NOTICE: Many of Chelsea’s galleries were severely damaged from Hurricane Sandy. Most are hoping to reopen by the end of November. Please call for updates.
In the late 1990s, New York’s downtown visual arts community gradually moved away from SoHo into Chelsea for better rent and larger spaces. The area of West Chelsea between Tenth and Eleventh avenues and 18th and 28th streets soon became known as the Chelsea Arts District. Factories and warehouse from its industrial past have mostly been converted into art spaces, and in 2005, much of West Chelsea was rezoned to allow for the development of the High Line and to encourage the continued use of former industrial spaces as art galleries. Chelsea is now home to hundreds of art galleries and artist studios and is considered an international hub for contemporary art.
In this episode of NYC-ARTS, we went on a walking tour of the neighborhood and paid a visit to some of its finest galleries. Check out this list (and map) of galleries and exhibitions and head to Chelsea for a gallery tour of your own. Tell them we sent you!
Paul Kasmin Gallery
New York
Paul Kasmin Gallery represents several generations of internationally recognized modern and contemporary painters, sculptors, photographers and filmmakers at three gallery locations in Chelsea.
William N. Copley: The Patriotism of CPLY and All That
Paul Kasmin Gallery—293 10th Avenue
Manhattan
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 - Wed, Nov 21, 2012
This exhibition of Copley’s "Patriotic" works is emblematic of the social satire and political humor found throughout the artist’s oeuvre.
Makoto Saito: Face to Face/ Composition
Paul Kasmin Gallery—515 West 27th Street
Manhattan
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 - Wed, Nov 21, 2012
For Saito’s New York exhibition debut, Paul Kasmin Gallery will exhibit a new body of work divided into two parts, Face to Face and Composition: a series of paintings ...
Lehman Maupin Gallery—540 West 26th Street
New York
540 West 26th Street (between 10th and 11th avenues) — The gallery has garnered a reputation for supporting artists working in new and challenging forms; artists' whose work has had ...
Mickalene Thomas: How to Organize a Room Around a Striking Piece of Art
Lehman Maupin Gallery—540 West 26th Street
Manhattan
Thu, Nov 01, 2012 - Sat, Jan 05, 2013
The Brooklyn artist’s third solo exhibition at Lehmann Maupin will be presented in two parts: large-scale paintings and a series of short films.
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Erwin Wurm: Big Kastenmann
Standard Hotel
Manhattan
Sat, Jul 21, 2012 - Fri, Nov 02, 2012
At the Standard Hotel (Washington Street at West 13th Street) stands "Big Kastenmann," Wurm’s first work of public art in New York.
Sean Kelly Gallery
New York
475 Tenth Avenue (at West 36th Street) — Sean Kelly Gallery has established a reputation for diverse, intellectually driven, unconventional exhibitions.
Antony Gormley: Bodyspace
Sean Kelly Gallery
Manhattan
Sat, Oct 27, 2012 - Sat, Dec 22, 2012
"Bodyspace" expands Gormley’s investigation into the polarizing effects of mass and energy through the installation of two new sculptures in the gallery’s main exhibition space.
Gagosian Gallery—West 21st Street
New York
522 West 21st Street (between 10th and 11th avenues) — Gagosian Gallery is a contemporary art gallery owned and directed by Larry Gagosian. There are three locations in New York.
Henry Moore: Large Two Forms
Gagosian Gallery—West 21st Street
Manhattan
Fri, Nov 09, 2012 - Sat, Jan 05, 2013
Gagosian Gallery, in collaboration with The Henry Moore Foundation, is pleased to present a major exhibition of large-scale sculptures by Henry Moore.
Mary Boone Gallery—West 24th Street
New York
541 West 24th Street (between 10th and 11th avenues) — Mary Boone Gallery represents prominent contemporary artists, at two locations in New York. This one is in the Chelsea Arts ...
Ai Weiwei: Forge
Mary Boone Gallery
Manhattan
Sat, Oct 13, 2012 - Mon, Dec 31, 2012
Forge is Ai Weiwei's reaction to the student victims of the 2008 earthquake in China. It's also a reaction to the government sanctioned demolition of his studio.
Paula Cooper Gallery—534
New York
534 West 21st Street (between 10th and 11th avenues) — Paula Cooper Gallery was the first art gallery to open in New York’s SoHo district in 1968. The gallery’s artistic ...
Carte Blanche to Paula Cooper
Paula Cooper Gallery—534
Manhattan
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 - Sat, Nov 24, 2012
This exhibition is the latest in a series of annual shows at Seguin entitled "Carte Blanche," for which international galleries are invited to organize exhibitions. "Carte Blanche to Paula Cooper" ...