Paula Cooper's 1970s Soho Art Gallery Pioneers New York's Art Scene
Paula Cooper, a prominent figure in the New York art world, opened her gallery in Soho in 1968, a time when the area was largely deserted. Her gallery, located on the third floor of a Prince Street walk-up, became a hub for artists who had taken over the industrial lofts in the neighborhood. Cooper's close relationships with artists like Chris Wilmarth, Lynda Benglis, and Mark di Suvero helped her gallery thrive. By the early 1970s, she had purchased a building on Wooster Street, where her gallery remained until moving to Chelsea in the mid-1990s. Cooper's gallery was instrumental in transforming Soho into a vibrant art district, attracting other galleries and institutions to the area. 
