I'm surprised I'd never heard of this place prior to getting an ad on social media for a Keith Haring retrospective. First off, it's an impressive and imposing building, a former ConEd electrical substation so you've got a sturdy building with high clearances. Then you take on the fact that Walter De Maria (whose installations are still on view elsewhere in the city) used this building as his home and studio, and as a De Maria fan that's worthy of note. So whatever art is on, you have a unique setting. As for the art, there are 4 viewable galleries (shop at the ground floor), and the top floors have windows that give great views of the city. (An elevator will take you between floors so it is accessible though stairs are available too.) As mentioned, there was a Haring show happening when I visited. I wasn't terribly sure about the $20 price, unable to discern if it was going to be more like a gallery than a museum exhibition. But it was a museum-quality show and it took me about 45 minutes to make it through. The setting worked especially well for Haring - some of the art on show was subway chalk drawings he had made, and when they were paired with the brick backing of the room it looked authentic to the subway station where he created the work originally. Well worth the money. For this show at least there was a timed admission but it was not crowded and despite the respectable attendance you can still have an intimate experience. read more

I visited the Brant Foundation last Sunday to see their current exhibit on Keith Haring (which closes on May 31). It was my first visit, and I was really blown away by the space. It kind of falls somewhere between a gallery and a museum - their full name is "The Brant Foundation Art Study Center" - so what exactly are you in for? It's an exhibition space - no permanent collection - so they are open for exhibits and closed while the next exhibit is being installed. And it has a hefty admission price (I paid $20 for my admission to the Keith Haring exhibit). But if there's an exhibit you're interested in, there's nothing like the Brant. The space is incredible. The Brant is located in a former Consolidated Edison substation, so it has 7,000 square feet of space that looks industrial and loft-like, yet has incredible ceiling height and light. They also have two adjacent gardens. It's one of the most incredible spaces I've seen an art exhibit. On top of that, the exhibit was incredible. By scanning a QR code, you could pull up each of the pieces in the exhibit by floor of the Brant and read about them. As almost all of Keith Haring's work was untitled, I do wish they had included more context and information about the works included, but I was still floored by the exhibit and the works they were able to put together for the show. When I was shopping in their gift shop before leaving, I realized just how many incredible exhibits they've put on in their history. As soon as I got home, I signed up for their email newsletter so I don't miss their next great exhibit. read more

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I was so excited to see the Keith Haring exhibit here and The Brant Foundation Gallery did not disappoint. This is a gorgeous venue. It was originally a 16,000 square foot Con Ed substation. The gallery has been modernized and it's a site to see, keeping lots of its original beauty. The Keith Haring featured artwork was stunning and so impactful in this space. It's so sad he has been gone 36 years already. Go enjoy this amazing exhibit. It's only here until 5/31/26. There are 4 floors in the building. The first floor is mostly a gift shop and there are 3 other floors with Keith Haring work. I wish there was a docent or audio that you could listen to. The only info available is via a QR code or tablets that are on each floor, sometimes with more detail about the images. Now that i know this gorgeous gallery exists, I will be watching for more exhibits. Insider Tip: Check the website for entry time availability. There are certain hours where you can get a discount on admission. You need a ticket to enter. read more

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It's open on Sundays. Purchased a ticket online and entered right away. It's located in the southeast part of town. Saw the Haring exhibition- they have a good collection. It's four floors - the first floor is the gift shop and entrance. The art is located on floors 2-4. It's a nice private collection. They have some of Haring's original chalk drawings. read more

The Brant Foundation - Art Museums Near Me - New York, New York

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2nd time here for a major exhibition (1st was the life-changing Basquiat exhibit in 2019) and the Keith Haring show did not disappoint. The space alone is so outstanding but the herculean effort to pull so many unseen Haring works from private collections was monumental. Love. read more

