In-person Tours
Two-hour private gallery tours for one to five people are $320. (45 per additional person)
Museum tours are one-and-a-half hours and are $280 for 1-5 participants (not including admission fees). Additional participants are $45pp
Scheduled group tours are $49 per person, and groups are currently a maximum size of ten people.
Student and group discounts may apply. Please contact Merrily for details.
Remote Tours
One-hour private remote gallery tours for up to ten people are $140.
One hour scheduled remote gallery tours are $20 per person.
No Remote Tours are currently scheduled. Please contact Merrily for more information.
Payment is due before or on the day of the tour and can be remitted by check or online via the website
Cancellations with less than 24 hours notice may be charged in full.
Merrily Kerr
Merrily Kerr is an art critic and writer based in New York. For more than 20 years, Merrily has published in international art magazines including Time Out New York, Art on Paper, Flash Art, Art Asia Pacific, Art Review, and Tema Celeste in addition to writing catalogue essays and guest lecturing. Merrily teaches art appreciation at Marymount Manhattan College and has taught for Cooper Union Continuing Education.
For over thirteen years Merrily has crafted personalized tours of cultural discovery in New York's galleries and museums for individuals and groups, including corporate tours, collectors, artists, advertising agencies, professors from College Art Association, and student groups from Texas Woman's University, Parsons School of Design, Chicago's Moody Institute, Cooper Union Continuing Education, Hunter College Continuing Education and other institutions. Merrily's tours have been featured in The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler magazine, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Tennis Channel, The Mandarin Oriental, and Philadelphia Magazine.
Merrily is licensed by New York City's Department of Consumer Affairs as a tour guide and is a member of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA USA)
Merrily's daily social media and blog posts highlight the best art the city has to offer.
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what critics and the media have said
Condé Nast Traveler
"...the [Chelsea] area is booming with nearly 240 cutting-edge contemporary galleries... ...take a tour organized by art critic Merrily Kerr for a better understanding of the glitz and the grit behind some of the fabulous pieces of art."
New York Times
"Next, Ms. Passons [concierge at Greenwich Hotel] suggested a guide from New York Art Tours to accompany our faux big-spender through downtown galleries..."
Sydney Morning Herald
"...one of New York's most established art tour guides. [Merrily Kerr] who has lived in New York for 16 years and has been showing tourists and locals through museums and galleries for the past decade, offers dozens of tour options.
If you're new to New York, though, Merrily recommends starting with her Chelsea art tour. "It's more accessible, the production values are higher and you see art that is sometimes interactive," she says. "There's a big wow factor in Chelsea." Sometimes you can still find that wow factor on the Lower East Side galleries, too, Merrily says, but there's always a risk. "You might walk in a gallery, and there'll be a sheet of plastic on the floor and a piece of wood propped against the wall," she says. "I could explain it! But it tries people's patience a little bit." Without Merrily's assistance, you could easily walk past some of Chelsea's cavernous warehouse-sized galleries and assume they're invitation-only showrooms. But, says Merrily, while all are privately owned, most are free to the public and contain blockbuster works that could compete against anything at the nearby Whitney Museum of American Art.
For the past decade or so, Merrily says, local galleries have been putting on museum-quality shows that warrant attention. When we visit the Jack Shainman Gallery, for instance, Cuban artist Yoan Capote has constructed a 2.4-metre high bust of Fidel Castro out of 3000 door hinges collected from his neighbours (after offering to replace their old ones with new ones), an impressive feat of engineering and socio-political commentary. Over in Larry Gagosian's gallery, Michael Heizer has somehow suspended a towering 18-tonne rock, excavated from the Mojave Desert, inside a 12-tonne steel frame. It seems impossible – and possibly dangerous – that something so heavy should float above ground. Even so, nearly every visitor is tempted to look under the monolith by sticking their head underneath.
Merrily says one of the things she loves most about the Chelsea gallery district is how often shows change. "Every five to six weeks, there'll be a new exhibition at each of the galleries," she says. "So even if you're kind of up on the scene, you won't be in six weeks." When Merrily's tour finishes, she recommends that we hoist ourselves upwards to walk the High Line, New York's now-famous and beloved two-kilometre stretch of abandoned rail-line. Now transformed into a floating walkway, lush with greenery, the High Line connects directly to the new Whitney Museum, which opened in May.
Philadelphia Magazine
"...Within minutes, the slight and serious art critic and writer had given me the backstory on the works that had most challenged me... ..Kerr expounded on the works in front of us without ever seeming forced or professorial... imagine an English-educated friend who happens to know a ton about contemporary art."
