September 18 – November 20, 2026

Lower East Side, NYC

Journey to parts known and unknown, real and imagined, without ever crossing the street.

Walk around the block — along Henry, Clinton, Madison, and Jefferson streets, circling the Gouverneur medical building — and encounter destinations ranging from San Francisco, Istanbul, and Yosemite Valley to the deep ocean, celestial bodies, imagined landscapes, fragmented memories, and fantasy futures.

Staycation explores the idea of travel beyond simply moving from one geographic place to another. Through works by Amos Eno Gallery artists, familiar and faraway places mingle with destinations reached through memory, imagination, observation, and inner experience. The project begins with the idea that our ability to travel need not be defined by our circumstances. Even when distance, finances, mobility, health, or the demands of everyday life limit where we can physically go, art and imagination can transport us somewhere else.

“Not everyone has the opportunity to get on a plane or take a vacation, and all of us experience times when our circumstances limit where we can go,” said curator Ellen Sturm Niz, Director of Amos Eno Gallery. “But our imaginations aren’t bound by those same limits. Art can take us somewhere we remember, somewhere we dream of going, or somewhere that doesn’t exist at all. With Staycation, I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to take a little trip — without even crossing the street.”

“I am so excited to see the Staycation art exhibition come to life,” said Carolyn Franklin, Director of Therapeutic Recreation at NYC Health + Hospitals / Gouverneur Skilled Nursing Facility. “Wrapping our building in vibrant art will bring the world to our doorsteps. This collaboration with Amos Eno Gallery will allow our Gouverneur residents, families, and staff to take a simple walk around the building and travel to faraway places without boundaries.”

Presented in the streets surrounding NYC Health + Hospitals / Gouverneur, Staycation brings that idea beyond the gallery walls and directly into the neighborhood Amos Eno calls home. The gallery, located at 191 Henry Street across from Gouverneur, sits along the same block that forms part of the Staycation route. From there, the exhibition extends along Henry, Clinton, Madison, and Jefferson streets, turning the blocks immediately surrounding the gallery and Gouverneur into an open-air exhibition. As visitors follow the route, the artworks offer portals to destinations both real and imagined — transforming an ordinary walk around the block into an opportunity to travel somewhere else.

This public art exhibition is presented by Amos Eno Gallery and curated by Gallery Director Ellen Sturm Niz, in partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals / Gouverneur Skilled Nursing Facility.

About Amos Eno Gallery

Located at 191 Henry Street on New York City’s Lower East Side — directly across from NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur and along the Staycation route — Amos Eno Gallery is one of the city’s longest-running artist-run nonprofit galleries. Founded in 1974, the gallery is dedicated to presenting diverse and innovative contemporary art while supporting artists at all stages of their careers. Through exhibitions, public programs, partnerships, and community-based initiatives, Amos Eno creates opportunities for artists and audiences to connect both within and beyond the traditional gallery space.