![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/PC_00616_FINAL.jpg\")
In June, NYC Culture Club inaugurated its new gallery space at the Port Authority Midtown Bus Terminal. Photo: Parker Calvert<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tIn June, NYC Culture Club inaugurated its new gallery space at the Port Authority Midtown Bus Terminal. Photo: Parker Calvert<\/p>\n
Over the years, Clayton Calvert<\/a> and Parker Calvert<\/a> have made their presence a constant at art events in New York and beyond. As New Yorkers born and raised, they understood that showing up and networking was their recipe for carving out their space and voice in the city\u2019s art ecosystem. During the pandemic, when the Calvert brothers saw that vibrant yet fragile system needed new energy, they launched their own organization, the NYC Culture Club.<\/p>\n Operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the NYC Culture Club offers professional opportunities for curators and artists, without cost or commission, through exhibitions, residencies, public art presentations and art fairs. Always keeping their events free and open to the general public, the organization has welcomed more than 240,000 visitors since opening at the World Trade Center in June 2021.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving been artists this whole time and in the system for many years, we realized how much it takes in terms of community for that success to exist,\u201d Clayton Calvert tells Observer. He and Parker grew up in New York in the 1990s and early 2000s, a period they remember as intensely creative, giving them early exposure to the city\u2019s public art and artistic life that became foundational to the work they do now and who they are today. \u201cWe were lucky,\u201d they acknowledge\u2014despite growing up in Manhattan, they come from a middle-class background. Their parents moved to New York in 1981: their father to pursue acting and modeling, their mother to study education. She later earned a doctorate from Columbia University, while their father eventually became a private chef.<\/p>\n Creativity was encouraged at home, but their careers were not handed to them. Clayton\u2019s first art-world role was gallery assistant. Parker worked as a freelance photographer for years, taking physically demanding e-commerce jobs, shooting thousands of images a day. \u201cWe have hustled and toiled, and it has been blood, sweat and tears. Even today, we have a ton of back and forth because I am swamped on the work that pays my bills, and yet we have to get a grant deadline in at the same time,\u201d Parker shares. To them, the NYC Culture Club remains a labor of love sustained by persistence.<\/p>\n The pandemic gave the project its urgency. Artists-in-residence at Three World Trade Center<\/a> and working from a studio in the Navy Yard, they saw how drastically the New York art scene was changing. They realized how desperate people were to come together, even as many middle-tier galleries were closing or struggling. \u201cA lot of really great galleries that are kind of in the middle-career range couldn\u2019t afford rent anymore. That was true in the pandemic, and it is crazy that, all these years later, it is still true now,\u201d Clayton says.<\/p>\n They approached Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield<\/a> asking for a space and were offered one inside the Oculus for $250 a month, beginning a four-year relationship in which they were moved from one available storefront to another as tenants came and went. A year ago, when there was no space left, they began conversations with New York\u2019s Port Authority, which ultimately allowed them to bring their vision to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. They opened in the new space in June with \u201cMembrane<\/a>,\u201d a show curated by Leon Zhan<\/a> gathering a diverse group of artists and practices around the notion of the membrane as a container of life and potential, a permeable zone of exchange where what is and what can be is most alive. (Artists in the show include Leon Zhan, John Aslanidis<\/a>, Mario de la Ossa<\/a>, Michael Candy<\/a>, Joseph J. Greer<\/a>, Lisa Giordano<\/a>, Ara Hao<\/a>, Nabilah Nordin<\/a>, Nick Modrzewski<\/a>, Justin Rui Han<\/a>, Moksha Richards<\/a> and Andy H. Wei<\/a>.)<\/p>\n “The NYC Culture Club<\/a>“ \u201cIt was great going from the Oculus transit hub to the Port Authority Bus Terminal transit hub, where it is really about bringing in the general public, giving artists wide exposure to commuters, school groups, tourists and that kind of audience,\u201d Clayton says, noting how the World Cup brought a constant flow of people from all walks of life, which aligns with their mission of making art accessible and visible to as many people as possible. \u201cFrom one transit hub to another major transit hub, we kept the same spirit of the program: bringing art into a heavily public space, where commuters, students, tourists and unexpected visitors can encounter it.