{{short description|1983–1984 artist-run gallery at 5 Rivington Street, New York; founded by Kim Fine}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox museum | name = Spiritual America | image = | caption = | established = October 28, 1983 | dissolved = March 1984 | location = 5 Rivington Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City, United States | type = Artist-run contemporary art space | founder = Kimberly (Kim) Fine; Sandra Schulman; Richard Prince | website = }} '''Spiritual America''' was a short‑lived, artist‑run gallery at 5 Rivington Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side that operated from October 28, 1983, to March 1984. The operation kept irregular hours and appointment‑only viewings.<ref name="Schulman">{{cite book |last=Schulman |first=Sandra |title=Spiritual America: The Catalog 1983–1984 |publisher=Slink Productions |location=New York |year=2015 |isbn=978-1511417693}}</ref><ref name="MPR">{{Cite interview |last=Fine |first=Kim |interviewer=Elizabeth Chatham; Victoria Campbell |title=Montez Press Radio — Show 2973 (Interview with Kim Fine) |url=https://radio.montezpress.com/#/show/2973 |website=Montez Press Radio |publisher=Montez Press |location=New York City |language=English |type=Radio interview |access-date=2025-10-13}}</ref> The gallery is best known for the first presentation of Richard Prince’s photograph later widely titled '''''Spiritual America''''' (1983), Prince’s rephotograph of a 1970s image of Brooke Shields by Gary Gross.<ref name="Schulman" /> == Background and operation == Metro Pictures dropped Prince from its rosters due to controversy around the eponymous photograph. Prince claims he decided to represent himself by opening his own gallery and that he "hired a woman to beard the place". <ref name="Schulman"/><ref name="MPR"/> Kimberly Fine had previously worked at the Museum of Modern Art’s membership desk and at Time Inc., where she met Prince; she recalls swapping Time shifts for prints and an encounter with Alfred Stieglitz’s 1923 photograph ''Spiritual America''<ref name="MPR" /><ref name="Schulman"/><ref name="MPR"/>. Fine states that Prince left New York for several weeks and that pro bono counsel later advised, after which viewing continued by appointment out of her ground-floor residence between Bowery and Christie st.<ref name="MPR"/> She also recalled cease‑and‑desist threats by phone from attorney Richard Golub (then representing photographer Gary Gross) shortly before the inaugural opening. Prince accounts for an artist's proof of ''By Richard Prince, A photograph of Brooke Shields, By Garry Gross'' rendered in lieu of $150 to a drummer-plumber in exchange for fixing his toilet.<ref name="BirdtalkBranca">{{cite web |last=Prince |first=Richard |title=Birdtalk (site notes) — Glenn Branca band; plumbing sidebar |url=http://www.richardprince.com/birdtalk/ |access-date=2025-10-13 |website=RichardPrince.com |language=English |quote=Sidebar: Stephan was a plumber by day… In the mid‑80s he did some plumbing for me and I gave him a print of ''Spiritual America''.}}</ref> Schulman notes the legal risk climate and the project’s intentionally private staging.<ref name="Schulman"/><ref name="Birdtalk1983">{{cite web |last=Prince |first=Richard |title=Birdtalk (site notes) — “In 1983 I photographed Spiritual America… I opened up my own gallery… 5 Rivington Street…” |url=http://www.richardprince.com/birdtalk/ |website=RichardPrince.com |language=English |access-date=2025-10-13 |quote=In 1983 I photographed ''Spiritual America''… I opened up my own gallery to show the photograph. 5 Rivington Street… I called the gallery Spiritual America and hired a woman to beard the place… 1982–84 Spiritual America.}}</ref> A similar project and timeframe (“1982–84, Spiritual America”) is hosted on richardprince.com.<ref name="Birdtalk1983"/> == By Richard Prince, a Photograph of Brooke Shields by Gary Gross == Fine's presentation of the image emphasized difficulty of access and a reverential preference for blacked‑out windows, black‑painted walls, and a single source of light.<ref name="MPR"/><ref name="Schulman"/> The initial black‑on‑white invitation cards read “''By Richard Prince, a Photograph of Brooke Shields by Gary Gross'',” omitted hours and dates, and used the password “TESTIMONY” for entry; the card survives in ephemera collections with Fine's name and address as the letterhead.