Welcome to the Inaugural On This Spot Newsletter!

On This Spot tells the stories of a diverse group of women artists through short-form documentaries. Join us as we explore the places where these pioneering artists lived and worked, ate and drank, dreamed and laughed, danced, and found the inspiration and community to create their art.

Video Spotlight – Theresa Hak Kyung Cha

Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (b. 1951, South Korea) moved to SoHo in 1980. Her work touches on text, psychoanalytic film theory, and an "aesthetics of disappearing." She uses modest mediums, such as black-and-white printed words, film stills, and videos.

Cha’s seminal work, Dictee, was published shortly before she was brutally murdered at 31 years old. The collage-form book interweaves fragmented passages in multiple languages with film stills. Her brief but influential career continues to offer insights into the female Asian American immigrant experience.

On This Spot is an indispensable art historical reference and guide through five decades of cultural ferment told from the point of view of women artists at the center of it ... It is, in short, pure romance. For those of us who wish we had been there, this site provides a point of entry. It is so vibrant, so real, you can almost smell the turpentine.

— Mary Gabriel, author of Ninth Street Women

Spot Reads

Further reading on Spot artists

Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning

— Cathy Park Hong

Among this collection of essays, Portrait of an Artist tells the story of Theresa Hak Kyung Cha.

The book combines memoir and cultural criticism in search for an Asian American reality. Daughter of Korean American immigrants, Hong grew up experiencing the melancholy and shame that she would later refer to as “minor feelings."

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Art Monsters: Unruly Bodies in Feminist Art

— Lauren Elkin

Featuring women artists such as Eva Hesse, Hannah Wilke, and Carolee Schneemann—all of whom are featured in Spot videos, Elkin explores how women artists confront patriarchal norms and forge creative paths.

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What's Happening

Events and exhibitions related to On This Spot NYC artists

56 Henry

DEEP PHOTOS / IN THE BEGINNING

Sept 4 – Oct 27, 2024

105 Henry Street, New York

Laurie Simmons’ photographs, sculpture and film use staged set-ups with dolls and props to challenge conventional concepts of gender roles and critique American consumerism.

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Magenta Plains

Tina Girouard: Conflicting Evidence

Sept 17 – Oct 26, 2024

149 Canal Street, New York

In 1971, the restaurant FOOD opened and quickly helped define SoHo as an artists’ district. The project fed the neighborhood and hosted food art performances. Tina Girouard was a key player—see her current exhibition through the end of the month.

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Grow With Us

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We cannot do this work without your support. Any donation is greatly appreciated. On This Spot NYC, Inc. is a 501(c)(3). All contributions are tax-deductible (EIN: 87-1202836).

On This Spot videos are free and accessible on Bloomberg Connects, Vimeo, YouTube, and on our website. You can view them in 16 different languages via closed captions on mobile devices anytime, anywhere.

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