May is filled with Fairs and Shows from Frieze Week ~ which, this year expanded onto the Rockefeller Center Plaza ~ to Soho’s Superfine, Art New York on the Pier, TEFAF at Park Avenue Armory, Contemporary African Art Fair, NYCxDesign, Sacred Sites, and annual favorites like Jane’s Walk, Kips Bay Designer Show House, The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation Annual Spring House Tour, Harlem EatUp! and continuing the year-long celebration of Stonewall50 at a plethora of events throughout the city. Here are more than 95 suggestion to add to your list in May, including what’s still on view, and what we’re looking forward to.
City of Workers, City of Struggle at Museum of the City of New York ~ May 1
The Museum of the City of New York opens its doors to the exhibition, City of Workers, City of Struggle, an examination of how the labor movement transformed New York.
Frieze Week NYC ~ May 1-5
Frieze Sculpture 2019 is a major new public art initiative, presented at Rockefeller Center in partnership with Frieze New York and Tishman Speyer from April 25 through June 28. This extension of Frieze New York will present 20 new and significant sculptures across the Rockefeller Center campus by 14 international artists, with related programming. The eighth edition of Frieze New York will be held at Randall’s Island Park from May 2-5, featuring more than 1,000 of today’s leading artists.
Harold Ancart: Subliminal Standard at Cadman Plaza Park ~ May 1
Public Art Fund will unveil Harold Ancart: Subliminal Standard, a playable, painted concrete handball court by Brooklyn-based, Belgian-born artist, Harold Ancart, at Cadman Plaza Park, Brooklyn on May 1st. Join the Public Art Fund on May 5th for a formal unveiling celebration, including free Melt ice cream sandwiches, handball giveaways, art making activities + more.
Superfine Art Fair Soho ~ May 1-5
This year, the annual Super Fine Art Fair will be held in Soho, relocating to 107 Grand Street, featuring 10 galleries and non-profit spaces.
Sara Bunn: Who’s Your Hero at Port Authority ~ May 1
or all who enjoyed Sara Bunn’s Women’s History Month exhibition entitled A Day in the Life of Seneca Village, you will love what come’s next ~ an ode to Mother’s Day, and the question ~ Who’s Your Hero. on view through May 31st.
One Times Square unveils META-Morphosis ~ May 1
Time Square ads are taking a pause for new public art featuring more than twenty artists in bright, bold animated artworks at the top of the newly redeveloped One Times Square.
Kips Bay Decorator Showcase ~ May 2
This year, the 47th Annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House NYC will be located at 36-38 East 74th Street in a c.1920 townhouse comprised of six sprawling levels with a stunning circular staircase, 10 woodturning fireplaces and an art studio with 17 foot ceilings!
Iké Udé and The Intangible Aspects of Fashion at National Arts Club ~ Reception May 2
Iké Udé and The Intangible Aspects of Fashion will be on view from April 29 through May 31st, with Reception on Thursday, May 2nd in the Gregg Gallery. Iké Udé is best known for his stunning conceptual photographs with saturated color that explore the presentation of cultural identity, stylistic integrity, and gender. He is a performance artist, an author, a publisher, a photographer, as well as a dandy and aesthete. Many images in this exhibition are self-portraits with a sartorial focus on presentation as a provocative cocktail of styles and eras. He has a long relationship with the world of celebrity and fashion through his iconic portraits and books. He is the author of Style File, Sartorial Anarchy, and founder of aRude Magazine. He has been featured on the Vanity Fair International Best Dressed List many times.
In addition, The National Arts Club will also have on view several other exhibitions to add to your list, including Studio in the Street: Symbols ~ Totems ~ Cyphers, an overview of Street Art featuring works by Keith Haring and Richard Hambleton and many others + Marcia Grostein: Brighton Beach Project ~ The World as it Should Be and more.
Bruce Davidson, Subject: Contact at Howard Greenberg Gallery ~ May 2
Howard Greenberg Gallery will open its doors to the exhibition, Bruce Davidson, Subject: Contact ~ contact sheets in context with vintage prints from four seminal projects from the 1950s and 60s ~ Circus, Brooklyn Gang, Time of Change, and East 100th Street. The exhibition illustrates Davidson’s connection to some of the 20th century’s most important social, cultural, and political moments.
Zoya Cherkassky: Soviet Childhood at Fort Gansevoort ~ May 2
Fort Gansevoort presents Soviet Childhood, the first solo exhibition in the United States featuring the work of Zoya Cherkassky. Through the depiction of the quotidian lives of the final generation of Soviet children, Cherkassky creates a nostalgic and approachable portrait of the Soviet Union. One can relate to the banality of these scenes, with only the fashions and details peppered throughout disclosing the strange time and place in which Cherkassky and her subjects lived.
Art New York Pier 94 ~ May 2-5
The fifth edition of Art New York returns to Pier 94 Thursday, May 2 through Sunday, May 5 during the height of New York’s art and cultural season. The fair will kick off with an elegant, invitation-only VIP Preview on Thursday May 2 at 2pm before the fair opens to the public at 5pm.
