Contact: 
Camille Tibaldeo 
P: 212.246.6543 
E: camille@fountaingallerynyc.com

FOUNTAIN HOUSE GALLERY & STUDIO CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY 

NEW YORK CITY – Fountain House Gallery & Studio, representing artists living with mental illness, announces its 25th Anniversary year and benefit. The Gallery, which first presented works by a handful of artists in an exhibition held on June 19, 2000, has grown to represent a core group of more than 150 artists. Fountain House’s benefit will celebrate 25 years of Fountain House Gallery & Studio and secure the future of the program on Thursday, November 13, 2025 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at Chelsea Industrial, located at 547 West 28th Street, New York, NY 10001. 

The evening, emceed by Ros Gold-Onwude, Sports Broadcaster and member of the Fountain House Board of Directors, will honor Anne Mai, Former Chair of the Fountain House Board of Directors and Co-Chair of the Fountain House Council, as the inaugural recipient of the Guy Szeto Humanitarian Award. Gregory C. Baecher, Partner at Arctos Partners and Chair of the Fountain House Board of Directors, will be honored as this year’s recipient of the Esther Montanez Leadership Award. Original works by Fountain House artists will be on display throughout the evening and available via auction. 

“Fountain House’s innovative approach — now being picked up and replicated throughout the country — begins with the insight that community is therapy and recognizes that people living with serious mental illness, like all of us, need people, place, and purpose. We prioritize the leadership of people living with serious mental illness, who are 'members' reflecting their agency and belonging,” remarked Fountain House Chief Executive Officer Ken Zimmerman. “In 2000, Fountain House members launched Fountain House Gallery. With New York City’s support, Fountain House is currently expanding its locations and membership, and we are committed to serving increased numbers of artists in the coming years.” 

Fountain House Gallery Director Rachel Weisman added, “We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone with longtime supporters, curators, collectors, artists and the wider public. This Anniversary year provides an opportunity to recognize the essential role Fountain House Gallery & Studio plays as a space where artists can create, connect and contribute to New York’s vibrant cultural ecosystem. As Director I am honored to see the impact of artmaking and its crucial role in recovery and self-determination.” 

Fountain House Gallery & Studio envisions a world where artists find community, healing and creative growth through artistry, and where their strengths and contributions reshape how society understands serious mental illness. In the Studio, artists find a supportive community where they can explore their creativity, develop their craft, reclaim their identities, and challenge the stigma of diagnosis. At the Gallery, their work is shared with the public, celebrated and sold— amplifying their voices by advancing their careers, and demonstrating their essential contributions to art and culture. Together, the Studio and Gallery foster hope, inspire new possibilities, and build upon a movement that values artistry as a force for healing and change. 

Fountain House Gallery is located at 702 Ninth Avenue in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. A member of the New Art Dealers Alliance, the Gallery partners with distinguished curators, writers, arts leaders and organizations to present a year-round exhibition program highlighting the work of over 150 emerging and established contemporary  artists living with serious mental illness. The Studio, located in Long Island City, is a free, collaborative workspace that provides studio space, resources and community that further the professional practices of Fountain House artists. 
 

Recent programming partners include Agnes Gund, Bloomberg Connects, Church of the Heavenly Rest, Frank Maresca, Jerry Saltz, Lawrence Benenson, The Schoolhouse Hotel, Sound Mind, Saks Fifth Avenue, American Folk Art Museum, American Visionary Art Museum, Long Island City Artists, Inc. and MoMA. For a full list, visit fountainhousegallery.org. 

25th Anniversary exhibitions and events include: 

• Compulsive Genius: New Work from Fountain House Studio Resident Artists presented by Broadridge Financial Solutions | May 8th – July 2nd 
• Life's a Party! presented by Morgan Stanley, curated by Joakim Noah & Judy Berman | July 10th – August 16th 
• 25th Anniversary Group Show curated by Martha Henry | September 4 – October 29th 
• Fountain House Benefit: Celebrating 25 Years of Fountain House Gallery| November 13th 

Exhibitions and events for the 25th Anniversary would not be possible without these supporters: 

Fountain House Gallery & Studio programming is funded, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and by generous support from the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, the Lily Auchincloss Foundation, and the Renate, Hans and Maria Hofmann Trust. 

###