Chelsea art galleries destroyed by Sandy

NEW YORK (WABC) -- There has been all sorts of damage from Hurricane Sandy. Many art galleries in New York City were destroyed and damaged from the flooding.

From 18th to 29th Street, between 10th Avenue and the West Side Highway was the area of Chelsea where you could find the art galleries.

And when Sandy rolled in, dozens upon dozens of galleries at street level buildings got hit and even worse, those that stored art in the basement. Thousands of pieces now destroyed.

Several basement, several hundred pieces of art now drying out in a storage locker.

Derek Eller is doing what he can to conserve the art from his gallery on 27th street, a ground floor space with a basement where all the art as stored.

Sandy did a lot of damage and now two weeks later, it's a collage of catastrophe.

At this gallery alone we're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars of art.

No one's really sure what insurance will cover if any of it and that's the scene throughout Chelsea. Many galleries are warped, weathered and drying out. Some are salvaging sculptures and some galleries were hit very hard.

Margaret Thatcher projects may not reopen until January. But several doors down at Pavel Zoubok, they're opening on Thursday. Pavel hopes people come out to support the art world.

As for Derek, he's hoping to fill these walls again and to start selling art, even as he juggles insurance claims and disappointment.

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