All great things come to an end, The West Chelsea Festival of Art ended last Friday, December 1, 2023, which is bittersweet for a month-long arts festival. The West Chelsea Festival of Art highlighted important contemporary artists, performance artists, and musicians who addressed the social and public issues at the forefront of current creative discourse – supporting intersectional feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, love, human rights and representation, anti-violence, and anti-racism.
The festival applauded art as an unifying force of community and the cultural power it holds. It shared the works of 100 hundred artists and showcased a wide selection of works ranging in content and medium, displaying their diversity and drive within the international art community. The Festival specifically celebrated the creative persistence of New York City’s West Chelsea Art District, which continues to serve as a sturdy foundation of the art world both in New York and abroad.
CondorMulticolor (Juan) performed on November 15, 2023, pictured with “THE WITCH”, artwork by Marcus Glitteris
The iconic West Chelsea Building hosted a number of the festival’s programs and events while additional support and space will be provided by various hosted locations in the West Chelsea area, including the Caelum Gallery, the Spirit Del Art Gallery, and the Pictor Gallery. Through artist talks, presentations, and demonstrations, attendees had a glimpse behind the scenes of working studios and galleries, getting a personal peek at the inner workings of artists’ processes and productions.
Isis Swaby performed original music from her upcoming EP project, Crystal Baby Manifesto, at Caelum Gallery on November 25, 2023.
Maashiyah performed original music at Caelum Gallery on November 25, 2023, pictured with artwork by Qinza Najm and Adrian Buckmaster.
Art viewers at the Caelum Gallery’s closing party
Laura Weyl, Liquid Light Projection with Yoga Flow by Or Nah, at the West Chelsea Arts Building Penthouse.
Nikki Sweet performed, “ATM” and other original music at the West Chelsea Arts Building’s Penthouse.
Eva Mueller, “Just A Moment” installation on November 26, 2023, at the West Chelsea Arts Building Penthouse. The installation of sculptural flora, Alien Bloom created from plastic disposable bottles by Gocha Chkadua.
This West Chelsea Festival of Art will be missed but I’m looking forward to next year’s West Chelsea Festival of Art, returning with co-collaborators and curators, Katie Cercone, Eva Mueller, Fanny Perez, and Scotto Mycklebust. It’s a powerful force when all mediums of art can live in one space and freely be released to the world. The festival highlighted and showcased a curated selection of events and programs from over 100 participating artists presenting artworks in the form of visual art, film, fashion, music, dance, spoken word, and performance among other mediums. If you want to learn more about the media and visual artists, musicians, and performers, who participated, visit the West Chelsea Festival of Art.
