INVEST IN ART WITHOUT LEAVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Looking for that showstopper piece for your new dining room? Office conference room in need of a bit of color? Dumbo is home to hundreds of visual artists, from the emerging to the established.

NYC DUMBO Improvement District - Community + Public Art/Exhibition - Open Studios Artist Directory

ART IN DUMBO

Hundreds of artists. Thousands of works to fall in love with.

NYC DUMBO Improvement District - Small Business & Community - Public Art + Exhibition - shop the studio

SHOP THE STUDIOS: DECEMBER 7, 2024

Gifting unique art #FTW!

NYC DUMBO Improvement District - Small Business & Community - Public Art + Exhibition - First Thursday Gallery Walk

FIRST THURSDAY GALLERY WALK

Galleries stay open late! New shows + walking tours every month.

GALLERIES & RESIDENCIES

SUPERFINE
One of Dumbo's oldest and most beloved establishments, with art, live music, pool and a delicious farm-to-table menu.
126 Front Street
Zarolat
A unique space functioning as an architecture studio and a design collective all in one.
140 Plymouth Street
Janet Borden, Inc.
Located in New York City since 1988, Janet Borden, Inc. maintains a reputation as one of the best photography galleries in the country.
91 Water St.
AICAD/New York Studio Residency Program
This sixteen-credit program is open to undergraduate and graduate art and design students in New York City
20 Jay Street
Klompching Gallery
Specializing in contemporary fine art photographs since 2007.
89 Water Street
New York Studio School Projects 
Committed to giving aspiring artists a significant education that can last a lifetime.
20 Jay Street, Suite 307
Two Coats of Paint
Offering an art blogazine, residencies, Clubhouse conversations, a catalogue & more.
55 Washington Street, #454
A.I.R. GALLERY
Supporting an open exchange of ideas and risk‑taking by women artists-since 1972.
155 Plymouth Street
Cuban Art Space
Promoting the work of Cuban artists, especially those living and working in Cuba, since 1972.
Cuban Art Space
Higher Pictures Generation
First shows (historical and contemporary) by artists working primarily in photography, video, and performance.
16 Main Street
Main Window
A public art installation space highlighting Brooklyn-based artists since 1980.
One Main Street
Minus Space
Specializing in contemporary reductive abstract art since 2003.
16 Main Street, Suite A
New York Foundation for the Arts
A nonprofit providing critical support, professional development tools, and resources for defining and achieving career success.
20 Jay Street, Suite 740
Triangle Arts Association
TAA provides life‑changing working environment for artists through studio based opportunities to create new work.
20 Jay Street
Platform Project Space
Established by Elizabeth Hazan, Platform showcases and supports the work of fellow artists.
20 Jay Street, #319
Undercurrent
Showcasing local and international contemporary artists with an inclusive subprogram of artists and creative entities of the Baltic states.
70 John Street
Smack Mellon
Founded in Dumbo in 1995, with a mission to support emerging, under-recognized mid-career and women artists.
92 Plymouth Street
Gallery Gaia
An intimate space in an intimate place, showing monthly exhibitions of contemporary art.
79 Hudson Ave
Elma
A non-profit artist-run space focusing on global-local artistic perspectives and critical approaches
216 Plymouth St
Artadia
A non-profit grantmaker and nationwide community of visual artists, curators, and patrons.
45 Main Street Suite 515
Loop of the Loom
Japanese Zen weaving dojo
197 Plymouth Street
USAGI
Japanese design shop x matcha bar x bookstore x art gallery makes Usagi one of Dumbo's most unique finds.
163 Plymouth Street

HOW TO START AN ART COLLECTION

BY CAROLYN RAMO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ARTADIA

Collecting art is something that is possible for anyone at any price point. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you can not go wrong if you buy something you love. You may get tired of it over time, but likely you won’t and it will be something you want to revisit over time and will fit in with any home– the first piece I ever bought was prominent in my first teeny apartment and now hangs in a larger cluster of works in a spare room as my space and collection have expanded.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT YOU CAN NOT GO WRONG IF YOU BUY SOMETHING YOU LOVE.​

WHERE TO LOOK

I see art almost every day in all sorts of unexpected places, and invite you to make time to train your eye, and get to know what you like. It doesn’t have to take time to look at art, but likely you will be more excited about your purchases the more you know and see. Art fairs, where many galleries rent booths for a weekend all under one large roof, can be an excellent place to see a lot of art in a short amount of time and space. There are art fairs in NY that have a very high price point like the ArmoryADAA and Frieze, where it’s exciting to get a sense of the current international market trends, and then there are smaller more niche fairs that have works by a lower price point, like NADAthe Independent, the Outsider Art Fair, which shows more “emerging” artists and galleries. Ask questions, take notes, get on mailing lists for these fairs and the galleries that show there. If you are lucky to meet artists and be invited to their studios: Go!

 

Or go to Open Studios in DumboBushwickGreenpoint or pretty much any other neighborhood and that way you can meet with and potentially buy work from the artist directly. Being in an artist’s studio is a special opportunity to understand why the artist is compelled to make the work they do and definitely be respectful of their space and time.

 

Other places to look for art you might like: local prizes like the Artadia grants we give in seven US cities single out talented artists that are pre-vetted for you. Similarly, smaller non -profit art spaces, like White Columns and Dumbo-based Art In General, have a commitment to local artists which means you will be supporting your community if you make a purchase. Becoming a member of any smaller cutting edge organization is a great way to learn about the artists in your community. DUMBO has a great group of galleries right near the water– check out their new shows every 6 weeks (on average).

 

WHEN YOU BUY WORK AT ANY LEVEL (YES EVEN $200), YOU ARE VALIDATING AN ARTIST'S PRACTICE AND HELPING THEM EARN THE MONEY THEY DESERVE FOR THEIR WORK.

WHAT TO ASK/SAY

If you have found a work you love, make sure to act somewhat quickly–works can sell out and it’s important for the artist and gallery to know your interest. When working with a gallery, you have a little more room to negotiate. Discounts on a price are usually offered to collectors who purchase things frequently from that gallery or who have a relationship with an institution and plan to donate their collections to a permanent collection down the line. That said, it is customary to ask for a 5-10% discount, though do respect the gallery’s no if that’s not their policy. Definitely ask if the artist has framing specifications if its a work on paper or photograph and make sure to keep your invoice or your certificate of authenticity as that is usually as important as the work itself if you were ever to determine a value down the line. On that note, make sure the work is signed too. If you decide you want to get serious about art collecting and want to spend upwards of six figures a year, then consider hiring an art advisor, traveling to visit different cities for art events, attending openings of museum shows and galleries and even joining a board of a non profit.

 

It just gets more fun and addictive the more you see and discover!

IF YOU COLLECT ART, CONSIDER IT AN ACT OF PHILANTHROPY WHERE EVERY ONE CAN BENEFIT.

THE "MARKET" AND WHY YOU SHOULD COLLECT

My general thought about the market is that you should ignore it and see my first thought: buy something you love. Collectors that are concerned with resale value and auction activity are in an entirely different league and have a tremendous amount of knowledge, connections and access. When you buy work at any level (yes even $200), you are validating an artists practice and helping them earn the money they deserve for their work. Its not easy for an artist to toil away on the aesthetic representations of their incredible ideas and put them out there in the world for all of us to judge and potentially want to possess–so remember that the artists not just want you to own their work and love their work, they NEED you to. If you collect art, consider it an act of philanthropy where every one can benefit.

ABOUT ARTADIA

 

Artadia is a national non-profit organization – based in Dumbo! – that identifies innovative visual artists and supports them with unrestricted financial awards and connections to a network of opportunities.