I visited Lévy Gorvy Dayan last Saturday for the first time after reading about their current…read moreexhibit in the New York Times. The gallery is located in a very grand, very beautiful Beaux-Arts townhouse on East 64th. It's so beautiful, the building itself is a highlight of any visit to the gallery. But the exhibits when I visited were great, too. I was able to see two exhibits during my visit on Saturday. "The Adventure of Domenico Gnoli," the exhibit I read about in the Times, closes on May 23, 2026. It's the largest exhibit of the artist's works in the United States in more than 5 decades (since his solo show in NYC in 1969). (Gnoli died of cancer at age 36 in 1970, so he only produced ~ 150 paintings in his short life.) The other exhibit I saw (you have to take an elevator from the second floor) was Armig Santos: Baladas, which closes on June 13. I appreciate the clean look of the galleries, which they are able to achieve by not having any wall labels by the pieces. They do have a few printed gallery guides at the desk where you enter that you can grab or you can scan QR codes on the wall as you enter each gallery. But I did miss the additional context and information that other galleries and museums include at the beginning of and throughout an exhibit. Still, the galleries are beautiful, and the works were very interesting. The Gnoli works surprised me and made me smile. And I appreciated learning about Armig Santos, a very young artist from Puerto Rico. It's a beautiful gallery with some great exhibits. I enjoyed my visit and have already signed up for their email list so I can visit upcoming shows!

It's only been about four months since my last visit to this (free!) gallery, with the gorgeous…read moretile and beautiful architecture, but they managed to come up with another riveting show that I just had to check out. This time the show focuses on New York art in the 80s, highlighting Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and over 20 more artists. Some things you can expect--Basquiat's pieces bursting at the seams with color, accompanying dark social undertones. Andy Warhol's pop art portraits of himself. Keith Haring's chunky shapes and figures. There are paintings, sculptures and multi-media pieces, as well as photographs (some a little alarming, like how old is that naked person, were they old enough to give consent?!). All the pieces are edgy, raw, colorful, just like the 80s. While there is a virtual guide to tell you which artist created which piece, there is not history or explanation, and that's a little frustrating for some of the more abstract or controversial pieces. This gallery has now impressed me twice in a short period of time, so it'll be on my regular rotation list to check out every time I'm on museum row.

Two weeks ago Helga and I went to The Drawing Center in SoHo. Located on Mercer Street, this…read moregallery has exhibits year round. We were here to see the artwork by a Roma artist who had been incarcerated at both Auschwitz and Ravensbruck. Ceija Stojka's "Making Visible" exhibit was painful to view. She had painted a few growing up with caravans and horses and a pleasant life. Then the paintings of being in a concentration camp were dark and ominous. Each painting had a tiny red swastika and some with dark skeletal figures were brooding. This artist started painting years after her release and was not famous during her lifetime. Anna and Valerie work at the Drawing Center and were able to give us answers to our questions. An artist had seen her paintings and chose to exhibit them. A talk about the paintings was also going to be held.

I visited the Drawing Center this past weekend to see their current exhibit, Ceija Stojka: Making…read moreVisible. It functions as a gallery, with a few connected rooms. It's definitely on the smaller side, but it's large enough to house some pretty comprehensive exhibits. Although they focus on drawings, the exhibits aren't so limited - and you might find some work that surprises you. The facility is modern and bright and has a small gift shop where you enter. It's free to visit, so there's no need to stop by the desk where the employees sit. It would still be nice to be welcomed when you come in, but the service wasn't very welcoming or friendly (even when I made a purchase at the gift shop at the end of our visit). The exhibit we saw was incredible. I highly recommend visiting if there's an exhibit that interests you. I'll be back for another exhibit in the future, I'm sure.

Do not let the googly-eyed logo of this gallery scare you. Stepping into the space of…read moreMcCaig-Welles, you immediately get the impression that this gallery is exactly what a Brooklyn gallery should be. The space is the basic "white cube", and the perfect size for viewing work- not a walk in closet with paintings thrown on the wall, nor is it a too large, impersonal garage that makes the work seem small and unimportant. The work, itself, is important, and most notably- FUN! Brightly painted, screen-printed, collaged images, mostly inspired by design, graffiti, cartoons, pop culture and fantasy. Typically all the work, at least that I have seen, is done by local, up and coming Manhattan or Brooklyn artists, which makes the work actually affordable! (Please take note, all you young collectors out there!) The staff is very helpful, hip and friendly- not at all exuding the pretentiousness of a Chelsea gallery. Also, the artists tend to actually show up at their openings! At the openings, there are usually, as to be expected, the schmooze-y free wine and/or beer for all gallery goers. However, they have usually have unique, interactive art events such as screen printing parties with Goldmine Shithouse, one of their very talented art collectives, where you can have any item (i.e. t-shirt, tote bag, old shoe, etc) screen printed for $5 while you stand around boozing and schmoozing to loud music. Other events have included BBQ-ing and movie nights with their garage-like brother gallery Capla Kesting Fine Art Gallery. Aww, isn't it refreshing when the art community plays nice with each other? Only in Williamsburg....

