New York has millions of people who come and go, and those who call it home. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the city’s bustling streets were silenced and so were its creators. Now they are emerging once again, and you can explore their art with them. Now through July 30th, you can visit Celebrating the Wins, an outdoor gallery at the Seaport presented by Street Dreams Magazine and The Howard Hughes Corporation. 

Curated by Street Dreams co-founder and creative director Steven John Irby, aka Steve Sweatpants, and designed by co-founder and art director Michael Corrubarria, Celebrating the Wins features original photography from 24 artists from NYC or based in NYC, an original illustration by artist Patrick O’Keefe, and a manifesto penned by poet/writer Joekenneth.  

The gallery is meant to give people the opportunity to get outside safely and lift the spirits of NYC by celebrating little victories.  

“We hope to create moments of gratitude for the community and give artists the chance to be seen. The pandemic has made an already difficult industry become increasingly more difficult for artists to see success, so Celebrating the Wins was crafted to bring the community together and honor these artists,” Sweatpants says. 

Street Dreams Magazine, a print publication and full-service creative studio based out of New York, Vancouver, and Tokyo, is on a mission to redefine the visual direction, tone, and experience of digital creators. The group aims to create a community in which freedom of expression comes first. The photography community formed within the group is a global collective of world-class photographers who have generally been shunned from the traditional photography community and mostly supported by the streets as the underdogs. 

The Seaport District has always been important to Steve Sweatpants, as it has an ongoing commitment to providing a platform for local and emerging artists, fostering a spirit of communal connection and cultural conversation. This makes it the perfect home for the gallery.  

Although the gallery is available to be viewed 24/7, there are special events within the three-month residency, including: 

• June 12th and 13th will host Steve’s Flea Market, a pop-up for local brands and Street Dreams partners to showcase their products and sell exclusive items to the community.  
• June 25th is NFT Day, where select pieces from the gallery will be “unlocked” and available for purchase in addition to educational workshops surrounding the world of NFTs.  
• On July 9th, Celebrating the Wins will host DJ sets live from the Seaport and will be recording a live episode of the magazine’s basketball culture podcast, “Know-Look Pass” in an event called Street Dreams Radio.  
• July 30th is closing night, and will feature a pop-up studio, on-site printing, a photo swap, and a Street Dreams Photo Walk with the original members of the 2013 collective. 

If you want to be a part of the conversations surrounding today’s art and immerse yourself in this inclusive community, check out Celebrating the Wins, at 23 Fulton Street, on show through July 30th. 

Photo Credit: Mike Szpot @illkoncept