Art exhibitions NYC and how to find what is on in the galleries

A gallery exhibition is usually a solo show by one artist or a group show around a theme, and it runs for several weeks before the next one is installed. Unlike museum exhibitions, gallery shows are selling exhibitions: the works on the wall are generally for sale, and the gallery keeps a checklist with titles, media, dimensions and prices.

• Solo shows often present a body of new work made for the exhibition.
• Group shows bring together artists around an idea, sometimes including artists the gallery does not represent.
• Between exhibitions, a gallery may close for a few days to install the next show.
• Many galleries also have a second, smaller room with a separate project or works from the back room.
• Galleries with more than one location may run different exhibitions in each space at the same time, so check every address on the gallery website.
• The press release at the front desk explains the show and usually lists every work, which makes it the most useful thing to take home.

The New York gallery year has a clear rhythm, and knowing it helps you plan.

• September is the biggest opening month of the year, when galleries launch their fall programs and many shows open within the same few weeks.
• Late fall continues with a second wave of shows before the holidays.
• January brings new exhibitions after the holiday break.
• Spring is busy again, with shows timed around the May fair week.
• Summer brings group shows and shorter hours, and August is quiet, with some galleries closed for part of the month.

Many galleries open Tuesday to Saturday and close Sunday and Monday, so a weekday afternoon is the calmest time to see exhibitions.

There is no single official list of every gallery show in the city, so collectors combine a few habits.

• Follow the galleries you like. Gallery websites and newsletters list current and upcoming exhibitions with opening dates.
• Walk a district. In Chelsea, the Lower East Side and Tribeca you can step into every open gallery on a block and see what is on.
• Pick up exhibition texts. Press releases often mention the gallery's next show.
• Use this guide. Gallery profiles here show each gallery's current exhibition, district and a direct contact.

For district walking guides, read chelsea art galleries, lower east side galleries and tribeca art galleries, or start with the city overview of art galleries nyc.

An opening is the evening a new exhibition starts. In Chelsea and on the Lower East Side openings are commonly held on Thursday evenings, and in September many galleries on the same blocks open at the same time, so the streets fill with people moving from one reception to the next.

• Openings are generally open to the public, and you do not need an invitation for most of them.
• You can come and go as you like. Twenty minutes per gallery is normal on a busy night.
• The artist is often present. A short hello is welcome.
• Openings are social. Come back on a quiet weekday to look closely and to talk with the staff about specific works.

New York's two main fair weeks shape the gallery calendar. Frieze New York takes place in May at The Shed at Hudson Yards, and The Armory Show takes place in September at the Javits Center. Galleries often time strong exhibitions around those weeks, and the city is busy with visitors. Read our frieze new york and art at the armory guides to plan those weeks.

If a work in an exhibition interests you, ask the front desk for the checklist and the price. If you need to think it over, a New York gallery may hold a work for a few days while the show is up. When a work in the show is sold, ask whether related work is available from storage or from the artist's studio. Then follow up by email the next day, naming the exhibition and the work by title. New York sales tax usually applies to local delivery, and our page on buying from galleries explains that and the rest of the invoice.