This is a lesser known venue in NYC. I discovered it from a TikTok account where the creator is attempting to visit every museum in New York City. There are four floors, very spacious. Great gift shop and helpful staff. Reviewing their past exhibitions, they've hosted a large variety of thought provoking works by well known and lesser known artists. I went to see the futuristic, space age art of Kenny Scharf. The art was colorful, psychedelic, fun, and interesting! The art was also well placed and dramatic looking. Ticket after taxes was 21.75, which is pretty high when most galleries are free, but this was worth it in my opinion. Looking forward to seeing more from this space in the future. read more

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Came here for the Kenny Scharf exhibit. The building is 4 floors with high ceilings. Theres a large elevator to take you between floors and you can also take the stairs. The exhibit was awesome. I loved seeing Kenny's work displayed in this large venue. There's a small gift shop but we did not buy anything. There's also bathrooms on site. No food or drink allowed in the exhibit. The staff were helpful. There was also an app you could download that would explain the art to you. Unlike most museums, they did not have explanations next to the art itself so the app was pretty much required if you wanted more insight to the art. read more

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This is my second time visiting. The first was in 2023 To see Basquiat and Warhol. How I returned to see Scharf. What a beautiful space!!! Elevator on site to take you to the top floor and then you work your way down via steps. Clean spacious and just beautiful views of the Manhattan drop!!! The sun roof on the top floor is dreamy! Staff always so helpful. Quite a walk to the train (12 minutes) lots of food options nearby. Staff always helpful! Love Brant!!! read more

A very rare art collection of Andy Warhol & Basquiat is on display at this location. I took the subway here from Brooklyn with some minor walking. The collection dates from 1983-1987 just right before Andy Warhol's death. This collection came from France & it belongs to Louis Vutton (forgive my spelling--I'm exhausted). Yet it has deep NYC - The Factory roots. SAMO for you graffiti taggers. It was an Artsy-Fartsy day for me. Warning: this building use to be a power station. Be aware of the track when you walk in (entrance). You start on the 4th floor and work your way down. The stairs are kinda narrow. When you enter the 3rd floor be very careful of the step up. I took a nasty fall & it was loud. I have a huge bump on my knee & I can already see some bruising. Thank God I did not break any bones. I will say I am in pain as I write this. So please be careful. If you have AMEX, you can buy tickets via the offers/ partner section of the Amex app. Restrooms on 3rd & 1st floor. One person use. You exit through the gift shop. That Marilyn Monroe sweatshirt is $185. Some Basquiats are $200. Marilyn Monroe shirt is $50. It's Art- it's up to you on how you value it. Service was great. I told staff about that step. Hopefully they put yellow reflective tape on the edge of that 3rd floor step. I gave it a 4 because I fell. read more

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Pretty cool situation. Super wealthy family, bought a crazy house in the east village specifically to exhibit their personal collection of art. The exhibit (Andy Warhol) was interesting in itself the house it's spaced I. Is in some ways even more interesting . And only about &10 admission fee, which these days is a bargain. Worth a look. read more

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EVA (East Village Access) members took off for Brant Foundation on December 5, 2023. So excited to see the paintings of Warhol and Basquiat. Sabrina, the gracious hostess, shared with us all about the artists. Everyone enjoyed it very much and we learned a lot. What a wonderful trip it was. read more

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Yelp friends will help you discover new experiences. On a recent trip to NYC with Debbie P, I experienced works by Jean-Michel Basquiat at The Brant Foundation. The Foundation is in a century-old building that was once a substation for Consolidated Edison. The building was later converted to a home and studio by artist Walter De Maria in the 1980's. Now the building has four floors of open, well lit exhibit space. March 6 - May 15, 2019, being the inaugural event in this space. The exhibit Debbie was excited to see? Jean-Michel Basquiat. Who ? That's what friends are for. To introduce you to different art. Organized by Foundation Louis Vuitton and by Brant Foundation, (founder Peter M. Brant and Dr. Dieter Buchhart,) they have brought together a substantial number of Basquiat's works from the Brant Collections and other private collections. This contemporary artist who created pieces by using cut-and-paste sampling from his surroundings. Basquiat (1960-1988) had created over 1,000 paintings and more than 2,000 drawings in less than 10 years. His art, began as informal graffiti with satirical statements of the culture of the Lower East Side. By the 1980s, his neo-expressionist paintings were being exhibited in galleries and museums internationally. This exhibit was diverse in size and thoughts. Tickets are free and should be reserved a couple of weeks before. We got lucky and were told if we wanted to wait we might get in in an hour. It was like 15 minutes. No food or drink allowed inside. Maintain three feet distance from all art pieces. Photos are allowed without flash. You can take your time starting on the top floor and work your way down. Study it, look at it, talk about it. read more

