24 Hours of Art in NYC: A One-Day Gallery Itinerary (May 2026)
A 24-hour gallery itinerary across NYC for May 2026 — 8 shows spread across the strongest neighborhoods, plotted to minimize walking and maximize the number of distinctive practices you can see in a single weekend. Start downtown, push through Chelsea by late afternoon, and finish uptown.
1. Amongst the Living by Sam Falls at 303 Gallery
- Artist
- Sam Falls
- Gallery
- 303 Gallery
- Address
- 555 West 21st Street, Chelsea
- On view
- Apr 24, 2026 – May 31, 2026
Amongst the Living is at 303 Gallery, 555 West 21st Street, Chelsea, on view Apr 24 – May 31, 2026. 303 Gallery is pleased to present our fourth solo exhibition by Sam Falls, bringing together a new body of work incorporating painting, ceramics, and photography. “Arranging by chance To meet as far this morning From the world as agreeing With it, you and I Are suddenly what the trees try To tell us we are: That their merely being there Means something; that soon We may touch,…
Plan thirty minutes minimum at 303 Gallery — the works reward time. The gallery is closed Mondays.
2. Lost on a Two Way Street by Kim Dacres at Charles Moffett
- Artist
- Kim Dacres
- Gallery
- Charles Moffett
- Address
- 394 Broadway, Chinatown
- On view
- May 7, 2026 – Jun 21, 2026
Lost on a Two Way Street is at Charles Moffett, 394 Broadway, Chinatown, on view May 7 – Jun 21, 2026. Charles Moffett is pleased to present Lost on a Two Way Street, a solo exhibition of new works by Kim Dacres, a first-generation American sculptor of Jamaican descent, who lives in Harlem and works in the Bronx. An expansion upon Dacres’ 2025 body of work, Crossroads Like This, this exhibition marks the artist’s second solo show with the gallery.
Through June 21, 2026. Charles Moffett keeps standard NYC gallery hours, Tuesday through Saturday.
3. Actualization Machine by Nina Hartmann at Silke Lindner
- Artist
- Nina Hartmann
- Gallery
- Silke Lindner
- Address
- 350 Broadway, Civic Center
- On view
- Apr 24, 2026 – May 31, 2026
Actualization Machine is at Silke Lindner, 350 Broadway, Civic Center, on view Apr 24 – May 31, 2026. Silke Lindner is pleased to present Actualization Machine, the second solo exhibition with New York-based artist Nina Hartmann. Hartmann’s new body of work, comprised of shaped pieces of encaustic panels, resin sculptures, and lightboxes, carry images collected during her research into the U.S.
Worth combining with the nearby galleries on the same block. Silke Lindner is closed Mondays.
4. Microwave Memories by Eric Sullivan at The Hole
- Artist
- Eric Sullivan
- Gallery
- The Hole
- Address
- 312 Bowery, East Village
- On view
- May 9, 2026 – Jun 15, 2026
Microwave Memories is at The Hole, 312 Bowery, East Village, on view May 9 – Jun 15, 2026. In this special show in our rear gallery, Eric Sullivan explores the quiet pull of nostalgia—how moments, places, and emotions linger not as fixed images, but as shifting impressions shaped by time. Through an interplay of glass, wood, and found objects, Sullivan aims to conjure these memories. Central to Sullivan’s practice is the juxtaposition of texture and color.
On view through June 15, 2026. Allow at least twenty minutes; the gallery is generally quietest on weekday afternoons.
5. Elite Fine Art by Tinmantis at Foreign & Domestic
- Show
- Elite Fine Art
- Artist
- Tinmantis
- Gallery
- Foreign & Domestic
- Address
- 24 Rutgers Street, Lower East Side
- On view
- May 22, 2026 – Jun 29, 2026
Elite Fine Art is at Foreign & Domestic, 24 Rutgers Street, Lower East Side, on view May 22 – Jun 29, 2026. He has slogans too. Things like: No friends, no trends. Did he make it up? He also likes to pose with weapons, but we'll get to that. A Testament In Defense of the Madman Known as Tinmantis I don't remember who first told me about Tinmantis, and I don't have time to figure it out. My memory is like a moldy Swiss cheese.
