Mission

Ortega y Gasset Projects (OyG) is a non-profit artist-run curatorial collective and exhibition space in Gowanus, Brooklyn, directed by the artists Clare Britt, Eric Hibit, Leeza Meksin, Nickola Pottinger, Adam Liam Rose, Zahar Vaks, Lauren Whearty.

OyG was founded in May 2013 in Bushwick, Brooklyn,  by Lauren Adams, Joshua Bienko, Clare Britt, Carrie Hott, Jessica Langley, Leeza Meksin, Sheilah Wilson and Karla Wozniak, and relocated to Gowanus in February 2015. OyG gained non-profit status in 2016. 

Ortega y Gasset Projects came together as an artist-run space in April 2013 when a group of artists realized how much their practices were dictated by their circumstances. José Ortega y Gasset’s famous maxim “yo soy yo y mi circunstancia” (I’m myself and my circumstance) deeply resonated with the group, so they named the space as a nod to the philosopher’s pragmatism and realist phenomenology, that came to be known as the “philosophy of life.” Ortega y Gasset Projects celebrates 10 years in May, 2023.

OyG is entirely run by working artists, who recognize that exploration is key to artistic vitality. We embrace an exploratory model where artists take the role of curator, critic and promoter. Working without concern for commercial profit or an explicit curatorial ideology, the goal of OyG is to mount exhibitions that support under-represented, marginalized artists and emerging artists, provoke dialogue and bolster artistic community . In doing so, we participate within a wider forum to disseminate aesthetic experience and expand our roles, priorities and scope of influence within art culture.

Half of the current co-directors of OyG live outside of New York City. Working collaboratively over geographical distances allows OyG to extend beyond local communities and forge larger networks of cultural dialogue.

See our Directors page for a list of current OyG Directors.

Donate
Ortega y Gasset Projects is an artist-run curatorial collective and exhibition space in Gowanus, Brooklyn. We are committed artists first and foremost. We creatively and efficiently find ways to keep our space alive, but it is not easy. We deeply believe in the necessity of art and cultivating a community of artists, thinkers, and people devoted to promoting and engaging in dialogue. If you share these values, we hope you will consider making a tax-deductible contribution to our organization.

If you are in a position to support Ortega y Gasset Projects, our team, and our artists would be so grateful for contributions of any size. Donations of $5, $10, or $100 accumulate to support our operating funds for shipping artwork, replacing light bulbs, painting and spackling our walls, and maintaining our website.

Donations of $500, $1000, or more help us pay for exhibition photography, exhibition installation, artist exhibition budgets, programming honorariums, curatorial research, and more.

Silent Membership
If you would like to make recurring contributions, please consider becoming a Silent Member. Silent Membership includes benefits like owning a piece of one of our artworks! Email us at oygprojects@gmail.com