Our 22 Favorite Art Galleries in NYC
There are 1,500 art galleries in NYC, according to some estimates, making it the largest concentration of galleries in the world. We were lucky to meet Elizabeth Fiore who is an Art Advisory in New York City and specializes in building private and corporate collections.
In this article, Elizabeth shares the best art galleries in NYC and her absolute favorites with us. Who could know better than her, right?
Elizabeth Fiore:Â Art Advisory in New York City
âOur emphasis is on contemporary art and our expertise reaches back across the twentieth century and beyond. We offer a full spectrum of professional services tailored to clientsâ individual priorities, providing expert guidance in acquisitions and all aspects of collection management. Drawing on our global network of contacts, knowledge of the current market, and insight into established and emerging trends, we assist in the selection of works that both reflect clientsâ personal tastes and retain aesthetic and financial value in the long term.â
At Elizabeth Fiore Art Advisory, their passion is working with people. The foundation of their success lies in strong, lasting, intimate, and independent relationships with artists, galleries, collectors, and curators around the world. By investing in those relationships, they create opportunities to connect clients with the art they value most. We are excited to get her inside scoop on the best art galleries in NYC first hand.
The 10 Best Art Galleries in NYC
That was really difficult to limit the selection to only 10. But here they are â our 10 best art galleries in NYC:
- Karma Art Gallery in the East Village
- Jack Shainman Gallery in Chelsea
- Front Room Gallery in the Lower East Side
- Van Doren Waxter on the Upper East Side
- David Zwirner Gallerie in Chelsea
- Galerie Nara Roesler at Hudson Yards
- Sean Kelly Gallery New York at Hudson Yards
- Magenta Plains on the Lower East Side
- James Fuentes LLC Gallery in the Lower East Side
- Krause Gallery in the Lower East Side
These Are The Best Art Galleries in NYC
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01
Van Der Plas Gallery
Gallery in Lower East Side
If you appreciate artists who birth their own movement, then the Van Der Plas Gallery is for you. Youâll find history of New Yorkâs street art movement from the 1980s. Much of this was developed by The Rivington School. This school represents underground artists who managed to thrive in New York Cityâs lower east side during the 1980s.
The work youâll find here centers primarily around Rivington and Forsyth Streets in NYC, Lower East Side from the 1980âs. There was a group of creative individuals who had their own vision of art, and created their own movement. The Van Der Plas Gallery carried on the tradition, and has become some of the most famous pieces of art.
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02
Karma in the East Village
Gallery in Alphabet City
Karmaâs program is tied to two major factors: a new generation of artists who consistently push the envelope and the boundaries of traditional mediums, such as Nicolas Party and Alex da Corte, as well as an older generation of artists, such as Robert Duran and Paul Mogensen, who have been relatively undervalued for the majority of their careers.Â
Because of this, Karma has a strong, cohesive program with a clear point of view â a valuable asset in the art world (188 E 2nd Street).
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03
Alexandre Gallery
Gallery in Lower East Side
Alexandre Gallery has two locations. The 25 E 73rd Street location has been around for 20 years, and will stay open for private viewings, and American Modernists from the Stieglitz Circle. It will be appointment only. The late 19th early 20th century is a special focus for Alexandre Gallery. Famous artists such as John Marin, Georgia OâKeeffe, and Joseph Stella have paintings on display at the 73rd Street location.
Alexandre Gallery opened its new location at 291 Grand Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan on September 9, 2021 with Lois Dodd doing a one-person exhibition. The gallery has 2,000 square feet, and was previously used by James Cohan. Â
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04
Jack Shainman Gallery in Chelsea
Gallery in ChelseaOur Highlight
Contemporary works by African, Asian & North American artists are exhibited at this Chelsea gallery. Jack Shaiman is committed to cultural diversity, championing artists from around the world, in particular, artists from Africa, East Asia, and North America.Â
As an important member of the international art scene, Shainman backs major artists like Nick Cave and Kerry James Marshall as well as up and comers Paul Anthony Smith, not only exhibiting in the gallery and at fairs, but securing museum exhibitions and publishing scholarly essays as well (513 W 20th Street).
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05
Front Room Gallery
Gallery in Chinatown
The Front Room Gallery has been a one stop shop for art enthusiasts since it opened in 1999. They are a contemporary fine arts gallery that started in Brooklyn and have moved to Chinatown on Hester Street. Many of their pieces are tied back to social responsibility including political, environmental, and social topics.
