The artists Red Grooms

Red Grooms

Red Grooms is an American multimedia artist best known for his colorful pop-art constructions depicting frenetic scenes of modern urban life...

 and Jay Milder

Jay Milder

Jay Milder is an American artist and a figurative expressionist painter from the second generation New York School.Old Testament themes such as Jacob's Ladder and Noah’s Ark, and the Jewish mystical beliefs of the Kabbalah, are recurring themes in Milder’s paintings which are presented as...

 originated City Gallery in Grooms' second-floor Flatiron

Flatiron

Flatiron or flat iron can mean several things:*An old term for a clothes iron*A wedge-shaped building:**The Flatiron Building in New York City, for which the surrounding Flatiron District is named...

 Loft on 26th Street and Sixth Avenue in 1958. When Phoenix refused to show Claes Oldenberg, Grooms and Milder dropped out of Phoenix and City Gallery presented Oldenberg's first New York exhibition, as well as that of Jim Dine

Jim Dine

Jim Dine is an American pop artist. He is sometimes considered to be a part of the Neo-Dada movement. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, attended Walnut Hills High School, the University of Cincinnati, and received a BFA from Ohio University in 1957. He first earned respect in the art world with...

. Other artists who showed at City Gallery

City Gallery

City Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in Leicester, England.The gallery exhibits arts and crafts including international work but also local work reflecting the city's cultural diversity making the gallery an important venue for artists to showcase their work. The gallery has links with local...

 include Stephen Durkee, Mimi Gross

Mimi Gross

Mimi Gross is a New York City born artist. She is the daughter of the sculptor Chaim Gross. From 1963-1976 she was married to the artist Red Grooms who was her collaborator on many projects...

, Bob Thompson, Lester Johnson

Lester Johnson (artist)

Lester Johnson was an American artist.As a figurative expressionist and member of the Second Generation of the New York School, painter Lester Johnson remained dedicated to the human figure as means of expression through the many stylistic changes of his oeuvre.In New York, Johnson exhibited at...

, and Alex Katz

Alex Katz

Alex Katz is an American figurative artist associated with the Pop art movement. In particular, he is known for his paintings, sculptures, and prints and is represented by numerous galleries internationally.-Life and work:...

. Grooms recalls, "We were reacting to Tenth Street. In '58 and '59, Tenth Street was sort of like SoHo is now, and it was getting all the lively attention of everyone downtown....We were just kids in our twenties..and had a flair for attracting people to our openings."