From a
Factory Floor

About This Exhibition

Where it started.
A 1922 building.
A first show.

From a Factory Floor was the inaugural exhibition at Lift Trucks Art. It was the show that opened the building on Route 22 to the public for the first time. Held in June 2009, it announced that something serious was happening in a repurposed industrial space in Croton Falls: a working studio, a real collection, and a commitment to presenting art that didn’t need a white-cube address to be something.

The exhibition was curated by Gary Lichtenstein, recognized as one of the world’s most accomplished printmakers. Lichtenstein brought a sharp editorial eye to the inaugural presentation, centering the show on works that bridged New York’s mid-century art history and the contemporary practice taking shape in the building. Alex Katz’s work was among those installed in the opening installation, alongside Al Hirschfeld and Irwin Hasen — artists whose contributions to American visual culture spanned decades.

“The New York Times was there on opening day. For an inaugural show in a factory on Route 22, that said everything about what the work deserved.”

Lift Trucks Art · 2009

The New York Times covered the opening, with photographs by Librado Romero documenting the installation and the moment the space came alive. That first show established the tone: serious work, unexpected place, no apology for the setting. Toby Rosser’s “RUN MAN RUN” series was also part of the opening presentation, adding a kinetic, graphic energy to the silkscreen-focused program.