The 14 Best Art Galleries in the Lower East Side NYC

Looking for the best art galleries in the Lower East Side of New York? We’ve got you covered! I have listed the most popular and beautiful art galleries in the Lower East Side NYC for you. Among them are well-known galleries like the Van Der Plas Gallery but also small up-and-coming and very worth seeing art galleries like the Krause Gallery.

They are part of our series on the best art galleries in NYC. Be sure to also check out our tips on art galleries in SoHo NYC and art galleries in Chelsea NYC!

14 Amazing Art Galleries in the Lower East Side NYC

  1. Alexandre Gallery in NYC

    01 Alexandre Gallery

    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 O’Keeffe, 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.  

  2. NoHo gallery NYC

    02 bitforms gallery

    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. It’s 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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    03 Derek Eller Gallery

    Like many of the famous art galleries, the Derek Eller Gallery relocated from Chelsea to the Lower East Side. It has been around since 1997 and focuses on contemporary artists.

    Many of the artists are well established, but do not have the visibility that they need, and several artists are just emerging. This combination makes the Derek Eller Gallery stick out. They showcase their artists works through art fairs, as well as exhibitions.

  4. Foley Art Gallery NYC

    04 Foley Gallery

    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 world’s 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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    05 High Noon Gallery

    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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    06 James Fuentes LLC

    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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    07 Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery

    The Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City; which is where you will find several art galleries for your perusal.

    The gallery was founded in 2004 by Matthew Chase, Ingrid Bromberg Kennedy, Robert Hult, and Sam Wilson.

  8. Krause Gallery Lower East Side NYC

    08 Krause Gallery

    The variety of artforms, and artists presented at the Krause Gallery make this one a must visit. You’ll notice paintings, sculpture, and mostly contemporary art.

    The Krause Gallery has entered the world of NFT’s. 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).

  9. Marc Straus Gallery in NYC

    09 Marc Straus Gallery

    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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    10 McKenzie Fine Art

    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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    11 Van Der Plas Gallery

    If you appreciate artists who birth their own movement, then the Van Der Plas Gallery is for you. You’ll find history of New York’s 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 City’s lower east side during the 1980s.

    The work you’ll find here centers primarily around Rivington and Forsyth Streets in NYC, Lower East Side from the 1980’s. 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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    12 Woodward Gallery

    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.

Profilbild Steffen Kneist
About the author

Steffen

I'm a true New York fan! Not only have I visited the city over 25 times but also have I spent several months here at a time. On my blog I show you the best and most beautiful spots of the city, so that you have a really good time! You can also find lots of insider tips in our New York travel guide. Also check out my hotel finder for New York!

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