Foreign & Domestic is most easily reached by subway; check the gallery's hours before walking over, since most NYC galleries are closed Mondays.
6. Women Across America: 1945 to 1979 at Eric Firestone Gallery
- Gallery
- Eric Firestone Gallery
- Address
- 40 Great Jones Street, NoHo
- On view
- May 12, 2026 – Jul 12, 2026
Women Across America: 1945 to 1979 is at Eric Firestone Gallery, 40 Great Jones Street, NoHo, on view May 12 – Jul 12, 2026. Mary Abbott, Elise Asher, Janice Biala, Elaine de Kooning, Sari Dienes, Martha Edelheit, Perle Fine, Helen Frankenthaler, Jane Freilicher, Grace Hartigan, Adaline Kent, Ida Kohlmeyer, Lee Krasner, Zoe Longfield, Beatrice Mandelman, Jeanne Miles, Betty Parsons, Pat Passlof, Jeanne Reynal, Miriam Schapiro, Edith Schloss, Hedda Sterne, Alma Thomas, Lucia Wilcox, Nina Yankowitz…
Plan thirty minutes minimum at Eric Firestone Gallery — the works reward time. The gallery is closed Mondays.
7. Half in Love with Oblivion by Stephen Thorpe at DIMIN
- Artist
- Stephen Thorpe
- Gallery
- DIMIN
- Address
- 406 Broadway, Fl. 2, SoHo
- On view
- May 8, 2026 – Jun 14, 2026
Half in Love with Oblivion is at DIMIN, 406 Broadway, Fl. 2, SoHo, on view May 8 – Jun 14, 2026. "Those who travel to mountain tops are half in love with themselves, and half in love with oblivion" —Robert Macfarlane, Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination Dimin is pleased to present Half in Love with Oblivion, an exhibition of new paintings by British-born, California-based artist Stephen Thorpe.
Through June 14, 2026. DIMIN keeps standard NYC gallery hours, Tuesday through Saturday.
8. The Gracie Mansion Show by Peter Hujar at Ortuzar
- Artist
- Peter Hujar
- Gallery
- Ortuzar
- Address
- 5 White Street, Tribeca
- On view
- Apr 22, 2026 – May 31, 2026
The Gracie Mansion Show is at Ortuzar, 5 White Street, Tribeca, on view Apr 22 – May 31, 2026. Peter Hujar: The Gracie Mansion Show re-stages the now-legendary exhibition that took place in New York's East Village in 1986, one year before the artist's death. For the show, Gracie Mansion Gallery presents seventy photographs arranged in a long, two-row grid.
Worth combining with the nearby galleries on the same block. Ortuzar is closed Mondays.
How to plan a walk
Start downtown at 11am. The Lower East Side and Chinatown cluster is the densest; cover four to five stops by 1pm. Lunch at Dimes or Wildair. Take the F or J/Z to West 4th, walk the High Line into Chelsea by 3pm. Cover Chelsea's mega-galleries by 6pm — closing time. Finish on the Upper East Side via the 4/5/6 if you have stamina for a 7pm museum reception.
On the map
14 galleries · Open the full NYC map →
Frequently asked
Can I see NYC galleries in a single day?
Yes — this 8-stop itinerary covers the strongest neighborhoods in a single Saturday. Start downtown at 11am, push through Chelsea by 3pm, finish on the Upper East Side by 6pm.
How long does each gallery visit take?
Twenty to forty minutes for a typical solo show. The mega-galleries (Gagosian, Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth) need an hour each. Plan accordingly.
What's the best lunch spot for a gallery day?
In Chelsea: Olio e Più on 9th Avenue. In Tribeca: Frenchette or Tribeca Grill. Downtown: Dimes, Scarr's Pizza, or Wildair on the Lower East Side.
Do I need to drive?
No. NYC's gallery neighborhoods are all subway-accessible. The 1/2/3 connects Chelsea to Tribeca and SoHo. The 6 connects SoHo to the Upper East Side.
