Gallery sights in New York City
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Metropolitan Museum of Art
With more than five million visitors per year, the Met is New York’s most popular single-site tourist attraction, with one of the richest coffers in the arts world. The Met is a self-contained cultural city-state, with two million individual objects in its collection and an annual budget of over $120 million. Since completing a multimillion-dollar remodeling project that brought works out of storage, renovated the halls of 19th- and early 20th-century paintings and sculptures, expanded the Ancient Hellenistic and Roman areas and sparklingly remade the American Wing, the place is looking more divine than ever – despite operating in the midst of a financial crisis that has…
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Frick Collection
This spectacular art collection sits in a mansion built by businessman Henry Clay Frick in 1914, one of the many such residences that made up ‘Millionaires’ Row.’ Most of these mansions proved too expensive for succeeding generations and were eventually destroyed, but the wily and very wealthy Frick, a Pittsburgh steel magnate, established a trust to open his private art collection as a museum. It’s a shame that the 2nd floor of the residence is not open for viewing, though the 12 rooms on the ground floor are grand enough and the garden beckons visitors on nice days. The Frick’s Oval Room is graced by Jean-Antoine Houdon’s stunning figure Diana the Huntress. The intimate…
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Museum of Modern Art
Founded in 1929, MoMA is one of NYC’s most popular museums, home to more than 100,000 pieces of modern artwork, most by heavy hitters – Matisse, Picasso, Cezanne, Rothko, Pollock and many others. It’s dedicated to showcasing artwork based on the emerging creative ideas of the late 19th century through to those that dominate today. It’s easy to get lost in the vast collection for an entire day; if you want to maximize your time and create a plan of attack ahead of time, download the museum’s floor plan and visitor guide (available in several languages) from the website beforehand. Recent special exhibitions inside the high-ceilinged galleries have included ‘Monet’s Water L…
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Philadelphia Museum of Art
Just two short hours outside of NYC sits one of the most historic cities on the eastern seaboard, fairly overflowing with important sites from America’s colonial days and its fight for independence. But for most people, Philly is famous for one thing and one thing only: it was the gritty city that served as a backdrop for fictional underdog boxer Rocky Balboa. Who can resist temptation to shadow-box at the top of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, just like Rocky did?
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Neue Galerie
This showcase for German and Austrian art, the Neue Galerie, is a small gem among the Fifth Ave biggies, as it’s an intimate but well-hung collection, featuring impressive works by Gustav Klimt, Paul Klee and Egon Schiele, housed in a former Rockefeller mansion with winding staircases and wrought-iron banisters. It also boasts a lovely, street-level eatery, Café Sabarsky, serving Viennese meals, drinks and to-die-for pastries on a corner that overlooks Central Park.
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Solomon R Guggenheim Museum
A sculpture in its own right, Frank Lloyd Wright’s sweeping spiral building almost overshadows the collection of 20th-century art housed in this museum. Because of its unusual design, the building sparked controversy during its construction in the 1950s, but today it’s a distinctive landmark that architects fiddle with at their peril. An unpopular 1992 renovation added an adjoining, 10-story tower that does indeed bear a striking resemblance to a toilet – just as the critics feared – despite being based on Wright’s original drawings. Most recently, the Wright-designed exterior, whose concrete had been plagued by surface cracks practically since the day it opened, went thr…
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Lower East Side Art Galleries
Though Chelsea may be the heavy hitter when it comes to the New York art gallery scene, the LES has its very own collection of about a dozen quality showplaces, thank you very much. Some have actually relocated here from Chelsea in recent years, and all are now anchored by the New Museum (235 Bowery). Participant Inc, showcasing emerging talent and hosting varied performances, was one of the places hailed as jump-starting the gallery trend here when it opened several years ago. Other popular, contemporary spaces include Gallery Onetwentyeight, Reena Spaulings Fine Art, Lehmann Maupin and the new Angel Orensanz Foundation, housed in a soaring, gorgeous former synagogue th…
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Sperone Westwater
Though Chelsea may be the heavy hitter when it comes to the New York art gallery scene, the LES has its very own collection of about a dozen quality showplaces, thank you very much. Some have actually relocated here from Chelsea in recent years, and all are now anchored by the New Museum (235 Bowery). But the biggest news of late is that of the new Sperone Westwater gallery, relocated from the West Village to the Bowery, right near the New Museum, in what was promising to be, at the time of writing, a startling, eight-story sliver sheathed in milled glass, with bright-red elevator doors and entire exhibits visible from out on the street. The gallery represents heavy hitte…
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Mary Boone Gallery
Chelsea is home to the highest concentration of art galleries in the entire city – and the number of them just keeps increasing. Most lie in the 20s, on the blocks between Tenth and Eleventh Aves, and wine-and-cheese openings for their new shows are typically held on Thursday evenings. Note that galleries are typically closed on Mondays. For a complete guide and map, pick up Art Info’s Gallery Guide (www.artinfo.com/galleryguide), available for free at most galleries, or visit www.westchelseaarts.com. Among the showcases that create the most buzz in these parts are the so-called ‘blue-chip’ galleries, including the Mary Boone Gallery, whose owner found fame in the…
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PS1 Contemporary Art Center
If you’re going to MoMA anyway, keep your ticket stub for free entry to this superb alternative-space location (a former 19th-century public school) featuring excellent exhibits of modern art. (Expect lots of video installations: ‘Impressionism? No, thanks.’) Rooms are evocative, old student haunts, with wired-off stairwell shafts, high ceilings and white-painted and creaky wooden floorboards. The cafe has wine – plus sketches of naked people on the walls. In summertime the ‘Warm Up’ Series fills the outside space with widely popular parties featuring DJs and a mix of bands.
