UES Galleries Open Their Doors For Free Event This Weekend

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Madison Avenue's many world-renowned galleries are opening their doors to the public this weekend with the return of the Madison Avenue Spring Art Walk.

The free event on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. features 45 galleries spanning the iconic East Side avenue from East 57th to East 86th streets.

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Among the galleries participating this year are the new Gagosian, which just opened this April at East 76th Street with a Marcel Duchamp show. Some of the most notable shows include a collection of Salvador Dali's works at Di Donna and a collection of Henri Matisse's works at Acquavella Galleries.

Several of the galleries are also hosting tours and art talks, like Luxembourg + Co., which is hosting a talk on motorized technologies in 20th-century art, and D Lan Galleries, which is hosting a talk on Australian First Nations art.

"The art that's being shown is truly remarkable, from some very contemporary artists to the great masters," Matt Bauer, the executive director of the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District, told Patch.

The Madison Avenue Business Improvement District and ARTnews host the annual event. The event has been held every May and October since 2008.

"It's a very easy way to have a gallery experience, knowing that there are lots of other folks that you can talk about the art with — it's a very welcoming environment," Bauer said.

Part of the fun is getting an exclusive look inside many of the avenue's historic mansions, which have been reconfigured as galleries, Bauer said.

Additionally, the Arader Galleries, at 1016 Madison Ave., has a special piece of art history in front of it — a sidewalk designed by 20th-century artist Alexander Calder, when he lived in the neighborhood, Bauer said.

"Many of the buildings are individual landmarks, and you can see the interiors of former houses that have been converted into galleries," Bauer said. "It's a way to experience not only the great galleries and the great art that's inside of them, but also to experience the historic buildings that line the avenue."

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.