Armando Mariño: La Selva Oscura at FACTION Art Projects Harlem ~ May 3
FACTION Art Projects will open its doors to the solo exhibition, La Selva Oscura, by Armando Mariño with ten large-scale oil paintings of figures in landscapes drawing on themes of identity and personal history within the current political and socio-economic climate.
Jane’s Walk 2019 ~ May 3-5
It’s time to check the list and register for The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS) annual Jane’s Walk NYC, highlighting treasured places in all five boroughs with volunteer-led, free tours from May 3-5.
TEFAF New York ~ May 3-7 at Park Ave Armory
Established in 1988, TEFAF is widely regarded as the world’s pre-eminent organization for fine art, antiques, and design. TEFAF New York Spring 2019 will take place from May 3-7 at Park Avenue Armory.
I-54: Contemporary African Art Fair ~ May 3-5
I-54: Contemporary African Art Fair returns for its fifth anniversary to New York at Industria, 775 Washington Street in the West Village from May 3-5, during Frieze Week. The Fair will welcome 24 galleries, exhibiting the work of more than 70 artists. Related events include I-54 FORUM, curated by Black Chalk & Co.
Desert Painters of Australia at Gagosian ~ May 3
Synthetic polymer paint on linen 59 7/8 x 72 1/8 in 151.9 x 183 cm
© Yukultji Napangati Photo: Rob McKeever Courtesy Gagosian
Gagosian will open its doors to a special exhibition of contemporary Indigenous Australian paintings from two significant American collections. Spanning three generations, the exhibition includes works by leading painters from the Central and Western Desert regions.
60th Anniversary Lincoln Center Block Party ~ May 4
Anniversary Kickoff Weekend, May 4-5 for the 60th Anniversary Block Party and Diamond Jubilee Gala with free live music, dance presentations, art-making, film programming, tours and more. While you’re there, check out Folk Art on the Broadway Malls.
Designing Women Market at New York Historical Society ~ May 4
To celebrate the Center for Women’s History at the New York Historical Society the NY History Store will present the annual spring Designing Women Market, a day-long marketplace to showcase exceptional products by women makers, designers, and entrepreneurs. Attendees will be able to meet, chat, and shop for unique gifts with the women who make them. The event will take place on Saturday, May 4th from 11am – 4pm.
While you’re there, check out historic artifacts from the Waldorf Astoria, on view at the New York Historical Society.
Keys to the City: The Ultimate New York City Scavenger Hunt ~ May 4
This is a great way to have fun, and support The Museum of the City of New York in this annual fundraising event. Register your Team for the Hunt!
Life on an Island: Castaways on Governors Island ~ May 4
SVA’s MFA Fine Arts will be hosting exhibitions and short residencies on Governors Island, Colonels Row, that explore the concept of “Life on an Island.” There will be three, 1-month-long cycles spanning from May – July, open on the weekends for free public viewing. The first of them – Castaways – opens this Saturday, May 4.
In addition, This year for the first time, School of Visual Arts is screening five of its film and animation departments’ year-end work during a two-week showcase from May 6-17 at the SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street in Chelsea.
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation Spring House Tour ~ May 5
The 21st Annual Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation Spring House Tour will take place on Sunday, May 5. The benefit raises funds in support of GVSHP’s work to educate and advocate for the distinctive in all areas of preservation in the neighborhood
Cinco de Mayo ~ May 5
Happy Cinco de Mayo! This holiday marks the day of the Mexican army’s victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla. Here are a few suggestions from the streets of Manhattan, ~ AMNewYork ~ Eater New York and Museum of the City of New York
While we celebrate, it is under a thoughtful cloud of the state of our country’s politics today, best articulated in an op-ed by Dr. Christina Greer in Amsterdam News.
Chronos Cosmos: Deep Time, Open Space at Socrates Sculpture Garden ~ May 5
Chronos Cosmos: Deep Time, Open Space transforms Socrates Sculpture Park into a gateway to the universe, presenting artworks that consider space, time, and matter in relationship to celestial entities and earth-bound processes. In the open-air environment of the Long Island City waterfront park, the exhibition uses scale to put the universe in context, creating connection points to space and time.
Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. at Museum for Jewish Heritage ~ May 8
The Museum of Jewish Heritage will present the largest and most extensive exhibition on Auschwitz, Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away, produced in partnership with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland and the international exhibition firm Musealia.
The Female Gaze: Women Surrealists in the Americas and Europe at Heather James Fine Art NYC ~ May 8
Gouache on paper, 13 3/8 x 6 5/8 in.
.Heather James Fine Art
Piercing through the male gaze, more than 30 paintings, sculpture, photographs, mixed media, and collages by leading female Surrealist artists will be on view at Heather James Fine Art, New York, from May 8 to July 31, 2019. The Female Gaze: Women Surrealists in the Americas and Europe reframes the history of the movement by focusing exclusively on the pivotal role played by female artists as independent from their male counterparts. An opening reception will be held on Wednesday, May 8, from 6 to 8 p.m.
CAMP: Notes on Fashion at The MET ~ May 9
Through more than 250 objects dating from the seventeenth century to the present, The Costume Institute’s spring 2019 exhibition will explore the origins of camp’s exuberant aesthetic. Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay “Notes on ‘Camp‘” provides the framework for the exhibition, which examines how the elements of irony, humor, parody, pastiche, artifice, theatricality, and exaggeration are expressed in fashion.