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Chelsea Art Museum
Occupying a three-story red-brick building dating from 1850, this popular museum stands on land once owned by writer Clement Clarke Moore (author of the famous poem ‘A Visit from St Nicholas’). Its focus is on post-war abstract expressionism, especially by national and international artists, and its permanent collection includes works by Antonio Corpora, Laszlo Lakner, Jean Arp and Ellen Levy. The museum is also the headquarters of the Miotte Foundation, dedicated to archiving the works of Jean Miotte, a SoHo-based artist who has played a large role in creating the genre known as ‘Informel’ (Informal Art).
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Reena Spaulings Fine Art
Though Chelsea may be the heavy hitter when it comes to the New York art gallery scene, the LES has its very own collection of about a dozen quality showplaces, thank you very much. Some have actually relocated here from Chelsea in recent years, and all are now anchored by the New Museum (235 Bowery). Popular, contemporary spaces include Reena Spaulings Fine Art.
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Andrea Rosen Gallery
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Lehmann Maupin
Though Chelsea may be the heavy hitter when it comes to the New York art gallery scene, the LES has its very own collection of about a dozen quality showplaces, thank you very much. Some have actually relocated here from Chelsea in recent years, and all are now anchored by the New Museum (235 Bowery). Popular, contemporary spaces include Lehmann Maupin.
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International Center of Photography
The two-level, soothing and airy ICP is the city’s most important showcase for major photographers, especially photojournalists. Its past exhibitions have included work by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Man Ray, Matthew Brady, Weegee and Robert Capa, and have explored a wide range of themes through creative shows such as the recent ‘Miroslav Tichy,’ with space devoted to the mysterious Czech shutterbug, and ‘Twilight Visions: Surrealism, Photography, and Paris.’ It’s also a photography school, offering coursework (for credit) and a public lecture series. Its gift shop is an excellent place to stock up on quality photo books or quirky, photo-themed gifts.
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Pierogi 2000
A gallery that's grown in reputation and scope since its start in 2000, Pierogi 2000 handles about 1000 artists from Williamsburg and elsewhere, displaying most of their works in the front room. People can flip through drawings and other artist renderings in the back room if they wish. The back room is also a community center/meeting space for cultural gatherings.
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Artists Space
One of the first alternative spaces in New York, Artists Space was founded in 1972 to support contemporary artists working in the visual arts, including video, electronic media, performance, architecture and design. It offers an exhibition space for new art and artists, and tries to foster an appreciation for the role artists play in communities.
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Participant Inc
Though Chelsea may be the heavy hitter when it comes to the New York art gallery scene, the LES has its very own collection of about a dozen quality showplaces, thank you very much. Some have actually relocated here from Chelsea in recent years, and all are now anchored by the New Museum. Participant Inc, showcasing emerging talent and hosting varied performances, was one of the places hailed as jump-starting the gallery trend here when it opened several years ago. Other popular, contemporary spaces include Gallery Onetwentyeight, Reena Spaulings Fine Art, Lehmann Maupin and the new Angel Orensanz Foundation gallery, housed in a soaring, gorgeous former synagogue that al…
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Paul Kasmin
Expect the unexpected at Paul Kasmin. After all, the gallery does represent the legendary Frank Stella. All media are accepted here: collages, paintings, photography, sculptures and more. Shows at this gallery are wide-ranging, expansive and thought-provoking. There's a second branch at 511 W 27th St.
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Barbara Gladstone Gallery
The curator of this eponymous gallery has learned a thing or two after 27 years in the Manhattan art world. Ms Gladstone consistently puts together the most talked-about and well-critiqued displays, and artists such as Shirin Neshat, Magnus von Plessen and Anish Kapoor are frequently shown.
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Gallery Onetwentyeight
Though Chelsea may be the heavy hitter when it comes to the New York art gallery scene, the LES has its very own collection of about a dozen quality showplaces, thank you very much. Some have actually relocated here from Chelsea in recent years, and all are now anchored by the New Museum. Participant Inc, showcasing emerging talent and hosting varied performances, was one of the places hailed as jump-starting the gallery trend here when it opened several years ago. Other popular, contemporary spaces include Gallery Onetwentyeight, Reena Spaulings Fine Art, Lehmann Maupin and the new Angel Orensanz Foundation gallery, housed in a soaring, gorgeous former synagogue that al…
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Cheim & Read
Sculptures of every shape, size and material abound at Cheim & Read, and monthly changes keep the exhibits fresh. If the timing is right, you might catch William Eggleston's bouncy color photographs hanging on the wall, or a Jenny Holzer light installation blazing over the front door.
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111 Front Street Galleries
Local artists exhibit their latest works in this orange-colored mega-gallery – a restored factory that actually houses about 11 galleries and ateliers. There's also a dash of international flair from visiting artists-in-residence; Dumbo runs several such programs a year.
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Exhibit 1A Gallery
Exhibit 1A Gallery is the city’s first all-graffiti art gallery, housed in a residential building, and shows ‘Graffiti Uptown: You Can’t Shut Us Down’ every year in November; check www.graffiti.org for upcoming events.
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Drawing Center
Here since 1977, this is the only nonprofit institute in the country to focus solely on drawings, using work by masters as well as unknowns to show the juxtaposition of various styles. Historical exhibitions have included work by Michelangelo, James Ensor and Marcel Duchamp, while contemporary shows have focused on Richard Serra, Ellsworth Kelly and Richard Tuttle; exhibits can range from the whimsical to the politically controversial. Artist lectures and performance-art programs are hot tickets here – as is the new Big Draw event (usually in summer), which invites folks of all ages to bring a sketchpad to any of several artist-led, hands-on happenings at locations around…
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