I don’t exaggerate when I say that my Sat. May 31 Chelsea gallery tour will be the most extraordinary tour of the last 6 months, in any gallery neighborhood! As it is, my Chelsea tours are always my best tours of a particular month, which is why I label them “Best Exhibits” tours, because in Chelsea I have 300 new exhibits every month from which to choose the most outstanding shows.  But this month surpasses my “best exhibits” tours of the last 6 months.

Highlights of this tour: (1) a female artist’s staggeringly beautiful sculptural installations assembled from millions of components, (2) adult-themed collages that the NY Times called “mesmerizing” and “aesthetically stunning,” and (3) a British artist’s paintings with an astonishing technique that is the most original you’ll likely ever encounter.  These are just 3 of 7 exceptional shows.

It’s only in the past two years that my May tour has become so exceptional. And it’s clear to me why: the world-famous Frieze Art Fair, which is having only its second-ever appearance in New York City, has been happening in mid-May. For years Frieze has been in London, capturing the art world’s attention, and its New York incarnation is only burnishing its reputation.  Not that I am all that excited by art fairs – I find them to be glorified business expos, with art crowded mercilessly into tiny booths.  But when an art fair that major arrives in NYC, so do art buyers from all over the world.  And while these wealthy collectors are in town, a lot of them frequent the galleries as well, which is why the uber-rich Chelsea galleries in particular are putting their best foot forward during the month of May.

It some ways, it doesn’t matter all that much what the reason is for such a spectacular month of gallery art.  All I know is, it’s time to revel in it!

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