Gotham, presents The Smoking Section, a group exhibition celebrating the ashtray as both ritual object and cultural symbol. For its first commissioned show, on view from November 6, 2025, to January 5, 2026, Gotham invited more than 45 artists and designers. They were asked to consider the intrinsic connection between cannabis and art. Each artist produced their own interpretation of an ashtray. The result is an inspired collection of original works that range from functional to conceptual, playful to profound, forming a dynamic conversation between material and meaning.
Featured artists include Ridykeulous (Nicole Eisenman and A.L. Steiner), known for their incisive queer-feminist collaborations; Daniel Gordon, celebrated for his hybrid of digital and sculptural work; Mika Tajima, whose multidisciplinary practice investigates the intersections of technology, control, and perception; Deborah Czeresko, acclaimed glass artist and winner of Netflix’s Blown Away; Anna Sew Hoy, recipient of the Anonymous Was a Woman Award; Math Bass, recognized for geometric abstraction and performance-driven installations at MoMA PS1 and the Hammer Museum; and Peter Shire, founding member of the Memphis Group.
“Ashtrays were once ubiquitous objects that fell out of fashion as cigarette smoking declined, but for those of us who consume cannabis, the ashtray is both utilitarian tool and design object,” says Rachel Berks, Gotham’s VP of Product Development & Partnerships and curator of the exhibition. “It’s thrilling to invite this amazing cohort of contemporary designers to use the common ashtray as a medium for exploration and artistic expression.”
From the countercultural revolution of the 1960s and ’70s to contemporary conceptual art, cannabis has long fueled creativity and expanded consciousness.
The Smoking Section honors that lineage, examining how the act of smoking — and the objects that accompany it — serve as catalysts for reflection, rebellion, and release.
Since its inception, Gotham has captured the intersection of art, design, and cannabis. At The Mezz, the exhibition space at their Bowery flagship, they have cultivated a robust art program committed to showcasing emerging artists. Gotham’s Chelsea location, the retailer’s fourth, opened in April of 2025 with a full gallery space called Gotham Gallery. Its programming has ranged from the inaugural exhibition The World Is Yours, a collaboration between legendary rapper Nas, photographer Danny Hastings, and design studio Objects Are By, to a recent pop-up takeover by artist Derrick Adams. With The Smoking Section, Gotham continues to fulfill its mission of championing the creative dialogue between cannabis and contemporary culture.
Opening Reception
The public is invited to celebrate the exhibition’s debut on Thursday, November 6, from 6–8 PM. Guests will enjoy refreshments, music, and an exclusive first look at the full collection. RSVP Here.