Mandarin Oriental
"Culture Fix... New York’s contemporary art hub is in West Chelsea... Art critic Merrily Kerr of New York Art Tours leads excellent tours of the district."
Tripadvisor
Certificate of Excellence 2014, 2016. The only Art Gallery tour to win Trip Advisor's Certificate of Excellence for New York Attractions.
what clients have said
“Incredible experience. Insightful and engaging”
We had an incredible experience exploring Chelsea's contemporary art galleries with Merrily as our guide. As a mix of out-of-towners and NYC locals from our office, we were all equally enthralled. Merrily expertly navigated us through eight diverse exhibitions. Her commentary was insightful and engaging. The pace of the tour was perfect for our group and the variety of media and styles we saw was remarkable. I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking to dive deep into NYC's contemporary art scene, whether you're a visitor or a local. It was a memorable experience for our entire group--filled with beauty, learning, and inspiration. Thank you Merrily!
“Her expertise really enhanced the experience”
Merrily was a fantastic and knowledgeable guide! Her expertise really enhanced the experience. She was very prepared and made the tour meaningful.
“Highly recommend to anyone interested in art”
I had an incredible experience with Merrily's art tour in Chelsea. Merrily's captivating tour was so impressive that I decided to take her tour for the second time. I highly recommend her gallery tour to anyone interested in art.
“Learned a ton and thoroughly enjoyed it”
I can't say enough good things about the tour...We saw a great mix of artwork and Merrily was so knowledgeable about everything we saw. We learned a ton and thoroughly enjoyed it. We will definitely tour with Merrily again next time we're in NY.
“On our "must do" list for every time we are in the city!”
What a wonderful experience! We saw fantastic art that we would not have otherwise known about. Merrily was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, which allowed us to have thoroughly enjoyable discussions about all we saw. New York Art Tours is What a wonderful experience! We saw fantastic art that we would not have otherwise known about. Merrily was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, which allowed us to have thoroughly enjoyable discussions about all we saw. New York Art Tours is now on our "must do" list for every time we are in the city!
“Important part of our cultural art experience”
Merrily always gives us a fabulous art tour, her insights and knowledge bring us back over the years. She's an important part of our cultural art experience to NYC every time we come!! We see things we would never have found otherwise!
“Informative, lively and accessible”
My relatives are from PEI Canada and probably have never been in a major museum like the Met. But Merrily put on a great show: interesting, informative, lively and accessible. I will definitely book her again for another Tour next time we're in NYC.
“Could listen to her all day”
Merrily Kerr delivers a high quality tour. She is well prepared and organized. I could listen to her all day. We plan to reserve a tour with Merrily every time we visit NYC.
“Highly recommend”
This was my second tour with Merrily. I love her. She knows a lot of interesting details. She researches the artists and their work before we meet. We visited 7 galleries in TriBeCa and she made me discover all sorts of things. I highly recommend her.
“One of the highlights of our weekend”
Merrily customized the tour per our request. She was extremely knowledgeable and answered all our questions. One of the highlights of our weekend. I hope to schedule other tours in the future.
“Wealth of experience and enthusiasm”
I went on the Chelsea art tour with Merrily. It was so fabulous I then went on her Architecture tour. Merrily has a wealth of experience and enthusiasm. I will definitely go on her art tour next time I visit NY!
“Our “go to” for NYC art”
Merrily was marvelous! 100% responsive to our requests re: what we wanted to see. Very friendly and flexible, and tuned into what was resonating with us and she was happy to move on when it wasn’t. She was obviously immersed in the art world, but never was there any sense of condescension. After just one tour we already think of her as our “go to” for NYC art.
“Architectural Tour of Lower Manhattan is outstanding!”
We took a private tour with Merrily Kerr yesterday and can't sing her praises enough! The 2 hours flew by as she held our attention with her depth of knowledge, interesting history behind the buildings, use of her iPad to illustrate key points, all in a light-hearted manner. Merrily is a college professor of Art Appreciation. The tour does exactly that!
“Outstanding Downtown Manhattan architectural tour”
Friendly, engaging and well informed. A great way to familiarize oneself with lower Manhattan wether visiting or a local.
