Reflecting on 2024

Photo by Stefan Hagen
Dear Open Source Gallery and KoKo NYC supporters, neighbors, families, and friends,
Open Source Gallery and KoKo NYC have had a fantastic year! We presented five site-specific art exhibitions and over 50 free public events, from live music and storytelling, to remedy-making, dinner parties, and makeovers. Through our education program, KoKo NYC, we have helped 3,350 kids see possibilities, problem solve, create, and explore, experiment, build houses, construct soapbox cars, create art, and more.
Check out some highlights from this year!
Open Source Gallery Highlights:
- We had over 3000 visitors of all ages.
- Jody Wood’s exhibition Collecting Health gave away dozens of home remedies, collected 18 new recipes from visitors, and was featured in The New York Times!
- As part of Monika Drożyńska’s Latte Capitalizm, we put up stickers and banners all over the city, some of which are still visible now!
- Artist-in-Residence Christiana Laine built a cob pizza oven and “Living” Room at the Lot, and we baked the most amazing pizza.
- We hired 5 professional beauticians to give dozens of free manicures and haircuts as part of Zé Kielwagen’s exhibition, BAFO: Beauty Temple
- Grace Sachi Troxell hosted a family workshop and an incredible dinner party, and gave away over 25 hand-made bowls to attendees as part of her exhibition this pot is made of earth and when it breaks, my father laughs.
- Marlene Hausegger inflated a giant rat for her exhibition Scabby: A Rat About Town, and was featured in Hyperallergic!
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In 2024, we hosted:
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Upcoming at Open Source:
- Yu Shuk Pui Bobby: February 8 – March 23, 2025
- Kathleen McDermott: April 12 – May 25, 2025
- sTo Len: June 14 – July 27, 2025
- Shane Charles: September 6 – October 12, 2025
- Juan Pablo Plazas: October 25 – November 30, 2025
Photo by Miho Suzuki
KoKo NYC Highlights:
- Our field trip programming really increased this year! The number of kids who visited the KoKo Lot on a field trip increased by more than 50% since our previous reporting year!
- Our teen programming expanded significantly with our participation in the 92NY Teen Arts Week, our Teen Wednesdays at the KoKo Lot, and the first season of our Teens Building the Future Together program!
- Our Teens Building the Future Together program also marks the first major grant we have been awarded to support KoKo NYC programming! Thank you to The Pinkerton Foundation for this generous support.
Check out this incredible video about Teens Building the Future Together made by Gareth Manwaring:
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This year at KoKo,
These statistics are representative of data collected between 7/1/23 – 6/30/24.
We provided programming to 745 more kids than in the same period from the previous year!
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What’s ahead?
- Spring After School and School Break Workshops at the KoKo Lot (registration launching in early 2025)
- Summer Workshops at the KoKo Lot (registration launching in early 2025)
- And more!
Want to make sure your kid gets to enjoy more KoKo NYC programming in 2025? Gift cards available now!
It’s been a delight to share this year with so many of you in so many ways. As we look ahead to 2025, we need your help to meet every exciting opportunity and challenge so that we can continue to create a safe and free space for experimentation, conversation, and play. We can’t wait to see you next year!