A new gallery has opened on Duane, in the space that was most recently—relatively speaking—Raimo pizzeria. It’s called RH Gallery, after director Rebecca Heidenberg; the owner is Adam Taki. (The dog is Rebecca’s, and his name is Cody.)

“We chose Tribeca because it’s an amazing neighborhood,” says Rebecca, who before this was an independent curator and working for her mother, a private art dealer. (Both Rebecca and Adam live near Washington Square Park.) “There’s already a strong design community here, with a lot of collectors. And we didn’t want to be in an area congested with galleries, with a million other distractions.”

The space—in the Diamond Building, along with Blaue Gans and Rosanjin—had good bones but not much else. That was part of the appeal: They could realize their vision more easily. “We just got Landmarks approval to redo the façade,” says Adam, who had been working with New York–based emerging artists, selling privately through alternative spaces. He says the façade will end up looking more like Rosanjin’s (and signage is on its way).

The gallery will show artists from all around the world who might be well-known in their countries but who haven’t been exhibited much here. The focus will include design, too. “In everything we show, there will be a real respect for craftsmanship,” says Rebecca. Because the space is big—3,600 square feet over two floors—they can stage two shows simultaneously.

They’ll also host events, including one next week with Real Deal Democracy. “It’s a grassroots group of intelligent hipsters just out of grad school who want to put the right people in office in New York,” says Adam. And on Nov. 17, Foolsgold will hold an auction to benefit Farm Sanctuary in upstate New York: All the artwork will be created by local emerging artists specifically for the auction, relate to farmed animals, and be previewed for four days beforehand.

If last weekend’s opening party is any indication, RH Gallery is on the right track: Hundreds of people showed up, and the event ended with a bang—or at least an oom-pah—when the marching band playing Blaue Gans‘s Oktoberfest party swung by.

RH Gallery is at 137 Duane (between W. Broadway and Church), 646-703-4473, rhgallery.com. It’s open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

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