NYU is possibly the best school to attend if you’re an art aficionado. There are countless museums, galleries, and graffiti to keep students busy appreciating the art world. But where do you start if new to the subject? Museums can be expensive – even with student discounts – and there are too many galleries in Chelsea to know which ones are worth attending.
Artcards.cc is a website dedicated to pointing New Yorkers towards the best galleries throughout Manhattan. The site even highlights when galleries are opening. For those interested in free wine and a bourgie lifestyle (and who isn’t?) this website could be your new homepage. NYU Local talked with Artcards founder, Morgan Croney, who explained his motivation behind creating the site, as well as what’s happening in the art community that’s worth knowing about.
When and why did you create Artcards?
I came to New York City in 2003 for the MFA Fine Arts program at SVA. At some point I decided that in order to know which galleries I liked, I needed to visit them all in person and not rely on what other people thought/said. This led to a self-inflicted experiment to go to all the galleries in NYC. It took a few weeks of walking and opening my eyes to everything from small co-op galleries to large commercial galleries. Around the same time, I created an excel spreadsheet of the galleries that I admired most and kept track of their shows/openings. Soon fellow grad-students and friends started asking me for the list. In the beginning it was all manually maintained.
Do you exclusively cover gallery events, or do post about museum openings, as well?
The goal is to post all art events (openings, lectures, performances, screenings) for all art galleries and museums.
Why do you focus on Miami, San Francisco, LA, and New York? If you were to add another location, where would it be?
Artcards has grown very organically. I started it in New York because that’s where I live and needed it. The other cities were all created when someone came to me wanting to start Artcards in a new city. Emma Spertus was the first city editor and has made Artcards a strong force in San Francisco. We have plans to launch in London, Berlin, and Chicago. I’d also like to launch in Paris, Philadelphia, DC, and Toronto. How cool would it be to get off a plane in a new city, check Artcards, and then instantly know where to go to be a part of the local art scene?
Do you contact the galleries, or do they contact you?
Both. We are on most of the galleries mailing lists and increasingly galleries use our online submission form to add events.
Are all of the listed events and openings free?
If you are asking about the events themselves, most of the openings are free, but if there is a charge, we publish the cost on the listing. If you are asking about whether you have to pay to be listed on Artcards, the answer is no. This is an important aspect of Artcards. For our users/readers, we are committed to listing every art opening possible and then give them the power/tools to personally decide what interests them. By not charging for listings, we are able to create the most comprehensive listing available and remove much of the politics about which galleries to list, which I see as a real problem that plagues most publications. Artcards editors highlight what we think are the best shows, but in the end it’s up the viewers to decide what is great art.
Have you considered including an application on the site that tells readers which events will have free alcohol?
Ha, that has been recommended to me before. The mission of Artcards is to bring you to see art in person, and hopefully have an enriching experience through personal connections you create and artwork that you encounter. The type of drinks that a gallery does or does not provide is one factor that influences the experience and mood of the opening. So in an indirect way, the drinks can affect whether a show is an editor’s pick.
What is your favorite gallery at the moment?
That’s hard. I love all the galleries for giving us a venue to see contemporary art.
According to the stats on Artcards, in the last year White Columns had the most events that were editor’s picks, so in some sense you could say that’s my favorite gallery at the moment. On top of my mind is Horton Gallery.
What art-related events should aficionados look forward to?
Aficionados should look forward to those off-nights when there is no highly publicized event. I find those are often the most memorable experiences. Tips on finding a good off-night: pick a slower day in the art world (Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday), keep track of which galleries you really like, try going out on a day when the weather is really bad, and check the listings on Artcards.
Is there a current style, fad or theme that’s present in galleries, as well as in the art in general?
Many people imagine or wish that to be the case, but it is not.
Do you believe that the business of buying and selling art is currently suffering? Do people buy art the way they used to?
Buying/selling artwork has not changed in any significant way for the last couple decades. On the micro level, prices of artworks currently appear to remain high while volume of sales may be decreasing. That’s based on my general sense, I don’t have any numbers to support it.
Has the website changed since its creation?
Not a whole lot. We are very focused on making the most comprehensive listing of art openings and events. The website is designed to make it easy for users to find the information they need quickly.
Where do you see the site in five years?
In the next five years I see Artcards launching in more cities and our internal system becoming more refined, enabling us to list more shows in more cities. There are some new features in the works that I think our users will find extremely useful. All new features are focused on how to make it easier for our users to have experiences with art that enrich their lives.
There are only a few weeks left in the school year. Art Cards offers the opportunity for students to explore the city and get a taste of New York’s cultural scene before its too late. If you’ve been spending the past semester cooped up at BBQ’s on 8th street (RIP Asian Pub), here’s a chance to impress your parents with a story of how sophisticated New York has made you.