New York City’s art scene is springing into action as the city begins to prepare for numerous shows, events and exhibits focused on the fine arts. However, is the heart of the art district (the Chelsea neighborhood) moving 25 blocks downtown to the Lower East Side? According to Artsy, the art district is shifting gears and swapping places as established Chelsea galleries are closing up shop and reopening in the Lower East Side or in nearby Chinatown.
The real estate sector seems to be the most significant factor of the moving trend, but the area galleries in the Lower East Side, once known for wacky and street-inspired works, have shown that the scene has grown and the art is more sophisticated than ever before. In fact, back in 2010, the Washington Post recorded that the area roughly had 40 galleries, mainly in former storefronts, that weren’t as deluxe or as large as the ones found in Chelsea. Fast forward to today, and the Lower East Side is home to some 224 galleries and that number has steadily risen over recent years. While the Chelsea art district still boasts a significant amount of galleries, things are changing and more exhibits, events and shows are sprouting up in the Lower East Side.
Anthony Conetta, Vice President of Dun-Rite Specialized Carriers, a fine arts services company in NYC, has noticed an increase in galleries relocating to the Lower East Side.
“We’ve seen a growing trend when it comes to our services as more and more galleries need fine art transported outside the usual Chelsea art district,” said Conetta. I can’t predict if the art district will fully transition south of Chelsea but we are here with all our specialized services to help our customers display their art in the trendy area.”
While the Chelsea neighborhood is hosting numerous upcoming events, many are popping up in galleries all over the Lower East Side. For instance, the Steven Harvey Fine Arts Projects currently has Pleasure Tips by Angela Dufrense on display until the middle of April, the Lesley Heller Workspace is hosting Event Horizon curated by Cullen Washington Jr. (April 10th – May 15th) and one of the first galleries to set up shop in the area back in 2000, Canada, has a lengthy list of exhibitions on display. These are just a few of the many popular galleries outside of the Chelsea neighborhood that are trending downtown.
Anthony Conetta’s additional thoughts:
- For over 50 years, Dun-Rite Specialized Carriers has stored, installed and transported fine art in New York City, but in recent years, more and more works of art are heading to the Lower East Side.
- Our company takes many precautionary measures when moving pieces from one exhibit to the next to protect the piece from damage.
- Dun-Rite’s expertise includes the handling of large monumental sculptures and a variety of fine art and antiquities for top auction houses, private collectors, public parks, museums and shows like Frieze which is coming up May 5th through the 8th.
- Dun-Rite Specialized Carriers has been a family owned and operated hoisting/rigging and fine arts services company for generations.
