Hyperallergic has published a curated list of 15 gallery and independent art exhibitions to see in New York City during April. The guide highlights shows that might be overshadowed by major institutional blockbusters, featuring artists like E. Jane, Robert Bergman, Kamrooz Aram, and Chris "DAZE" Ellis across venues in Chinatown, Chelsea, Tribeca, and Queens.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has appointed Oluremi C. Onabanjo as its new curator of photographs, bringing her expertise in African and Black diasporic histories from MoMA. This announcement leads a series of industry shifts, including Melissa Chiu’s move from the Hirshhorn to direct the Guggenheim, and the relocation of the influential gallery 47 Canal to Chelsea. Additionally, the New York Foundation for the Arts distributed nearly $500,000 in grants to 129 artists and organizations in Queens.
Photographer Albert Scopin has released a new book through Kerber Verlag documenting his residency at New York’s iconic Chelsea Hotel between 1969 and 1971. The collection features rare, intimate portraits of the hotel's legendary inhabitants, including a young Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe before their rise to global fame, alongside long-time manager Stanley Bard and avant-garde figures like Vali Myers and Holly Woodlawn. Scopin’s lens captures the 'creative chaos' of the era, from the art-filled lobby to the eccentric private quarters of residents like composer George Kleinsinger.
Max Levai, former president of Marlborough Gallery, is opening a new 7,000-square-foot flagship gallery in Chelsea this fall at 529 West 20th Street. This marks his first permanent New York space after years of operating through pop-ups and international projects. He is sharing the building with the gallery 47 Canal, run by Oliver Newton, in an arrangement where two independent galleries will coexist under one roof, sharing costs but maintaining separate programs.
New York gallery 47 Canal is relocating from SoHo to a 7,000-square-foot flagship at 529 West 20th Street in Chelsea, sharing the space with London dealer Max Levai. Founded by Oliver Newton and Margaret Lee in 2011, the gallery will maintain its own identity and exhibition program while coordinating schedules with Levai to create a more active environment. The renovated space, designed by IDSR Architecture, features two exhibition levels and will host longer exhibition runs, talks, performances, and events.
La galleria d’arte che fa rigenerazione urbana a sud di Milano (dopo averla fatta a New York)
Scaramouche Gallery has opened a new space in Milan's Scalo Romana district, marking its third location after establishing itself in New York's Chelsea and Lower East Side neighborhoods. The gallery, founded by gallerist Daniele Ugolini, is part of a wave of cultural institutions, including Fondazione Prada and Fondazione ICA, driving the urban regeneration of this former agro-industrial zone near the 2026 Winter Olympic Village.
D Lan Galleries and Pace Gallery are collaborating to present "Emily Kam Kngwarray: The Turning Season," a major survey of the renowned Australian First Nations artist, on view in New York from May 15 to August 14. The exhibition spans Pace's Chelsea spaces and includes key works from Kngwarray's career, such as her celebrated painting series and early batik textiles, following her landmark 2025 retrospective at Tate Modern in London.
A visitor recounts a personal gallery crawl through New York City neighborhoods like Tribeca, Chelsea, and the Lower East Side, highlighting specific exhibitions at Andrew Kreps Gallery, James Cohen Gallery, Chapter NY, and Bortolami Gallery. The article details works by artists including Thérèse Oulton, Elias Sime, Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Rosha Yaghmai, Vian Sora, and Sophie Reinhold, emphasizing the diversity of styles and materials on view.
The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair has announced its exhibitor lineup for its New York edition, set for May 13–17 at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in Chelsea. More than 20 galleries will participate, including a mix of returning and first-time exhibitors from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Americas, with the fair running concurrently with Frieze New York and NADA New York.
Chandler Jones founded Room 412, a small, appointment-only gallery in a Birmingham, Alabama loft, in March 2022. The space functions as an intimate, immersive exhibition environment, described as a cross between a gallery and a mystical hotel room, designed to showcase Alabama artists and foster community connection. Jones, a musician, was motivated by a desire to create a visually and energetically compelling gathering place after being inspired by the historic Chelsea Hotel in New York.
Gallery 100 in Chelsea, Michigan, will host The Creative Corner Collection, an exhibition of children's artwork from the Manitou Beach Creative Corner's camps and workshops, running from April 27 through May 8. The show features work by students ages 6 to 15, with an opening reception on May 3 featuring violinists from the Lansing Symphony Orchestra. Gallery 100 takes no commission on sales, so all proceeds go directly to the young artists.
Mooresville Arts has revealed the winners of its 48th annual SpringFest Judged Show & Competition, featuring 123 works by 66 regional artists. Tina Vincent of Charlotte secured first place for her collage titled "Black Tea," while Vanessa Thorman and Chelsea Demarest took second and third place, respectively. The exhibition, judged by Shain Gallery owner Sybil Wornall, showcases a diverse range of media including pottery, watercolor, and oil paintings.
An exhibition titled “Chicano” at Art on Main gallery in East Dallas showcases the work of over 50 North Texas artists, featuring paintings, digital photography, and mixed media that explore Chicano identity, childhood memories, lowrider culture, immigration enforcement, and Indigenous heritage. Co-curated by artists Ariel Esquivel and Junanne Peck, the show includes pieces such as Chelsea Reyes' digital photograph “Movimiento y Orgullo,” Cease Martinez's painting “Cultura,” and Hermila Cuevas' oil on canvas “Chicomecōātl: Giver of Harvest.” The gallery owner Andrea Lamarsaude, who previously collaborated with the curators on the exhibition “Shelter,” notes the community's positive response.
Students from Chelsea High School and other local schools have their artwork displayed in a community exhibition at the Chelsea Public Library. The show, titled "Chelsea Through Our Eyes," features paintings, drawings, and mixed-media pieces created by young artists.