History

The Abrons Arts Center is the performing and visual arts center of Henry Street Settlement. The facility links the 300-seat proscenium Playhouse, originally constructed as the Neighborhood Playhouse by philanthropists Alice Lewisohn and Irene Lewisohn in 1915 to the main art center building, which opened in 1975. The development added two theaters and an outdoor amphitheater. Visual arts exhibitions are mounted in the Abrons Main Gallery and the ground-floor Culpeper Gallery. The underground floor of Abrons is a shared artist studio space. Classrooms and dance studios are located on all floors for arts training and instruction.