Their focus is on exhibiting photography, conceptual and installation based work by emerging artists as well as mid-career ones with an emphasis placed primarily on photographic images but also including sculpture or video installations. The Front Room Gallery has exhibited the work of several artists, including Ken Ragsdale, Thomas Broadbent, Paul Raphaelson, Patricia Smith, Sean Hemmerle, and more. In addition to its exhibition program, the gallery also organizes artist talks, screenings, and performances.
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06
Van Doren Waxter on the Upper East Side
Gallery in Upper East Side
The consolidated gallery, under the name Van Doren Waxter, operates full exhibition programs at both its Upper East Side and Lower East Side locations.Â
Van Doren Waxter has had great success in the way they have merged the historical with the emerging, representing stalwarts like Richard Diebenkorn and Anne Truitt while backing relative newcomers Evan Nesbit and Mariah Robertson.
Their strength lies in their equal commitment to both the new and the old, with exhibitions and fair booths that consistently capitalize on and proudly display the broad range of decades of work in their stable (23 East 73rd Street).
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07
David Zwirner
Gallery in Chelsea
David Zwirner is a German art dealer. He comes from a family of artists and grew up with an art studio on the ground floor of where he lived. Â He opened his first gallery space in the SoHo neighborhood. In total, there are 3 locations in NY â 19th Street, 20th Street, and 69th Street. In Hong Kong, his gallery is on Queenâs Road Central. In London, youâll find his gallery on Grafton Street, and in Paris, youâll see the gallery on rue Vieille du Temple.
Zwirner specializes in contemporary art, representing emerging artists as well as historically important artists such as Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Christopher Wool, Jeff Koons, and Gilbert & George. He began re-establishing links with artists of the older generation, including John Baldessari, Robert Motherwell, and Brice Marden, whose work he had first encountered as a student in California.
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08
Galerie Nara Roesler at Hudson Yards
Gallery in Chelsea
Nara Roesler is a veteran Brazilian art dealer with her eponymous gallery in Chelsea. Established over 40 years ago in Brazil, Galerie Nara Roesler shows an array of diverse artists from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba and more. Some of my favorites are Vik Muniz (Brazilian), Alexandre Arrechea (Cuban) and sculptor Arthur Lescher (Brazilian). They opened a small space in New York (a contrast to their Sao Paolo outpost), and are dedicated to their artists worldwide.
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09
High Noon Gallery
Gallery in Lower East Side
The High Noon Gallery is an art gallery in New York City that was founded in 2017 by Jared Linge. Jared worked in the art space for over 8 years and realized that the talented, and often unrepresented artists, were not getting the exposure they needed to thrive.
The High Noon Gallery works with other non profits, galleries, and museums to help get their artists the visibility they deserve. They work with new talent, as well as mid-career talent.
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10
bitforms gallery
Gallery in Lower East Side
The bitforms gallery is a contemporary art gallery that features mid-career artists utilizing the latest technologies in New York City. The Bitforms gallery was founded in 2001 with the idea that A world-renowned contemporary visual art gallery, bitforms is home to established artists and those on the rise.
bitforms is a cutting edge gallery that represents established and emerging artists with new technologies in their work. Itâs no surprise that technology is recognized an important niche in the market at large. Nowadays we are used seeing images projected onto tablets during live performances but not that long ago this was unheard of.
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11
Sean Kelly Gallery New York at Hudson Yards
Gallery in Hudson Yards
Sean Kelly Gallery, founded in 1991 in New York City by British-born Sean Kelly, represents established and mid-career artists, particularly with work based in installation and performance.Â
Sean Kellyâs program is full of artists with diverse practices, such as Alex Soth, Janiana Tschape, Sam Moyer, and Anthony McCall. The gallery takes risks for their artists, putting on exhibitions that utilize or modify the vast gallery space and often move beyond the notion of the basic âwhite cubeâ (475 10th Avenue).
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12
Foley Gallery
Gallery in Lower East Side
The Foley Gallery, located in New York City, is home to a wide variety of photography, drawing, cut paper, and paintings from some of the worldâs most renowned artists.
The gallery features both temporary and permanent exhibitions, as well as a range of public programs that are designed to engage and educate visitors of all ages. One such program is called The Photo Community. It is designed to help professional artists develop their skills in photography, and learn how to integrate them with other forms of art.
