Ashley Longshore Gallery

I've followed Ashley Longshore's artistic journey for a few years now. I like artists who are daring, outrageous, and sassy! When people say, "just be yourself" that's not easy if you don't know who you are! But there's no doubt Ashley Longshore knows exactly who she is.

I watched with fascination and interest as she set up her gallery in Soho, New York, via her posts and stories on Instagram. It was no mean feat.

In June 2023 I walked past the 'coming soon: Ashley Longshore Gallery' sign in Soho. Imagine my delight when I got to visit it again (open this time) in October 2024.

The gallery is as every bit outrageous in the fit-out, as her work on the walls. You rarely see an artist doing it for herself on such a grand scale. If you read her book "You don't look fat you look crazy" you learn why she decided to represent herself as an artist and why she wasn't drawn to the stable life.*

I highly recommend the book to any working artist, as the gems Ashley shares inside it on being a self represented artist are priceless. It's hard, hard, hard work but all of that hard work goes into supporting you and not a gallery. Please note, I'm not anti-gallery. It's just never been my thing, it's refreshing to come across a female artist who is highly successful, all on her own terms.

While I was inside the gallery, I realised I'd dropped my metro card on the floor. I had a funny little conversation about it with two women who were also visiting the gallery. They left, and I went to buy the book.

As I stepped outside the gallery, the two women were on the other side of the road and were waving me over. I looked behind me, wondering if they were gesturing to someone else! No, it was me. So I walked across the road to see what they were so excited about. "We just saw Ashley in the street!!" they exclaimed. They told me she was very approachable and to go and say hello. With their encouragement, I ran (yes, I actually ran - I never run) down the street and found her out walking with a friend and her dog.

She was incrediably generous with her time and we had a lovely chat about life as an artist. And I can't believe I didn't even think to take a photograph of me with her!!

Next time....!!

If you're in New York I highly recommend a visit to the Ashley Longshore Gallery.

43 Crosby Street,

New York,

NY 10012

You can follow her on Instagram here.

*A group of people (artists) who are invited into a gallery. Those artists are usually bound to that gallery to exhibit and have limited options as to where else they can exhibit their art. The idea is that they are 'looked after' and promoted by their gallery.