BmoreArt

Since then, The Armory Show has seen a number of other changes to its programming, venues, and management, including last year’s acquisition by Frieze. On Friday, for the fourth consecutive year at the Javits Center, the commercial colossus will open its doors to the public, showcasing modern and contemporary work from 1900 to present in five integrated sections—this year’s iteration boasting 235 exhibiting galleries from over 30 countries.

And as The Armory Show’s venue and cultural influence have expanded, so has its orbit, attracting satellite fairs such as VOLTA, Independent, Clio, Art on Paper, and—my personal favorite—the SPRING/BREAK Art Show, among others. Meanwhile, New York’s museums and galleries take advantage of the influx of art-tourism, using the prime early September slot to showcase the the best and brightest of their rosters. The week is a whirlwind, and with countless openings, performances, dinners, and vernissages in a city whose art center is ever-decentralizing from the Chelsea neighborhood, you’ll likely find yourself wanting to be two places at once, with a subway that only works half the time.

Wednesday, September 4th – LES

Salon Zürcher: 100 Women of Spirit +, Part 1, 33 Bleecker Street, September 2 – 8 

I’ve admittedly never been to any of the previous editions of the gallery-run microfair Salon Zürcher, having just heard of it, but it intrigues me. Hosted by Zürcher Gallery in the East Village, the fair positions itself as an alternative to the traditional art fair model in its scale and accessibility. 100 Women of Spirit +, Part 1 will feature figurative and abstract paintings and sculptures by 11 living women artists, all of whom will reportedly be on site regularly throughout the week to engage with visitors. It’s also free and open to the public, though their hours seem to change almost daily, so be sure to check before heading over there. 

The Lower East Side is also known for being one of the best places in the city to eat. So if you’re  hungry, I recommend popping into Cafe Himalaya, a hole-in-the-wall type spot with unbeatable Tibetan and Nepali options. Or if you’re looking for a more formal sit-down experiences, Kiki’s is a hip and deservingly-hyped Greek restaurant in the LES mecca Dimes Square

Emma Stern, The Rabbit Hole, Half Gallery, 235 E 4th Street, September 4th – October 1st, Opening reception September 4 from 6-8 PM

I never miss an opportunity to see Emma Stern’s work in person. Aside from being the ultimate cool girl, Stern made a name for herself with her instantly-recognizable hyperrealist portraits of voluptuous, scantily-clad virtual vixens. Her perfectly-executed oil paintings are mesmerizing, seductively self-aware, and will make you yearn for the “in” to her pastel digiverse.

Laurie Simmons, DEEP PHOTOS / IN THE BEGINNING, 56 HENRY, 105 Henry Street, September 4 – October 27, Opening Reception:  6-8 PM

When putting this list together, I was not cognizant of the ways the feminist agenda would shape my recommendations—but alas, here we are. Laurie Simmons’ upcoming show at 56 HENRY is an oddly logical yet unexpected turn in the artist’s practice. More craft-centric than what I’ve previously seen of her work, these tactile and alluring miniatures nicely embody what the press release refers to as the artist’s “directorial impulse” that in art and life, “everything must be coordinated.”

Thursday, September 5th – Chelsea

VOLTA, Chelsea Industrial, 535-551 W 28th Street, September 4-8

VOLTA has moved to join the fall New York art fair lineup for the first time, with its 16th edition opening to the public on September 5th. The contemporary fair will take place at Chelsea Industrial, where they’ll showcase over 50 galleries from 18 countries, but will also have a focused Ukrainian Pavilion to elevate Ukrainian perspectives in the face of the nation’s siege by Russia. You also have the option to join a guided tour around 1:00 with the fair’s new Artistic Director Lee Cavaliere for an additional $25.

Afterwards, I highly recommend popping over to City Opera Thrift, which is just two blocks south. It’s a curated vintage and resale shop where proceeds benefit the New York City Opera, and is the only place in New York I’ve found Louboutins for under $50.

Arthur Palhano and Kian McKeown, Partial Objects, Mama Projects, 224 W 30th St, #604, September 5 – October 3. Opening reception September 5 from 6-8.

It feels like half of Chelsea will be opening new shows Thursday night, and you can always follow the throngs of people to find out whatever is most popular. On nights like these I prefer not to have a strict road map, but instead to snake through the streets from 18th to 30th or so, people-watching and popping into whatever galleries catch my eye. 

Though a bit off the neighborhood’s primary gallery-drag, Mama Projects will be hosting an opening reception that evening for what promises to be a fun two-person show exploring the “dynamics of the ordinary,” with the excellent pairing of Arthur Palhano and Kian McKeown. Two other openings on my radar for that evening are Wangari Mathenge’s Bedimmed Boundaries: Between Wakefulness and Sleep at Nicola Vassell and Gina Beavers’ Divine Consumer at Marianne Boesky, both from 6-8. Bedimmed Boundaries is a series of all new paintings and a video installation in which the artist documents herself in sleep and states of semi-consciousness, through a limited but rich palette that ranges almost exclusively from bright yellow to ochre, and deep green to moss.