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Not big but they have cool exhibitions, not even sure how this is funded. But nice building, new and super helpful employees

BASQUIAT! ENOUGH SAID! Tears AS we entered into the 71 piece exhibit. Four floors of amazing space to highlight the abstract and poignant full-size, original revolutionary paintings. Staff was gracious, kind and allowed free-flowing movement. You enter on the first floor then taken up to the fourth, via elevator. You make your way back down to view pieces on each floor back to the first. There is a quaint space to sell numerous books, gifts, t-shirts and other paraphernalia. Restrooms on the first but only as you exit and the third, which you can access immediately. The Brant is one of THE contemporary foundations to support and stay connected to because they have their finger on the pulse of art that eternalizes life! read more

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I was excited to see Basquiat's work and this exhibit lived up to the hype. I got tickets online months ago when they first dropped and it was well worth it. I enjoyed recognizing some of the consistent themes in the artist's work - the 1950s, commodities (sugar, cotton, etc), genitalia, animals (baboons, etc), politics, teeth, etc. All so interesting. The space is obviously new (lean on the walls and you'll get dust on your clothes), very clean, secure, well organized, with friendly staff. Also, tickets are for timed entries, but they aren't really strict at the door. Also, you'll be spoilt for choice with places to eat in the area. read more

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The Basquiat Exhibit might be the best art exhibit I've ever seen. To see all his pieces displayed together like that was so incredibly powerful. The space is stunning as well and flows really well. Essentially you begin by riding an elevator up to the top floor and working your way down. The first and last floors were probably my favorite, but all were fantastic. Love the soothing water pool on the ceiling on the top floor. The huge wall of his paintings on the bottom floor was visually stunning - I think I stood in the same spot looking at it for close to half an hour. YAY for free admission to see one of the greats! read more

So glad I decided to try to get a standby ticket to this exhibit! The building itself is beautiful and to have the pleasure of seeing so many of the amazing Jean Michel Basquiat works was a once in a lifetime. On top of that; it's FREE!!! It is pretty much sold out through the end of the show, but I went last Friday with 3 friends and we all got in. If you love New York and it's great street art history you need to try and see this!!! read more

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Free art! Don't do what I did and just show up and hope for a miracle. I got lucky but you don't want to miss the Basquiat show. Not sure if all shows going forward will be free. Check the website before you go: https://brantfoundation.org The space is an old Con Edison switch house that has been gutted and turned into a gallery. You start at the top and work your way down. There are amazing views out the windows as well as what's on the walls. A must see for visitors. A must regular art spot for locals. read more

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Saw the Mike Kelley installation and other exhibition before. Always great art in dialogue with the space.

The Basquiat exhibit at The Brant Foundation has an overwhelming buzz on social media causing enthusiasts of all walks to flock to the East Village. Not only does BF boast one of the largest solo Basquiat exhibits in his very own NYC, but it also serves as a gorgeous backdrop for his deeply complex pieces. Having visited the Greenwich location, I was a skeptical of the ramifications the foundation would bring into another gentrified NYC neighborhood stripped of it's culture. However, the juxtaposition conveys the raw emotions/thoughts in Basquiat's work in a serene setting. In a well played move, walking through the open loft style of the old building with the backdrop of new and old East Village felt homey and not stuffy. An element I've learned to appreciate with Brant Foundation. When I first visited the Greenwich location for the Jason Rhoades exhibit I didn't make an appointment and arrived very close to closing. Instead of being turned away however, the staff graciously welcomed by bf and I, gave us a quick guided tour around the house and let us walk around at our own pace. I have carried that encounter with me and which is why I quickly jumped at the opportunity to visit the Basquiat exhibit, lucky to snag tix before they sold out. While this exhibit is not guided and interaction with the staff is very limited it still allows you to unwind in the space and enjoy the art even with the time slotted tickets. I look forward to visiting the Foundation many more times and hope that they maintain the gracious integrity I now associate with this foundation. I appreciate that tickets are free and hope there is outreach to invite the community to visit when they may not have the means to reserve tickets online like the rest of us. read more

