The Drawing Center

Difficult to rate an art gallery. I really loved the space, right in the heart of SoHo. I was a bit less drawn to the art that was on display — but that’s probably just a matter of personal taste. I still recommend visiting if you’re looking for a nice art experience in the middle of the concrete jungle, haha.

In the Medium of Life at The Drawing Center offers a rare, intimate look into Beauford Delaney’s inner world—one shaped by solitude, resilience, and brilliance. Curated by Rebecca DiGiovanna and Laura Hoptman, the exhibition centers on Delaney’s works on paper—sketches, pastels, and notebook drawings—as the essence of his artistic journey. Spanning from Harlem to Paris, the show traces his evolution from realistic portraits to luminous abstraction. A standout moment is the 1945 pastel of James Baldwin, contextualized with text highlighting their deep, decades-long friendship. Baldwin called Delaney “the first living proof… that a Black man could be an artist,” and this tribute resonates throughout the show. Delaney’s abstractions shimmer with spiritual intensity, while even the simplest sketch pulses with urgency. Set against radiant yellow walls, the drawings are both sanctuary and revelation. This is not just a retrospective—it’s a reclamation of a queer Black visionary whose brilliance transcends medium. #BeaufordDelaney #DrawingCenterNYC #JamesBaldwin #QueerArtHistory #HarlemRenaissance #ParisNoir #TransatlanticModernism #BlackModernism

Located in SoHo, The Drawing Center is a beautifully curated, free contemporary art gallery dedicated exclusively to drawing. Spread across two floors, the space is intimate yet stimulating. Exhibits change every few months, so there’s always something new to see. I also appreciated the small but well-designed gift shop, which features thoughtfully selected items that reflect the gallery’s curatorial taste. It’s a great place to pop into between shopping or gallery-hopping.

The Drawing Center is highly recommended as a delightful find in the city. The admission is free. There is an elevator that enables the visitor to enter when they need mobility assistance. Once on the main floor I didn't see a way to go to the bottom floor to see the rest of the exhibition without taking stairs so I did not go. The building is well maintained and well lit. The employees were friendly and helpful. There is a small gift shop at the front of the building. It is an easy walk from the Canal Street station on the 1 or the R.

Visited The Drawing Center for the Frank Walter to Capture a Soul Exhibit. As you enter into the space you arrive in a small reception/ gift shop from there you enter into the gallery which is surprisingly spacious and the exhibit was full of thought provoking pieces. Really well put together. Sadly, I tried for several weeks to get in touch with the curator of the exhibit and was unable to get a return call.

Lovely museum all about different pieces of drawn art. Not a huge museum but had 3 exhibits highlighting different artists all with very different styles each unique and special in their own way. Easily spend 1-2 hours strolling around. FREE admission! Clean spacious bathrooms.

The Drawing Center was on my hit list for this trip to New York. Founded in 1977 by Martha Beck, @drawingcenter is an exhibition space in downtown Manhattan’s SoHo neighbourhood. The Center explores various drawing mediums both past and present. The current exhibition is free to visit. Two artists were featured on my visit: Frank Walter: To Capture a Soul and Josh Smith: Life Drawing . Frank Walter is an Antiguan artist (1926-2009) and a prolific producer of art, music, diaries, family trees (he was obsessed with his connection to British royalty. Known as a polymath, he had an amazing thirst for knowledge and self improvement. Smart, savvy and able to work across a variety of mediums, his body of work is exceptional and I found it breathtaking to absorb everything that was exhibited. “During his lifetime Walter produced over 5,000 paintings, 1,000 drawings, 600 sculptures, 2,000 photographs, 468 hours of recordings, and a 50,000-page archive.” (The Drawing Center website). Josh Smith, also a feature of this exhibition, shows his alignment with Frank Walter’s style. It’s Smith’s first exhibition of drawings. Spent over an hour exploring the entire collection, soaking up Walter’s work first which set the groundwork for Smith’s work. Admired Walter’s volume of art and diversity of the mediums. His autobiography contained 6824 sheets of typed content. Phew! (See photo) Also appreciated the colour and somewhat abstract paintings of Smith. So much so I was tempted to buy a print from the well stocked merchandise space. If I was staying longer, I’d definitely return for the next exhibition. Thank you to the team who presented all the works with care and compassion. #thewanderingreviewer #frankwalter #frankwalterantigua #frankwalterart #joshsmithartist #joshuasmithart #joshsmith #thedrawingcenter #newyork2024 #thedrawingcenternyc #thedrawingcenternewyork

A surprising amount of artworks from the 1960s. The collection is well maintained and has many people collaborating across the two floors.

Was Tribeca May 26-30th tried twice on two different days to visit, both days closed, no explanation on door and no reply order message! I have been on two other visits and loved the museum but thought a bit sloppy to close without explanation!

Overall it is a small museum, with some cool art. It is in SoHo and worth checking out if you're in the area. Less than 30 mins to see the whole thing and its currently free

The Drawing Center will reopen on October 7, by appointment only. All visitors will need to make a (free) timed-entry reservation ahead of their visit. The number of visitors will be limited, visits will be limited to one hour, and visitors will be required to wear masks & practice social distancing. Also, sanitizing stations and new signage have been installed. The modified hours will be 12-6 p.m. on Wednesday-Sunday, and there won't be any group bookings available. Visitors are asked to use hand sanitizer upon entry (it will be provided). There won't be a coat check, nor can any items be stored for visitors. The bookstore will remain closed, therefore all book purchases must be made online.

Beautiful gallery space, timed entry so you should book online in advance. Gallery entrance is free admission. David Hammons show was excellent. Really appreciated his selected prints. Well worth the trip. Ebecho Muslimova exhibit was fun, seemed like she could've occupied more space. Sublevel gallery space was quite small for her work.

Small but very nice and beautiful studio, $3 with student ID. If you just enjoy the art basis and on looking you will enjoy this museum.

A small museum that offers one artist per exhibition. So you get to know the artist's work and inner workings by seeing a variety of their and only their work.

SMALL gallery that i visited to see the Ferran Adria exhibit! there's one gallery room & space downstairs for movies to play on a screen if you aren't a member of the gallery, expect to pay $3 if you have a student ID or $5 if you aren't a student.. ALTHOUGH it's free on thursdays from 6-8pm i'd come back if there was another exhibit i was interested in seeing, but otherwise i'm not sure i'd make the trek out of curiosity since the center is so small

Nice spot. 1) If art is really your thing, you will like it. 2) The place is small. 3) Come during Thursday's from 6-8pm, it is free.

One of my favorite art galleries, the Drawing Center, a not-for-profit space, continues to show innovative art in Soho, long after most galleries have left the neighborhood. The Drawing Center showcases art by artists working in the medium of drawing only. But the work on exhibit represents an amazing range of styles and strategies, expanding the idea of drawing way beyond what you expect it to be. Smart, creative work and very well curated. They also have a great ongoing serie of artists' talks and authors' readings.

I Love all Non-profit Art galleries With great programming and intriguing shows.

Since my review are typically about as useful, and since Justin L. set the precedent nearly three years ago, and since this place has 2 freakin' reviews in 6+ years, I'll just say that you should drop in Thursdays from 6-8 before they dismantle the kinda-unimpressive Adria exhibit, 'cause IDK what goes on here otherwise if Yelpers haven't been.