\u201d<\/p>\n For the brothers, this public dimension is as central to the NYC Culture Club\u2019s mission as its support of artists. They recall growing up around public art in New York, from the Lichtenstein in the 42nd Street Times Square station to a Henry Moore<\/a> sculpture at Columbia University and a copy of Rodin\u2019s The Thinker. These works were part of their childhood and taught them that art should not be gatekept. \u201cFor us it is very important that art is not just siloed off into this echelon where it is behind all the gatekeeping. We think art is best served when it serves everybody.\u201d Even in a city like New York, where art is everywhere and often free, too many people do not realize they can walk into a gallery. The brothers wanted to change that.<\/p>\n The NYC Culture Club also functions as a supportive platform for artists. The brothers always want artists to sell, but they have never taken commissions. They describe the model as closer to an artist agency without a fee: they bring collectors, institutions and opportunities to the artists, but leave the transactions to them. \u201cWe connect dots, but we never really wanted to be art dealers. We are artists first and foremost.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, the question of funding remains. The first year, the space was entirely self-funded. By May 2022, they had become an official nonprofit, but for the first three years thereafter, neither brother took a salary, though they paid gallery staff and covered expenses. The first benefit they hosted raised roughly $70,000 and provided funds for Turkey-Syria earthquake relief. It also proved that the formula could work, and the following year they hosted their first benefit to support the NYC Culture Club.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s benefit on June 3 at 7 WTC brought together more than 400 guests for an evening of Billecart-Salmon Champagne, Kaviari Caviar and Whispering Angel Ros\u00e9, alongside a silent auction featuring works by 22 contemporary artists and a DJ set by Zeke Thomas<\/a>, son of NBA and Knicks legend Isiah Thomas<\/a>. The evening honored Storm Ascher, curator and founder of Superposition Gallery<\/a>, and Dr. Max Frieder<\/a>, founder and executive director of Artolution, with awards from Baccarat<\/a>. Notable guests included artist Shantell Martin<\/a>, fashion designer Timo Weiland<\/a>, Kyle Freeman<\/a>, arts and culture manager at Tiffany & Co.\u2019s Landmark, Bednark Studio CEO Raphael Sorcio<\/a>, Gagosian director Janine Cirincione<\/a>, artist Mr. StarCity, Props co-founder and COO Oliver Blodgett<\/a>, Pelican founder and CEO Alexandra Bono<\/a>, GRB Communications CEO Gabriel River-Barraza<\/a>, ArtMatic\u2019s Anwarii Musa<\/a>, Deutsche Bank managing director Donald Taylor<\/a>, DJ Eva Vos<\/a>, philanthropist Hope Rothschild<\/a>, Graywall founder Prince Bhojwani<\/a>, Vallois Gallery\u2019s Zacharie Vallois<\/a> and Basic. Space\u2019s Bailey Jane<\/a>.<\/p>\n Beyond the benefits, the Calverts have successfully built a patchwork of support through partnerships and sponsorships. Silverstein Properties<\/a> and Goldman Sachs have helped fund exhibitions; Chubb and Christie’s<\/a> have supported Ball for Art; Tiffany has created a trophy and hosted an event; Golden Goose<\/a> has provided jerseys. They attribute their success to relationship building. \u201cIt was just showing up: going to openings, meeting people, connecting in any way, in any place that supports the arts,\u201d Parker says. \u201cWhat you start to realize is that the people who share a mentality of wanting to support projects or wanting to get involved are also showing up,\u201d agrees Clayton.<\/p>\n The NYC Culture Club\u2019s\u00a0 model is proof that an art space can sustain itself and successfully support the production and circulation of contemporary art through cross-industry collaborations and partnerships without relying directly on the art market. Still, the brothers are up-front about how much work it takes. They are continuously seeking support while also maintaining professional lives separate from the space.<\/p>\n Reflecting on the New York art scene today, Parker remains cautiously optimistic. The brothers see the city\u2019s renewed investment in arts and culture as critical after a period in which New York felt increasingly sterile, with small businesses and independent spaces replaced by corporate chains. \u201cThe whole city suffers when artists cannot afford to live here,\u201d he says. \u201cRight now, I think we are on the up and up, watching the wave of people looking out and creating funds for arts and artist residencies. We are on the pendulum swing in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n Clayton points out that public support and social media have given artists more power, but he remains critical of how the market functions. \u201cThe gallery system is great when it works, and when it does not work, there are some pretty obvious ideas as to why. Looking at a lot of the major galleries, they have to focus on the artists who make the money.\u201d When a blue-chip gallery takes on a young artist, the effect on the market can be drastic, sometimes producing rapid early success that may not be sustainable, as they saw for many friends. \u201cI think that if you are selling paintings consistently for any price, you are already successful,\u201d he notes. The danger, they agree, is that New York\u2019s cost of living risks turning the art world into an echo chamber for an elite class unless more systems are created to allow people of different backgrounds to enter.