Down a narrow alley in D.C.’s historic Barracks Row, The Fridge stands as a free art space that, in the words of its Founder and Director Alex Goldstein, provides an outlet for marginalized voices.
Goldstein opened the gallery in an old warehouse off 8th Street in 2009 to provide a space for “creative voices excluded from traditional art institutions.”
In 2023, Goldstein sold the building to a buyer who later filed a lawsuit against him, seeking to reduce the sale price.
On Aug. 7, 2024, a judge dismissed the case in Goldstein’s favor, but the buyer appealed the decision, keeping the case active.
Goldstein fought this legal battle for two and a half years and was unable to move back to D.C. until now. He plans to reopen the gallery by January 2026, aiming to turn the situation into a positive by providing a community space during what he described as a challenging time for the city.
Goldstein has been an activist in D.C. since the 1980s, and The Fridge was an extension of this activism. As Goldstein put it, The Fridge has been an activist space since “before it was cool.”
According to Goldstein, The Fridge was one of the first galleries to represent transgender artists in D.C. and was home to the first-ever queer poetry slam in the United States in March 2010.
He described his move back to D.C. and the reopening of The Fridge as turning “lemons into lemonade.”
The Fridge will reopen in partnership with The SPACE Free Art for All, a Greenbelt, Maryland, based nonprofit that offers art classes and workshops for the Prince George’s County community.
Shaymar Higgs, the founder and executive director of The SPACE, said that the inspiration behind his projects was rooted in his mother’s support and his own diverse artistic pursuits.
Higgs’ connection to The Fridge dates back to 2009, when he was a young artist carving out his place in D.C.’s creative scene. His journey began in his mother’s garage, where he opened the doors to fellow artists to explore and refine their own techniques.
“The magic of [art] is this self-expression and this mental vomit,” Higgs said. “You often don’t realize it's happening.”
The SPACE offers additional services, including wellness courses and free access to 3D printing machines — resources that Higgs is thrilled to bring to The Fridge.
Goldstein sees a particular importance in reopening The Fridge amid today’s political climate.
“There’s never been as much corruption and as much white supremacy out in the open as there is now,” he said.
Goldstein described D.C. as a “battleground,” and with The Fridge in the “heart of Capitol Hill,” he believes the space holds a unique kind of power.
The fight for artistic justice doesn’t stop with The Fridge.
Following President Donald Trump’s order for increased federal law enforcement presence in D.C., a Justice Department employee was charged with throwing a salami sub at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on Aug. 10, according to NBC News.
The moment ignited an outcry among D.C. residents and artists alike. Soon, murals of the man throwing the sandwich began appearing across the city: emblems of protest, resistance and creative defiance.
Goldstein has long been immersed in politics. He first served as President George W. Bush’s graphic design contractor for eight years, worked for Secretary of State Colin Powell for another eight and created the branding for USAID.
Goldstein believes that these prior experiences are what make him so good at the artistic activism he is involved in.
“It’s an artist's responsibility to make connections… that would otherwise go unnoticed at a time of struggle, at a time of strife, at a time of oppression in our own country that we've not seen in our lifetimes,” Goldstein said.
Goldstein and Higgs said they can’t wait to share the beauty of The Fridge with the world once again.
“I just look forward to bringing [The Fridge] back so that we can … heal together,” Higgs said.
For Goldstein, reviving The Fridge isn’t just about reopening a gallery but rebuilding a community. The gallery is currently raising funds for its reopening through a GoFundMe campaign.
The Fridge is just one example of the power of art in the nation's capital in Goldstein’s eyes.
“What’s going on in D.C. is a whole other revolution in street art,” Goldstein said.
This article was edited by Gabrielle McNamee, Abigail Hatting and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Emma Brown, Avery Grossman, Audrey Smith, Ava Stuzin and Ariana Kavoossi. Fact-checking done by Aidan Crowe.
