The Lower East Side art scene is the most daring and unconventional of the city’s several gallery neighborhoods.  That’s because its 125 galleries have the youngest gallery owners in the city, almost all of them starting a gallery for the first time, and wanting to take major risks in order to establish their reputations.  I love daring and unconventional.  I do everything to avoid boring and familiar.  That’s why the Lower East Side is becoming my favorite gallery neighborhood.

Highlights of my Sat. June 23 Lower East Side gallery tour, which will be the final L.E.S. tour of the season: (1) a huge sculpture made entirely of saran wrap, (2) a four-screen laser light video installation, and (3) an artist’s photographs of his drunk mother that he took when he was 6 years old.  These are just 3 of 7 extraordinary shows we’ll visit that day.

Not so long ago, the L.E.S. was a haven for drug dealers, and had but 10 galleries.  Nowadays, the ambiance of the Lower East Side is charming and vibrant.  Crime rates in the gallery area are now among the lowest in the city, and all kinds of yuppie bars and ethnic restaurants have opened up.  Unlike Chelsea, which is essentially a cold, industrial neighborhood, the Lower East Side is residential and multi-cultural, making for a lively, personable feel.

Month by month, as galleries continue to open in the L.E.S., my tours there get more and more extraordinary, with art that continues to be daring, unconventional, and fresh.  After June 23, my next Lower East Side tour won’t be for another 3 months, so take advantage of this one final tour of the season there.

Rafael Risemberg, Ph.D.
Founder and Director
New York Gallery Tours