On This Spot, a feminist art history nonprofit co-founded by Loretta Howard and Tony Ganz in 2021, tells the stories of a diverse group of women artists’ lives through short-form documentary videos. Their mission is to put women artists on the map, literally, by mapping the places where women artists “lived and worked, ate and drank, dreamed, laughed, danced, and found the inspiration and community to create their art.”
Many would agree that the current state of art history presents a distorted view of the art world. That, in the past, those responsible for documenting artistic developments frequently overlooked certain individuals or entire groups—due to their gender, ethnicity, or social status. And that this has resulted in an incomplete and skewed historical record. On This Spot strives to create a more inclusive and comprehensive narrative of art history—one that honors the many boundary-breaking women artists, the known and the unknown, who have been at the forefront of the New York art scene.
On This Spot’s short archival documentaries reveal that SoHo in the 1960s and ’70s was more than a neighborhood—it was a nexus of artistic innovation and feminist community. Once an industrial wasteland, it became the beating heart of New York’s avant-garde scene, where raw loft spaces doubled as studios, galleries, and homes. Here, women artists pushed boundaries, defied conventions, and carved out a place for themselves in a male-dominated art world. Their impact was seismic, reshaping contemporary art and culture. On This Spot brings these stories to life through compelling videos, tracing the footsteps of these trailblazing women and revealing the places where they sparked artistic revolutions.
I have included a selection of On This Spot’s many videos centered on SoHo women artists below. Please be sure to visit their website to find out more about the many women artists who shaped the New York art world. Or better yet, download the app and go visit the spots where history was made. Enjoy!
FOOD
Among the many artists and collectives that redefined contemporary art, FOOD stood out—not just as a restaurant but as an experiment in communal creativity. Founded by artists, run by women, it wasn’t merely a place to eat; it was a space where ideas simmered alongside avant-garde meals, a hub of inspiration in the early SoHo scene.
A.I.R. Gallery
A.I.R. Gallery was another groundbreaking force. In 1972, twenty women artists did what the mainstream art world wouldn’t: they created their own space. A.I.R. (Artists in Residence) became the first cooperative gallery for women in the U.S., transforming a dilapidated storefront into a platform for feminist art. It was one of many alternative spaces in SoHo that were not just about exhibitions but about discourse, activism, and amplifying women’s voices.
Women of Fluxus
Earlier the women of Fluxus—radical, irreverent, and boundary-breaking—lived in close proximity, a community. Run down factory buildings were converted into artists’ cooperatives. At one time, there were 11 local addresses in SoHo. It was a utopian idea being played out.
The Streets of SoHo
In SoHo, art wasn’t confined to galleries. The streets themselves became canvases for rebellion. Women artists staged performances suspended above sidewalks, drew monumental works on city pavement, and filled lofts with surreal installations—giant candy-colored foam, living sculptures, and provocative social commentary. They didn’t just demand space in the art world—they took it to the streets.
Hatch-Billops Salon
Camille Billops, a flamboyant artist, and her husband James V. Hatch turned their 4,000-square-foot loft into an invitation-only salon to exhibit the work of black artists. “We invited everybody here: friends, students and white folks, gallerists and curators,” says Billops. Interviews with more than 1,500 artists were collected and published in an annual journal, Artist and Influence: The Journal of Black American Cultural History.
Text by Loretta Howard
Top image: Camille Billops holding ceramic sculpture, Photographer Mary Ellen Andrews © Camille Billops; Courtesy Estate of the Artist and RYAN LEE Gallery, New York.
About On This Spot
On This Spot is dedicated to democratizing culture. Our free, engaging, and educational videos are available online and on social media, with closed captions in sixteen languages. We’re mapping the artistic legacy of New York’s neighborhoods—one pioneering woman at a time. Discover the women who made SoHo a revolutionary art district.