His wings have torn from his shoulders and his body bleeds crimson. The man, nude, holds one white wing in his arms and stares with a jealous grimace. His twin provides a stark contrast—his body is whole and his glare triumphant. The only thing preventing him from leaping with joy is the picture frame that surrounds him.

            Art in Chelsea is not just for the wealthy. These paintings are part of an exhibition, “Alchemy”, in Chelsea’s Hudson Guild community center that documents a process of transformation. While children play basketball outside and senior citizens attend yoga, the one-room gallery is a microcosm of its surrounding neighborhood. For 50 years, it brought art to Chelsea’s 15,334 families. And the current recession is actually giving New York’s art scene, already an important part of the neighborhood, a chance to stay.

Chelsea, bounded by 10th and 11th Avenues from West 30th Street to West 16th Street, is transforming. A 2005 New York City Council resolution rezoned West Chelsea to allow for increased development and the renovation of the High Line, an abandoned railway. But despite the arrival of new residential and commercial buildings, Chelsea’s art community remains convinced that its presence cannot be undermined.

“I can’t foresee us moving, particularly in this economy,” says Erin Somerville, associate director of Andrew Kreps Gallery. “This is where art is. We’re not going anywhere.”

When the New York art scene moved to Chelsea from Soho in the 1990s, artists brought a renewed vigor and vibrancy to the neighborhood. More than 200 art galleries call Chelsea home.

Art is now an intrinsic part of this community. The High Line’s proponents seek to continue this tradition when the garden opens in June 2010. “Since the High Line runs through one of the most populous and busiest art districts in the world, it’s only natural to include an art presence,” said Katie Lorah, spokesperson for Friends of the High Line. In fact, gallery owners and art dealers were among the first supporters of the $170 million renovation. The railway runs from the Gansevoort District to Hell’s Kitchen. But in Chelsea, the project will be an organic outgrowth of the neighborhood’s creative character.

The 1.45-mile long structure, now made of steel and reinforced concrete, will be transformed into thickets and meadows filled with flowers. The Chelsea section of the defunct 1930s railway will feature work from local artists. Art installations will be constructed where the railway passes through Chelsea Market. Spencer Finch is the first artist to exhibit in the space. His installation will be a study of the High Line’s relationship with the Hudson River. Friends of the High Line is also planning an emerging artists program. Young, local artists will exhibit both on the High Line and in the neighborhood. “We’re dedicated to keeping the connection between the High Line and art in the neighborhood,” said Lorah in a phone interview.

Commercial development in Chelsea will also take the area’s artistic nature into consideration.  Jennifer Torres, Department of City Planning spokesperson, wrote in an email that Chelsea’s art core will be preserved. “The zoning [prohibits] new residential development on the midblocks, allowing new museums and non-commercial art galleries as-of-right, and [includes] bulk regulations that ensure that new development respects the bulky, loft character of the mid-blocks,” she wrote.

Although buildings won’t be touched, the area’s demographics might change. John Compton, Community Board 4 member, admits in an email that developers have used the High Line as a “symbol of a ‘smart’ new residential district to attract a different type of resident than would have considered Chelsea in the past.” According to the 2000 census, Chelsea’s median household income is $52,005. But Compton predicts that land costs may increase, forcing some residents and galleries to move. “While this [movement] is tempered at the moment by the general economic malaise, the long-term net result is that the neighborhood will be a much more expensive one in which to live, with a shift in population to those with higher incomes,” he wrote. 

Scott Briscoe, a Sikkema gallery assistant, says costs have already been rising. But as Compton suggested, the current recession gives his gallery the incentive to stay in Chelsea. “Galleries may be losing money. But especially because of the current economy, we’re being cautious. So discussion about moving is not happening.”

The Friedrich Petzel Gallery was part of the 1990s migration from Soho. Manager Jason Murison said the gallery will be in Chelsea for a while. “If there is a migration, it will be big, with everyone moving together. Some have moved to the Lower East Side, but it might even contract from there.”

“Chelsea remains a center for arts. We’ll see what happens when the recession ends,” said Briscoe.