Art & Culture: Art + NYC: A Complete Guide to New York City Art and Artists

With Book Expo America behind us for another year, what are the hordes of book industry types who aren’t based in New York City going to do to fill the time they have left in the Big Apple? Granted, there’s never any shortage of fun and interesting things to do in the city that never sleeps. However, if one of the things those out-of-towners want to do is get a primo art fix, Art + NYC: A Complete Guide to New York City Art and Artists (Museyon) is just the book to get them started.

Like other books in the Museyon line, Art + NYC is the full palette. It takes on its topic with two feet on the ground, and combines everything you need for a primer on the New York City art scene, and crams it elegantly into a book small enough to push into your purse or extra-roomy jacket pocket.

The book begins with a concise overview of art in the City, then briefly but complete looks at various movements and how they fit into the local scene. A sidebar introduces the major players of each movement. Next, the book offers profiles of nine celebrated New York artists: Mark Rothko, Robert Rauschenberg, Yoko Ono, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Donald Judd, Cindy Sherman and Jeff Koons.

The balance of the book -- its most significant portion -- is given over to detailed maps and listings of galleries in New York City, by area, including Queens, Brooklyn and a section called “Extended Travel” that takes you beyond the city and into the surrounding areas, including the Hamptons, Montauk and so on.

Art + NYC is the bomb. Necessary for art-minded travelers and locals with a desire to immerse themselves in the art scene. The book also offers a great deal to art lovers everywhere who want to feel more plugged in to one of the most exciting and important art cities in the world. ◊

Linda L. Richards is editor of January Magazine and the author of several books.