When one door closes, another door opens — an art gallery door, that is. Yes, there’s a not insignificant number of New York spaces calling it quits, but there’s also a blossoming of artistic endeavors throughout the city that deserve to be celebrated (and supported). From an artist curating exhibitions in her own painting studio to established galleries inaugurating additional outposts, these new and new-ish spots are waiting for you to discover them. — Valentina Di Liscia, News Editor
Orwell’s Garden
535 Metropolitan Ave, 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 Roses, which explores George Orwell’s love of gardening. “I wanted to include artists who found sustenance in the landscape in various ways,” Temple explained. She drafted a proposal and shopped it around for a while, but couldn’t seem to land on the perfect venue. “Finally I decided that my painting studio in Williamsburg, on the main drag of Metropolitan Avenue, would be the best fit,” Temple said. And that’s how Orwell’s Garden began. Now, with four exhibitions in the books — including a recent drawing show featuring works by Katherine Bradford, Sheila Pepe, Holly Coulis, and Richard Tinkler, among many others — Temple beams as she describes the sense of community and togetherness that each opening brings to the neighborhood. Pro tip: Check Instagram for opening hours or to make an appointment before visiting. —VD
Alisan Fine Arts
120 East 65th Street, Upper East Side, Manhattan, alisan.com.hk
A staple of the Hong Kong art scene since the early 1980s, Alisan Fine Arts 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. Concurrently on view now and through December 21 are two group shows: Word Play: New York, which explores the gestural and symbolic power of Chinese characters; and Hidden Stories, a photography show that brings together diverse artists who experiment with the medium’s narrative potential. —VD
Lyle Gallery
24 Rutgers Street, Chinatown, Manhattan, thelyle.gallery
Co-founded in May by entrepreneurial couple Lin and Magdalena Tyrpien, this second-floor contemporary gallery is nestled in the southeast corner of Chinatown, just a couple blocks from the East Broadway subway station. Focusing on storytelling and inclusivity, the venue recently exhibited works by artists Karina Sharif, Jøna Maaryn, Michelle Jiaxin Huang, and By Jamps at the New York City debut of the Collectible art fair in September. Their next show, slated to open on January 23 and run 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 Fine Art
381 Broome Street, Little Italy, Manhattan, nunufineart.com
Open since April 2023, this multi-level gallery in Little Italy is a recent expansion of Taiwanese dealer Nunu Hung’s decade-long contemporary art establishment in Taipei. Through Nunu Fine Art, Hung not only spotlights emerging and established Taiwanese artists but interlaces them with a global dialogue alongside various international artists on her roster. NYC-based Taiwanese sculptor Shida Kuo has a solo presentation on view through January that spotlights 30 years of his abstract ceramics practice, with special attention to his lesser-known prints and etchings. Works by Peter Zimmermann, Ana Teresa Barboza, Thordis Adalsteinsdottir, and other artists represented by Hung are interspersed beyond the main exhibition areas of the New York space. —Rhea Nayyar
Mimo Gallery
1347 Myrtle Avenue, Bushwick, Brooklyn, mimogallery.net
Established 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. Its programming is rooted in non-verbal communication, encouraging artists to consider and explore how its physical space can be incorporated as a central component of their work. Last week, Mimo Gallery opened a solo show centering on the work of New York-based artist Gabriella Moreno, which runs through January 12. The space is open on Sundays from noon to 5pm and by appointment. — MP
Williamsburg Biannual
333 Kent Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, williamsburgbiannual.org
Situated adjacent to Domino Park in a 1920s-era warehouse redesigned by architect Jorge Zapata, this three-story, wheelchair-accessible gallery is playfully named after the plethora of biennials that have sprouted around the globe, 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 Biannual bills itself as a diverse artist-centric venue, hosting two exhibitions each year with extended runtimes. The riverside gallery opened on September 7 with You Could Feel The Sky, a mid-career survey of Brooklyn artist Brian Alfred which runs until December 13. —MP
Sara’s
Temporarily in residence at Dunkunsthalle, 64 Fulton Street, Financial District, Manhattan, saras.world
Since Sara Blazej first opened her gallery in 2023, she’s managed to host a performance and lecture series by Nick Klein; an “art carnival” with a hot dog-eating contest; a punk gathering; and a stairwell concert by opera singer Dianna Lucia Dragonetti, among myriad other unconventional happenings organized in parallel with or independently from a rotating exhibition series. This May, Sara’s took up 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 into a new permanent location. Currently on view is Wet Shutter, an exhibition of photography-based works by Tamen Perez. —VD
Karma Chelsea
549 West 26th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan, karmakarma.org
There’s something about the devil you know … We joke, of course, as we’ve been following Karma’s programming in its Lower East Side headquarters for years and were excited to visit its new Chelsea location, which can be described in one word: enormous. The multi-room space with tall ceilings and sweeping columns marks the definitive demise of the gritty gallery we once knew, but it’s certainly a pleasant place to admire the seductive paintings of Henni Alftan, on view now through January 11. Especially as so many galleries are decamping for Tribeca, it’s nice to have another staple in this neighborhood. —VD
Rosebud Contemporary
526 West 26th Street, #606, Chelsea, Manhattan, rosebudcontemporary.com
Nestled in Chelsea only steps away from the High Line, Rosebud Contemporary opened its doors in July 2023 with a mission to stimulate 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 that walk the line between abstract and representational imagery through material intrigue, highly technical output, and accessible but fully formed concepts. A solo presentation of Ebenezer Singh’s colorful oil and watercolor paintings is on view through January. —RN
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 arts and comedy, curator Lisa Levy joined forces with the Brooklyn Comedy Collective to present Dog House Gallery, an exhibition space situated in the Collective’s lobby. Spotlighting artists whose practices are buoyed by humor, Dog House Gallery complements the comedy performers on the Collective’s roster through inter-medium conversations. Nancy Elsamanoudi, a local artist and parent to a fabulous poodle named Fergus, has taken over the exhibition space with Donut Dog, a body of mixed-media paintings playfully examining our attachments to both domestic and wild animals, primarily through the lens of viral social media content. —RN
