FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NDSS Contact:
Michelle Sagan
301-728-0447
Assume I Can: A Celebration of Artists With Down Syndrome
Moments. Gallery presents an International Exhibition in Partnership With the National Down
Syndrome Society
New York, NY -August, 2026 – Moments. Gallery presents Assume I Can, a three week exhibition celebrating international artists with Down syndrome, opening Friday, September 11 at Dream Downtown in New York City’s Meatpacking District.
Curated by Vasia Makris and presented in partnership with the National Down Syndrome Society, the exhibition brings together artists from around the world working across painting, photography and mixed media. Co-hosted by award winning travel photographer Houston Vandergriff, the show spotlights their work, creativity and individual perspectives.
Opening day, on Friday, September 11 from 3 to 6 PM, is a free public event centered around the exhibition, the artists and an afternoon of art, advocacy and connection with the community.
40% of the sale price of each art piece sold will be donated to NDSS.
The exhibition will remain on view for three weeks following the opening, overlapping with the NDSS Buddy Walk in New York City on September 12 and will be accessible 24/7 inside Dream Downtown, allowing for continuous exposure to a global hospitality audience moving through the space.
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ASSUME I CAN
Assume I Can celebrates individuals with Down syndrome by creating a moment to spotlight their
talents, while providing the community a platform to break stigma and reach new audiences.
Rather than framing these artists through diagnosis, the exhibition presents them as what they are.
Practicing artists with distinct styles, bodies of work and points of view, shown in the same setting
Moments. Gallery gives every artist it programs.
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THE ARTISTS
The show brings together artists from around the world working across painting, photography and mixed media, presented through both digital and physical work throughout the gallery.
Featured artists include:
Houston Vandergriff, award winning travel photographer and founder of Downs & Towns
Kayla Renee Snover, abstract artist working in colour, texture and recycled materials
Joel "J Positive" Jamensky, Ottawa based artist Joel Jamensky, working in ink across themes of life, family and friendship
Rita Winkler, Toronto based watercolour painter and author of My Art, My World
Charlie French, intuitive abstract painter collected privately and corporately worldwide
Sania Khimji, artist and model based in India working across acrylics and mixed media
Grace Reber, American artist behind Grace Place Art, known for bright, joyful work
Jijo Das, artist, illustrator and photographer from India, working as Art of My Optimus
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CO HOST - HOUSTON VANDERGRIFF
Assume I Can is co-hosted by Houston Vandergriff, an award-winning travel photographer who has
photographed 30+ countries and all 50 states and the founder of Downs & Towns.
Houston inspires others, both inside and outside of the disability community. He is a strong
self-advocate who uses the universal language of the arts to push for inclusion. By sharing his gift of
photography he is also sharing the gift of hope - the hope of knowing that everything is going to be
ok. He also wants to help those who do not have the opportunity to visit the places he photographs
to be able to experience them.
His work has taken him from Iceland’s glacier lagoons to the Pont du Gard and he has partnered
with Nikon, Amazon, Nickelodeon and Travello among others.
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SUPPORTING NDSS
Moments. Gallery goes beyond simply exhibiting artwork. With a core value being to elevate and provide opportunities to others, Assume I Can is presented in partnership with the National Down Syndrome Society, whose mission is to create a world where individuals with Down syndrome thrive. 40% of the sale price of each art piece sold will be donated to NDSS, directly supporting the organization’s resources, advocacy and community programming.
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OPENING WEEKEND AND THE NDSS BUDDY WALK
Opening weekend falls with the NDSS Buddy Walk in New York City on Saturday, September 12.
The Buddy Walk is the world’s most widely recognized public awareness program for the Down syndrome community. The NYC Buddy Walk attracts thousands of participants from coast to coast each year.
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FEATURED INITIATIVE: SEEN IN STATEN ISLAND
The exhibition also shines a light on Seen in Staten Island, a transformative photography initiative designed to dismantle isolation barriers by integrating photographers with intellectual and developmental disabilities into the borough’s arts ecosystem.