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13
Magenta Plains on the Lower East Side
Gallery in Chinatown
Magenta Plains is a contemporary art gallery located in Chinatown directed by Olivia Smith, Chris Dorland and David Deutsch. Magenta Plains is a young gallery with a relatively small program that prioritizes artists with unique voices, like Ebecho Muslimova and Alex Kwartler. Their strength lies in the careful selection, prioritizing quality over quantity and fostering context and meaning for the development of new ideas.
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14
James Fuentes LLC
Gallery in Lower East Side
James Fuentes LLC is a contemporary art gallery located in the heart of New York City. The gallery was founded in 2007 by James Fuentes in the Lower East Side and specializes in presenting innovative and experimental artwork by both emerging and established artists.
James Fuentes LLC has earned a reputation for showcasing some of the most exciting new artwork on the art scene today. The gallery exhibits include site-specific installations, sculptures, and video work by artists such as Al Souza, Edgar Arceneaux, Jim Radagast, Lou Beach, Toby Buonagurio, Vincent Fecteau, Mike Kuchar, Brooke Shaden, Jules DeBalincourt, and many more.
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15
Krause Gallery
Gallery in Lower East Side
The variety of artforms, and artists presented at the Krause Gallery make this one a must visit. Youâll notice paintings, sculpture, and mostly contemporary art.
The Krause Gallery has entered the world of NFTâs. NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token, and is the latest craze in the art world (a NFT is a digital asset that is unlike any other).
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16
Cheim & Read in Chelsea or the Upper West Side
Gallery in Chelsea
The gallery was founded in 2001 by John Cheim and Howard Read. In contrast to its typical art neighbours, this exhibition hall is intended to show art that recognizes itself in the âarchitecturally conceived spatial volumeâ.
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17
McKenzie Fine Art
Gallery in Lower East Side
The McKenzie Fine Art Gallery has been around since 2002 and moved from the Chelsea neighborhood to the Lower East Side in 2012. It focuses on artists who are mid-level in their career, and utilize painting, sculptures, and drawing as their primary medium, or a mixture of them.
There have been dozens of artists who have been able to showcase their talent at the McKenzie Fine Art Gallery. Some of those artists include: Julie Allen, Ann Aspinwall, Paul Corio, Lori Ellison, Tom Leaver, Jean Lowe, and Maureen McQuillan.
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18
Marc Straus Gallery
Gallery in Lower East Side
The Marc Straus Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in New York City. It was founded in 2011 by Marc Straus in the Lower East Side inside of a four story building that has been reconstructed. The gallery is committed to showing art that has not been seen in decades by older artists. This element of discovery and re-discovery will make you feel like an explorer as soon as your eyes land upon one of these forgotten pieces by a famous artist.
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19
Canada Art Gallery in the Lower East Side
Gallery in Chinatown
One of the pioneers of the Chinatown gallery scene, CANADA opened in 2000 and has been a major institution, not a typical gallery, ever since.
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20
The Hole
Gallery in NoHo
One of my absolute favorites is The Hole on Bowery which is a fun gallery with a great selection of artists and stunning contemporary art. Monthly, they present solo and group exhibitions with a focus on emerging art and thematic group exhibitions.Â
The Hole has two locations and represents 15 different emerging artists. They have also represented over 200 other artists, both locally and internationally. The Hole is located at 312 Bowery, and 86 Walker Street. They host two exhibits a month and also sell products in their shop that relate to their artists such as books, and art products. Furthermore they are heavily involved in the community, putting on events, and collaborating with local artists.
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21
Woodward Gallery
Gallery in Lower East Side
Located near the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, the Woodward Gallery is a contemporary fine arts gallery that you will be happy you visited. It was founded in 1994 by John Woodward and Kristine Woodward, a husband and wife team. Their focus is on celebrating culture through inclusivity, and have worked to collaborate with their professional contacts to help find those rare pieces of art.
The gallery started out in Soho, and moved a few times, before ending up in the Lower East Side.
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22
Zurcher Gallery
Gallery in NoHo
The Zurcher Gallery was founded by Bernard and Gwenolee Zurcher in 2009. They created the NY gallery based on their success at the Paris location they opened previously. They put on concerts, and art fairs, as well as sell books related to their artists.
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