Go to Chelsea Art Galleries Map
The Chelsea art galleries allow artists and art lovers in New York an opportunity to see current art exhibits. They are also free and we included a map so that you are not overwhelmed.
I first learned about the Chelsea art galleries when my mother’s art teacher had a show at one of the galleries on West 27th Street. Now I work in Chelsea and I regularly walk past numerous gallery spaces. There are even installation art like the “Getty Station”, where artist Francois-Xavier Lalanne’s famous “mouton” grazed at the Getty gas station on the corner of 10th and 24th for several months in the fall of 2013 thanks to the Paul Kasmin Gallery. In short, Chelsea is the neighborhood to visit if you want to see what is happening at the moment in the art world. The best part? The Chelsea art galleries are free, so anyone can stop in and enjoy a bit of art any time they want!
It might seem a bit overwhelming when you first type in “Chelsea Art Galleries” into Google, but you shouldn’t be nervous. The galleries are actually located in a very concentrated area. We recently hit up a number of the galleries during Chelsea’s annual Art Walk where the galleries open late from 5-8pm and invite the community to check out what is happening in the art world.
We strolled from one gallery to the next, moving down 23rd street between 10th and 11th Avenue and then up the next block on 24th Street. There are actually so many spaces that you could never see them all. What’s amazing, however, is just what a variety of art is on display. We saw everything from miniature sculptures inside plexiglass “bubbles” by Sally Curcio at the J. Cacciola Gallery to paintings of PB&J sandwiches and real miniature versions of the childhood classic as part of the “Verisimilitude” exhibit at The Curator Gallery. What’s more is that the energy with so many people out and about enjoying the art was electric. For New Yorkers, it’s so easy to forget that these galleries are right here in our back yard! We almost need a reminder (or a kick in the head, as my Dad would kindly tell me) to come and visit the free Chelsea art galleries.
What follows is a map of some of our favorite art galleries in Chelsea. By no means is it an exhaustive list, but we think it’s a good starting point. Also included on the map are different places to eat or have tapas in Chelsea (as I mentioned, I work nearby, so I’ve had a chance to explore a lot of the culinary options.) Many of the places are included in our article on where to have tapas in New York. Also, don’t miss a walk along the High Line Park! It’s an amazingly vibrant area of New York City, perfect for an afternoon spent gallery hopping and then eating tapas or delicious Italian fare in the neighborhood, perhaps before heading out in the Village or back to your own “barrio” in Queens. Oh, and the art teacher’s gallery from so many years ago? My mom shows there now. It’s the Ceres Gallery on W. 27th street.
View Chelsea Art Gallery Walk in a larger map
