Basquiat’s New York Tour
In his twelve-year-long career, Jean-Michel Basquiat left an indelible mark on the art and music worlds, and the city as a whole. In this walking tour, we’ll see how he transformed from an anonymous graffiti artist into a major art star whose paintings routinely sell for millions of dollars. We’ll also investigate the downtown art community from which he emerged - full of extraordinary painters, musicians, writers, and filmmakers working side-by-side - and the positive and negative ways his success impacted that community.
Locations include:
- Apartments and studios from throughout Basquiat’s life and career
- Where Basquiat first met Andy Warhol, and where they staged their infamous collaborative show
- Where Basquiat and Madonna briefly lived together
- The Warhol-owned apartment where Basquiat passed away
- Former locations of galleries where Basquiat premiered and sold new works, including Anina Nosei, Tony Shafrazi, Cable Building, and Mary Boon
- Legendary clubs where Basquiat performed, DJ’d, and hung out, including Area, Tier 3, and the Mudd Club
- Filming locations from Julian Schnabel’s Basquiat biopic
- Sites related to Basquiat’s friends, influences, and contemporaries, including Blondie, William S. Burroughs, Al Diaz, Keith Haring, Jim Jarmusch, David Bowie, Fab 5 Freddy, Robert Rauschenberg, John Lurie, Rammellzee, Rene Ricard, Michael Chow, and Maripol
Details
- Begins in the East Village and ends in TriBeCa
- The tour lasts approximately three hours and covers three miles
- Comfortable shoes and bottled water are strongly recommended
- Gratuities are welcome but not mandatory
Check out this Tidal playlist to dive deeper into the music behind the destinations
Rates
$65/person
- two person minimum -
in the event that only one person books a tour, they will be offered the chance to cancel or have a private tour for an additional fee
Offered on Sundays. Private weekday tours and large group rates available by request
Photo of “Hollywood Africans” by Shinya Suzuki via Flickr