Manhattan's arts scene can feel overwhelming—even to New Yorkers. With so many options, it can be hard to know where to start; which neighborhood? Which galleries? That's why Condé Nast Traveler asked NYC-based abstract artist Debra Ramsay, an insider with her own solo show at 57W57thArts through June 9 (think: abstract paintings of formal, contained lines, and a sprawling installation that looks like gigantic ribbon candy) to share her picks for the season’s don’t-miss exhibitions. The result? A curated five-stop art stroll through the Upper East Side and Chelsea that can be knocked out over a leisurely afternoon this summer.
Craig F. Starr Gallery
Must-See Exhibit: Lucas Samaras' 'Auto‐Polaroids from 1969‐71, running June 7–August 12; gallery hours: Monday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–5:30 p.m. The Upper East Side might not be the mecca of cool these days, but don't write it off—the posh neighborhood has an arts scene all of its own. “Gallery hopping on the Upper East Side is a uniquely New York experience,” says Ramsay. “Many of the galleries were once private residences, so the rooms are relatable and intimate." Photography lovers won't want to miss this series of staged and manipulated self portraits, rendered in Polaroid by Lucas Samaras, a well-known, blue-chip artist born in Greece. "Samaras shot them while goofing around in his studio late at night, sometime in the late '60s or early '70s," says Ramsay. "He said that the Polaroids allowed him to become his own critic." The gallery calls Samaras' work "performative, provocative, stylized, and incredibly personal," and Ramsay says, "I think the shots are pretty playful." She continues: "Samaras is known for using a wide variety of mediums, and this show offers viewers an in-depth look at some of his first experiments with photography.”
Luxembourg & Dayan
Must-See Exhibit: César in Context, running May 5–July 2; gallery hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
While you're on the Upper East Side, stop by Luxembourg & Dayan on East 77th Street—conveniently just a few blocks from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and walking distance to the Guggenheim—to see works from French sculptor César Baldaccini (1921-1998). “This is a museum-quality exhibition [that takes] the work of César, an experimental French master and juxtaposes it with works from his contemporaries," says Ramsay. "The gallery has three floors of rooms to move between, and the way they’ve organized the exhibition is genius. César worked with lots of different materials and techniques. For example, he experimented with compression—so in one room you’ll see a César piece along with work by other artists employing the same technique. There’s a Plexiglas room, and a cardboard room, etc. It’s a very interesting way to look at an artist’s work, and you come away with an education about what other artists were doing at the time.”
Venus Over Manhattan
Must-See Exhibit: Andy Warhol: Little Electric Chairs, running May 2–June 25; gallery hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Warhol fans, rejoice. “Just stepping into this gallery is a theatrical experience," says Ramsay. "It’s gigantic, cavernous, and dimly lit—such an appropriate setting for Warhol’s work." The show itself includes 18 paintings from Warhol’s Death and Disaster series, which Ramsay says, "examined the exploitation of tragic imagery, and how the public can become desensitized to it with enough repetition." Warhol began creating the paintings in 1963, around the same time that the press began publishing more graphic images. Case in point: "The electric chairs are from a news wire photograph of the Rosenberg execution,” says Ramsay.
Barbara Mathes Gallery
Must-See Exhibit: Edda Renouf, Sounds of Time, running from May 5–August 5; gallery hours: Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. “Edda Renouf is an artist who is sensitively engaged with the materiality that she works with. For example, she’ll pull threads from her canvases before she paints, place them on top, then alter the surface further by sanding. This is very subtle, slow work. It’s work that one needs time to adjust to. If you stare at each piece for awhile, you’ll start seeing her making decisions—how she pre-works surfaces before adding. Look at a piece twice—you might see something different.”
Pace
Must-See Exhibit: Blackness in Abstraction, running June 24–August 19; gallery hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Cab it down to West Chelsea, where you'll see the downtown 'It' crowd slinking in and out of galleries and, if there's an opening, overflowing onto the sidewalks, wine glasses in hand. In perfect New York tradition, Pace's exhibit, “is an awesome group show focused on the color black," says Ramsay. "Lots of different artists will be included, with work spanning the 1940’s to present day. It’s both international and intergenerational, the one constant being that everything is black. The variation explodes outward from that point, exploring the highly evocative shade. A flow or an unfolding will occur—you’ll be able to see the progression of time through these abstract works.” The exhibition brings together a range of practices, including paintings, mixed-media, sculpture, and installation.
CHEAT SHEET: How to Gallery Hop Like an Insider
We asked Lisa Cooley, the owner and director of the Lisa Cooley Gallery on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, who has a reputation for showing thought-provoking, contemporary conceptual works by artists like Scott Reeder, Andy Coolquitt, and Jennifer West, to give the quick and dirty on the city's sometimes intimidating arts scene. Tip number one? Thanks to an expanding global art market, she says that far fewer galleries are shuttered in August than they used to be—great news if you're planning a summer trip to the city. Here are Cooley's other rules to live by when visiting New York's galleries:
Speak up. There’s a caricature of intimidating art galleries from the 1980s that persists even though we’re in the second decade of the 21st century. Here’s the thing: Galleries are businesses—they want to sell art. So don’t be afraid to ask questions or request a price list.
Book an appointment—but don't be intimidated. For many galleries, particularly those on the Upper East Side where there isn’t much foot traffic, it’s common to need an appointment. But this is about staffing, not exclusivity. Also, it's perfectly fine to browse—appointments aren't meant for serious buyers only.
Set your alarm. If you’re trying to avoid crowds, mornings tend to be quietest.
Know that openings aren't the best time to buy. There’s a misperception that lots of deals get made during an opening. But it’s not really the case—an opening is more of a reception for the artist. If you’d like to make a purchase, come during normal business hours when the gallery can offer you more attention.
Ask before you Instagram. You never know when there might be a copyright issue. If you do get the okay, don’t use a flash—it degrades the artwork.
A latte's okay, but dogs? Not so much. People bring in coffee all the time, but please be careful not to spill. Not everybody is a dog person, however—so best to leave your pooch at home.
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