Tour the Art Galleries of Chelsea

One of living in Manhattanโ€™s biggest luxuries is the proximity to world-class art. The city is lousy with the stuff.ย  Practically every neighborhood boasts either big-name museums or galleries displaying up-and-coming artists. In my opinion, the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan canโ€™t be beat. Chelsea is home to over 300 independent art galleries (for a full list of galleries, check this website.). These galleries show all different types of art: photography, paintings, and sculpture in pretty much any style you can imagine.

There are a few reasons the Chelsea galleries stand out for me. First, most of the galleries donโ€™t have entrance fees (i.e., theyโ€™re free). Second, theyโ€™re located beneath Highline Park–an abandoned train track that was converted into a beautiful urban park. You combine the two and you can spend an entire day sucking up some of the best Manhattan has to offer without spending a cent. This makes a day in the Chelsea galleries perfect for dates or for spending time with friends who donโ€™t have much cash (if you donโ€™t live in New York City, you should know there is never a shortage of people complaining about being cash-poor).

Should I Visit an Art Gallery?

Before I move on to highlighting some current shows, I want to address some peopleโ€™s intimidation of galleries. Get over it. Here is my one tip for enjoying an art gallery: Enjoy the art–donโ€™t take the art or yourself too seriously. Some of the stuff youโ€™ll see is going to be of the my-toddler-could-do-that variety. Other pieces will be really weird. You may hate some of the pieces. But appreciate it for what it is.

If you think the design is cool, enjoy the design. All of these things can be used as fodder for conversation. (One note: donโ€™t mock the art while youโ€™re at the gallery; thatโ€™s really rude. Wait until youโ€™re out of the gallery to mock the art.)

In all honesty, there are so many galleries you can just go and walk around and look in windows to look for stuff youโ€™re interested in and youโ€™ll have a great day. All of the galleries are switching exhibitions for the winter, so now is the perfect time to go. But, if youโ€™re the type who needs a destination, here are some great shows that are going on right now.

1. David Zwirner

525 W. 19th St, New York, NY 10011

From the Philip Lorca DiCorcia exhibition "Hustlers"
From the Philip Lorca diCorcia exhibition “Hustlers”

This gallery is a canโ€™t miss.ย  Zwirner is known one of the most renowned names in the NYC art world.ย  Currently showing Philip-Lorca diCorciaโ€™s show Hustlers.

2.ย Gagosian Gallery

522 W. 21st St, New York, NY 10011

Test
Even the front doors are artistic and lovely.

Another staple of the New York art scene. Currently showing Richard Serraโ€™s New Sculpture.

3.ย Zach Feuer Gallery

530 W. 24th St, New York, NY 10011

Lovely
Mild-mannered out front…

This gallery is known for its risky, boundary-pushing work. Currently exhibiting Elaine Reichek: A Precise.

4.The Pace/MacGill

510 W. 25th St, New York, NY 10011

From the
Raqib Shaw’s “St. Sebastian Of The Poppies”, 2011-2012

You can count on this gallery to put on shows by some of the biggest names in contemporary art.ย  Currently exhibiting Irving Penn: On Assignment through October 26, 2013.

5.ย Gladstone Gallery

515 W 24th St, New York, NY 10011

Never seen conceptual art?ย  This is the place. Currently exhibiting Cyprien Gaillard: Today Diggers,ย Tomorrow Dickens.

Editor’s Note: We updated this article to enhance readability.ย 

lawrence
lawrence
Lawrence part of the RentHop Data Science team with over a decade of experience in the real estate industry. In addition, he is a software developer and quantitative analyst with over 12 years of experience in software development and quantitative modeling. Lawrence merges two of his passions together to help renters across the nation with their home search.

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