Aperture Opens Swanky New Headquarters in New York

Alex Webb
Park Slope, 2018
From Brooklyn: The City Within (Aperture, 2019),
pp. 158-59
© and courtesy Alex Webb

Aperture, a nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of photography, has found a new home in New York just across the street from the American Museum of Natural History.

Aperture was founded in 1952 in San Francisco by a group of visionary photographers including Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, and Minor White. It publishes books, a quarterly magazine, and curates exhibitions.

Its new headquarters is in the heart of New York’s Upper West Side, at 380 Columbus Avenue and West 78th Street, directly across from the American Museum of Natural History and steps away from the New York Historical and Central Park.

380 Columbus Avenue, New York. | Kris Graves © Aperture

The building places Aperture at the intersection of a lively residential community and at the center of a major tourist hub. It hopes to attract visitors to the 74-year-old organization.

Free to the public, Aperture will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 12 pm to 5 pm.

“Our new home marks an exciting chapter for Aperture. At 380 Columbus, we are creating an open, dynamic space for encountering photography—one that invites dialogue, fosters discovery, and brings us into closer engagement with our community,” says Sarah Meister, Executive Director of Aperture.

“Rooted in New York yet connected to a global audience through our publications and programs, this space reflects our enduring belief in photography as a powerful tool for understanding the world and one another. We look forward to opening our doors as a welcoming forum for artists, writers, neighbors, and visitors, and to serving as a place to kindle curiosity, exchange, and ongoing conversation.”

Kris Graves © Aperture

The building was designed and constructed by Levenbetts, a New York-based architect. The 10,000-square-foot home spans two floors of an 1886 building adapted to honor its historic character.

The New York Times reports that Aperture acquired its new home in 2022 for $8.95 million. The gallery can also be transformed into an event space for talks.

Speaking of the gallery, the first exhibition in the new space is “Aperture Loves New York”, which showcases images of the city by 24 photographers. It includes well-known names like Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, and Nan Goldin.