Community of Tribeca: Bortolami
Stefania Bortolami reflects on the neighborhood’s intimacy, accessibility, and emergence as a center of New York’s art scene.
PLUS MAGAZINE: As someone deeply attuned to the place and its energy, how have you experienced the evolution of Tribeca, not just as a neighborhood, but as a cultural ecosystem?
ANDREW KREPS: While the number of galleries has grown exponentially since our move in 2019, it’s great to see that it’s still able to support a range of galleries. There’s an organic spirit of collaboration within the neighborhood. In the fall, we’re doing a joint exhibition with PAGE, a younger gallery on Broadway.
P: Where are your go-to spots in the neighborhood?
AK: Nom Wah Tea Parlor and Frenchette are always a favorite.
P: We’ve seen more galleries engaging in partnerships—shared artists, split presentations, and cross-programming that blur commercial and institutional boundaries. How do you view the role of partnership in shaping Andrew Kreps Gallery’s program today, and what forms of interdependence do you find most generative or necessary in this evolving landscape?
AK: Between The Campus in upstate New York, and 55 Walker, which we operate together with Bortolami and kaufmann repetto, collaboration has become an integral part of the gallery. Each gallery brings with it its own expertise and audience. With co-representation, like we do with David Zwirner for the work of Raymond Saunders, and Alison Jacques for the estate of Eileen Agar, we’re able to expand the reach of the artists’ work, and generate more opportunities for discovery.
P: You’ve worked closely with the estates of artists like Corita Kent and Robert Overby—practices that require not only historical sensitivity but strategic vision. What have these experiences revealed about the gallery’s role in shaping how artistic legacies are preserved, contextualized, and positioned for future audiences? And how do you navigate the balance between honoring an artist’s original context and introducing the work within today’s cultural and market frameworks?
AK: In the past years, I’ve realized how much of our own knowledge has been limited by what has been accepted as canon. And for many reasons. There are artists who enjoyed success at moments in part of their career and fell off the radar, or artists who traditionally were siloed in fields considered outside of contemporary art, like craft. What’s exciting about this moment is we’re able to take a broader look and fill in some of the gaps.
P: As artists increasingly self-direct their visibility across digital and independent channels, what responsibilities do you believe still rest uniquely with the gallery? And what forms of advocacy or infrastructure remain specific to Andrew Kreps in supporting long-term artistic trajectories?
AK: A gallery is so much more than an exhibition space, providing vital support from production assistance, institutional relationships, press, etc. While artists continue to build their own platforms, galleries function as advocates, helping to build both markets and artistic careers long-term.
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