“Interesting and worthwhile architecture tour”
I like to look at buildings and a good way see a city's architecture is to take a tour with a knowledgable guide. For my NYC trip, I took Merrily's tour and enjoyed it a lot. She knows her stuff and can talk about the cultural, political and economic considerations that come into play when a site is being developed as well as the big personalities and philosophies of the architects. She does this in an amiable and companionable way, devoid of pedantry. I highly recommend her.
“Great way to immerse yourself in the local art scene”
The tour was an immersive and educational experience, more than we expected. Merrily is very knowledgeable and covered so many related topics (biographies, local history, art finances and more) which gave us the opportunity to really connect to what we saw. The choice of artists and galleries gave an intelligent picture of whats going on. Thanks Merrily!
“Well planned and thoughtful in scope”
Merrily gave us an enriching, entertaining and most welcome tour of select Chelsea art galleries. The introductions to the work of the particular artists and galleries were well planned and thoughtful in scope. On our next visit we will do another tour with Merrily.
“Insiders perspective to the art scene”
Extreme well run. She was very knowledgeable and curated an interesting overview of the most important current exhibits in Chelsea. She is extremely knowledgeable so would be able to tailor the experience based on individual expertise and interest. Highly recommend this tour if you are looking to gain an insiders perspective to the art scene in NYC.
“Made the art extremely accessible”
I've never been to any of the downtown galleries before. It's always felt too intimidating and overwhelming. I had no idea where to start. Merrily led our small group to seven galleries in Chelsea. It was an extremely well planned two hours. We were able to see a wide range of photography, paintings, mixed media and large installations, and Merrily shared background information on each artist and their works. She enabled us to understand what we were seeing in a way we never could have without her guidance and knowledge! She made the art extremely accessible and I'll definitely take another tour with her!
“Brilliant!”
We were delighted with New York Art Tours. Merrily Kerr is brilliant. She guided us through downtown Manhattan and discussed historic and contemporary architecture - pointing out factual details with a humanistic perspective. The pace of the tour was comfortable making it relaxing, enjoyable, and a wonderful learning experience. Merrily answers questions with interest so the tour was both personal and informative. We noticed more about NYC streets and buildings than we thought possible!
“Art feeds the soul”
I’ve gone on two tours and both were excellent. Inspiring, educational and fun; you’ll see an incredible range of art works in some of Chelsea’s most unique and beautiful art spaces.
“Highly recommend this tour”
Loved the tour with Merrily! Her selection of galleries, personable nature, knowledge and background of installations visited , reaching out to connect with everyone was all so enjoyable! Highly recommend this tour and fantastic to have Merrily lead it.... Thanks so much... money and time well spent!
“Best way to see Art in NYC!”
I took the art walk recommended by a friend and I can say I am very happy to have done just that. Merrily is such a sweet soft spoken person, not at all intimidating and super accommodating and friendly. Felt comfortable right from the moment I saw her. Her knowledge and research on the art and artist really helps one to understand the finer nuances of the art on display. Its a really nice ay to get introduced to the art scene here. Thank you Merrily and I would definitely recommend her!
“Impossible to imagine doing any better.”
Done several of these before. Probably the best. No faffing around. Great knowledge without any judgemental pomposity. Merrily is very charming as well as highly efficient. Generous with both time and discussion. Impossible to imagine doing any better. We do collect some art and have more than average experience and she met and exceeded all expectations
“So Informative and interesting”
Merrily was a fantastic guide! She gave us wonderfully insightful information on each exhibition and was happy to answer questions and discuss what we saw. She was so well prepared, had plenty of relevant information and enthusiasm, not just for the exhibitions, but the Chelsea area too.
“I discovered a wonderland of art and architecture!”
This was my second tour with Merrily. First tour was of Chelsea galleries and this tour was of Chelsea architecture. I look forward to the Lower East Side art tour. Merrily integrated both history and architecture to provide a fascinating tour. Her selection of art galleries provided an immersive experience as well. Although I am familiar with the area Merrily’s tours gives an appreciation for it’s many layers. It felt like I discovered a wonderland of art and architecture!
“Insights, variety and fun”
There is probably no better way to discover the art scene in New York than a guided tour with Merrily. She carefully selected a variety of arts - air sculptures, paintings, computer art, photography, sand art, plastic art and more - which made the tour exciting and fun. And she as a great knowledge and insights to explain more about the artist and to put in in context with his personal background or social environment. And finally, she respected the pace of her customers so that we could spend more time with art interesting us most. We will come back! Ralf
“Totally wonderful”
"Merrily is an art major and a art teacher and has deep knowledge of the gallery scene in New York. She has been doing this a longtime so she was able to talk about the artists, the galleries and the evolution of the scene over time in a very professional way. She brought an iPad to expand the knowledge of each artist we viewed. She was articulate in a down to earth way and made our discussion fun and interesting. My partner is a successful artist on her own so she gauged what places to take us. She was able to talk to both the knowledgeable and the neophyte customer at the same time and keep our interest. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TOUR. We also did the lower east side tour with her and it was also totally wonderful. Very much worth the price."
