Best Free Art Galleries in New York City
For years, New York has been a center of art for many inspiring artists. We have seen quite a remarkable number of artists that have contributed to make this city a beautiful one. I live in NYC and I love to visit Art Galleries on weekends.
In this article, our editors have explained 8 of these best must-see art galleries in NYC.
If you ever happen to go to Williamsburg, you would know how these great artists have brilliantly expressed their messages and thoughts by their graffiti. As splendid as they look, they are pretty tough to make and require dedication.
The artists have not only decorated streets, but they have taken over restaurants, cafes, and bars as well. Hotels have also depicted art in their lobbies, which intrigues one.
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Best Free Art Galleries in New York City
One most accessible way to see the alluring art done by these skillful artists is to visit an art gallery. Lots of them surround NYC. Some of the art galleries have tickets to enter while some are free to attend.
That is why I am here as I will take you to a tour where I will show you which galleries are free and best to go. So if you are doing any work, leave it and let’s plan which gallery you are going to see this weekend in NYC.
Below is the comparison chart for the famous art galleries in NYC that are free for everyone.
| Best Free Art Galleries in NYC | Location | Why should I go? |
| Phillips | 450 Park Avenue, New York, NY | Best auctions, unforgettable art pieces, International exhibitions. |
| Spoke Art | 210 Rivington St., New York, NY. | Epic collection of modern and historical art. Paintings are available at low prices. |
| Whitney Museum of American Art | 99 Gansevoort St., New York City. | True colors of America, thousands of collectibles to see, pay what you wish. |
| Petzel Gallery | 456 W 18th St., NYC.
35 E 67th St., NYC. |
Surreal art at its finest, hassle-free and best to visit. |
| Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum | 1071 5th Ave, New York, NY. | An architectural wonder, this wonderland is majestic inside out. |
| Taglialatella Galleries | 229 10th Ave, New York, NY | Redefining the rich colors of pop and street art. Free to enter. |
| The Flag Art Foundation | 545 W 25th St#9, NYC | A small gallery with big heart, support artists and promote art. |
| Bronx Museum of the Arts | 1040 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY | Signature building of Bronx, close to Yankees stadium, the building is perfect for Instagram selfies. |
Phillips, Famous Art Gallery in NYC
If you want to enjoy 20th-century artwork, but you are also a fan of modern art, then there is no better option for you than Phillips auction house.
Phillips’ establishment takes place back in the late 1700’s. Since then, it has seen many changes in locations and owners. By 2020, it has become a successful art gallery with its Headquarters being both in the US and Europe. Other than that, it has many offices globally. Their auction has led them to high profits over the decades.
The Phillips auction house focuses on portraying the richness and diversity of contemporary art. The rich palette of colors, wondrous aesthetics, and excellent quality of work has made them one of the best art galleries in New York.
Their gallery houses historical as well as modern art. The fine line of artists is engaged in this gallery who has displayed some classic artifacts. Their artwork is based on contemporary art and expressions with the help of Paints, designing, photography, and historical jewels. Their work on watches is quite a fascinating sight to see.
Their antique collectibles attract a considerable number of visitors — for example, the iconic Golconda ring, which is made of a big diamond weighing 7.09 Carat. The sculptures placed inside are telling their stories. These items are sold in the auction, and only people with massive loads of money and a taste for art can buy them.
The web portal of Phillips is quite informative. They have already set the dates in their calendar, describing when the exhibitions and auctions are going to be held. You can also buy or sell art pieces through the website or their official application.
Phillips Art Gallery is open seven days a week. You can visit there from 10 am to 6 pm from Monday till Saturday. It opens a bit late at noon on Sundays and closes at the same time as the rest of the week. So go there with your family or friends and do tell us about your experience there.
Location: 450 Park Avenue, NYC.
Spoke Art Gallery
If you want to enjoy fascinating art related to modern history and pop-art, then you must go to the Spoke Art Gallery. The spoke art gallery is free, and it has much to offer to adults and kids as well.
The Spoke Art Gallery started in the year 2010. The main initiative of this gallery was to provide free access to beautiful designs and artistry of the artists. New York has many galleries that allow local and international artists to portray their artworks, Spoke art is one of them.
Spoke Art not only limits these artworks in New York, but you can see them in big cities like Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles as well. They have an annual exhibition in these cities.
Their main attractions include realistic sculptures that depict some message; their paintings are a work of contemporary and modern art. Each painting of theirs is a song you must feel and hear. Their illustrations are worthy and unique.
They have many shows and art exhibitions from time to time. The spacious exhibition room is majestic and roomy. The art fair held by the gallery is eye-catching for both kids and adults.
