Originally founded by Adriaan Van Der Plas in Gramercy Park, NYC in the 1980s, Van Der Plas Gallery is an established art gallery now located in the Lower East Side of NYC.
Van Der Plas Gallery brings the lost histories of the Lower East Side and East Village art scene back to life. Fusing Contemporary, Outsider, and Street Art, the gallery is a sanctuary for artists seeking to channel the authentic, unabashed creativity that has blossomed in the neighborhood for generations.
Rooted in its rich heritage and building upon its foundations, Van Der Plas fosters a community dedicated to artists who are deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric of the Lower East Side. Drawing on this history while looking beyond the traditional canon, the gallery champions artists who embrace unconventional approaches to creativity and challenge established artistic boundaries. Its roster includes Al Diaz, Jean-Michel Basquiat’s graffiti partner; Kevin Wendall, aka “FA-Q,” the notorious downtown art-world scamp and “Van Gogh of the East Village”; and Juan Carlos Pinto, the subway-card collagist and Artista de la Calle.
Continuing this commitment to independent and outsider voices, Van Der Plas Gallery is proud to champion artists such as Jason McLean, Devon Marinac, and Susan Day. Through their distinctive practices and evolving bodies of work, each brings a singular perspective to the gallery, reflecting its enduring spirit of experimentation, individuality, and artistic freedom. The gallery takes pride in nurturing their continued development and bringing their work to an ever-wider audience.
Through its ongoing rolling Open Call Program, Van Der Plas Gallery provides emerging and established artists with opportunities to exhibit their work in New York City. The program welcomes artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, encouraging experimentation, artistic individuality, and new perspectives within the gallery's creative community.
Van Der Plas Gallery is located on Orchard Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, and is open from Monday to Sunday.