“Enlightening and enjoyable"
Merrily is an excellent guide, she was calm and engaging and incredibly knowledgable. She chose great shows and made them even more interesting by adding background information about the artist and the works and engaging in conversation if we had questions. It was a delightful experience--I look forward to my next tour with Merrily!
“Merrily's tour is a treasure”
Merrily carefully leads you on a tour to her hand picked locations and then uses her wealth of knowledge to explain the history of the artist, their creative process and the meaning behind it. It's very relaxed, you don't have to be a big art critic to participate and it is ok not to like it and to even have a laugh. There was one artist I would have walked straight out of had I gone on my own, but after Merrily gave us a little bit of history and some examples of his other works, he ended up being my favourite. The tour lasted 2 hours covering several galleries in easy walking distance and it went quickly, it would have been easy to keep going all day. It's simple to book, confirmation is seamless and overall this was a completely lovely experience and one I will treasure from my week in NYC. Thank you very much Merrily.
“Well worth the money”
My Mum and I were very lucky to have a private tour of the east side Galleries. We did the LES in NYC with Merrily. Well worth the money to get an in depth visit, timed and organized, with no doddling. She is very knowledgeable about her art and is open for discussion. We were able to learn a lot more then just wondering alone without any resources. She does the research for us and brings us to a good variety of different artists. I would reccommend it.
“Opens my mind”
I have done several tours now with Merrily Kerr, each one different and each one enormously informative. Merrily knows about places and things in NY that are generally off my radar, so spending an afternoon with her opens my mind to a NY art/architecture scene I would not otherwise understand.
“Take this tour!”
My daughter is a third year illustration major at SCAD. We did the Chelsea tour with Merrily. Wow! She introduced us to different artists using various types of medium. Very well informed on the artists and the development of their art. If we had more time in the city, we would have done another tour with her. She was easy to communicate with, on time, professional, and offered suggestions for the remainder of our time in the city. We would never been able to do this on our own. Take this tour!!!
“Excellent Tour!”
This was an excellent tour of several contemporary art galleries in the Chelsea area of NYC. A friend and I often visit the many museums in mid-Manhattan, but we have never ventured downtown to the many other galleries. Merrily Kerr was an outstanding guide... Merrily is extremely knowledgeable (see her credentials on her site), but she is also very personable, making it a joy to share the time and these art experiences. ...the cost is very reasonable. I would absolutely recommend her for any art tour you might be considering.
“Perfect Way to Spend a Rainy Day”
...had a great time. She's patient and thorough and senses when to interject and when to let people mosey around. We went to many galleries in the West Village area and saw a variety of artists. We're not much into touristy tour guides we we were glad to discover this was not that at all. Very casual, authentic and not pretentious. Highly recommend it.
“Great time!”
Can't say enough great things about Merrily. Knew a ton about all of the art pieces we saw, was very flexible. Highly recommend!
"Veritable Pied Piper"
Another terrific day with you - thanks for the wonderful tour. You were the veritable Pied Piper with three 12 year olds, one 14 and one 15 year old. All enjoyed the day and were engaged for two hours .... Quite an achievement!! Look forward to our next tour.
"Why we like to take the small tours"
...Most of all thanks for being so personable, you are a perfect example of why my wife and I like to take the small tours. We will always keep you in mind in the future.
"Knowledge and enthusiasm showed"
We enjoyed so many aspects of the tour. First and foremost, it was a great size group, not too big. And the intros you gave at each gallery, often inclusive of additional artwork and insights on your iPad, really served us well. Your knowledge and enthusiasm showed, and made for a well rounded experience. So glad to have discovered your tours. I know Mark is planning an booking sometime soon, and we both intend to pass the word on to other friends. So thanks again for such an informative and enjoyable tour.
"Wonderful, beautiful"
That was a great tour, and I hope to do it again. It was a wonderful, beautiful way to be able to have some understanding of so much that is happening right before our eyes. Thanks for sharing your own excitement with us.
