Pleased to Present began in January 2025. Initially, our goal was to promote artists through city-wide artist studio tours, but we quickly realized that we needed and wanted a permanent location. 

​

We searched Albuquerque for the perfect space, which we eventually found at 510 Central Avenue SW, built in 1939 and, for more than 70 years, the site of a wholesale jewelry workshop and showroom. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places, but had been vacant for seven years before we began leasing it. The picture on the right is of one of the gorgeous display windows at our entrance. 

​

Since the building had not been renovated since it was built, extensive renovations were required, including new electrical and plumbing, removal of old sandblasters and the like, new walls, and, of course, fresh paint. Our space is nearly 14,000 square feet, which allows us the flexibility to experiment and showcase art to its best effect.

​

Our mission with Pleased to Present is to bring nationally and internationally recognized art and artists to Albuquerque while continuing to support and exhibit regional artists. Albuquerque is home to nearly 80 ethnicities, and we believe they should feel seen and represented in the city's art scene. We also believe that by learning about and experiencing other cultures, we are less likely to treat people as "others." To this end, we believe in diversity, equality, equity, inclusiveness, and civil and human rights for everyone. We are a woman-owned and operated 501c3 organization. 50+% of decision-makers are POC. 

​

Our exhibitions are ambitious, exploratory, and often site-specific. Our inaugural exhibition is an Open Call to all New Mexico artists, promising to be outstanding. The following exhibition features sound pieces by artists, writers, and others discussing art that resonates with them. It is a show about absence, reprioritizing senses, intimacy, and memory. In the fall, we will exhibit Mark Dion's work-- he is even creating a new, site-specific piece for us. We are still creating our schedule, but Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, John Miller, and many other stellar artists are in the lineup. As we grow, we will add classes, workshops, and other programming.

​

Clara Williams is our Executive Director. She has a BFA from the School of Visual Arts, an MFA from Yale University, is a Guggenheim Fellow, and is a practicing attorney in New Mexico.