NYCxDesign ~ May 10
NYCxDESIGN, New York City’s annual celebration of design, attracts hundreds of thousands of attendees and designers from across the globe. Taking place each May—next occurring May 10–22, 2019—the event celebrates a world of design and showcases over a dozen design disciplines through events taking place across the city’s five boroughs.
Above, The solstreet solar bench in Times Square during Design Week. Solstreet benches are currently slated for Greenwich Village, and the Oranges NJ along the transit corridor. The E Ink digital signage provides real-time information and service alerts updated from a central location. (Solstreet is a 100% woman-owned business).
The World Before Your Feet ~ Free Cinema Connex Series ~ May 11-12
Continuing with the Staten Island Arts Cinema Connex Series, ‘The World Before Your Feet‘ with Q&A and neighborhood walk.
Augusta Savage and Icons of the Harlem Renaissance at The Cooper Union ~ May 13
Art historians, curators, and artists will discuss the life and work of 1925 School of Art alumna and sculptor Augusta Savage (1892-1962). Dr. Theresa Leininger-Miller, author of New Negro Artists in Paris: African American Painters and Sculptors in the City of Light, 1922-1934, presents an illustrated lecture on Savage’s two best known works, Gamin and Lift Every Voice and Sing (1939). Wendy N. E. Ikemoto, Associate Curator of American Art at the New-York Historical Society (NYHS), discusses Savage’s work in light of the NYHS exhibitionAugusta Savage: Renaissance Woman (May 3 through July 28, 2019) and NYHS’s work exploring the history of identity, race, and civil rights in America, and highlighting overlooked historical women. Nana Adusei-Poku, adjunct instructor in the School of Art and visiting professor in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, will present a talk titled “Notes on Lessons and Losses, Augusta Savage – ‘The Sanctuary of Industry and Dreams'”. The three will then engage in a conversation on Savage’s lasting legacy moderated by Leslie Hewitt and Raffaele Bedarida. The Event is Free with Registration, but seating is limited.
Louise Nevelson Chapel unveiled at Sacred Sites Open House ~ May 13
The Opening of the Louise Nevelson Chapel will take place on May 13th from 6-8pm, as the Chapel kicks-off Sacred Sites Open House. A lecture by Glen Umberger, Manager of Special Projects (The New York Landmarks Conservancy) will begin at 6:30pm, with a Reception to follow, and a tour of the newly restored Louise Nevelson Chapel of the Good Shepherd.
The Chapel will also participate in the New York Landmarks Conservancy Sacred Sites Open House Weekend, May 18-19, 2019.
Harlem EatUp! ~ May 13 ~ 19
Harlem EatUp! Celebrates Culinary All-Stars, Music, Culture & Art in NYC’s Vibrant Uptown Community. Chef Marcus Samuelsson and Herb Karlitz present the Fifth Annual Festival, May 13 through May 19, 2019 ~ and don’t miss Harlem WarmUp! while you wait.
The History & Future of Washington Square Park at National Arts Club ~ May 14
Join the Washington Square Park Conservancy in an informative evening exploring the history and future of the beloved park. Free and open to the public, Tuesday, May 14th at 8pm at The National Arts Club.
The Statue of Liberty Museum Opening ~ May 16
The 26,000 square-foot, $100 million Statue of Liberty Museum’s expansion is opening on Thursday, May 16, 2019.
Nick Georgiou: Codex Chroma at Allouche Gallery ~ May 16
Allouche Gallery will open its doors to Nick Georgiou: Codex Chroma, a vibrant new collection of paper wall reliefs, exploring the unique life cycle of books as objects of art.
Tigran Tsitoghdzyan: Mirrors Reimagined at Fremin Gallery ~ May 16
The artist Tigran Tsitoghzyan captures the feminine gaze and allure in his works, opening at Fremin Gallery May 16.
Taller Boricua presents Realidades Remembered, 1971-1977 ~ May 17
Realidades produced and broadcasted by WNET-Channel 13. The program combined news, entertainment and education in a magazine format that highlighted the Puerto Ricans, Chicanos and other Latinos and their contributions to the fabric of America’s cultural diversity. Realidades was the first national Latino television series in the history of public television in the United States of America. The groundbreaking television series highlighted a cross section of events, activities, organizations, and individuals all of which were significantly illustrating and defining ”realities” during the 1960s and 1970s. Taller Boricua (Puerto Rican Workshop Inc.) and its membership of artists were among the community activists that lent their energy and effort to create, sustain and develop a Latino presence in the fabric of public television in America. The exhibition ” Realidades Remembered ” features a selection of episodes from the series. The exhibit also includes materials related to the media’s portrayal of Puerto Ricans in the U.S.
Nicolas Holiber: Birds on Broadway ~ May 17
Nicholas Holiber: Birds on Broadway, Audubon Sculpture Project consists of 10 sculptures of birds that the National Audubon Society determined to be particularly threatened by climate change. Each sculpture will be made out of 100% reclaimed or recycled wood, through a partnership with Big Reuse. Holiber will also reprocess found wood from around the streets of New York City. The installation will be on view from 67th Street to 168th Street on Broadway.
