When the Art Dealers Association of America canceled The Art Show this summer, it left the Henry Street Settlement without its most important annual fundraiser for the first time in nearly four decades. The nonprofit—founded in 1893 to serve the Lower East Side’s working poor—had co-founded the fair in 1989 and raised more than $38 million from its gala preview nights at the Park Avenue Armory.
Now, after months of uncertainty, Henry Street has found a new partner and a new home. The 2026 gala will be held not uptown but down on the Lower East Side, at Independent’s spring fair at its new location on Pier 36. The collaboration joins one of New York’s oldest social-service organizations with one of its most agile art-world enterprises.
“It’s energizing—we’re launching, not just landing,” David Garza, Henry Street’s president and CEO, told ARTnews. “All hope is local, and this brings that idea to life. Independent shares our values and our geography; together we can activate an entire constellation of stakeholders.”
The bridge between the two organizations came through art dealer James Fuentes, who joined Henry Street’s board less than a year ago. Fuentes grew up on the Lower East Side, and ran his gallery in the neighborhood for nearly 20 years before relocating in June 2024, a move he says left him feeling “a real loss” of connection to the neighborhood. “When David called and asked me to join the board, it was a way to stay tied to the community,” he said. “And now, through this partnership, that connection feels stronger than ever.”
The partnership comes after a painful budget gap. When The Art Show was called off in July, Henry Street’s fiscal year had barely begun. The organization quickly mounted a virtual campaign that raised roughly $600,000—half of what the gala typically brings in—but the shortfall still forced tough choices.
“Those dollars directly support vital services,” Garza said, from food programs to job placement to free arts classes for residents of nearby public housing.
Federal cuts, including the loss of a USDA initiative New York Food for New York Families that funded produce for low-income families, make the timing even harder. In previous years, the Settlement would have used projected revenue from the gala to immediately help offset losing the federal dollars. But without The Art Show, the organization isn’t as nimble and needs to raise alternative dollars to fill in critical funding gaps.
For Independent founder Elizabeth Dee, whose fair recently moved from Tribeca to Pier 36, the alliance is both practical and symbolic. “This isn’t just a new location for Independent—it’s a new commitment,” she said. “The Lower East Side is historically rich and economically diverse. Partnering with Henry Street allows us to recognize our interdependence as an art community and as New Yorkers.”
That civic-minded language isn’t new for either side. Henry Street sponsored the 50th-anniversary exhibition of the 1913 Armory Show in 1963, long before “arts access” was a funding buzzword. Independent, founded in 2010, has built its reputation on a mission-driven model that serves artists, writers, and institutions alongside galleries and collectors.
The May 14 preview will now double as Henry Street’s 37th gala—restoring a crucial source of support and, Garza hopes, redefining what such a partnership can look like. “It’s neighbor helping neighbor, on a larger stage,” he said.