<\/p>\n Looking ahead, they hope to raise enough funding to hire someone with grant-writing and nonprofit experience, so the organization can grow beyond what the two of them can manage. Internationally, they also hope to extend the New York mentality of openness and encounter to cities such as Paris, Rome and London. \u201cWhat we love so much about New York is that it is such an international city. There are hundreds of languages spoken here every day. It is the melting pot of modern society, where everybody crosses paths, no matter where you are from, who your parents are, what your background is,\u201d Parker reflects. The NYC Culture Club originated from this spirit, and from the desire to amplify it. \u201cWhen you tell people in Europe you are an artist, they do not go: \u2018How much do you sell your work for?\u2019 They want to know about what the work is. There is a different type of engagement and appreciation.\u201d<\/p>\n But broad public engagement remains their number one priority. \u201cCommunity is really the key, both from the arts community and the public,\u201d Clayton says. \u201cWe have loved having the ability to welcome people into a space, but also hosting things like panel discussions and talks, and doing the artist basketball tournament. We would love to facilitate artist residencies. We have done that briefly before, and we are trying to really get that going.\u201d<\/p>\n The nonprofit\u2019s name was born from that ethos. \u201cWe felt it would be fun to have a club for the arts, where everyone is automatically a member by just walking in the door. It is a fun concept, because our doors are always open,\u201d Clayton says, noting how, at the same time, it was a cheeky way to reference the exclusivity of the art world that they try to demystify. This is not without challenges, particularly in a high-traffic public space like the current location. Some visitors just want to charge their phones, and others need to be taught not to touch the artwork. For the Calvert brothers, this too is part of the mission: helping people learn how to engage with art in an open space.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In June, NYC Culture Club inaugurated its new gallery space at the Port Authority Midtown Bus Terminal. Photo:…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":320010,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[120644,1804,120632,120646,120627,4982,21911,120633,27722,120652,22080,120653,120647,120648,120645,25853,120655,59205,120649,2482,120637,120642,120622,120625,120630,120640,120621,120626,120623,120635,120624,120631,120628,9,24,55,54,120629,95776,56,114788,120643,120654,12621,120650,120641,8535,120638,8341,120634,26388,120639,120656,7037,120651,120636],"class_list":["post-320009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-alexandra-bono","tag-america-united-states","tag-andy-h-wei","tag-anwarii-musa","tag-ara-hao","tag-arts","tag-arts-interviews","tag-auguste-rodin","tag-baccarat","tag-bailey-jane","tag-christies","tag-clayton-calvert","tag-donald-taylor","tag-eva-vos","tag-gabriel-river-barraza","tag-galleries","tag-golden-goose","tag-henry-moore","tag-hope-rothschild","tag-interviews","tag-isiah-thomas","tag-janine-cirincione","tag-john-aslanidis","tag-joseph-j-greer","tag-justin-rui-han","tag-kyle-freeman","tag-leon-zhan","tag-lisa-giordano","tag-mario-de-la-ossa","tag-max-frieder","tag-michael-candy","tag-moksha-richards","tag-nabilah-nordin","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-new-york-city-headlines","tag-new-york-city-news","tag-nick-modrzewski","tag-non-profits","tag-ny","tag-oculus","tag-oliver-blodgett","tag-parker-calvert","tag-port-authority","tag-prince-bhojwani","tag-raphael-sorcio","tag-roy-lichtenstein","tag-shantell-martin","tag-silverstein-properties","tag-storm-ascher","tag-tiffany-co","tag-timo-weiland","tag-westfield","tag-world-trade-center","tag-zacharie-vallois","tag-zeke-thomas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=320009"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320009\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/320010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=320009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Three](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/PC_00219.jpg\")
Clayton Calvert and Parker Calvert with Myron Johnson, culture and entertainment manager at PANYNJ. Photo: Jayden Bempong<\/p>\n
Address: The Port Authority Midtown Bus Terminal, South Wing, Main Floor, 625 8th Ave & West 40th St., New York
Contact: info@nyccultureclub.com
Highlights: Exhibitions are free and open to the public; community workshops<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/NYCCultureClub-CKA_1192.jpg.jpg\")
This year, the organization hosted its third annual benefit to support arts programming. Casey Kelbaugh \/ CKA<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/NYCCultureClub-CKA_1610.jpg.jpg\")
This year\u2019s honorees were Superposition founder Storm Ascher and Dr. Max Frieder, founder and executive director of Artolution. Casey Kelbaugh \/ CKA<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/PC_00462_FINAL.jpg\")
The NYC Culture Club opened its new gallery space with \u201cMembrane,\u201d curated by Leon Zhan. Photo: Parker Calvert
\nMore in Galleries<\/p>\n