25th Anniversary New Year's Eve Benefit for ABC No Rio

Friends, Patrons & Supporters —
This coming spring ABC No Rio will celebrate its 25th Anniversary!!!

On New Year's Eve 1979 more than thirty artists occupied an abandoned
building on Delancey Street and mounted The Real Estate Show. On New Year's
Day 1980 the police shut down the exhibition and locked-up the artwork. The
subsequent press and publicity resulted in the City offering the storefront
and basement at 156 Rivington Street. This space became ABC No Rio.For twenty-five years we have been host to exhibitions, performance art,
poetry readings, film and video screenings, punk shows, experimental music
performances, free drawing, photography and filmmaking classes for
neighborhood kids, open mics and Wide Open Cabarets. We've developed new
facilities — a darkroom, printshop and computer center — increasing our
ability to serve artists, activists and the community at large. Our Zine
Library, one of the largest collections of its type, includes independent
and underground publications on subjects such as music, culture, politics,
personal experience and travel. Thousands of artists, performers, poets and
musicians have found a supportive home for their expression and
experimentation at ABC No Rio.

We remain an active part of New York City's radical cultural scene. We
provide a home to Food Not Bombs, enabling them to feed some of the city's
neediest populations. We provide space and support to Books Through Bars,
sending free books to incarcerated men and women nationwide. And we make
our space available to activist and cultural groups for meetings,
workshops, forums and other events.

ABC No Rio has meant many things to many people. But some things remain
constant: our commitment to political and social engagement, to an expanded
vision of possibility for the lives of our neighborhoods, cities, and
societies, to a place where people share resources and ideas to impact
society, culture, and community.

We're proud of what we stand for and all that we've accomplished. We're
planning numerous events in 2005 celebrating ABC No Rio's past, present and
future, including a Gala Benefit Art Auction this spring. We hope that you
will join us.

This year we crossed the $200,000 threshold in our campaign to raise funds
to renovate our building. In October we submitted our proposal for the
Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP), beginning the approvals process
necessary to transfer the building at 156 Rivington Street to ABC No Rio.
By October 2005 the ULURP will be completed, and we must have in place the
money needed for Phase 1 of our renovation: $350,000.

Victories for small grass-roots arts organizations are rare. We fought City
Hall and we won! Money is now the crucial factor in securing our future and
permanence. We need your help to close this deal. Please dig deep and give
as much as you possibly can.

Secure contributions by credit card can be made through PayPal
here>.

Or send your check or money-order,
made payable to ABC No Rio, to:

ABC No Rio

156 Rivington Street

New York, NY 10002

Thank you for your support.

— Steven Englander, ABC No Rio Volunteers, and the ABC No Rio Board of
Directors

New Year's Eve Party

9:00pm — $5

with

Marvelous Hagler

Agent Jay

Jonny Metro

+ Special Guests

spinning the best in 60's reggae, soul, roots, mod, streetpunk, dancehall
and hip-hop!

ABC No Rio

156 Rivington Street

New York, NY 10002

(212) 254-3697