August is the quietest month in the New York gallery calendar, which makes an actual opening night on the Lower East Side worth crossing town for — you get the artist in the room and a crowd rather than an empty white cube. MacDonald paints memory and domestic space with a soft, deliberately unreliable hand, and this is her solo debut with the gallery. Free to walk in, and Ludlow Street is dense enough that you can make a night of it.
What to expect
A ground-floor Lower East Side gallery with the full show hung and the artist typically present on opening night, plus drinks and a standing crowd spilling toward the door. After opening night it reverts to a quiet, free walk-in gallery during normal hours. The scale is intimate — one room, one artist, no ticket.
Good to know
- The gallery is at 54 Ludlow Street; the F to East Broadway or the B/D to Grand Street
- Admission is free and no reservation is required
- Opening night is a crowded, social affair — come later for a quiet look at the work
- The show stays up for weeks, so a weekday visit is the calm option
- Ludlow and Orchard Streets have several other galleries within a block or two
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Common questions
Is the opening reception open to the public?
Yes. Hashimoto Contemporary openings are free and open to anyone who walks in during the reception hours.
How long is the show up?
It stays on view for roughly three weeks after opening night, closing in early September.
Where is the gallery?
54 Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side; the gallery also has a San Francisco space showing different artists.
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