When one door closes, another door opens – an art gallery door. Yes, there’s a not insignificant number of New York spaces that are calling it quits, but there’s also a blossoming of artistic endeavors across the city that deserve to be celebrated (and supported). From an artist hosting exhibitions in her own painting studio to established galleries inaugurating additional outposts, these new and novel places are waiting for you to discover them. — Valentina Di Liscia, news editor
Orwell’s garden
535 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, instagram.com/orwells.garden
In early 2023, artist Mary Temple had an idea for a show based on Rebecca Solnit’s 2021 book Orwell’s roseswhich explores George Orwell’s love of gardening. “I wanted to involve artists who found support in the landscape in different ways,” Temple explains. She put together a proposal and looked at it for a while, but it didn’t seem like she ended up in the perfect location. “I ultimately decided that my painting studio in Williamsburg, on the main drag of Metropolitan Avenue, would be the best fit,” Temple said. And so Orwell’s Garden began. Now, with four exhibitions on the books – including a recent drawing show featuring works by the likes of Katherine Bradford, Sheila Pepe, Holly Coulis and Richard Tinkler – Temple beams as she describes the sense of community and belonging that each opening brings. the neighborhood. Pro tip: Check Instagram for hours or to make an appointment before visiting. —VD
Alisan Fine Arts
120 East 65th Street, Upper East Side, Manhattan, alisan.com.hk
Alisan Fine Arts, a staple of Hong Kong’s art scene since the early 1980s, landed in New York City this winter with a new space on the Upper East Side, its first in the United States. On the first floor of a dreamy townhouse on 65th Street, the gallery builds on its programming focused on Chinese American and other Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists—such as the late painter Chinyee, whose abstract canvases pictured above were the focus of an exhibition this fall. Currently and until December 21, two group exhibitions are on view simultaneously: Wordplay: New Yorkwhich explores the gestural and symbolic power of Chinese characters; And Hidden storiesa photography show that brings together various artists who experiment with the narrative potential of the medium. —VD
Lyle Gallery
24 Rutgers Street, Chinatown, Manhattan, thelyle.gallery
Co-founded in May by entrepreneurial couple Lin and Magdalena Tyrpien, this contemporary second-floor gallery is located in the southeast corner of Chinatown, just a few blocks from the East Broadway subway station. Focusing on storytelling and inclusivity, the venue recently exhibited work by artists Karina Sharif, Jøna Maaryn, Michelle Jiaxin Huang and By Jamps during the New York City debut of the Collectible art fair in September. Their next show, which opens on January 23 and runs through March 2, will be a solo exhibition for Karina Sharif, a Brooklyn-based artist specializing in wearable and sculptural art that centers the Black femme experience. —Maya Pontone
Nunu visual arts
381 Broome Street, Little Italy, Manhattan, nunufineart.com
Open since April 2023, this multi-story gallery in Little Italy is a recent expansion of Taiwanese dealer Nunu Hung’s decade-long contemporary art branch in Taipei. Through Nunu Fine Art, Hung not only spotlights emerging and established Taiwanese artists, but also weaves them into a global dialogue alongside several international artists in her roster. New York-based Taiwanese sculptor Shida Kuo has a solo presentation through January that will highlight 30 years of his abstract ceramics practice, with a special focus on his lesser-known prints and etchings. Works by Peter Zimmermann, Ana Teresa Barboza, Thordis Adalsteinsdottir and other artists represented by Hung are interspersed outside the main exhibition spaces of the New York space. —Rhea Nayyar
Mimo Gallery
1347 Myrtle Avenue, Bushwick, Brooklyn, mimogallery.net
Founded in February, Mimo Gallery is the brainchild of Brooklyn artist Carlos Nuñez, who transformed his basement apartment and studio into an experimental gallery space in Bushwick. Rooted in non-verbal communication, the programming encourages artists to consider and explore how its physical space can be incorporated as a central part of their work. Last week, Mimo Gallery opened a solo exhibition showcasing the work of New York-based artist Gabriella Moreno, running through January 12. The space is open on Sundays from 12:00 to 17:00 and by appointment. — Member of Parliament
Williamsburg Biennial
333 Kent Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, williamsburgbiannual.org
Located next to Domino Park in a 1920s warehouse redesigned by architect Jorge Zapata, this three-story, wheelchair-accessible gallery is playfully named after the plethora of biennials that have sprung up around the world, from Long Island to Taipei. Founded in 2023 by Zapata and architect friends Irene Mei Zhi Shum, Thomas Morbitzer, Goil Amornvivat and Divya Mahindra, the Williamsburg Biennale bills itself as a diverse, artist-focused venue, hosting two exhibitions each year with longer durations. The riverside gallery opened on September 7 You could feel the aira mid-career examination of Brooklyn artists Brian Alfred which runs until December 13. —M.P
Saras
Temporarily in residence at Dunkunsthalle, 64 Fulton Street, Financial District, Manhattan, saras.world
Since Sara Blazej first opened her gallery in 2023, she has managed to organize a series of performances and lectures by Nick Klein; an “art carnival” with a hot dog eating contest; a punk meeting; and a stairwell concert by opera singer Dianna Lucia Dragonetti, among countless other unconventional happenings organized in parallel or independently of a changing exhibition series. Last May, Sara’s took up a residency at artist Rachel Rossin’s project space Dunkunsthalle in the financial district, where the gallery is presenting a curated program of shows before moving to a new permanent location. Currently available for viewing Wet shutteran exhibition of photography-based work by Tamen Perez. —VD
Karma Chelsea
549 West 26th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan, karmakarma.org
There’s something about the devil, you know… We’re kidding, of course, because we’ve been following Karma’s programming at its Lower East Side headquarters for years and were excited to visit the new Chelsea location, which can be described in one word : enormous. The multi-room space with high ceilings and impressive columns marks the final demise of the drab gallery we once knew, but it is certainly a pleasant place to admire Henni Alftan’s seductive paintings, on view now through January 11 are. Especially since so many galleries go camping for Tribeca, it’s nice to have another base in this area. —VD
Rosebud contemporary
526 West 26th Street, #606, Chelsea, Manhattan, rosebudcontemporary.com
Nestled in Chelsea just steps from the High Line, Rosebud Contemporary opened its doors in July 2023 with a mission to drive international attention and dialogue around South Asian visual arts and culture. Launched by practicing Indian artist and teacher Rosebud Ebenezer, the gallery has presented both group and solo exhibitions for lesser-known creators who walk the line between abstract and representational imagery through material intrigue, highly technical output, and accessible yet fully formed concepts. A solo presentation of Ebenezer Singh’s colorful oil and watercolor paintings can be seen until January. —R.N
Dog House Gallery
Brooklyn Comedy Collective, 137 Montrose Avenue, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, brooklyncc.com
Motivated by the intrinsic ties but lack of formal collaboration between visual art and comedy, curator Lisa Levy joined forces with the Brooklyn Comedy Collective to present Dog House Gallery, an exhibition space in the Collective’s lobby. Dog House Gallery spotlights artists whose practices are supported by humor and complements the comedy artists on the Collective’s roster through inter-medium conversations. Nancy Elsamanoudi, a local artist and parent of a fantastic poodle named Fergus, has taken over the exhibition space with donut dog, a collection of mixed-media paintings that playfully explore our attachment to both domestic and wild animals, primarily through the lens of viral social media content. —R.N
