August in New York Art Galleries: Where Transient and Reemerging Converge

August in New York City can often be a month of change and transformation. This is reflected in the art world as well, as galleries close for installations and prepare for the fall season. But there are still many exciting exhibitions to see this month, especially those that highlight the transient and the reemerging.

A Gallery Inside Leroy Street Studio Reopens

Allen Street Gallery, tucked within Leroy Street Studio’s office storefront, has reopened for the first time since the start of the pandemic with a group show curated by Annie Chen Ziyao. “Living Room Rhapsody” is a pleasing jumble of nine designers’ works, including Charlie Mai’s puffy black coffee table and stools, John Kim’s unexpectedly delicate “collage lantern,” and Soobin Jeon’s beaded ceramics that look like brightly encrusted shells.

Fernando Santangelo’s New LES Boutique

In Chinatown, two steps below street level in a former massage parlor, you’ll find Galerie Santangelo, a treasure chest of items that New York–based interior designer Fernando Santangelo sources personally, many from his native Uruguay. The antique selection is eclectic and leans toward the ornate, with Baroque religious paintings, a table base made entirely of seashells, and chained gothic candelabras.

Brazilian Modernism in Southampton

Furniture gallery Found Collectibles is bringing Brazil to Southampton, displaying masterworks of South American mid-century furniture in the luxury consignment store Collette Home. Some of the country’s most acclaimed designers will be on display, such as Giuseppe Scapinelli’s rosewood-and-glass dining table and Jean Gillon’s leather sling chair.

Piscina’s Mobile Shelving Unit

Geometric wood assemblages have become a specialty for Natalie Shook, the designer behind Brooklyn design studio and gallery Piscina. Her latest ‘Ledoux Shelving Unit’ is as playful as it is complex, with layered, jigsawed shapes and concealed compartments. The hand-carved work was a custom commission, and future iterations can be customized for any height or shelf combination.

Colorful Optimism at Eric Firestone’s Hamptons Gallery

In East Hampton, Eric Firestone Gallery opens a sprawling show of bold and elaborate works by 22 artists. Loosely themed around optimism, “Alright Alright Alright” is a showcase of pattern, material, and color that feels high-energy. Kelsey Brookes’ kaleidoscopic sewn Indian tapestries and Jason Middlebrook’s pristine lines of automotive paint on maple wood are intricate and hypnotic, while Bruce M. Sherman’s irreverent and intriguing ceramic, metal, and rock characters add a touch of whimsy.