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The Warhol show at the Brant Foundation diminished my admiration for Warhol. Last year I went to the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, which greatly increased it. One problem is there is no commentary on any of the works. Multiple pictures of Mao and the Last Supper, but why? Just because that's what they've got? A lot of shoe art, and from the Museum I have some understanding about Andy and shoes. But there's nothing to explain that at the Brant. The boast is they have over 100 Warhols. The sad fact was I was done in 15 minutes, feeling like the $20 entrance was a ripoff. read more

This was the most amazing gallery experience I've ever had. When you first arrive outside you have no idea if you're at the right place. The facade looks like a weed dispensary from Men in Black. Upon entering you are greeted as if you're about to have a fine dining experience. Everyone (even security) is so friendly. The flow is beautifully orchestrated with intention. The views of the city from the back rooms are gorgeous and of course this particular exhibit was absolutely breathtaking. Lastly. The most unassuming handsome man takes care of the place. He's in charge and cares deeply about the space. The women in the gift shop are super cool. They seem like they love their jobs and oh!.... BASQUIAT LIVES!!! read more

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Saw the "Female Figure" by Jordan Wolfson here recently. Besides the young girl working the gift shop, everyone is very happy to help and assist. The Asian guy checking people in is extremely sweet and friendly. read more

this was a really nice museum. friendly staff. clean bathrooms. pretty nice size rooms with the art. i saw the Warhol & Basquiat exhibit. it seems its only open a certain amount of time before they install another exhibit. i'm glad i finally got to see it. there was one dude outside that kept bugging people to leave their drinks/water bottles outside or finish them which was really fucking annoying. they didn't check my bag thank god but i would have left. how can you tell people to finish off an entire bottle of water??? it looks gross with all the bottles in the corner of the entrance. -_- just tell them not to take it out! most museums tell you that. i need water. i don't care. its not my fault people or kids are immature and probably throw liquid! i don't do shit like that. read more

Saw the Warhol and Basquiat collaboration exhibit. Such a treat. Thank you for putting together this extraordinary exhibition. Loved the gift shop. read more

falsely advertised warhol exhibition. I could've gone to an art gallery and seen more pieces that had descriptions. Over 100 works? It felt more like 30. For someone as iconic as Andy Warhol they could have curated a MUCH more complex exhibit, especially for the price. Also, so many people were talking over each other I couldn't dissect anything and couldn't hear the guy explaining the art (again, I would rather read what the art is about not have to hear it from someone over so many people talking at once). The constant scanning of the QR code was frustrating, and even then there were still hardly any descriptions of the works. This was an overall disappointment that could have been executed way better. read more

Honestly ever since I saw the Basquiat exhibit here back in 2019 I've been in Love with the place. They truly put art first by Discounting student tickets and accepting walk-ins. The staff is also very knowledgable and helpful read more

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Absolutely rude, inhospitable doorman/crowd control guy.....At about 2pm, friday, 1 person in a line, no else.....man revfuses to initially answer questions about how to gain entrance/ reservations, told me wait 45 min to gain entrance maybe, with no one in line or coming to a line...extreme;ly rude hostile behavior--the worst I have seen at a so-called museum/ gallery space...He behaved like you were gaining entrance to a late-night club in east village---a club with no line/ no one in sight waiting....extremely disgruntled read more