Mighty Tanaka Gallery/Headquarters:

68 Jay St.
Suite 416
Brooklyn, NY. 11201

Phone #: 718.596.8781

alex@mightytanaka.com

Subway: F train to York St.

OUR MISSION:

Mighty Tanaka is Alex Emmart and Caleb James: an independent curatorial organization dedicated to the advancement and integrity of the urban arts. Through the utilization of skilled curating and various media techniques, we strive to create a stable foundation for artists operating within the urban environment. Mighty Tanaka is driven by urban inspiration and is clearing the way for this emerging art movement to expand beyond the city walls and into our personal lives. Our mission is to provide a myriad of curated and production services.

THE TEAM:

Alex Emmart

In 2004, while studying for my Masters Degree in Museum Studies from the University of Salford, near Manchester, England, I became fully immersed in the urban art renaissance that was occurring in the UK at that time. The vibrant atmosphere was an intoxicating mix of music, art and parties. Having volunteered at two different branches of the Imperial War Museum, I was eager to implement my curatorial knowledge with the art that inspired me. In 2006, Mighty Tanaka was formed between myself, Craig Murdoch and Simon Mills as an outlet for our artistic endeavor. We quickly began filming events and interviewing participating artists, along with creating a music video and webcasts in the process.

Upon my return to the US, I immediately moved to Brooklyn in order to continue my curatorial pursuit. While volunteering for Ad Hoc Art in 2007, I gathered the necessary tools and experience to begin my own independently curated events. Throughout 2008 and 2009, I curated a series of “pop-up” shows in Manhattan and Brooklyn, featuring many artists whom I still work with. Currently, I run and operate Mighty Tanaka Studio, a small gallery space located in DUMBO, Brooklyn.

Caleb James

Coming soon...

THE HISTORY:

Mighty Tanaka was founded in 2006 between myself, Simon Mills and Craig Murdoch after earning our graduate degrees at the University of Salford, on the outskirts of Manchester, England. I had received a Masters degree in Museum Studies (with a focus on exhibition design) while volunteering for two branches of the Imperial War Museum and assisting them with major exhibitions. Originally, Mighty Tanaka was conceived as a means to document the street art phenomenon that was occurring in the UK at that time through film, interview and photograph. The intoxicating vibrancy of street art in England during that time provided me with the foundation to take the idea that Mighty Tanaka was originally founded on, and evolve it into something larger.

Upon my arrival to NYC in January 2007, I immediately sought to establish Mighty Tanaka as a consistent entity within the art world. To gain further practical knowledge for this endeavor, I volunteered all of my available time to assisting Ad Hoc Art, in Bushwick, Brooklyn, eventually assuming the position of gallery manager. During my time there, I developed a strong interpersonal connection with many of New York’s top street art and underground talents, providing me with an opportunity to demonstrate a wide variety of exhibition options. After my departure from Ad Hoc in 2008, I began independently curating “pop-up” shows at available venues around Brooklyn and Manhattan as well as working with established galleries and arts organizations. Each show presented a new curatorial challenge, as every space is unique, thus the interpretation and presentation had to be both precise and innovative. Having the opportunity to curate art shows in locations such as 14th St and Times Square in Manhattan, as well as assisting with the highly successful “Work To Do” street art show in SoHo and the MBP Urban Arts Festival in Bushwick, has laid the ground work for Mighty Tanaka to now emerge as an integral gallery space.

- Alex Emmart