Art and culture in Two Bridges

By Former Agent

The experimental art haven of the LES

Every neighborhood in every borough of our wonderful city has its own unique vibe — it’s part of the fabric of New York. Located from the Brooklyn Bridge and over to the edge of the Lower East Side, the Two Bridges area is certainly no exception. What was once a quiet and oft overlooked area of Manhattan, Two Bridges is now in the middle of a renaissance. There are so many perks to the neighborhood: phenomenal coffee, fantastic eats, our first Manhattan storefront, and a plethora of galleries for art enthusiasts of every type. Trust us when we say, it’s finding its feet as a modern design and art hub of increasingly epic proportions.

For anyone with an undying love or even mild interest in the New York art scene, we’ve rounded up a few galleries in the Two Bridges and LES areas that we just can’t get enough of.

M E N

M E N is located in the heart of Two Bridges and, as a business, its premise is great. The gallery’s mission is to grant complete creative control to emerging and mid-career artists, allowing them to create new works without constraint within the intentionally-small storefront. As a
contemporary art gallery, M E N actively supports exceptional works that stand in solidarity with feminist, queer, multicultural, indigenous, and other underrepresented voices within the larger artistic conversation.

Foxy Productions

Located directly across the East Broadway border between Two Bridges and Chinatown, Foxy Productions has been an area staple since its establishment in 2003. It’s a contemporary art lover’s dream that has an unbeatable reputation for discovering and nurturing groundbreaking artists across a wide range of different media. It offers up an ever-rotating, risk-taking program of solo and curated group exhibitions that are worth visiting whenever you’re in the area.

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FIERMAN Gallery

FIERMAN’s contemporary art gallery is another hub for the experimental, emerging and mid-career artists of all different stripes. Located a hop, skip and a jump away from our latest no-fee luxury building — 10 Rutgers — it’s the perfect place to explore if you’re dipping your toes in the waters of the new and unusual.

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Canada

Since 2000, Canada has been one of the original pioneers of the Lower East Side gallery scene. Since its inception, other heavy-hitters like The New Museum and tons of smaller gallery spaces have joined the party. Through it all, Canada’s programming and roster of artists has remained true to its original funky aesthetic and take-a-chance-on-me vibe.

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Richard Taittinger Gallery

Tucked a few streets off Bowery, behind area-giant The New Museum, lies the home of Richard Taittinger Gallery. Established in 2015, the gallery’s mission is give a home to international mid-career artists who have yet to be recognized in the U.S., despite fame and recognition elsewhere. The idea behind this gallery – curated and run by great-grandson of the Taittinger champagne empire – means that on any given visit to the space, you’ll uncover a fresh worldview in your own little corner of New York.

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Let us know what you think of Nooklyn Stories
and our gallery picks by tweeting us @nooklyn, reaching out on
Facebook, or finding us on Instagram @nooklyn.stories!

Plus, check out new building @10rutgers on Instagram and schedule a tour here!

Photo Credits:
1) Cover Photo: Jen Hitchings, Cry Me A River, Courtesy of M E N | http://13monroe.men/
2) Christian Andersen for Condo New York, Courtesy of Foxy Productions | http://www.foxyproduction.com/
3) Dapper Bruce Lafitte, The Culture Curated, Image courtest of FIERMAN Gallery | https://fierman.nyc/
4) Luke Murphy, Every Pixel Bright, Image courtesy of Canada | https://www.canadanewyork.com/
5) Pascale Marthine Tayou, Colorful Line, Courtesy of Richard Taittinger Gallery | https://richardtaittinger.com/