Dia: Chelsea

Although Dia: Chelsea closed for renovations in 2004 and was slated to reopen in 2006, Dia announced in October 2006 that it would not move from its two spaces on West 22nd Street to 820 Washington Street, at Gansevoort Street. The new Meatpacking Di... more

Although Dia: Chelsea closed for renovations in 2004 and was slated to reopen in 2006, Dia announced in October 2006 that it would not move from its two spaces on West 22nd Street to 820 Washington Street, at Gansevoort Street. The new Meatpacking District site would have abutted the High Line, the abandoned elevated railway line which runs north-south 30 feet above the Meatpacking District and Chelsea. While the ultimate fate of Dia's old four-story museum at 548 West 22 Street has not yet been decided, Dia's additional space at 545 West 22 Street has become Pace Wildenstein's second Chelsea gallery. Dia still maintains its administrative offices at 535 West 22nd Street, 4th Floor. For over twenty years, Dia: Chelsea (formerly Dia Center for the Arts) has played a vital and original role among arts institutions in New York, as well as nationally and internationally, by initiating, supporting, presenting, and preserving projects in nearly every artistic medium, and creating a primary locus for interdisciplinary art and criticism. The name Dia, taken from the Greek word meaning "through," suggests the center's role in enabling the realization of extraordinary artistic projects. ... more

Although Dia: Chelsea closed for renovations in 2004 and was slated to reopen in 2006, Dia announced in October 2006 that it would not move from its two spaces on West 22nd Street to 820 Washington Street, at Gansevoort Street. The new Meatpacking District site would have abutted the High Line, the abandoned elevated railway line which runs north-south 30 feet above the Meatpacking District and Chelsea. While the ultimate fate of Dia's old four-story museum at 548 West 22 Street has not yet been decided, Dia's additional space at 545 West 22 Street has become Pace Wildenstein's second Chelsea gallery. Dia still maintains its administrative offices at 535 West 22nd Street, 4th Floor.

For over twenty years, Dia: Chelsea (formerly Dia Center for the Arts) has played a vital and original role among arts institutions in New York, as well as nationally and internationally, by initiating, supporting, presenting, and preserving projects in nearly every artistic medium, and creating a primary locus for interdisciplinary art and criticism. The name Dia, taken from the Greek word meaning "through," suggests the center's role in enabling the realization of extraordinary artistic projects.

Dia's Chelsea program provided a laboratory for artists to conceive significant new works and distinctive exhibitions. Exhibitions typically offered an artist an entire floor on which to develop a new project or create a focused presentation of existing work, and were on view for approximately one year to allow extended viewing.

Public programs at Dia:Chelsea, based on the work on view, encompassed scholarly research and publications, the Arts Education Program, commissioned artist web projects, Readings in Contemporary Poetry, the Robert Lehman Lectures on Contemporary Art, the Artists on Artists lecture series, film and video screenings, performances, and book launches. Dia:Chelsea became a seminal attraction for national and international visitors to New York City, as well as a familiar cultural destination for many New Yorkers.

Do visit Dia: Beacon in the Upstate town of Beacon to see much of the phenomenal permanent collection of the Dia Foundation.