A painting featured during ArtCrawl Harlem

Soho and Chelsea may grab all the attention when it comes to New York’s art scene but Harlem boasts a vibrant array of galleries and museums, minus the crowds.   Artcrawl Harlem rounds up some of these art discoveries with a three and half- hour trolley tour that supplies historical background and a reception with food and live music at the end of the tour. For its second year, the Artcrawl focuses on East Harlem galleries and Spanish Harlem history.  If you’ve ever tried to explore Manhattan landmarks in an afternoon, you know that New York’s long stretches of streets and sprawling layout don’t make it easy.  Artcrawl Harlem’s trolley tour gives you easy with 30-minute trolley stops at 5-7 galleries and art spaces, giving you time to actually peruse the art without worrying about parking or schedules.

For November’s tour, the Artcrawl will visit El Museo Del Barrio, to view Latin American and Caribbean artists from before WWII, My Art gallery to view Colombian artist’s Cecillia Moreno-Yaghoubi’s three dimensional work, Poet’s Den Gallery to witness Michael Lindwasser’s abstract photos, Medianoche for a Czech Republic installation and Taller Boricua/Puerto Rican Workshop to see the  group exhibition  ’Crossing Bridges/Cruzando Puentes”.  A tour guide explains the context and history for each gallery as well as public art spaces and murals.  These tours are exciting and exhaustive, they make a perfect excursion for a New York weekend.  Stay in the area at the Sugar Hill Bed and Breakfast, a restored brownstone with elegant rooms dedicated to jazz greats that hung out in the area like Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis.

Ending reception at Artcrawl Harlem

Artcrawl Harlem’s Fall tour kicks off on November 7, at 12:30-4:30 for trolley tour, the ending reception runs until 6:30 PM

ArtCrawl Harlem tours are offered in November, April and August

Tickets are $55

Photos courtesy of ArtCrawl Harlem