Art lovers, brace yourselves: the entirety of the art world is about to descend on New York City. To help you prepare for the glorious madness that is Armory Arts Week, we’ve put together a list of the fairs you can’t miss (and a list of spots in each area where you can fuel up with food and caffeine between shows).
The Armory Show
March 2 – 5
Location: Piers 92 & 94, 711 12th Avenue at 55th Street
The lowdown: This is New York’s largest art fair. Over 200 exhibitors will show artwork from the 20th & 21st centuries.
VOLTA NY
March 2 – 5
Location: Pier 90, 12th Avenue at 50th Street
The lowdown: This will be its decade edition as a solo-focused international contemporary art fair. Roughly 100 exhibitors are participating this year.
SPRING/BREAK Art Show
March 1 – 6
Location: 4 Times Square, entrance on 43rd Street
The lowdown: It’s curator-driven with a focus on contemporary art. This year’s theme is “Black Mirror,” and over 800 artists will be represented.
Hell’s Kitchen Eats:
Coffee: Rex Coffee, The Jolly Goat Coffee Bar
Lunch: Gotham West Market, Tehuitzingo Deli & Grocery, Burger Joint
Dinner: Taboon, Danji, Annabel
The Art Show
March 1 – 5
Location: Park Avenue Armory, Park Avenue at 67th Street
The lowdown: It’s the nation’s longest-running fine art fair. 72 of the nation’s leading art dealers will present works from the 19th century to today. Ticket sales benefit Henry Street Settlement.
Upper East Side Eats:
Coffee: Birch Coffee, Irving Farm Coffee Roasters
Lunch: Little Collins, Jones Wood Foundry
Dinner: Flora Bar, The East Pole, Amali
NADA
March 2 – 5
Location: Skylight Clarkson North, 572 Washington Street
The lowdown: This fair is focused on the newer voices in contemporary art. There will be around 100 booths this time around.
Independent
March 2 – 5
Location: Spring Studios, 50 Varick Street
The lowdown: This fair invites exhibitors to focus on solo and site-specific projects. Expect around 40 galleries and non-profit organizations to be represented there.
TriBeCa Eats:
Lunch: Two Hands, Mulberry & Vine
Dinner: Locanda Verde, Smith & Mills
SCOPE New York
March 2 – 5
Location: Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W 18th St
The lowdown: This will be SCOPE’s 17th fair in New York. 60 international galleries are exhibiting.
CLIO Art Fair
March 2 – 5
Location: 508 W 26th St
The lowdown: This fair considers itself the “anti-fair” because it targets artists without any exclusive NYC gallery representation. This year they’ll be showcasing the work of roughly 40 international artists.
Moving Image
February 27 – March 2
Location: the Waterfront Tunnel event space, 11th Avenue between 27th and 28th Streets
The lowdown: Another medium-specific fair, this one’s focused on video art and other types of immersive media installations. The work of about 30 artists will be shown this year.
Chelsea Eats:
Coffee: Citizens of Chelsea, Sullivan Street Bakery, The Commons Chelsea
Lunch: Los Mariscos, Dizengoff, Rocket Pig
Dinner: Txikito, Crispo, Cookshop
Art on Paper
March 2 – 5
Location: Pier 36, Downtown Manhattan
The lowdown: As its title suggests, this fair has a medium-driven focus. This will be its third year, and over 80 exhibitors will be there.
Salon Zürcher, NY
February 27 – March 5
Location: Galerie Zürcher, 33 Bleecker Street
The lowdown: Taking place inside of a single gallery, this mini-fair has just 6 exhibitors this year. It’s often been called a respite from the chaos of the massive, superstore-style fairs taking place simultaneously.
Lower East Side Eats:
Coffee: Cheeky Sandwiches, Dimes
Lunch: El Rey Coffee Bar & Luncheonette, Cafe Grumpy
Dinner: Mission Chinese Food, Contra, Tijuana Picnic
top image // Photograph by Teddy Wolff | Courtesy of The Armory Show
