Francis Irv

Francis Irv was a contemporary art gallery located in Chinatown and Tribeca of Manhattan in New York City, founded in 2022 by Shane Rossi and Samuel Marion Wilken.[1][2] It closed in January 2026.[3]

Artists exhibited by the gallery include Win McCarthy, Oliver Osborne, Rachel Fath, Benjamin Echeverria, Rose Salane, and Matthias Groebel. The gallery's name is a combination of the founder's middle names.[2][4]

History

According to an article in Frieze, the idea for the gallery emerged in late 2020 over drinks at Fanelli Cafe, a now-closed restaurant that was popular in the NYC art world.[5] At the time both Wilken and Ross were working as studio assistants.[2]

Wilken and Rossi exhibited their first curatorial project together at As It Stands Gallery in Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles in 2022. Titled A Fool's Game Played By Cowards, It was co-curated with artist Aria Dean, and was a group exhibition of "b-sides" (prototypes or rejects) by artists Benjamin Echeverria, Jordan Wolfson, and Hannah Black.[6] They opened their New York gallery in Chinatown in November 2022, showing a work by artist Angharad Williams that had not shipped to Los Angeles in time for the group exhibition.[2]

In 2024 the galley moved to Tribeca, at 106 Walker Street.[4] In 2025, Francis Irv was recognized by Frieze Magazine as a "NYC Gallery to Watch," alongside KAJE and Soft Network.[2] In late 2025, the gallery hosted a play directed by and starring artist Georgica Pettus, which critic Andrew Russeth described as "wry and experimental."[3][7]

The gallery closed in 2026, following a wave of gallery closures in the mid-2020s amid market uncertainty.[8][9] The gallery updated their social media and website with the following message:

"It’s tempting to write some kind of eulogy or translation stone for everything the gallery did or was. So much of that will be swept up and indecipherable in a few years, and that’s the only part of closing up shop that seems properly daunting. Oh well. We made it to the chorus. Had the best time. Two kids hoisted in a trench coat, it was all well aligned and justified, surprisingly dainty. Ultimately Harvey Dent made the wrong choice, and we think it’s best to abide by the lesson of his failures. Thanks for the ride."[3]

Notable exhibitions

References

  1. ^ Armstrong, Annie (April 24, 2024). "Wet Paint in the Wild: The Founders of New York's Francis Irv Gallery Take on the Dallas Invitational". Artnet News.
  2. ^ a b c d e Gluhaich, Marc (April 23, 2025). "The New York Galleries Shaping the Scene: Francis Irv". Frieze. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  3. ^ a b c Russeth, Andrew (January 26, 2026). "Francis Irv, Curveball-Throwing Manhattan Gallery, to Shutter". Artnet News.
  4. ^ a b Russeth, Andrew (December 4, 2025). "Meet the New York Gallerists Revitalizing the City's Art Scene". W (magazine).
  5. ^ Bankoff, Caroline (June 18, 2018). "The Stories Behind 5 New York Art Scene Legends (Published 2018)". The New York Times.
  6. ^ "A Fool's Game Played by Cowards at As It Stands, Los Angeles". Contemporary Art Library.
  7. ^ Mac, Riley (July 11, 2025). "Georgica Pettus by Riley Mac". Bomb (magazine).
  8. ^ Pontone, Maya (April 25, 2024). "What's Behind the Recent Wave of New York Gallery Closures?". Hyperallergic.
  9. ^ Russeth, Andrew (December 21, 2025). "Pour One Out for the Galleries That Closed in 2025". Artnet News.
  10. ^ Steinhauer, Jillian; Heinrich, Will (September 4, 2024). "What to See in N.Y.C. Galleries in September". The New York Times.
  11. ^ Deng, Quingyuan (May 19, 2025). "The Eternal Present". Family Style.
  12. ^ Francis, Emmie (June 10, 2025). "Oliver Osborne, "Comic Sans" at Francis Irv, New York — Mousse Magazine and Publishing". MousseMagazine.it.
  13. ^ Trail, Lydia Eliza (January 28, 2025). "The Bus Is Leaving Without Us". Spike Art Magazine. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
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