Manhattan Concours at Brookfield Place ~ May 17-18
For the first time ever in Manhattan, twenty-five collector cars will be showcased along BFPL’s picturesque waterfront plaza. A display of culture, travel, and sport, these cars embody the essence of BFPL. Combining both the best vehicles of today with the best in class from generations past, we are proud to bring a weekend celebration of this luxury to Manhattan.
The Annual Ethnic Festival in East Harlem ~ May 18
The Union Settlement’s Ethnic Festival is a day-long celebration of East Harlem and its unique cultures through music, dance, arts and crafts, ethnic cuisine and educational activities for all ages.
The East Village 13th Annual Dance Parade & Festival ~ May 18
The 13th Annual Dance Parade & Festival will take place on Saturday, May 18th, with over 10,000 dancers, DJs and live bands. The Parade will begin at 12:35pm on Broadway at 21st Street, with a ceremonial Native American circle dance. At 1:00pm, the Parade will dance its way down Broadway to Astor Place, to perform in front of the grandstand. Continuing on East on St. Mark’s Place, the festivities will end at Tompkins Square Park with free classes and performances on five stages from 3:00pm to 7:00pm
Sacred Sites Weekend ~ May 18-19
The New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites Open House will take place on May 18-19. The site is updated weekly as additional sites register.
Check out the early press coverage the Sacred Sites Open received in amNew York: https://www.amny.com/things-
Industry City Open Studios ~ May 18-19
One of New York City’s largest artist enclaves is opening its doors to the public May 18-19, 2019. Industry City Open Studios offers the public a behind-the-scenes look into the customized creative spaces of Industry City’s many artists, makers, and manufacturers. The annual event, now in its sixth year, gives visitors a rare opportunity to access the artists’ studios as well as meet with the artists and experience the process of their work being produced firsthand.
Paula Heisen Open Studio ~ May 18-19
The artist Paula Heisen will hold an Open Studio on Saturday and Sunday, May 18-19 as part of the larger LIC Arts Open neighborhood event (below).
The 9th Annual LIC Arts Festival and Open Studios will take place from May 15-19. Map and Guide Here.
Goat Welcoming Ceremony in Riverside Park ~ May 21
Twenty-four goats are coming to Riverside Park this summer to eat the weeds, and the parks conservancy is planning to welcome them at their arrival.
On Tuesday, May 21 at 11 a.m., everyone is invited to greet the goats at 120th Street and Riverside Drive. The conservancy suggests that you dress in your finest “haute goature.” There will be an eco-lesson too. Just please don’t call them sheep, that would be a real sheep-shot.
Mary Tooley Parker at Viridian Artists ~ May 21
As a fan of textile art, we look forward to Viridian Artists opening its doors to “And Now for Something Completely Different: Textile Compositions by Mary Tooley Parker” on May 21st. In this solo exhibition, the artist celebrates women in her work, such as the famed Gee’s Bend Quilters of Alabama. Using rug hooking as a creative expression of her 21st century experience, she carries this tradition into the contemporary art world by taking the work off the floor to be viewed as art. Viridian Artists is located at 548 West 28th Street.
Tajh Rust: Passages Opens at Fridman Gallery ~ May 22
Fridman Gallery will open its doors to Passages, the first solo exhibition by Brooklyn-born artist, Tajh Rust. The artists new paintings, a meditation on the lasting impression of transitions, trace the passage of time, of bodies through space, and of ideas through text.
2019 Ceremonial Exhibition at American Academy of Arts and Letters ~ May 23
The American Academy of Arts and Letters will open its grand doors to an exhibition of paintings, works on paper, photographs, video, and sketchbooks; architectural models and renderings; and original manuscripts by newly elected members and recipients of honors and awards. Works will be on view from May 23 through June 16, at the Academy galleries located on Audubon Terrace in Washington Heights.
Stonewall50 at New York Historical Society ~ May 24
New York Historical Society commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising and the dawn of the gay liberation movement this summer, as New York City welcomes WorldPride, the largest Pride celebration in the world. Stonewall 50 at New York Historical Society features two exhibitions and a special installation, as well as public programs for all ages.
Losaida Festival ~ May 26
Since 1987 the Loisaida Festival has been celebrated the Sunday before Memorial Day weekend in the Manhattan neighborhood known as the Lower East Side, the East Village, or Loisaida. This event is the largest community pride festival in the neighborhood and grows annually in size, excitement, and impact. The event takes place in the Avenue C commercial corridor-renamed Loisaida Avenue since 1989.
Harlem Pride ~ May 31
Lots to celebrate this year. First up, 2019 marks the Harlem Pride 10th Anniversary. It’s also the 100th Anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance and on top of that ~ World Pride is coming to NYC and Harlem, as well as the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. The event anticipates over 20,000 attendees who will visit Harlem to participate in the festivities.
East Harlem Nights ~ May 31
East Harlem Nights, originally set for May 10th, has been rescheduled due to weather ~ will be held on Friday, May 31st!
