This winter while New York City snowbirds are migrating south, flocks of art lovers are migrating to Manhattan’s westside and Pier’s 92 and 94 for New York’s biggest art fair. Founded in 1994 by dealers Colin de Land, Pat Hearn, Matthew Marks, and Paul Morris and renamed The Armory Show in 1999, a record number of visitors are attracted each year along with galleries in both contemporary and modern art. As always contemporary art housed in Pier 94 with 143 exhibitors separated into four sections including: Contemporary, Armory Presents (solo and two-person projects by galleries less than ten years old), Not-for-Profit (museums, arts organizations and not-for-profit galleries), and Armory Focus (a curated section with a global cultural focus). This year Armory Focus is on the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean (MENAM) regions. Selected by Omar Kholeif, Curator at the Whitechapel Gallery in London and cultural partner Edge of Arabia and Education Partner Art Jameel, MENAM consists of fifteen booths, some with solo projects, others presenting multiple artists.

As always, the VIP opening found a flurry of collectors and artists alike scurrying through the long art-filled corridors looking to hand out that next business card, or make a deal on a piece they’ve been eyeing. One of the best parts of The Armory Show is seeing an artwork by an old favorite or discovering something by an artist new to the scene or just on your personal radar. Celebrities come out and actually do a great job of blending in (talking to you Mike Myers) and each year the gallery roster changes. Below are Top Fifteen Picks for 2015 as selected by Katy Diamond Hamer, in no particular order. Will you brave the cold? 

ALAN VEGA 

Galerie Laurent Godin, Paris

Alan Vega, Rouge, 2014, Mixed media, Galerie Laurent Godin, Paris, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

Alan Vega, Rouge, 2014, Mixed media, Galerie Laurent Godin, Paris, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

IAN TWEEDY

 Monitor Gallery, Rome and New York

Ian Tweedy, Fragment Study IV, 2015, Oil on canvas, Monitor Rome and New York, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

Ian Tweedy, Fragment Study IV, 2015, Oil on canvas, Monitor Rome and New York, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

JUMANA MANNA

CRG Gallery, New York

Part of Armory Focus: MENAM

Jumana Manna, Tombstones fragments, from Al-Kazakhani Graveyard series, Unlicensed Porch, 2010/2014, Broze casts of corroded tombstones, CRG Gallery, New York, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

Jumana Manna, Tombstones fragments, from Al-Kazakhani Graveyard series, Unlicensed Porch, 2010/2014, Broze casts of corroded tombstones, CRG Gallery, New York, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

 ED TEMPLETON

Roberts & Tilton Gallery, Culver City

Ed Templeton, Leopard Skin Tights, 2014, Acrylic on panel, Roberts & Tilton, Culver City, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

Ed Templeton, Leopard Skin Tights, 2014, Acrylic on panel, Roberts & Tilton, Culver City, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

MICHAEL SAILSTORFER

Johann Koenig Gallery, Berlin

Michael Sailstorfer, M8, 2015, cast aluminum, Johann Konig, Berlin, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

Michael Sailstorfer, M8, 2015, cast aluminum, Johann Konig, Berlin, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

MARK GIBSON

 Fredericks & Freiser Gallery, New York

Mark Gibson, (Left to Right) Searchlight, Bad Dream Genie, and Cowering Calamity, all 2015 Acrylic on canvas, Fredericks & Freiser Gallery, New York, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

Mark Gibson, (Left to Right) Searchlight, Bad Dream Genie, and Cowering Calamity, all 2015 Acrylic on canvas, Fredericks & Freiser Gallery, New York, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

 THOMAS SCHULTE

Aanant & Zoo Galerie, Berlin

Thomas Schulte, Detail from full booth installation, Mixed media, Aanant & Zoo Galerie, Berlin, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

MICHAEL E. SMITH

 KOW, Berlin

Michael E. Smith, Untitled sculpture, 2015, Work made using whale vertebrae and the rung of a ladder, KOW, Berlin, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

Michael E. Smith, Untitled sculpture, 2015, Work made using whale vertebrae and the rung of a ladder, KOW, Berlin, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

BIANCA BECK

 Rachel Uffner Gallery, New York

Bianca Beck, Installation view, oil on canvas paintings, Rachel Uffner, New York, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

Bianca Beck, Installation view, oil on canvas paintings, Rachel Uffner, New York, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

ALEANA EGANA

 Kerlin Gallery, Dublin

Aleana Egan, little surface pictures, 2014, Powder coated steel, lacquer, cotton & linen garments, resin, Anti-fatique matting, Kerlin Gallery, Dublin, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

Aleana Egan, little surface pictures, 2014, Powder coated steel, lacquer, cotton & linen garments, resin, Anti-fatique matting, Kerlin Gallery, Dublin, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

PAUL FÄGERSKIÖLD

Galerie Nordenhake, Berlin and Stockholm

Paul Fägerskiöld, Installation view, Paintings on canvas, Galerie Nordenhake, Berlin and Stockholm, The Armory Show, New York, Photograph by Katy Hamer, 2015

Paul Fägerskiöld, Installation view, Paintings on canvas, Galerie Nordenhake, Berlin and Stockholm, The Armory Show, New York, Photograph by Katy Hamer, 2015

KAARI UPSON

Massimo De Carlo, Milano and London

Kaari Upson, Hanging sculpture, Plaster and black pigment, Massimo De Carlo, Milano and London, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

Kaari Upson, Hanging sculpture, Plaster and black pigment, Massimo De Carlo, Milano and London, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

KATHARINA GROSSE

Johann Konig, Berlin

Katharina Grosse, o.T., 2014, Acrylic on canvas, framed, Johann Konig, Berlin, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

Katharina Grosse, o.T., 2014, Acrylic on canvas, framed, Johann Konig, Berlin, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

KARIN SANDER

i8 Gallery, Reykjavik

Karin Sander, Mailed Painting 156, 2014, Bonn - Berlin- New York, i8 Gallery, Reykjavik, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

Karin Sander, Mailed Painting 156, 2014, Bonn – Berlin- New York, i8 Gallery, Reykjavik, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

RYAN SLUGGETT

 Richard Telles Fine Art, Los Angeles

Ryan Sluggett, Installation view with various paintings, All oil on vinyl, 2015, Richard Telles Fine Art, Los Angeles, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

Ryan Sluggett, Installation view with various paintings, All oil on vinyl, 2015, Richard Telles Fine Art, Los Angeles, Photograph by Katy Hamer, The Armory Show, 2015

The Armory Show is open to the public until  Sunday, March 8th, 12 pm to 7 pm.

Piers 92 & 94 are located on Manhattan’s west side on the Hudson River (Twelfth Avenue) at 55th Street in the Passenger Ship Terminal complex. The piers are easily accessible by public transportation, taxi, and private vehicle. The nearest subway stop is four cross-town blocks east at 50th Street and Eighth Avenue.

More soon

xo