Traverse the Decades of New York City Architecture at Michael Ingbar Gallery

For New Yorkers, the constant cycle of deterioration and gentrification, of demolition and rebuilding, is a fact of life. And although being able to adapt to these changes is a crucial trait of any urban dweller, nostalgia is universally felt. Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the signing of the New York Landmarks law, enacted to preserve the city’s architectural heritage, “Nostalgia NYC” at Michael Ingbar Gallery is a beautiful, sentimental reflection on the physical transformations of New York City.

In drawings, paintings, and photographs, twenty artists depict a city whose history is written on the face of every building, across the surface of every sidewalk. Iconic subway signage, the ornate moldings of Grand Central Terminal, a misty silhouette of Lady Liberty in the harbor, the red taillights of taxis reflected on rain-soaked sidewalks—from the Bronx to Ellis Island, from subway tunnel to Art Deco spire, the scenes form a vibrant portrait of the metropolis, as it has changed and as it has stayed the same.

As one of the two galleries remaining in the Prince Building in SoHo, home to over 40 fine-art galleries in the ’80s, Michael Ingbar’s is especially well suited for such an exhibition; this gallerist has seen New York’s rapid change firsthand. The venue seems an appropriate spot to remember the past, consider the present, and envision, with both hope and trepidation, the future.

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Through August 29 at Michael Ingbar Gallery, 568 Broadway, New York; michaelingbargallerom