Saturday, March 21, 2009

A Walking Tour of the Lower East Side Galleries

NOTE: You can download a PDF of the entire tour by clicking on the link in the sidebar

Unlike Chelsea, the LES is an interesting, quirky,
historic neighborhood where even just walking around is a great way to spend a day. Also, unlike Chelsea, the dealers are usually friendly and more open to talking about the work. Most important, the LES galleries are exhibiting some of the most vital art in the city.

In order to be inclusive, I have considerably expanded the traditional boundaries of the Lower East Side. As a result, it became necessary to break the area into clusters because it's really too much to reasonably cover all at once. Maps are difficult to follow and not the most efficient way to cover a lot of sites, but I provided them here to help you get your bearings.

Most galleries are open Wednesday - Saturday, 12 - 6, and many are also open Sundays; but if you're schlepping down to see a particular show it's a good idea to call first to confirm. Links to the gallery websites are provided here, and ArtCat is a great source of current listings and reviews.


Galleries are still popping up like mushrooms (and closing just as fast). I've tried my best to be inclusive and current, but I'm sure I've made plenty of mistakes. Please post comments about changes you think necessary, and I'll try to update this guide on a regular basis.

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