Galleries on Wheels: Repurposing Trucks into Mobile Art Spaces

With rent costs in New York City being as abominable as they are, people are forced to think outside the box. Or, in this case, outside the building.

This is exactly what artists Elise and Aaron Graham did.

Last year the mother and son came up with a creative way to cut back on costs and still exhibit artwork; rather than slapping down thousands of dollars a month for a tiny gallery space in Chelsea, the pair took a cue from the food truck business and re-purposed an old step van, calling it Rodi Gallery.

Considering its modest size, Rodi Gallery is quite impressive.

The interior of the van is surprisingly well-suited to displaying art; it offers track lighting, clean, white walls large enough to comfortably fit three or four average-sized paintings, and two small steel benches for sitting.

So far the venture has proved successful, garnering plenty of attention from serious collectors, curious tourists, and the like. The Grahams have been lucky enough to find artists who feel just as enthusiastic about the pair's unconventional business approach.

Many of these artists see Rodi Gallery as an exciting alternative to the commercial art world; not only does it offer freedom from the stifling confines of the typical gallery, but it makes art available to a much wider audience.

Those who wouldn't normally spend their days off visiting galleries might be more willing if the galleries came to them.

Rodi Gallery can usually be found lurking around Manhattan's art districts and high-traffic areas, like Greenwich Village. You can track their location on their website or twitter page.