Sandwiched between Greenwich Village and Chelsea, the Meatpacking District is often overlooked as a home to art galleries. But as is evident from the list of galleries below, the neighborhood holds its own as a destination for art-lovers (and that does not even take into account the Whitney Museum of American Art, at 99 Gansevoort Street).
82 Gansevoort Street (between Washington Street and 10th Avenue)
Ron English is among the artists represented by Allouche Gallery. Image: RJ/Flickr
Before founding his eponymous gallery in 2014, Eric Allouche was a partner in uptown’s Opera Gallery for 14 years, so clearly he has experience and expertise when it comes to curating contemporary art in a variety of media. Artists represented by the gallery include Ron English, whose paintings reference everything from Picasso’s “Guernica” to the Incredible Hulk; anime-influenced artist Jessica Lichtenstein; Peruvian photographer Mariu Palacios; and street artist Swoon.
30 Gansevoort Street (between Hudson and Greenwich Streets)
Another Gansevoort Street gallery specializing in contemporary artists, Blank Space predates Allouche Gallery by five years. A recent exhibit spotlighted the color-rich, flora-infused works of Antoinette Wysocki; painter/photographer Matthew Langley, whose latest works play with striations of color, will have a show in the autumn. Among other artists represented by the gallery are Byung Jin Kim, whose steel sculptures are made from smaller pieces in the shape of letters, logos, or other forms, and Daniel Kornrumpf, whose hand-embroidered portraits are just as evocative as his oil paintings.
325½ West 16th Street (between Eighth and Ninth Avenues)
A classic TWA poster by David Klein. Image: San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives/Wikimedia
Not convinced that posters are works of art? Then you have never visited the Chisholm Gallery. Since the 1970s, Gail Chisholm has been selling original lithographs, primarily from the first half of the 20th century. Many of the artists featured, such as Alphonse Mucha and Edward Penfield, influenced the worlds of both art and advertising. If you want one of David Klein’s iconic midcentury TWA posters, a classic Dubonnet ad by A.M. Cassandre, or propaganda posters from World War I or post-revolution China, this should be your first stop.
Five Ninth Avenue (between Greenwich and Washington Streets)
The 1849 Greek Revival row home in which this gallery is housed provides a classical contrast to the contemporary works on display. “Rated Rookie,” a solo show featuring sports-inspired collages and oil paintings by New Orleans-based Ashley Teamer, is on display through mid-June, as is “The Land,” featuring Michelangelo Lovelace’s vibrant urbanscapes. Fort Gansevoort also represents graffiti artist CES, who was the subject of the gallery’s inaugural show, in 2015; photographer and indie filmmaker/actor Benny Safdie; and sculptor Sam Stewart, whose works look like—and can often serve as—furniture.
675 Hudson Street, Fourth Floor (between West 13th and West 14th Streets)
Ivy Brown has been representing and exhibiting contemporary artists in this space since 2001, making her something of a pioneer of the Meatpacking District’s gallery scene. “Whispers,” a show of Angelica Bergamini’s organic yet otherworldly images on glossy metallic paper, runs through June 21. Later this summer the gallery will exhibit works by designer/artist duo Van Wifvat and Kelly Bugden; Elizabeth Gregory-Gruen, whose Op Art-influenced works are made by skillful cutting of paper and metal, will have a show beginning in September.
875 Washington Street (between West 13th and West 14th Streets)
Lumas, which has 40 galleries worldwide, specializes in limited-edition, hand-signed original photography. Its portfolio includes works by well-known fashion photographers (Patrick Demarchelier, Pamela Hanson, Sheila Metzner), celebrity portraits, works from icons such as Berenice Abbott, Man Ray, and Edward Steichen, and cutting-edge imagery as varied as Christiane Steinicke’s layered landscapes, the motion-caption images of Joerg Maxzin, and the whimsical animal portraits of Catherine Ledner.
91 Horatio Street (between Washington Street and 10th Avenue)
The not-for-profit White Columns describes itself as the city’s “oldest alternative art space.” Though founded in 1970, the gallery has only been in its current location adjacent to the Whitney Museum since April. It opened its new space with two exhibits. One, a retrospective of the late artist/filmmaker Michael H. Shamberg, could be seen as an homage to its past, when the gallery championed John Currin, Andres Serrano, Kiki Smith, and dozens more when they were still up-and-comers.
The other was proof of White Gallery’s continued dedication to the new: the first New York solo show by Hugh Hayden, featuring sculptures carved of salvaged wood.