The Spoke Art sells their artwork at a very affordable price range. You can buy it directly from them, or you can buy it from their web portal. You will find numerous paintings with low price tags as well as some artifacts and an impressive collection of toys for kids.
The spoke art opens from Tuesday till Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm. Sunday is off. You can contact them on their helpline (212) 477-4759 for more information about upcoming events. Their web portal also keeps the art lovers updated about forthcoming events.
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum is one of the oldest art galleries in New York City. This museum cum art gallery has been praised locally and internationally for its accurate depiction of America and its incredible history. If you are planning for a patriotic art tour, then add Whitney to the list.
The story began when a beautiful yet curious sculptor named Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney experienced that there are many soulful artists like her in America that are not given the right opportunity to show their skills. So Whitney took the initiative back in 1914 and established an Art studio after her name.
She encouraged young artists to submit their work to the gallery. Not only this, but she also bought hundreds of art collections from these artists just to let the world see how great American Art is.
By now, the Whitney Museum has an estimated collection of about 24000 artworks, which were contributed by almost 3500 art lovers.
The Whitney has the honors to exhibit the alluding artworks of both the 20th and 21st centuries. These works include contemporary paintings, rare collections, architecture wonders as well as media with the help of photography and video art.
The majestic gallery is located in the Meatpacking district. Renzo Piano architected the building beautifully. The vast art gallery is a whopping 50000 square ft. At the indoors, while the outdoor area covers another 13000 sq. Ft. That is why Whitney is one of the most extensive art galleries in NYC. The glass windows let you see the beautiful view of the city and the Hudson River.
The Whitney is open from Wednesday to Monday. You can visit it from 10:30 in the morning to 6 pm. On Friday, it is opened as late as 10 pm. I will recommend you to go on Friday.
Location: 99 Gansevoort St., New York, NY.
Petzel Gallery
Do you have a knack for Larger-than-life portrayal of surreal imagery and vividly creative cartoons? If yes, then the Petzel Gallery will be more than happy to welcome you to their space. This gallery has a lot to offer, especially to inspiring artists and youngsters.
The owner and founder of this art gallery is Friedrich Petzel, who founded it in 1994. Since then, the Petzel Gallery has seen many changes in its locations and architecture. Initially, it was located in Soho, and then it moved to Chelsea. Now the Petzel Gallery has been a renowned gallery with its branches in New York, Cologne, and in Berlin.
The artist lineup in this gallery comprises of famous local and international artists. Their contributions to this gallery were so impressive that they had to expand their space.
You will find contemporary art paintings here that display a rich palette of colors. The striking paint on the canvas makes one wonder about it. Other than that, you can see cartoon characters in the paintings, as I mentioned earlier. These characters are mostly Disney-inspired. The sculpture display of these characters is so amazing that kids and youngsters always keep the spot crowded.
The exhibition studios are excellently lit and spacious. It helps the visitors to understand the colors and aesthetics even more deeply.
The staff of this famous art gallery is so courteous and attentive. The environment is clean and hassle-free. The most important thing is that it is free.
The Petzel is located in two different areas. Both the locations open at 10 am and closes at 6 in the eve time. You can visit the Petzel from Tuesday to Saturday.
Locations:
456 W 18th St., New York, NY.
35 E 67th St., New York, NY.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Best Free Art Gallery in NYC
Some galleries attract you as soon as you enter inside, then there comes The Guggenheim art museum. This beautiful cylindrical shaped building in an architectural wonder and allures you to go inside it.
This architectural wonder gets its name from its founder Solomon R. Guggenheim. He started the efforts for a foundation and art gallery in the late 1930s. Guggenheim wanted to build such a majestic building that would leave people in awe, and people think of it as a Spiritual Temple as soon as they set their glance upon it.
With the efforts and industrious skills of the World-Famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the Guggenheim museum completed in October 1959. Its building is built with tons of concrete and steel, narrow from the bottom and broad on the top, it almost looks like a white lamp.
The inside of the art museum tells an entirely different story, stunning art-pieces, and sculptures on display. One unique thing here was those spiral stairs and their stories. It was a fantastic sight as if the museum was more like a monument.
Let’s talk about the artwork here. You can find historical and modern art here. The diversity of impressionism and post-impressionism work on the canvas is so alluring. The contemporary art display makes you come here again and again. This is among the best art galleries in NYC.
The web portal of this museum is active and keeps the interactors updated about upcoming events. There are lots of exhibitions happening here at the Guggenheim as it is one of the busiest and most famous museum. It has separate rooms for unique displays that are vast and enchanting.
The visiting hours of the art gallery are from 10 in the morning to 5:30 pm (Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Sun). On Tuesday the museum closes as late as 9 pm, and on Saturday it closes at 8 pm.
