ABC No Rio returns to Tompkins Square Park with a free afternoon of music

Photos by Stacie Joy 

ABC No Rio hosted a free afternoon of music in Tompkins Square Park on Saturday as a fundraiser for its long-awaited new home on Rivington Street... part of a weekend that included the annual Riot Reunion show.

Five bands performed during the event. We caught sets by headliners, indie vets Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, and Crush Fund. Organizers also passed the bucket to help fund a new PA system for the new ABC No Rio building, expected to open later this year. 

From the day...starting with NYC's Crush Fund, who released a debut record on Friday...

... and Ted Leo, who played in the OG ABC No Rio space in the early 1990s...

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Inside the new ABC No Rio

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists headline ABC No Rio show Saturday in Tompkins Square Park

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Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Inside the new ABC No Rio

There's still time to see 'Art-Work: Balance' at the Clemente

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Above left: Curator Arthur Polendo 

and ABC No Rio ED Gavin Marcis

If you haven't made it over to "Art-Work: Balance" yet, there's still time. 

Organized by ABC No Rio and on view through July 12 at the Clemente Center, the group exhibition explores the often unseen balancing act between making art and earning a living.

Rather than depicting day jobs directly, the participating artists examine how work outside the studio — whether fulfilling, exhausting or simply necessary — shapes their creative lives and artistic practice.

"Art-Work: Balance" is on view on the fourth floor of the Clemente, 107 Suffolk St. between Rivington and Delancey. Gallery hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Previously on EV Grieve: • Inside the new ABC No Rio

Inside the new ABC No Rio

Photos and story by Stacie Joy 

After years in development — and nearly eight years after the former building was demolished — the new home for ABC No Rio is inching closer to opening on the Lower East Side.

ABC No Rio executive director Gavin Marcus recently gave us a full hard-hat tour of the building, which is now targeting a mid-July completion date for Phase 1 construction, followed by final inspections, furnishing and a certificate of occupancy process, with hopes of opening to the public by the end of October.

Plans are underway for an opening block party, concerts and an art show tied to the organization’s punk roots.

The new five-floor building at 156 Rivington St. between Clinton and Suffolk will include a 150-capacity performance venue, art gallery, zine library, print shop, computer lab, darkroom, community kitchen, meeting spaces and classrooms. The new ABC No Rio will also include a second-floor kitchen designed with input from Food Not Bombs, including community kitchen space for those who need it.

The eco-conscious building will also feature a green roof, solar panels and a planted, offset vine façade being developed with Brooklyn Grange.

"ABC No Rio is more than just a building. It's a culture," Marcus said during the tour. "And the culture shapes the character of the space."

The city has contributed $21 million toward the project through the Department of Cultural Affairs. 

ABC No Rio's previous building was demolished in 2017 after years of structural concerns.

A benefit concert this evening at Mercury Lounge for ABC No Rio

This evening, the Mercury Lounge will host a fundraiser for ABC No Rio. 

The lineup features Skull Practitioners, Art Gray Noizz Quintet and Female Genius ... with Grace Bergere starting at 6:45 p.m. Info here. 

ABC No Rio, founded in 1980, is a volunteer-led nonprofit community center for arts and activism ... their new building is expected to open late next summer. 

Mercury Lounge is at 217 Houston St. between Essex and Ludlow.

ABC No Rio's new building reaches the top on the Lower East Side

ABC No Rio marked a construction milestone on Friday with a topping-off ceremony as workers reached the top of its new four-story building at 156 Rivington St., between Clinton and Suffolk on the Lower East Side. 

With the construction netting and scaffolding, it's hard to tell from the street, but work has been progressing inside. A few residents had the chance to see the progress firsthand during Open House New York Weekend on Oct. 18 — all three tour sessions filled up quickly.

The eco-friendly new structure, designed by architect Paul Castrucci, will feature a computer lab, print shop, and a zine library, among other amenities. The building will also include expanded spaces for art, music, performance, educational, and community programs — along with meeting and office areas for ABC No Rio and other organizations. 

The city is contributing $21 million to the project through the Department of Cultural Affairs. 

ABC No Rio's previous four-story building on the lot, which was reportedly in disrepair, was demolished in the spring of 2017, forcing the organization to move its programming to other arts organizations around the city. 

According to the ABC No Rio website, they hope to complete our new home in July 2026 and begin programming at 156 Rivington again in the fall.

About the latest ABC No Ro in Exile exhibit

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The gallery is at 292 E. Third St. between Avenue C and Avenue D. 

Construction continues at ABC No Rio's new building, located on the site of its former headquarters at 156 Rivington St., between Clinton and Suffolk on the Lower East Side. The environmentally friendly new structure, designed by architect Paul Castrucci, will include a computer lab, print shop, and a zine library, among other amenities. 

ABC No Rio's previous four-story building on the lot, which was said to be in disrepair, was demolished in the spring of 2017, putting its programming into exile at other arts organizations around the city.

The Art of Unease: ABC No Rio’s 'PEST' continues on at The Clemente

The latest ABC No Rio in Exile show remains on view at The Clemente (above) through Aug. 3. 

Here's more about the group exhibit: 

The ABC No Rio Visual Arts Collective presents "PEST." An exhibition that examines what unnerves us most, what makes us uncomfortable, irked, annoyed, eerie, or just creeps us out. We endure pests and we fight them, yet they never seem to quite go away. "PEST" explores notions of pests, how we feel about pests, our interactions, and our relationships to them. 

And the featured artists: Mike Estabrook, David B. Frye, Robert Goldkind, Vandana Jain, Katarina Jerinic, Mark Power, David Colosi, Jordan Segal, Fly, and Fernando Pintado.

The fourth-floor gallery hours are the same as the Clemente hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. 

The Clemente is at 107 Suffolk St. between Rivington and Delancey on the Lower East Side. 

Meanwhile, less than a block away, construction is progressing at ABC No Rio's new building, located on the site of its former headquarters at 156 Rivington St.

The environmentally friendly new structure, designed by architect Paul Castrucci, will include a computer lab, print shop, and a zine library, among other amenities. (Find more details here.) The city is contributing $21 million to the project through the Department of Cultural Affairs. 

ABC No Rio's previous four-story building on the lot, which was reportedly in disrepair, was demolished in the spring of 2017, forcing its programming to relocate to other arts organizations around the city.

45 years of ABC No Rio

Photos by Stacie Joy

The "ABC No Rio 45 Years" exhibit is underway at the Emily Harvey Foundation. 

A quick overview of what to expect at this event celebrating the work of the collectively-run nonprofit arts organization founded in 1980: 

ABC No Rio 45 is an exhibition of the artists and activists who have contributed to ABC No Rio over the decades and built it into an iconic Lower East Side cultural center.

Find the full description and related events here. 

This past Thursday night marked the opening reception, and a crowd turned out...

The Emily Harvey Foundation is at 537 Broadway, 2nd Floor, between Prince and Spring..

Gallery hours: Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. or by appointment. Closed Sunday and Monday. The show ends on April 26.

Meanwhile, construction is progressing at ABC No Rio's new building, located on the site of its former headquarters at 156 Rivington St., between Clinton and Suffolk on the Lower East Side.

The environmentally friendly new structure, designed by architect Paul Castrucci, will include a computer lab, print shop, and a zine library, among other amenities. (Find more details here.) The city is contributing $21 million to the project through the Department of Cultural Affairs. 

ABC No Rio's previous four-story building on the lot, which was said to be in disrepair, was demolished in the spring of 2017, putting its programming into exile at other arts organizations around the city. 

ABC No Rio's longtime director, Steve Englander, passed away in December.