Looking forward to
Simone Heigh: Brick House on The Spur ~ June 2019
For the inaugural High Line Plinth, Simone Leigh presents Brick House, a sixteen-foot-tall bronze bust of a black woman whose torso is conflated with the forms of a skirt and a clay house. Leigh’s Brick House will be centered on the Spur, standing in sharp contrast to the disparate elements of the immediate architectural landscape ~ Save the Date for The Spur, opening June 5th.
While we wait, Simone Leigh, Loophole of Retreat at Guggenheim Museum from April 19 through October 27, 2019.
FIGMENT: Salvage Swings on Roosevelt Island ~ June, 2019
AIA New York announced the winner of the 2019 City of Dreams Competition~ Salvage Swings by Somewhere Studio, led by Charles Sharpless, AIA, and Jessica Colangelo. The temporary annual summer installation will move to a new location this summer ~ Lighthouse Park on Roosevelt Island!
Jean-Marie Appriou: The Horses at Doris C. Freedman Plaza ~ September 11, 2019
Public Art Fund announces The Horses, the first institutional exhibition in the United States by the French artist Jean-Marie Appriou, opening on September 11 in Doris C. Freedman Plaza, Central Park. Inspired by the site and its numerous equine references – including the traditional gilded bronze equestrian monument to William Tecumseh Sherman by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and the horses who pull tourists through the park in hansom cabs – the exhibition will feature three new whimsical large-scale sculptures of horses cast in aluminum. Appriou is known for his intuitive approach to sculpture and experimental use of cast aluminum, where unexpected details emerge.
Tech-Art Collective TemLab coming to Brooklyn Industry City ~ Summer 2019
The wildly popular tech-art collective teamLab is coming to New York City in August 2019 with mind-bending installations slated for the Industry City building complex in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Still on View
Imagine A World: Revolution from Without on the 8th Floor on view to May 4, 2019
Revolution from Without..., the first in a two-year series of exhibitions under the larger title Revolutionary Cycles, will feature five artists and two collectives – Tania Bruguera, Tony Cokes, Chto Delat, Raqs Media Collective, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Dread Scott, and Mark Wallinger – whose practices engage structures of power that determine who is entitled to, and excluded from, access to human rights and positions of privilege. The title suggests that social and political change can come from the margins of the polity, Imagine A World: Revolution from Withoutwill be on view from January 17 to May 4, 2019 at The 8th Floor, 17 West 17th Street, NYC
Perilous Bodies at The Ford Foundation on view to May 11, 2019
The Ford Foundation announced the opening of its art gallery, an innovative exhibition space dedicated to presenting multidisciplinary art, performance, and public programming by artists committed to exploring issues of justice and injustice. The gallery’s inaugural exhibition, Perilous Bodies.
Nemo Jantzen: Age of Spectacle at Fremin Gallery on view to May 11, 2019
Fremin Gallery opens its doors to Age of Spectacle, new large-scale works by the Dutch artist Nemo Jantzen.
The Art of Immigration: Paintings by Donatus Buongiorno on view through May 11, 2019
St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral on Mulberry street will open its doors to The Art of Immigration: Paintings by Donatus Buongiorno.
Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving at The Brooklyn Museum on view to May 12, 2019
The Brooklyn Museum will open its doors to the exhibition, Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving, a major exhibition exploring the life and work of the iconic Mexican artist.
Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth on view at The Morgan Library through May 12, 2019
The exhibition Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth will open at The Morgan Library & Museum on January 25th. The exhibition is the most extensive public display of original Tolkien material for several generations.
Monumental Journey: The Daguerreotypes of Girault de Prangey at the MET on view to May 12, 2019
Take a photographic journey back in time at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition Monumental Journey: The Daguerreotypes of Girault de Prangey ~ a display of Girault’s daguerreotype process using oversized plates and innovative formats to produce what is today the world’s oldest photographic archive. This is the first exhibition in the United States devoted to Girault, focusing on his Mediterranean journey, with this exhibit featuring approximately 120 of his daguerreotypes, supplemented by examples of his graphic work, watercolors, paintings, and his lithographically illustrated publications.
Christopher Wool at The Hill Art Foundation on view to May 20, 2019
The much anticipated Hill Art Foundation will open its doors in Chelsea with the inaugural exhibition, Maybe Maybe Not: Christopher Wool and the Hill Collection, 21 works by Christopher Wool, on February 9th.
Curt Hoppe: downtown Portraits at Bernarducci Gallery on view through May 25, 2019
Hoppe (B.1950, St. Paul, MN) evolved as a cartoonist, photographer, and finally, hyper-realist painter in the hipster milieu of New York in the late 1970s, and never left the center of the subterranean ~ literally and figuratively ~ arts scene.
George Platt Lynes: Portraits, Nudes & Dance at Keith de Lellis Gallery on view through May 23, 2019
Keith de Lellis Gallery showcases the portrait photography of noted fashion photographer and influential artist George Platt Lynes(American, 1907-1955) in its spring exhibition. Though largely concealed during his lifetime (or published under pseudonyms), Lynes’ male nude photographs are perhaps his most notable works today and inspired later artists such as Robert Mapplethorpe and Herb Ritts.
