MANHATTAN — As a former home to photographer Diane Arbus, actor Moses Gunn and poet Muriel Rukeyser, the West Village's Westbeth Artists' community has forged its own ethos since it opened in 1970.
An art show called "Urban Mythos" that opens Oct. 22 at the Westbeth Gallery will explore the character of the city, according to a statement.
“By using mythological, cartoon and abstract imagery, the artists create codes of meaning, reflecting contemporary urban issues,” curator and Westbeth resident Greg Kessler said in a statement.
The show features the work of 13 established and emerging artists, including Guggenheim Fellowship winner Jennifer Nuss, whose work is inspired by the goddess Artemis.
Artists Daniel Davidson, whose work "fluctuates between the surreal and the grotesque," and Erica Keck, whose work "deals in provocative themes of flesh and sexuality," will have work including in the exhibition.
The Westbeth community made news on Sept. 18 when a fire on the fifth floor of 463 West St., one of the complex's 13 buildings, brought nearly 80 firefighters to put out the flames. No injuries were reported.
Westbeth Artists' Housing, which is owned by the nonprofit Westbeth Housing Development Fund Corporation, was created in the 1960s to provide affordable housing and studios for artists and their families, according to the group's website.
From 1868 to 1966, the Westbeth complex was occupied by Bell Labs, where the first TV broadcast and first binary computer were demonstrated, the site says.
"Urban Mythos" is scheduled to kick off with an opening reception on Oct. 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Westbeth Gallery, at 57 Bethune St.
The show can be viewed Friday through Sunday from 12 noon to 6 p.m. through Nov. 6.
