In the tumultuous late 1960s and early 1970s the art world was exploding with new ideas. During that time, a controversial idea was born: that artists could escape from the restraints of commercial galleries by joining together to create their own galleries. These new galleries made room for artists whose works were not being shown, including contemporary women artists and emerging artists with unfamiliar names. Cooperative galleries were liberated from the artistic limitations and prevailing styles featured by commercial galleries.

Pleiades Gallery, which opened its doors in 1974, was at the cutting edge of these change. Pleiades was one of the original pioneers of the movement, becoming the headquarters for the Association of Artist Run Galleries (AARG), with some 25 member galleries nationwide.