Paula Cooper on Pioneering Soho's Art Scene
Source: thecut.com
TL;DR
- Paula Cooper's Soho Start: Paula Cooper opened her gallery in Soho in 1968, pioneering the neighborhood's transformation from empty factories to art hub.
- Wooster Building Purchase: In early 1970s, she bought an eight-story Wooster Street building with two friends for the gallery and living space.
- Pioneer Mindset: Cooper welcomes new galleries nearby, crediting close artist ties and a slower, humane art world pace for her success.
The story at a glance
Paula Cooper recounts opening her first gallery on Prince Street in Soho in 1968 amid its shift from industrial emptiness to artist lofts, representing artists like Lynda Benglis and Chris Wilmarth while building deep friendships across the scene. She later bought a Wooster Street building in the early 1970s and moved to Chelsea in the mid-1990s. Now 88, she reflects on her role in drawing major galleries like Sonnabend and Castelli to Soho. The piece draws from her captions on archival photos, highlighting personal anecdotes from her career.
Key points
- Opened Paula Johnson Gallery in 1965 on 69th Street after working at World House Galleries, showing far-reaching work like Bob Thompson's.
- Launched Prince Street gallery in 1968 at age 30, pregnant with a 1.5-year-old child, commuting from uptown; artists like Lynda Benglis typed letters for her.
- Represented artists including Chris Wilmarth, Lynda Benglis, Mark di Suvero, Joel Shapiro, Elizabeth Murray; friends like John Baldessari, Louise Lawler, Jasper Johns visited often.
- Funded 1970s Artforum ad for Benglis's double-dildo photo, causing uproar with editors quitting and printers resisting.
- Hosted chamber music concerts with groups like S.E.M. Ensemble and Petr Kotik, leading to dinners with John Cage.
- Gave artist a stipend-free deal in 1985, selling his work exclusively for over five years during a down period.
- Moved gallery to Chelsea mid-1990s after marrying publisher Jack Macrae, who died three years ago.
Details and context
Cooper's early career built on uptown experience at World House Galleries with Europeans like Giacometti and Dubuffet, then her own 1965 space showing painter Bob Thompson, influenced by informal Upper West Side artist venues.
Soho in 1968 was deserted after 4 p.m., with factories closed, but artists occupied lofts; Cooper lived nearby later, near Gordon Matta-Clark's restaurant Food, and her kids grew up around artists' children in a familial scene—Joel Shapiro's daughter matched her son Lucas's age.
She co-bought the Wooster building with Weston Naef (Met curator) and Jim Seawright (Princeton head), getting ground floor, basement, and fifth floor cheaply via a big loan; neighbors included photographer Gianfranco Gorgoni and Matta-Clark.
Close ties defined her approach: Benglis, determined and intense, aware of gender imbalances; collector Vera List bought her foam works and praised the Artforum stunt; dinners and visits with non-represented friends like Jasper Johns emphasized a slower, attentive era.
Key quotes
- “It was different then. The pace was much slower and just more humane and civilized. You paid attention to what you were doing, and you talked to people at length."
- “I know a lot of galleries don’t like it when people open down the street, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Unless, I suppose — there are too many, so they don’t come to you!”
Why it matters
Paula Cooper's story shows how one gallery catalyzed Soho's rise as an art center, drawing institutions and reshaping New York City's cultural geography. It highlights personal grit—balancing motherhood, friendships, and business—in building a lasting institution now in Chelsea. Watch for her gallery's role amid ongoing shifts like new neighborhood gallery clusters.
What changed
Before 1968, Soho was an empty industrial zone closing at 4 p.m. with no art presence. Cooper's Prince Street gallery drew artists and visitors, spurring others like Sonnabend and Castelli to follow within a decade. Early 1970s Wooster move solidified the ground-floor gallery in a bought building.
FAQ
Q: How did Paula Cooper start her gallery career?
A: She worked at uptown World House Galleries showing Europeans like Giacometti, then opened Paula Johnson Gallery in 1965 on 69th Street across from Hunter College for about 1.5 years, learning basics and showing far-reaching work like Bob Thompson's. This led to her 1968 Soho space on Prince Street.
Q: What made Soho appealing for Cooper's gallery?
A: Artists had taken over abandoned lofts in the transitioning, empty neighborhood, and she was close friends with figures like Lynda Benglis and Chris Wilmarth who lived there. Her 1968 gamble on Prince Street paid off as more galleries followed.
Q: What was the Artforum ad controversy?
A: Lynda Benglis wanted her double-dildo nude photo in an article, but Artforum refused; her gallery ran it as a paid ad she funded, sparking editors quitting, printer resistance, and outrage, which Vera List admired for its courage.
Q: Why did Cooper host music at her gallery?
A: It began with a MoMA curator's request for a benefit concert by the Chamber Music Society, praised for acoustics; this expanded to contemporary groups like Petr Kotik's S.E.M. Ensemble, tying into dinners with John Cage.
TL;DR
- Paula Cooper's Soho Start: Paula Cooper opened her gallery in Soho in 1968, turning an empty industrial area into an art hub with close artist ties.
- Wooster Street Purchase: Early 1970s building buy with friends enabled ground-floor gallery amid growing scene.
- Humane Art Era: Slower pace and relationships drove success, now at 88 she embraces pioneer repeats.
The story at a glance
At 88, Paula Cooper reflects via photo captions on opening her Prince Street gallery in 1968 as Soho shifted from factories to lofts, representing and befriending artists like Lynda Benglis, Chris Wilmarth, and Joel Shapiro. She bought a Wooster Street building early 1970s, hosted music, funded bold ads, and moved to Chelsea mid-1990s. Key figures include collectors like Vera List and friends like Jasper Johns; it's reported now as a personal history of NYC art evolution.
Key points
- First gallery Paula