There’s nothing I like better on a cold winter’s day in New York City than strolling around an art gallery or two before heading to a coffee house to chat over what I’ve seen with my partner.
After visiting a gallery or museum the world seems like a much better and calmer place with plenty of inspiration to be found in every cranny of the city.
Below are six of the best NYC art galleries and if you’re visiting this season and are looking for something to do on a chilly afternoon in December or January then read on and kiss those winter blues goodbye.
The Guggenheim
Just around the corner from Central Park, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Solomon R Guggenheim gallery is an architectural work of art within itself and well-worth a visit for anyone interested in creativity through design. Inside you’ll find works by: Cezzanne, Manet, Picasso and Renoir as well as temporary and seasonal exhibits which span the ages telling the history of art from the 20th to the 21st century. Note: Late night opening and pay as you feel means that Saturday is often considered the best day/evening to visit.
Museum of Modern Art
Located in the Midtown district of Manhattan, the Museum of Modern Art or the MoMA (as the locals say) is one of the world’s premier modern art exhibitions and presents untold creative pockets to keep your mind, body and soul warmed and active. Works from artists such as: Warhol, van Gogh, Chagall and Lichtenstein promise an effortless stroll through the archives of contemporary art and with over 150,000 separate pieces available for display, it’s no surprise that you’ll find plenty to chat about once you finally reach the exit.
The Whitney Museum of American Art
As you’d expect for an art gallery as fabulous as the Whitney only a Madison Avenue postcode will do and if you find yourself around 75th Street then popping in is simply the best means of fending off the winter chills. With a collection that amounts to almost 20,000 exhibits by almost 3,000 different artists it’s no surprise that this is one of the city’s most popular galleries and if you’re hoping to find out more about America through her art then this is certainly the place to come to on your USA holidays with Trek America. Rothko, Pollock, Albers and Franz Kline are all in evidence at the Whitney.
The Brooklyn Museum
If you’re making the journey across the world-famous Brooklyn Bridge to catch the view then why not keep going until you reach the Brooklyn Museum as this is NYC’s second largest art gallery and the home of over a million different pieces. This is an amazing chance to see the art of the world within one setting and from Islam and Egypt to Europe and Africa, it maybe cold outside but you’ll hardly notice once you’ve experienced this bastion of NYC artisan culture. Note: the Steinberg family sculpture garden is well-worth the $12 entrance fee in its own right.
Queens Museum
If there was one reason to visit the New York borough of Queens then this incredibly diverse art gallery in Flushing Meadows Corona Park has to be it. Featuring a permanent display of some 10,000 different works of art, including the world-famous Panorama of the City of New York, this is an interactive and thoroughly absorbing excuse to escape the harsh weather over the Christmas holiday period. With a superb collection of Tiffany glassware as well as around 1000 hilarious cartoons by political sketcher William Sharp, Queens does indeed hold something for everyone.
New Museum of Contemporary Art
If you’re looking for modern art from around the world whilst trying to keep warm in NYC then head to The Bowery in south Manhattan and you won’t be disappointed. As the only one of the city’s galleries to be devoted to the world of contemporary work this is an exciting and often revolutionary step into art and at the forefront of presenting and exhibiting new artists from around the globe. Altfest, Kahn and Barlow are probably all artists that you’ve never heard of but head over to the New Museum and you’ll find them and a whole lot more besides.