<ref name="MPR"/><ref name="Gallery98">{{cite web |title=Kim Fine & Richard Prince — Spiritual America invitation card (1983) |url=https://gallery98.org/2018/kim-fine-richard-prince-spiritual-america-card-1983/ |website=Gallery 98 |publisher=Gallery 98 (Ephemera archive) |date=2018 |language=English |access-date=2025-10-13}}</ref> Fine recalls a crowded opening, a price of US$150 for the print, and no sales at the time.<ref name="MPR"/><ref name="Schulman"/> ==== Spiritual America (1983–1984) ==== According to Schulman, Spiritual America hosted four exhibitions/events during its run:<ref name="Schulman"/> * Oct. 28, 1983 — '''''By Richard Prince, a Photograph of Brooke Shields by Gary Gross''''' (single work; appointment‑only after opening).<ref name="Schulman"/><ref name="MPR"/> * Nov.–Dec. 1983 — Peter Nadin: ''Still Life''(paintings). Visitors brought fruit; Nadin read poems from his book ''Still Life''.<ref name="Schulman"/><ref name="MPR"/> * Dec. 31, 1983 — New Year’s Eve event (temporary red‑paper wall murals by Walter Robinson; removed the next day; no surviving installation photos).<ref name="Schulman"/> * Feb. 1–21, 1984 — '''POP''' (works by Jeff Koons, Sarah Charlesworth, Louise Lawler, Allan McCollum, a Cindy Sherman film‑still image, and Richard Prince). Fine advocated for including Koons; day‑of silver paint applied to walls/floor caused wet‑paint mishaps due to cold weather.<ref name="Schulman"/><ref name="MPR"/> == Related materials and provenance == A bookseller listing documents Gross’s self‑published brochure ''Little Women'', associated with the Brooke Shields session.<ref name="ZVABLittleWomen">{{cite web |title=Little Women — Garry (Gary) Gross (bookseller listing) |url=https://www.zvab.com/signiert/Little-Women-Garry-Gross-New-York/22823866959/bd |website=ZVAB (antiquarian marketplace) |language=English |access-date=2025-10-13 |quote=Listing for Gross’s self‑published brochure associated with the Brooke Shields images.}}</ref> == Legacy == The storefront at 5 Rivington Street has subsequently hosted pop‑up exhibitions that reference the 1983–84 project and its history.<ref name="IG2023">{{cite web |title=Exhibition at 5 Rivington Street (site of “Spiritual America”) — Instagram post |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpa-uYtPnu8/ |website=Instagram |language=English |access-date=2025-10-13 |quote=Contemporary pop‑up acknowledging the history of the 5 Rivington Street space.}}</ref> In a later deposition regarding ''Spiritual America Four'', Prince stated that he would not object to others copying and selling the work, framing this view as consistent with his approach to appropriation.<ref name="PrinceDepo">{{cite web |title=Deposition excerpt (Richard Prince) — Brooke Shields / Gary Gross matters (PDF) |url=https://bookpdf.co/downloads/4963916-gary-gross-brooke-shields.pdf |website=bookpdf.co |language=English |access-date=2025-10-13 |quote=Prince answers Q&A regarding ''Spiritual America Four'': “If you create a work of art… anyone else who wants to is free to copy it and sell it? … Yes, that’s fine with me.”}}</ref> == See also == * Lower East Side * The Pictures Generation * Jeff Koons * Louise Lawler * Sarah Charlesworth * Allan McCollum * Peter Nadin * Walter Robinson (artist) * Alfred Stieglitz == References == {{reflist}} == Further reading == * {{cite book |last=Schulman |first=Sandra |title=Spiritual America: The Catalog 1983–1984 |publisher=Slink Productions |location=New York |year=2015 |isbn=978-1511417693}} == External links == * {{cite web |title=Birdtalk (RichardPrince.com) — notes on ''Spiritual America'' and the 5 Rivington gallery |url=http://www.richardprince.com/birdtalk/ |website=RichardPrince.com |access-date=2025-10-13}} * {{cite interview |last=Fine |first=Kim |interviewer=Elizabeth Chatham; Victoria Campbell|title=Montez Press Radio — Show 2973 (Interview with Kim Fine) |url=https://radio.montezpress.com/#/show/2973 |website=Montez Press Radio |publisher=Montez Press |access-date=2025-10-13}} Category:Art galleries established in 1983 Category:1983 establishments in New York City Category:1984 disestablishments in New York (state) Category:Defunct art museums and galleries in New York City Category:Lower East Side