Denzil Forrester: A Survey at Stephen Friedman Gallery on view to May 25, 2019
Stephen Friedman Gallery opens its doors to a survey exhibition of large-scale paintings from the past 40 years by Grenada born, British artist Denzil Forrester. Forrester’s first exhibition with the gallery includes new and historical work and is accompanied by a substantial new publication featuring essays by Sam Thorne (Director of Nottingham Contemporary and Contributing Editor of Frieze) and Eddie Chambers (Curator and Professor of Art History at the University of Texas, Austin).
Nari Ward: We the People at New Museum on view to May 26, 2019
Nari Ward: We the People will open at the New Museum, featuring over thirty sculptures, paintings, videos, and large-scale installation, in a first museum survey in New York of his work.
Adam McEwen at Lever House on view through May, 2019
Lever House is kicking-off the new year with Adam McEwen: 10, Feels like 2, an installation that will transform the large open space into a glass ice box!
Destruction and Transformation at The Walther Collection to May 25, 2019
Destruction and Transformation: Vernacular Photography and the Built Environmentexamines the decisive role of vernacular photography in capturing the convulsive cycles of change that define modernist topographies. This exhibition is free and open to the public with an Opening Reception on February 7th from 6-8pm at the Walther Collection Project Space, 526 West 26th Street, Suite 718, NYC.
Sonic Gates on Staten Island on view to June 1, 2019
Sonic Gates: New York City’s Sound Sculpture Walk was created by artist Volker Goetze as a public art pilot of the Future Culture initiative, launched by The Design Trust for Public Space and Staten Island Arts. Sonic Gatesfeatures seven sound sculptures and a mural. Installed last summer, Sonic Gates is on view through June, 2019.
do it (in school) at Hunter East Harlem Gallery on view to June 1, 2019
What would happen if talented art students were given a selection of instructions to create temporary artworks and told to just do it (in school)? Hunter East Harlem Gallery opens its doors to its own version of the original idea, do it, conceived in 1993 by Hans Ulrich Obrist, which challenged traditional exhibition formats, questioned authorship, and championed art’s ability to exist beyond a single gallery space.
Siah Armajani: Bridge Over Tree + Siah Armajani: Follow This Line on view through June 2, 2019
Siah Armajani: Bridge Over Tree at Brooklyn Bridge Park presented by The Public Art Fund, and Siah Armajani: Follow This Line at The MET Breuer will be on view from February 20 through June 2, 2019.
Hymn to Apollo at ISAW on view to June 2, 2019
The Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) will open its doors to the exhibition Hymn to Apollo: The Ancient World and the Ballets Russes,an exploration of the seminal role of antiquity in shaping the radically new creations of the famed ballet troupe founded in 1909 by Sergei Diaghilev.
Maren Hassinger: Monuments in Marcus Garvey Park to June 10, 2019
June 16th, 2018 brought inHarlem back to Marcus Garvey Park, with the eight site-specific installations Maren Hassinger: Monuments. Take a walk with us, beginning on 124th Street at the Fifth Avenue entrance.
Race, Myth, Art and Justice at CCCADI on view to June 15, 2019
Race, Myth, Art, and Justice celebrates a community of voices who illuminate how art continues to serve as a powerful tool for justice. As part of CCCADI’s commitment to public engagement and collaboration, the curators invited thirteen dynamic scholars, activists, artists, and writers to reflect on the exhibition’s works.
Karla & James Murray: Mom-and-Pops of the L.E.S. on view to June 19, 2019
As part of the Art in the Parks: UNIQLO Park Expressions Grant, the installation Karla & James Murray: Mom-and-Pops of the L.E.S. displays wood-framed sculptures of near life-size photographs of four mom-and-pop neighborhood stores of the Lower East Side, no longer in business.
Pictures From Another Time: Photographs by Bob Colacello, 1976-1982 at Vito Schnabel Projects on view through June 21, 2019
Gregg Allman and Cher, Carter Inaugration White House Reception, 1977
Unique gelatin silver, 10 x 8 inches (25.4 x 20.3 cm)
© Bob Colacello; Courtesy the artist and Vito Schnabel Projects
Pictures From Another Time features approximately 150 vintage and unique prints ~ most never previously exhibited ~ made with Colacello’s Minox 35 EL camera, the first miniature camera capable of making full-frame 35 millimeter photographs.
Harlem Stage 2019 Calendar through June, 2019
From January through June, feast on a smorgasbord of events to add to your list during 2019.
Hank Willis Thomas: All Power to All People at The Africa Center on view to July 7, 2019
Hank Willis Thomas: All Power to All People, a 25-foot tall Afro Comb will arrive on the Plaza at The Africa Center in Harlem along with a fun-filled weekend including a Community Day on Saturday, April 13th and Sunday Drumming on April 14th.
Tanda Francis: Adorn Me on view to July 13, 2019
Tanda Francis’ work examines the African presence in public space as a powerful force of beauty and cultural relevance. Inspired by African sculptural tradition, including Ife portraiture, Francis also incorporates Victorian and colonial ornamentation into her work. Adorn Me will address the underrepresentation of this demographic in public artworks, and provide a healing message during a time of heated debate over monuments erected as symbols of oppression and control.
