a sustainable project.
- 2008 Brooklyn Rail article about No Rio's building and the future of the organization.
- Short documentary of ABC no Rio's Zine Library from 2009