Friday, September 6th – Soho/TriBeCa

SPRING/BREAK ART SHOW, INT./EXT. (Interior/Exterior), 75 Varick Street, September 4-9.

Both SPRING/BREAK and The Armory Show open to the public on Friday, though I wouldn’t recommend doing them the same day—the visual overstimulation and fatigue from hours at the main fair is enough to take down the most seasoned connoisseur. 

Between the two, I recommend starting at SPRING/BREAK, this year in its 13th edition, to avoid the crowds at the Javits Center. The fair puts focus on work by new and emerging artists, and in its refreshing unpredictability always offers an aspect of enticing chaos relative to its counterparts. It can also be thrilling in its commercial accessibility, with artworks for sale at a fraction of the price of an entry ticket, offering everyone the opportunity to become a budding art collector.

Erin Fostel, featured in BmoreArt’s book City of Artists, has a solo exhibition The Space Between the Edges, curated by Sara Perone, in booth #66 that looks especially promising.

Anthony Cudahy, Fool’s errand/Fool’s gold, GRIMM, 54 White Street, September 6 – October 19, 2024. 

Fool’s errand and Fool’s gold are parallel solo exhibitions by brooklyn-based Cudahy that will be presented simultaneously at GRIMM and Hales. In a body of work that broadly explores queer daily life and intimacy, Cudahy’s loose brushstrokes and bold color palette emphasize the materiality of his medium and produce paintings that aren’t just insistently beautiful, but also feel intuitive and deeply emotional.

Saturday, September 7th: Manhattan Options and a Brooklyn Must

Farmory Freak Fest by Satellite Art Show/Gallery, 279 Broome Street, September 7, 1-8

Satellite Art Show will be throwing a “freak fest” at their Lower East Side gallery of the same name, and it’s sure to be the weirdest (and probably most fun) Armory-adjacent event of the week. The event is an all-day lineup with varying types of performances, including an appearance by the (in)famous shock comedian Crackhead Barney, whose absurdist political and body humor is certainly a work of art. On view in the gallery will be a newly opened photo exhibition in collaboration with the Bushwick Community Darkroom, titled Spaces Between: Liminality in Film Photography.

Flags: A Group Show, Paula Cooper Gallery, 521 W 21st Street, September 7 – October 26. Reception 5-8 PM. 

If you’re planning on checking out the main Armory Show on Saturday, this opening is just a pleasant stroll down the High Line from the convention center. Timed to close just before the November elections, Flags at Paula Cooper is a timely contemplation on how modern and contemporary artists in the United States have and continue to integrate the loaded symbol into their work. While not a subject unfamiliar to art exhibitions, what excites me about this particular show is the checklist – where work by a long list of icons whose names are already baked into art history books will be contextualized with recent work by younger, more emerging New York-based artists such as Cheyenne Julien and Carla Edwards.

The Stars are Aligned / The Time is Now at The Bishop Gallery and Richard Beavers Gallery, 630 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, September 7-October 19. Reception September 7, 6-9 PM.

On view simultaneously at The Bishop Gallery and Richard Beavers Gallery in Brooklyn is The Stars are Aligned / The Time is Now, a group show curated by Derrick Adams. Featuring the work of emerging artists from Adams’ hometown of Baltimore, the two-part show showcases how they’ve been able to thrive and create exceptional work outside of one of the nation’s primary art centers. One opening reception will be held at Bishop Gallery on the 7th, while another will be held the subsequent day at Richard Beavers Gallery from 4-7pm.

Featuring Baltimore-based artists: Ro Vision, Charles Mason III, Murjoni Weariweather, Kim Rice, Jeffrey Kent, Nicholas Wisniewski, Destiny Branay, Brandon Hill, Ernest Shaw, and Amy Boone-Mcreesh.

Sunday, September 8th – Governors Island

NADA House, Nolan Park House 17, Governor’s Island, September 3-October 27

And to wind down the week: a day on Governors Island. A short ferry trip from Battery Park in lower Manhattan, Governors Island is a well-manicured retreat replete with places to picnic, food and drink options, and postcard-ready views of the city’s skylines and the Statue of Liberty. It’s also a long-time haven for the city’s visual arts, with residencies, galleries, a robust public arts program, and NADA House. 

The sixth iteration of the New Art Dealer’s Alliance fair will bring together 17 art galleries and spaces (international in scope, though most of whom have roots in New York State) under one roof in a 19th century former military residence. 

From here, roam the island and explore some of the public projects, like Mark Dion’s The Field Sta­tion of the Melan­choly Marine Biol­o­gist and Jenny Kendler’s Other of Pearl. I’d also be sure to check out the galleries at the Lower Manhattan Culture Council’s Art Center, where two group shows, Tropical Frequencies and Hope is a discipline, will be on view through the end of the month. Tropical Frequencies in particular includes some more emerging artists whose work I’ve enjoyed following—including artist/designer Tiempo de Zafra, who I couldn’t help but commission my own skirt from.