Art After Stonewall at Grey Art Gallery on view to July 20, 2019
As part of Stonewall 50, NYU/Grey Art Gallery and the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay & Lesbian Art announced a major exhibition, examining the impact of the LGBTQ movement on visual arts and culture this April, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprisings.
The exhibition will feature over 200 works of art and related visual materials exploring the impact of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) liberation movement on visual culture, presented in two parts ~ at New York University’s Grey Art Gallery, and the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art.
Seeing the Divine: Pahari Painting of North India on view to July 21, 2019
Devi in the Form of Bhadrakali Adored by the Gods, folio from a dispersed “Tantric Devi” series India, Punjab Hills, kingdom of Basohli, ca. 1660-70 Opaque watercolor, gold, silver and beetle-wing cases on paper Promised Gift of Steven Kossak, The Kronos Collections, 2015
The exhibition Seeing the Divine: Pahari Painting of North Indiafocuses on early painting styles that emerged in the Pahari courts of North India during the 17th and 18th centuries, featuring some 20 of the most refined paintings produced in South Asia during this period. This exhibition will be on view to July 21, 2019 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, Floor 3, NYC.
Lorna Simpson.Darkening + Piero Manzoni.Lines Materials of His Time at Hauser & Wirth New York on view through July 26, 2019
© Fondazione Piero Manzoni, Milano Courtesy of the Foundation and Hauser & Wirth
Hauser & Wirth will open its doors to Lorna Simpson.Darkening and Piero Manzoni.Lines Materials of His Time in its Chelsea Gallery.
Come Closer in Tribeca Park on view through July, 2019
The artist Rebecca Manson invites viewers to “Come Closer and the View Gets Wilder” with her art installation in Tribeca Park.
Joseph La Piana: Tension on Park Avenue Mall on view through July, 2019
The Fund for Park Avenue commissioned Brooklyn-based artist, Joseph La Piana, to create six sculptures to grace the Park Avenue Mall from 53rd Street to 70th Street.
Women’s Work: Art & Activism in the 21st Century at Pen + Brush on view to August 12, 2019
Women’s Work presents five global contemporary artists-activists who continue to expand the definition of women’s work and expose its complexity, nuance, and ever-evolving nature. Through dynamic art practices, they generously lend their intelligence, thoughtfulness, artistry and agency to reimagine women’s work as arts activism in the 21st century.
Alex Katz at Gavin Brown’s enterprise Harlem on view to August 3, 2019
This exhibition tells the story of a year in Alex Katz’s painted-life. A life where landscapes are observed from the edge of his home in Maine. For more than half a century, Katz painted this land with a virtuosity yoked to a consistent elegance. Today, while the elegance remains, something else has beckoned. Katz finds himself in the middle of the tempest.
Present Histories at Harlem Art Park on view to August 10, 2019
The Marcus Garvey Park Alliance/Public Art Initiative unveiled the installation Present Histories: An East Harlem Photo Albumby artist Kathleen Granados in the Harlem Art Park, East Harlem. This is an ongoing installation, with the artist continuing to accept images from residents, and adding to a unique collection exploring the history of East Harlem by the people who live there.
Gabriel Orozco: Rotating Objects at Noguchi Museum on view to August 11, 2019
Gabriel Orozco: Rotating Objects, a focused installation of ten works by Gabriel Orozco (b.1962), seven Roto Shaku and three Obi Scrolls, will be on view at The Noguchi Museum as a complement to the major exhibition Changing and Unchanging Things: Noguchi and Hasegawa in Postwar Japan. All created in Tokyo in 2015, Orozco’s works will provide a contemporary parallel to Noguchi and Hasegawa’s efforts to create modern art that developed Japan’s traditional craft cultures.
Mark Manders: Tilted Head curated by Public Art Fund on view to September 1, 2019
The Public Art Fund has a lot going on this year, on the heals of the opening of Siah Armajani in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Coinciding with Met Breuer’s Siah Armajani: Follow This Line, it will unveil Mark Manders: Tilted Head at the Doris C. Freedman Plaza, on the southern end of Central Park at Fifth Avenue.
Useless: Machines for Dreaming, Thinking and Seeing on view through September 1, 2019
The Bronx Museum of the Arts opens its doors to Useless: Machines for Dreaming, Thinking and Seeing ~ an exhibition questioning notions of utility, rationality and progress.
Rep Your Flag in Inwood Park on view to September 19, 2019
We have followed the artist Andre Trenier from the Audubon Mural Project in Hamilton Heights to #100GatesProject in East Harlem. Now, this lifelong Bronx resident presents “Rep Your Flag”—an homage to the immigrant communities that give the Bronx its strength. The 16 included flags were determined directly from community feedback: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Pan-African, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad and Tobago. This exhibition is presented by the ArtBridge.
Culture and the People: El Museo del Barrio 1969-2019 on view through September 29, 2019
El Museo del Barrio will celebrate its 50th Anniversary with a major permanent collection exhibition and timeline, contextualizing the history of the institution, in a two-part exhibition. The exhibition will reflect on the institution’s activist origins and pioneering role as a cultural and educational organization dedicated to Latinx and Latin American art and culture.
