Profile

For those accustomed to the burnished surfaces of Manhattan's legendary fine art institutions, MoMA affiliate P.S. 1 is both a geographic and esthetic departure. Housed in a castle-like brick Renaissance Revival structure dating back to 1893, Long Island City's showcase for edgy, contemporary work takes an aggressive curatorial approach in which placement is as crucial as the content itself. James Turrell's Meeting (1986) turns the simple experience of sitting on a wooden pew under a skylight at dusk into something sublime; downstairs in the basement, the boiler room often houses conceptual pieces as well as the ancient boiler itself. Between the two are 145,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibition space: warren-like classrooms (of the former First Ward Primary School) leading to arcade-like galleries, and artworks showing up in unexpected areas such as bathrooms, hallways, and stairwells (complete with cracked-paint patinas). The museum accords as much respect to video and sound projects as it does to painting, photography and sculpture. Individual artist exhibits—such as Sol Lewitt's cinderblock constructs—offer fresh perspective on familiar figures; group affairs, like the Greater New York, introduce locals on the rise. These shows often gleefully blur the lines between art and architecture, with a peek into the janitor's closet rendered as provocative as a walk through a massive installation. — Ethan Wolff

Tours led by P.S. 1 artists-in-residence are offered to adult groups, teachers, schools, and senior citizen groups. Tours must be arranged in advance. Call 718-784-2086 for information.

Internships
Internships in areas ranging from programming and production to accounting are offered to high school and college students and community members. Call 718-784-2084 ext. 104 for information.

Airwave Art
WPS1 radio streams art talk and experimental sound at wps1.org.