Make your way to the 10th Avenue Cookshop where you will be met by a seasoned professional in this area (either an artist, or a critic, and usually both).
There is no charge to enter any of the galleries visited. You will visit between 3-5 based on the groups interest.
The walking tour begins with your docent discussing the neighborhood itself, which covers the area from 13th to 29th street and between 7th and 11th avenues. Long the home of industrial commerce, including taxi depots and autobody shops, Chelsea first rose to art world prominence in the late nineties when there was a mass exodus of galleries from city's previous art hotspot, SoHo. The area was colonized by market savvy gallerists interested in its preponderance of large, commercially ready spaces, and thus offers a unique example of a commercially engineered scene.
Look at the economics behind its rise and the effect of that on the art world in general. Then jump into the art itself, picking your way from gallery to gallery, guided in part by what's currently on show, but mostly by your docent's strong knowledge of the galleries and their strengths (and weaknesses).
Your walk will allow for a broad overview of the galleries, including visits to pioneers like Metro Pictures and Paula Cooper, as well as to some galleries on the fringe of Chelsea where a string of young dealers have set up exciting programs.
The exact course of your walk varies day to day but promises to give a full overview of the New York art world today for neophyte and collector alike.
The tour ends in Chelsea.