Peace Perch in Marcus Garvey Park on view to September 30, 2019
Peaceful Perch by Kim Dacres and Daniel A. Matthews is a figurative bust-like sculpture that will sit elevated, as an honored monument of watchfulness, embodying the ubiquitous presence of race and the female form, and celebrating women of color, their unique features and hair as the artist experiences it, reflected in her neighborhood in Harlem. Sculpture by Kim Dacres ~ Perch by Daniel A. Matthews.
While you’re in Marcus Garvey Park, take a walk up to the top of the Acropolis, where the Park is preparing for the return of the historic fire watchtower in Summer, 2019 ~ and Maren Hassinger: Monuments (listed above) on view to June 10, 2019, and I Don’t Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Ah me (below
Folk Art on Broadway Malls on view to October, 2019
The Lincoln Square BID and American Folk Art Museum are partnering to create a new public art project on the Broadway Mall between 60th and 70th Streets. The painting will take place on Friday, October 12th from 9:30am to 5:00pm, when they will be working with New York Cares volunteers.
Play it Loud: Instruments of Rock and Roll at The MET on view to October 1, 2019
Steve Miller had this guitar painted by surfboard artist Bob Cantrell and used it in live performances throughout the 1970s. Courtesy of Steve Miller St.
The iconic instruments of Rock & Roll are on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, with instruments played by artists such as Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Don Felder, Kim Gordon, Jimi Hendrix, James Hetfield, Wanda Jackson, Joan Jett, Lady Gaga, Steve Miller, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Page, Kate Pierson, Elvis Presley, Prince, Keith Richards, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, Eddie Van Halen, St. Vincent, Tina Weymouth, Nancy Wilson, and others.
Cycling in the City: A 200-Year History at The Museum of the City of New York on view through October 6, 2019
Cycling in the City traces the bike’s transformation of urban transportation and leisure and explores the extraordinary diversity of cycling cultures in the city, past and present. The exhibition reveals the complex, creative, and often contentious relationship between New York and the bicycle, while underscoring the importance of cycling as the city confronts climate change, energy scarcity, and population growth in the years to come.
I Don’t Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Ah me in Marcus Garvey Park on view to October 12, 2019
I Don’t Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Ah me….. by José Carlos Casadoacknowledges how little he knows of the black woman’s experience, but as an immigrant, gay man and new father, he found a personal connection to the poem entitled Sympathy by African-American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar that inspired writer/poet/activist Maya Angelou’s American classic. Accompanying the physical sculpture is an augmented reality component making the sculpture interactive.
MADSTEEZ x MTN DEW at St. Nicholas Park to October 18, 2019
The artist Mark Paul Deren, aka MADSTEEZ completed a large-scale, multi-layered painting of the basketball court located at West 140th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue in St. Nicholas Park. The exhibition is presented by Mountain Dew and will be on view to October 18, 2019. More info and pictures at designboom.com
Simone Leigh: Loophole of Retreat at The Guggenheim on view to October 27, 2019
The Guggenheim Museum opens its doors to Simone Leigh: Loophole of Retreat, on the occasion of Leigh winning the 2018 Hugo Boss Prize.
Alicja Kwade: ParaPivot at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Roof on view through October 27, 2019
The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that Berlin-based artist Alicja Kwade has been selected to create a site-specific installation for The Met’s Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden this Spring. Alicja Kwade, ParaPivot will be on view from April 16 through October 27, 2019.
The Dino Safari at Bronx Zoo will be on view through November 3, 2019
On the heals of the opening of T. rex: The Ultimate Predator at The American Museum of Natural History, The Bronx Zoo announced the biggest, most realistic Dinosaur Safari ride in the Country.
Power: Within and Between Us on view to December 31, 2019
The Rubin Museum of Art will dedicate its 2019 exhibitions, programs, and experiences to the theme of power, focusing on how visitors can activate the power that exists “within and between us.” Drawing on a diverse range of sources and perspectives, from contemporary art to scientific theories to Buddhist philosophies, the Rubin Museum will explore secular and religious systems of power as well as personal and collective agency.
TatsCru on The Bowery Wall
The well-known street artists known as #TatsCru just finished a colorful ode to New York, its street art and Lower East Side history, remembering the man who created the canvas we know today as the Bowery Wall, Tony Goldman, and Keith Haring, the first to create on the wall (1982). Let’s take a closer look.
En Plein Air on The High Line on view through March 2020
In Spring, 2019, the High Line welcomed eight international artists to set up their easels and work En Plein Air ~ in an artistic dialogue with the surrounding landscape.
T. rex: The Ultimate Predator at The Museum of Natural History on view to August 9, 2020
The American Museum of Natural History has opened its doors to a new exhibition, T. rex: The Ultimate Predator, exploring the latest research and discoveries related to the dinosaurs known as Tyrannousaurs as a kick-off to the Museum’s 150th Anniversary celebration. As part of this exhibition, the Museum will introduce visitors to the entire tyrannosaur family, and reveal the amazing story of the most iconic dinosaur in the world.