12. Inside the Iconic East Village Club 57 at MoMA

The Museum of Modern Art will give viewers a rare glimpse into an iconic East Village nightclub, Club 57, in its new exhibit, Club 57: Film, Performance, and Art in the East Village, 1978-1983. Located in the basement of the Holy Cross Polish National Church at 57 St. Marks Place, the Club was a hub for creativity, which boasted a founding curatorial staff that included the likes of Keith Haring, who was the exhibition organizer, Ann Magnuson, the performance curator, and Susan Hannaford and Tom Scully, film programmers.

In an effort to bring the Club’s history to life, the exhibit does a deep-dive into the low-rent, no-budget artistic culture that characterized the downtown area. Club 57 is the first major exhibition examining this seminal alternative space in full, presenting its accomplishments in every artistic area from film to fashion, and featuring many works that have not been exhibited publicly since the 1980s.

Club 57: Film, Performance, and Art in the East Village, 1978-1983 will be on view at the Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rd Street until April 1, 2018. Additional programming includes three film series and various MoMA classes including Gender Trouble and Photography at The Museum of Modern Art. This exhibit is organized by Ron Magliozzi, Curator, and Sophie Cavoulacos, Assistant Curator, Department of Film, with Guest Curator, Ann Magnuson.