"Delightful couple of hours"
Thank you for a delightful couple of hours spent in the galleries with you. I loved all that you brought to the tour; your knowledge, insights and wonderful personality! I will most definitely be joining you on future tours when I can.
"Cherish for years to come"
...thank you so much for your insight and guidance during our gallery tour! Your knowledge and generosity in sharing such amazing work and showing us around Chelsea is an experience we’ll all cherish for years to come. Thank you again for the energy and inspiration!
"The girls really enjoyed it"
...Thank you so much for sharing your enthusiasm and knowledge about the contemporary art scene with my class. The girls really enjoyed it and your comments made such a big difference for them.
"Very impressed"
…I just talked to my guest, and she was very impressed with you! I really appreciate your professional tour, and I look forward to having more business with you. I am so glad that my guest was happy!
"It inspired them"
…We had such a great afternoon with you and all of the girls had insight into the smaller gallery venue. I believe that for some, it inspired them to work hard and continue to be inspired to reach great heights in the future with their own work. I look forward to keeping updated on Facebook. See you next trip.
"Art seems to be her calling and not her job"
…The 'Contemporary Art Gallery Walking Tours' class with Merrily Kerr was a wonderful experience. She is amazingly knowledgeable, enthusiastic and personable. Art seems to be her calling and not her job. I would definitely take a course with her again.
"Now there is a lot more art that I enjoy"
…I'm someone who desperately wanted to understand and appreciate what others saw in contemporary art. It has always been confusing and out of reach, that was until Merrily took my wife and me on a walking tour of MoMa and a series of private art galleries in New York. As she explained the art and artists, things started to make sense. I gained an appreciation of the talent and skill of many artists I'd discounted. Not all modern art is to my taste, but now there is a lot more art that I enjoy.
"variety and length is perfect!"
…We booked two tours with Merrily (Chelsea and Lower East Side) which were both one of our highlights in New York. With her profound knowledge, inside stories, enthusiasm and questions, she stirred our interest and those of our teenage and tween kids. Whether it was new media or an art direction we thought we knew something about, she fuelled our interest even more. The variety and length is perfect! Enjoyed it tremendously. Thank you, Merrily.
"Transformative experience."
…Every semester I schedule a tour for my International Baccalaureate Art class. Ms. Kerr always chooses a range of artists for the tour, from those up and coming to real heavy hitters. She never fails to enlighten us with her in-depth knowledge, even regarding artists I thought I knew a lot about. My students look forward to the tour and are always inspired in ways that inform their work for the rest of the year. I highly recommend her tours to anyone interested in art. They are a transformative experience.
"Accessible & approachable"
…Merrily makes the NYC contemporary art scene accessible and approachable. She prepares thoroughly for each tour and achieves the perfect blend of prepping you prior to entering the galleries and letting you go to explore them on your own. She's talented and entertaining and I highly recommend her gallery tours.
"Would recommend her to my friends"
…The art world in New York is so rich and vast that in order to sort through all the gallery offerings, a knowledgeable guide is needed to sift through it all. Merrily Kerr is that person. She guides you through the selected galleries offering background and insight without imposing her critique. There are no formal lectures in the galleries. She makes herself available for questions and is interested in your impression of the art work. I plan on attending another session and would recommend her to my friends.
"A Pleasure"
...Thank you very much for making the tours a success despite the severe weather on both tour dates. The tours were indeed very popular with the conference attendees and added to the diversity of the content of the conference. It was a pleasure to work with you.
"Crash course in the NY art scene"
...My tour with Merrily gave me a crash course in the New York art scene. I couldn't have comprehended nearly so much if I'd taken twice as much time on my own... ...I would recommend her services to anyone wanting to get a great overview of the contemporary New York art industry.
"One of the highlights of the semester!"
...Merrily Kerr introduced my freshman new media students to Chelsea galleries, giving them an insider's view of the artwork.... Her tour was one of the highlights of the semester!.... Merrily was personable, taking the time to answer questions and providing information about the artists based on her own experience and knowledge of the New York art scene.... She based the tour around my class's needs, picking out specific sound and video installations that provided them with inspiration and history for the class.
"Authentic, hip New York gift"
...I highly recommend- I hired Merrily as a birthday present to my sister- an authentic, hip New York gift! She provided us with the "insider's" point of view while sprinkling in juicy details and fun stories. The two-hour tour was the perfect length and it made the Chelsea galleries accessible and easy to navigate (I don't think I would have found half of them on my own!)
