5 places to buy affordable modern art in New York City
Our ongoing series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week Art Nerd New York founder Lori Zimmer shares her top five shops for scoring affordable art in trendy Manhattan.
Manhattan is a treasure trove of fine art. The gallery districts have shifted from Soho to Chelsea down to the Lower East Side, populating each neighborhood with clean white walls and a rotating collection of pieces from a roster of painters, sculptors, and mixed media artists. Although viewing the art the city has to offer is free, taking a piece home can be a major hit to the wallet. I’ve rounded up a list of great places in Manhattan to not only see art, but to also buy art affordably. Kickstart your burgeoning collection, or find a unique gift, at one of my picks below.
1. Gagosian Shop ↑
976 Madison Avenue
Larry Gagosian has been one of the biggest names in the art world since the 1980s, wheeling and dealing blue chip works that are upwards of $1 million. But the flashy Gagosian Shop on the Upper East Side doesn’t require you hand over your credentials to find something to take home. In the shop you can pick up editions and objects by leading artists at an affordable price, as well as posters, books, apparel, and even Damien Hirst wallpaper.
2. Whisper Editions ↑
8 Fulton Street
The cute flagship in the newly arty South Street Seaport feels more like a rustic cabin than the white cube of the typical art gallery. Inside, find weekly editions of art objects, prints, and more from a hand-picked roster of photographers, jewelers, furniture makers, designers, apothecaries, publishers, and other creative luminaries. These folks have been chosen by the expert eye of former T Magazine photo editor, Judith Puckett-Rinella.
3. Object_ify 139 ↑
139 Essex Street
Part art object store, part arty hang out, this Lower East Side spot features books, sculpture, wearables, and fine art by local artists. Like a regular gallery, they celebrate new collections with opening receptions, and feature guest curators to bring in new artists.
4. Other Criteria ↑
458 Broome Street
Other Criteria is owned by one of the art world’s biggest stars: Damien Hirst. Their Soho outpost stocks a ton of Hirsts’ work and merch, from prints to coffee cups. They also collaborate with emerging and established artists and create limited edition books, wearable art, prints, and art pieces.
5. The Affordable Art Fair ↑
Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street
March 29-April 2 2017
Although just once a year, The Affordable Art Fair is a great place to start an art collection, or add to a growing one. Galleries from all over the world set up shop, and although some pieces can reach upwards of $5,000, there are many great finds for under a few hundred dollars.
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Lead photo: Product images courtesy of the Gagosian Shop
