Located in Manhattan, west of Fifth Avenue, the Solow Art & Architecture Gallery houses one of the most prestigious art collections in the country. But imagine that she never allowed visitors. An aberration about to be rectified according to the New York Post, which reports that the gallery could finally welcome the public from 2023.
The Solow collection is actually located in one of the most luxurious and expensive skyscrapers in the city. Built in 1975, it belongs to the Soliviev group, founded by Sheldon Solow, a real estate magnate who died last November. It was Hayden Soloviev, one of his grandsons, vice-president of the Soliviev group, who confirmed the opening to the public of this impenetrable place. Located at number 9 of the 57th street West, the collection could for this purpose grow and extend on the 58th street West.
According to Natasha Schlesinger, founder of ArtMuse, an artistic consulting firm specializing in organizing tours, the inaccessibility of the Solow collection is currently causing a lot of tension in the art world, but also beyond. “Everyone is excluded. Even the highest-ranking people can’t get in.“, she says. “Personally, I have already been able to take a look at it, but only by looking through the windows that overlook the street. I was never able to get inside.”
Managed by Ethan Arnheim, an art collector from Washington, the Solow Foundation website informs potential visitors of the specifics of the place. In a humorous tone, the homepage lists the non-opening hours of the place as follows:
Monday: Inaccessible
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: Not open to the public
Thursday: Closed
Friday: Like the rest of the week
Saturday: No opening to the public
Sunday: Still not
In addition to its inaccessibility, the foundation is especially controversial because it allowed the Solow group to benefit from substantial tax advantages even when the place was closed. A fact from which she absolutely does not hide and which Ethan Arnheim even highlights on the site of the place (and with a certain nerve): “The gallery was created by Sheldon Solow, a billionaire real estate developer from New York. It is classified for tax purposes as a private foundation of public utility. Its official mission is to “to preserve and exhibit works of art in order to present them to the public”. However, the public does not have access to any of these works. (…) “As a private foundation, it grants tax benefits to its sole board member, Sheldon Solow ”.
Despite the controversy, Natasha Schlesinger explains that she will gladly organize tours of the collection when possible. According to her, the Solow Art & Architecture Gallery is aimed at art lovers as well as professionals and specialists. Estimated at more than 200 million dollars according to the information announced on its site, the collection indeed houses emblematic figures of modern art like Alberto Giacometti, Francis Bacon and Henry Moore. Among the key works acquired by the foundation, let us mention a work by Henry Matisse on the circus and entitled acrobats, or a painting by Joan Miró in shades of blue.
Regardless of that detail, Schlesinger says she would happily give private tours of the gallery because she knows her collection would be well appreciated by anyone who loves art, even a little. The works exhibited at Solow are estimated at more than $200 million, according to its site. Highlights include Henry Matisse’s work titled acrobats, which has the circus as its theme, and a painting by Joan Miró in blue colors, entitled Painting. Other renowned artists to be exhibited include Alberto Giacometti, Francis Bacon and Henry Moore.
“I can’t wait to add this place to my list of must-visit art spots in NYC“, Ms. Schlesinger concludes.”Let’s not look back and look forward to the opening of this gallery soon.”
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