I'm not sure which is better: this gallery's cool & affordable art exhibitions OR it's cool &…read moreaffordable custom framing service! The monthly gallery openings are usually cool/theme parties - either silly day-glo candy, BBQs, etc. - that bring the spirit of the artwork on the walls to life. As for the framing, after getting completely gouged at a place in Chelsea for a sub-par framing job, I was desparate to find a place that did good work and didn't charge me an arm & a leg! McCaig-Welles is the place! Not only do they offer great prices, but they take time with you to choose the right frame style, size, color, etc. They'll also offer interesting ideas to make your framed item really stand out (in my case, it was a crazy-cute patchwork skirt from my childhood - now that was an interesting Mother's Day gift!). The results are always fantastic, and without a long waiting period. I won't go anywhere else!

Last night we attended the reception for the exhibit of Roz Chast's work (for which SVA gave her…read moretheir annual Masters Series Award) - and if you're familiar with her myriad (and fantastic/incredibly humorous) cartoons from The New Yorker, you won't want to miss seeing this exhibit. It contains a HUGE amount of her work, and we weren't the only people laughing hysterically while looking at everything; the combination of her terrific artwork plus her superb/warped sense of humor (and I say "warped" with admiration in this case) are absolutely *wonderful*. The exhibit continues through December 15 - and as an aside, all of the staff at the gallery were very friendly & helpful (including when I'd phoned them). Here's a link to an illustrated article from today's NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/27/arts/design/roz-chast-art-sva-gallery.html#commentsContainer

This is one of the galleries for the School of Visual Arts. It has a main gallery, as well as…read moreseveral project rooms. Easily accessible, great space, and free admission.

A great, ongoing effort by NYU to present fine art to the general public…read more Not a conventional gallery, which can be intimidating to a lot of people, the Windows are an open forum for passerbys to view exceptional art by young and established artists. Broadway Windows is a set of (I think) six windows wrapping around the corner of Broadway and East 10th Street that display sculpture and other art work by artists who use highly inventive techniques. The work on display changes about every two months and is on view 24 hours when installed. Most of the artists exhibited use nontraditional materials (rope, coat hangers, cardboard...) and most of the works have an alive, organic energy about them. The Windows consistently show work that is both challenging to sophisticated art types and appealing to casual viewers, too. It's a perfect example of how to do public art right. NYU offers a counterpart to Broadway Windows, which is over at Washington Square Park. It's called Washington Square Windows, appropriately enough.

Excellent. 1) This…read moremuseum is small. Come if you are around the area, it will not disappoint. 2) Note: it is suggested price. One dollar is ideal. 3) The museum is two floors.

Free. Was featuring 3 artists at the time of our visit. Has 2 floors - via stairs and elevator.The…read moremain floor is a large open space, with artwork on tables/pedestals. The lower level has tunnels, was darker for the current exhibit. Restrooms available. Closer to the Queens Plaza train stop (less than 10 min); Queensboro Plaza and Court Sq stops are also in the area.

Christie's 20 Rockefeller Plaza…read moreNew York, NY 10020 This prestigious auction house is located in the heart of Rockefeller Center. Throughout the year, different types of memorabilia are on display to the public before being auctioned. During my visit, I saw a wide variety of memorabilia from the Jim Irsay Collection. This included movie props, screenplays, music, sports, and autographs. I was especially impressed when I witnessed the Golden Ticket, a signed Babe Ruth baseball, and The Beatles drumset. Admission is free and complimentary cookies and coffee are served in the lobby. Due to the value of the merchandise, all visitors must pass through a metal detector. Large size bags are not allowed in the gallery, but they may be left at the Coat Check. The only disadvantage is that the exhibitions are temporary. If there is a specific exhibit you wish to view, drop everything and head over immediately before the souvenirs are sold. #jimirsaycollection #christiesnyc #christiesnycauction #rockefellercenternyc #christiesauction

Came here for an exhibit and it was alright. I'd say most of the stuff are overpriced for their…read moreauctions. Perhaps I am not wealthy?! ; )

I stopped by L'Space Gallery last Saturday for their current show: "Shape of Dreams: Leonora…read moreCarrington" (which closes on July 25). It's a contemporary art gallery, and it is definitely worth following to see if they have an exhibit you want to check out. This Leonora Carrington exhibit is worthy of a visit. She's a fascinating artist whose sculptural work hasn't been that easy to find in galleries and museums in the US until more recently. The gallery isn't large, and it's configured a little strangely (small boxy spaces). But it still might have some art that you'll regret not stopping by to see. I'm glad we stopped by.