The project pairs six established artists with disabilities with six professional peers for a reciprocal mentorship, replacing symbolic visibility with meaningful, sustained collaboration through shared photo walks, critiques, and career focused dialogue. It culminates in a public exhibition and community conversation, positioning photographers with disabilities as central, active contributors to local culture.
At its center is a single question: how does lived experience shape the way a place is photographed and understood?
Seen in Staten Island is a Staten Island Arts 2026 DCLA Premier Grant recipient, supported by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts.
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A NEW MODEL FOR CULTURAL ACCESS
Located inside Dream Downtown, Moments. Gallery integrates directly into the hotel’s lobby and lounge, allowing culture to exist within a space people naturally move through.
Open 24/7, the gallery creates continuous interaction between the work and a global audience, offering a more seamless and accessible way to experience art. For an exhibition built on visibility, the format is the point. Free, walkable and open to everyone.
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EVENT DETAILS
Assume I Can
Friday, September 11, 2026
3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Free and open to the public
Location
Moments. Gallery at Dream Downtown
355 W 16th St, New York, NY 10011
Exhibition Duration
On view for three weeks following opening day
Accessible 24/7 inside Dream Downtown
Event Partners
National Down Syndrome Society, Downs & Towns, Shagara, My Perspective UK, Dream Downtown, Metasill
RSVP
https://partiful.com/e/8QyWTQ9oGATx6NckTthR?c=cep8BoNg
NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY
https://ndss.org
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MEDIA CONTACT
Vasia Makris | Founder & CEO, Moments. Gallery
vasia@momentsagency.xyz
gallery.momentsagency.xyz
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ABOUT MOMENTS. GALLERY
Moments. Gallery is a digital and physical art space redefining how art is experienced in New York. Founded by Vasia Makris and located inside Dream Downtown, the gallery operates at the intersection of hospitality, technology and culture.
Designed as a 24/7 location, Moments. Gallery integrates cutting edge digital displays with in person exhibitions, creating a platform for artists to reach audiences beyond the traditional gallery model.
Through a curated program of rotating exhibitions, brand collaborations and cultural events, the gallery brings contemporary art into the flow of everyday life, making it more accessible, immersive and relevant to a new generation of collectors and viewers.
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ABOUT VASIA MAKRIS
Vasia Makris is a New York-based founder, creative director and cultural producer working at the intersection of art, hospitality and experiential programming. She is the founder of Moments. Gallery, a hybrid digital and physical gallery embedded inside Dream Downtown, where she is redefining how art is presented and experienced within everyday environments.
Beyond the gallery, Vasia leads a creative agency focused on brand activations, cultural events and strategic partnerships across the sports, art and entertainment industries. Her work spans collaborations with athletes, emerging artists and global brands, with a focus on building platforms that connect community, culture and commerce in meaningful ways.
Through her projects, Vasia continues to challenge traditional models, creating spaces and experiences that prioritize access, storytelling and real-world impact.
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ABOUT THE NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY
The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) is the leading human rights organization for all individuals with Down syndrome. Its mission is to create a world where individuals with Down syndrome thrive.
Founded in 1979, NDSS empowers individuals with Down syndrome and their families by driving policy change, providing resources, engaging with local communities and shifting public perceptions.
NDSS founded the National Buddy Walk Program in 1995, now the leading Down syndrome awareness, advocacy and peer to peer fundraising program in the world, with events across the United States and internationally. The New York City Buddy Walk is the flagship walk, hosted annually by NDSS.
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ABOUT HOUSTON VANDERGRIFF
Houston Vandergriff is an award-winning travel photographer who has photographed 30+ countries and all 50 states and the founder of Downs & Towns. His work has taken him from Iceland’s glacier lagoons to the Pont du Gard and he has partnered with Nikon, Amazon, Nickelodeon and Travello among others.
Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, he earned his Certificate of Photography in 2019 and his Advanced Photography Certificate in 2020 through the University of Tennessee Professional Programs. He is a member of the Southern Appalachia Nature Photographers and the International Travel Writers and Photographers Alliance.
Through Downs & Towns, he uses photography to break down outdated stereotypes surrounding disability, sharing his view of the world one image at a time.