The entry is free on Saturdays. You can pay what you wish on the counter and enter. It may charge you if there is a special exhibition there. Enjoy your visit, do let us know how it was.
Taglialatella Galleries
History is boring, and we understand that not everyone is a fan of historical art and history classes are always so dull for them. That is why let me introduce an art gallery that depicts the perfect modern art that you won’t anywhere else. This little gallery Taglialatella has a lot to show to its visitors, but let us discover the journey of how it started.
In 1978, Dominic J. Taglialatella opened this art gallery initially in New Jersey. After three years, he opened his gallery in NY in 1981. Since then, it has been successfully running due to its innovative exhibitions and unique line of work. The main aim of this gallery was to let the people get in touch with the latest techniques and art through sculptors and pop-art.
There are two floors of this gallery, both the stories have displays for visitors. The heart-shaped neon lights, along with cheesy neon captions, are perfect for Instagram. The rooms are a bit congested for a big group, but they will work well with smaller ones.
The top floor has an office and display rooms too, don’t forget to take a look at the end, you will find a surprise. You have to go through the staircase, which has funky pink color splattered all over the walls and stairs.
As I mentioned earlier, the artwork is mostly funky, and it is perfect for hipsters who are art lovers. The pop-art paintings, photographs, and graphic images are much attracting. If we take a look at the sculptures, you might find them spooky. Each of the items has its significance and story to tell.
Other than pop-art, you can see a pretty good influence of street-art in their paintings and exhibitions as well. If you are a new-comer in the town, then these artworks will indeed fascinate you.
Taglialatella Art Gallery opens its doors at 10 am and closes at 6 in the eve from Monday to Saturday while it opens at 11 am and closes at five on Sunday. For more information, you can check their official website. It will give you details about the address, exhibitions, and everything necessary.
Location: 229 10th Ave, New York, NY.
The Flag Art Foundation
Not all those who display art, intend to sell it or make a profit out of it. Some want to promote art without gaining any monetary benefit, the Flag Art Foundation is an excellent addition to that list of galleries that love to encourage creativity.
Glenn Fuhrman laid the foundations of this gallery in 2008. The main aim of this gallery was to be a non-profit institute that will help them spread peace and harmony through contemporary art. This gesture will encourage more people to come and see what’s new in the display.
The artworks displayed in this art gallery are mostly borrowed from international artists as well as the local ones. Their exhibitions are theme-based and mainly cover all of the gallery — the number of shows per year maybe 5 or 6 as they are displayed for a long time. There is no fee and you can visit this best free gallery for free.
Other than that, there are many free classes that you can attend to learn about the significance of art. You can also join the workshops led by artists at the Flag Art so that new learners can learn well from the old ones. It is best for school trips.
The architecture is simple yet elegant. You will find a room big enough to hold a gang of friends. The staff is kind and friendly.
If you plan to visit the Flag art foundation, then the working days from Wednesday to Saturday. The visiting time is from 11 am to 5 pm. Please email them to reserve your booking, and it will make you avoid any mishap.
Bronx Museum of the Arts
Bronx Museum of arts is one of the most iconic places in the Bronx. This venue has a special place in the heart of New Yorkers due to its portrayals of Latin American, Asian, and African ethnicities as well as promoting their art and culture. The Bronx Art Museum has so much to offer even to students.
The Bronx Council of Arts collaborated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art to open such a place that would feature the real essence of art and peace to the people of the Bronx. Since then, the museum has seen some changes in venues and massive expansions.
An arts center was established in 2008 for those who love to learn art and crafts. Since 2012, the admission charges in the museum were waived off, and the entrance became free.
If you take a look at the building, you will be mesmerized to see its architecture. The outer structure is made to look like a giant accordion. The vertical zig-zag aluminum plates with embedded glass are a piece of art.
The art museum consists of many galleries, contemporary art walls, a three-story building, and a sculpture garden in the back as well.
The exhibition of arts is so diverse that you can see many cultural influences on the display. There are lots of happenings from time to time here. You might see unique sculptures, temporary art walls, and pop-culture arts like cartoons, etc.
The emerging students’ program is an excellent opportunity for those who want to learn art and establish a career as an artist. This program completes in a short time and concludes with an art display of the graduating students.
The Bronx museum opens at 11 am and closes at 6 pm (Wed-Thurs-Sat-Sun). It closes at 8 pm on Fridays. Monday and Tuesday are off. And as I mentioned earlier, it is Free to go.
Location: 1040 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY.
Final words
New York has given its people so much. Be it arts, cultural significance, love, music, or anything that has made New York the best place to live in. It is our duty to protect its culture, its art and promote it as much as we can. God Bless America!
Team – NewYorkLines.com
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