Matthew Courtney, Influential Downtown Artist and Advocate for Emerging Talent, Dies at 66
Remembering Matthew Courtney: A Visionary Street Artist and Cultural Catalyst
The New York underground art scene has lost one of its most distinctive voices. Matthew Courtney, a bold and beloved figure in the grassroots cultural landscape of the Lower East Side, passed away last week in his Brooklyn apartment at the age of 66. His death, as reported by Hyperallergic, resulted from an accidental overdose, leaving behind a legacy deeply etched into the city’s creative history.
A West-Coast Native Embracing East-Coast Grit
Born in 1959 and raised in Portland, Oregon, Courtney relocated to New York City in the early 1980s. He quickly became immersed in the chaotic yet vibrant downtown art and activist scene. There, he found his place in ABC No Rio, a then-squatted building transformed into a nonprofit art collective at 156 Rivington Street. The space, home to experimental art and political expression, would serve as the launching pad for much of his public artistic expression.
The Wide Open Cabaret: A Platform for the Disenfranchised
From the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, Courtney played an instrumental role in shaping ABC No Rio’s identity by hosting its now-iconic Wide Open Cabaret. This open-mic, anything-goes series became a hallmark of the collective’s commitment to inclusivity and artistic risk-taking. There was only one rule: “You are on your honor to be amazing!”
Wide Open Cabaret provided a stage—however rickety—for outsider poets, experimental musicians, and political radicals. As artist and fellow ABC No Rio member Fly Orr recalled, Courtney was magnetic on stage, orchestrating chaos with a resonant baritone that charmed the crowd. The event was a place of both raw experimentation and unexpected revelations. Described by journalist Rebecca Moore as everything from “horrible” to moments of “emerging brilliance,” the performances charted new territory in community-oriented art.
Street Art Reimagined: The Steps to Nowhere Gallery
Courtney’s artistic reach extended far beyond ABC No Rio. From the early 2000s onward, he became a fixture in Soho, where he created the nomadic “Steps to Nowhere Gallery.” Situated on the sidewalks of Prince Street—sometimes outside big-name locations like the Apple Store or the now-closed J.Crew—this unconventional roadside gallery became a shrine to Courtney’s Pop Art portraits and poetic musings.
His materials were as unorthodox as the setting. Discarded cardboard, pages of The New York Times (especially the weather section), plywood, and even subway notices became his canvases. “I used to draw on the front page of the New York Times, but the screaming headlines and dramatic photos used to rattle people,” Courtney noted in a 2013 interview filmed at one of his outdoor installations. Instead, he sought found objects that better suited his mission to connect with passersby intimately, democratically, and without pretense.
Performance Poetry and Living Theater
Courtney’s performance art was equally uncontainable by mainstream norms. Pieces like “Car Poem Number 1” and “Honey, I’m Home!”—where he entered through a painted yellow door only to collapse like a buttered scone—merged absurdist humor with social reflection. These original works captured Courtney’s unique blend of wit, vulnerability, and theatricality.
His work straddled the line between satire and sincerity, between solo performance and collective memory. Audience interaction wasn’t just welcome—it was vital. In his vision, art was unfinished until it resonated with another human being.
A Lasting Impression on the NYC Art Scene
Courtney’s enduring influence stemmed not just from his individual talent but from his ability to generate space for others. “The audience was his co-host,” recalled Orr. “He knew how to get everyone back to a manageable state.”
In recognition of this legacy, ABC No Rio has announced the release of a self-published zine commemorating the Wide Open Cabaret series. Copies will be available at the organization’s library at 107 Suffolk Street, a fitting tribute to the uncontainable energy and vision of one of its founding members.
More Than an Artist—A Movement
Matthew Courtney wasn’t just a creator; he was a community. His work rejected traditional gallery structures, celebrated imperfection, and warmly welcomed chaos. Through the Steps to Nowhere, he showed anyone with a message or a brush that art could be lived, not just made.
“You made room for the voices others overlooked,” ABC No Rio wrote in a tribute, “and reminded us that art is not just something we make, but something we live by.”
Indeed, in a time when traditional institutions continue to dominate the art world, voices like Courtney’s are more critical than ever—challenging us not only to create but to carve out spaces where everyone’s voice matters.
In remembering Matthew