New York City and art go hand in hand, but what many don’t seem to realize is how good we have it over in Brooklyn! Sure, the Chelsea galleries and mega-museums like The Met might steal the show, but there are some gems hiding out in the borough next door.
For this guide, we’ve hand selected nearly a dozen of our favorite Brooklyn art galleries that are making their own waves in curation, powerful exhibitions, and dedication to the community. Bookmark these for later, trust us.
The Invisible Dog Art Center
The Invisible Dog Art Center is more than just an exhibition space, but also a cultural art hub. The historic three-story former factory building can be found in Boerum Hill and dates all the way back to 1863, with the center being founded in 2009 by Lucien Zayan.
The ground floor of the center welcomes art exhibitions, performances, and public events, while other floors have been transformed into artist studios, private dining rooms, and artist workshop areas.
They’re unfortunately shuttering their doors on March 31, so be sure to stop in while there’s still time and check out one of their performances and artists in residency.
Where: 51 Bergen St, Brooklyn
Tanya Weddemire Gallery
Hailing from Montego Bay, Jamaica and now with her own gallery in Industry City, Tanya Weddemire brings lively art to Brooklyn.
The gallery’s goal is to showcase the work of emerging established artists, while also helping deepen the value of art by exploring life perspective through exhibits. You can catch a range of media, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, photography, fashion, and furniture at any given time. Not to mention it’s amongst all of the great restaurants and shops at Industry City.
Where: 254 36th St Suite C257, Brooklyn (Industry City)
Transmitter
Transmitter is a self-proclaimed “collaborative curatorial initiative” in Bushwick who welcomes in some of the coolest art in the neighborhood. Founded back in 2014, you can expect exhibits you’ve never seen before…dabbling in the multidisciplinary, international and experimental categories.
Where: 1329 Willoughby Ave, Brooklyn
A.I.R. Gallery
A.I.R. Gallery in DUMBO is the longest-running alternative space for women artists in the United States! As you can imagine, each exhibition showcases a curated selection of women and non-binary artists!
The gallery’s mission is to maintain community engagement, intergenerational dialogue, and continuing investigations of feminism through its exhibitions and programs!
Where: 155 Plymouth St, Brooklyn
Pioneer Works
This historic 25,000-square-foot former iron works factory serves as multidisciplinary space for art, science, technology, and education right in the heart of Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Pioneer Works is dedicated to bringing in emerging and overlooked artists to display their works, but also extends as a space in the form of a science studio, tech lab, virtual environment lab, and recording studio. It’s truly dedicated to the arts.
The artist-in-residency program welcomes around 50 artists per year, encouraging them to take advantage of the vast space as a playground for their art.
Where: 159 Pioneer St, Brooklyn
Smack Mellon
This 6,000 square feet space (which was once a former coal-fired boiler house) offers an industrially aesthetic option to Brooklyn’s gallery scene. Smack Mellon’s focus on emerging, under-recognized mid-career, and women artists is pretty renowned, hosting 3-4 solo exhibitions a year.
Expect a diverse range of media in the gallery from women-identifying artists—ranging from sculptures and installation art to photography.
Where: 92 Plymouth St, Brooklyn
Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC)
Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition‘s heroic gallery story starts back in 1976, when a group of 16 artists founded the space after hosting various pop-up galleries throughout the city. Transitioning from pop-up exhibits at breweries and barges in the East River to a full blown space, the permanent home in Red Hook is now an NYC staple.
It serves as a space dedicated to emerging and mid career artists who may not have an opportunity to showcase their work in other places (disabled, students, financial hardship). The space is 25,000 square feet and welcomes around 15 shows per year.
There’s also a heavy community impact with this gallery. Not only are they non-profit art organization themself, but it’s also run by 200 volunteer member artists and hosts various workshops and events to encourage the arts.
Where: 481 Van Brunt St, Door 7A, Brooklyn
Richard Beavers Gallery
Richard Beavers Gallery has always challenged the notion that fine art galleries belong in traditional art districts, and its Bed-Stuy location is living proof. Since 2017, it’s always been a hotbed for showcasing contemporary art from Black emerging and established artists.
Hosting three to four solo exhibits per year, the gallery opts to bring 14 different artists, whose art investigates social and political issues relevant to the Black community. The gallery also organized artist talks, comedy nights, and workshops throughout the year.
Where: 408 Marcus Garvey Blvd, Brooklyn
FiveMyles
This non-profit gallery in Crown Heights dates all the way back to 1999, and conitunes to be a signifacnt part of the neighborhood’s art scene. FiveMyles Gallery welcomes exhibitions inspired by art rooted in non-Western cultures.
Over the years, they’ve welcomed photography and video from East Africa, contemporary Native and Caribbean art, and everything in between. They also successfully engage the local community through participation in the Arts by hosting plenty of performances, exhibits, and community events.
Where: 558 St Johns Place, Brooklyn
Thomas VanDyke Gallery
Thomas VanDyke Gallery dates back to 2022 and is the brainchild of course, Thomas VanDyke, whose seen impressive roles at both David Zwirner and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. His Sunset Park gallery focuses on contemporary art, showcasing both local NYC artists and those from around the world.
The gallery truly embraces the local Brooklyn art community, often welcoming local artists-in-residence and hosting live performances, workshops, outdoor exhibits in the Sculpture Garden, and community events.
Where: 434 39th St, Brooklyn