Cover image: Street art in NYC. Kara Muse/Pexels.
When you want to see some art, art museums are the most obvious place to go. But they aren’t your only option. Here are some surprising places you can go to see art in person. They’re great alternatives when you aren’t near any art museums or just want something different for a change.
Other museums and related institutions
Believe it or not, art museums are actually not the only kind of museums that regularly display artworks. It clearly depends on the specific museum in question – you’ll want to check online in advance – but history museums, historical societies, anthropology or ethnology museums, and even natural history museums sometimes include collections of art. You’ll typically find historical art with local connections at the first two and non-western art or art that’s been excavated by archaeologists at the latter two.
Larger libraries, especially those with rare book and manuscript rooms, often collect things like prints, drawings, posters, and book arts. These items may be on display or available to view upon request. Even my town’s library has some limited-edition prints I could look at. Libraries belonging to art museums are even richer in this kind of material. Colleges and universities often have art collections within their art departments, libraries, or museums. Some university collections are well-publicized, but most aren’t. Art schools, which are sometimes attached to academic schools or art museums but may also be freestanding, typically host exhibitions of student work at least once or twice a year.
Historic sites, especially grand places like mansions and religious structures, may both contain art and be artworks themselves. Look all around (and especially up) to enjoy stained glass windows, carvings, murals, decorative ceilings, and more. The homes and studios of famous artists are a special class of historic sites where you can see the artist’s works and materials in the very place they were created. They tend not to be in big cities but rather in more humble areas with art colonies and/or beautiful scenery. Sculpture parks are essentially outdoor museums for large-scale sculptures. They are sometimes on the grounds of more traditional museums but accessible without a ticket, while other are independent entities.
Understand the messages that art exhibitions share with their viewers.
Commercial Venues
Commercial art establishments provide more opportunities to see great art – often different stuff than you see in museums. They may seem intimidating at first, so just remember that you don’t have to be a prospective buyer to have a look around. I definitely suggest getting your feet wet by visiting local or regional-level establishments – the kind of places you’ll see on town’s Main Street – rather than their big-city equivalents. Art galleries are basically stores that sell art, and I’ve already written about why I think you should visit them.
Auction houses sell art and other collectibles during scheduled auction events. Before each sale, the public can come into the galleries and view the pieces on offer during designated preview days. Some houses host gallery-style “selling exhibitions” in addition. Sotheby’s and Christie’s are the world’s foremost auction houses, so any item you see in any of their locations around the world will be very high quality. But there are also other auction houses in all sizes, locations, and genres. Traditionally, preview days are free to visit and don’t require registering as a bidder.
Art fairs are multi-day events where you can see offerings from numerous art dealers in the same place. Just as with galleries and auction houses, they can be on a local or international level or anywhere in between. TEFAF, Frieze, and Art Basel are the three biggest names in the game, with multiple locations, international dealers, and museum-quality artworks. But admission can be more expensive than museums, and these are not necessarily the events I would suggest going to anyway.
Art fairs can also be low-key regional events featuring contemporary art, craft, historic art, and antiques from local(ish) dealers at much more affordable asking prices. Unfortunately, art fairs are generally not free to attend. However, my favorite American Art Fair in NYC is free to visit; it’s a good example of a fair that is prestigious but still welcoming.
Art in Daily Life
All of us tend to have a bias where we don’t pay much attention to the art we encounter in our daily lives and automatically regard anything in a museum or gallery as more important. However, art is actually all around you, even if you don’t live in a big city. It’s just a matter of opening your eyes to it. Local arts events are among the most approachable art-viewing experiences ever, and you can find them in nearly every geographic area. Find out why I love them here. Plus, look for public art and street art in city streets, parks, town squares, civic buildings, and other public gathering places. Examples include war memorials, outdoor statues, fountains, murals, and architectural decoration.
Related
How to See Art In Person on a Budget
A tight budget doesn’t have to mean a life without art. There are some places that you can enjoy works of art in person for free or at least at a discount. Includes a list of free art museums in the United States.
Why You Should Visit Art Galleries
Art galleries provide often-overlooked free opportunities to see art in person. Their perceived snobbishness and exclusivity often stop people from taking advantage of them, but that attitude is not always accurate in my experience. Art galleries are basically stores that sell art, and they are generally a lot less intimidating than you might think.
Why You Should Attend Local Arts Events
You all probably know that I love art museums and galleries, but I’m also a really big fan of local arts events run in public gathering places. In this post, I’ll tell you why I think they’re worth attending.