Your Summer Guide: 20 Art World Highlights Not to Miss

ARTnews has published a summer guide highlighting 20 art world events and exhibitions not to miss in the coming months. Featured highlights include the opera 'El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego' at the Metropolitan Opera, the 'Costume Art' exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a Björk show titled 'echolalia' at the National Gallery of Iceland, a book on the Venice Biennale by Massimiliano Gioni, Raven Halfmoon's 'Flags of Our Mothers' at Ballroom Marfa, a Pierre Huyghe exhibition at Fondation Beyeler Basel, a James McNeill Whistler retrospective at Tate Britain, and the inaugural Medina Triennial in New York.

Paloma Elsesser, Joan Jonas, and Isha Ambani Descended Upon Beacon for a Day at Dia

On a warm spring Saturday, the Dia Art Foundation hosted its annual Spring Benefit at Dia Beacon, drawing a cross-disciplinary crowd of artists, curators, museum leaders, and fashion figures. The event celebrated the opening of seven major exhibitions across the Beacon campus, featuring works by John Chamberlain, Lee Ufan, Kishio Suga, and Jack Whitten, and marked the rollout of a new partnership with Chanel. Guests explored over 20 galleries, enjoyed a seasonal lunch amid Chamberlain's sculptures, and participated in a special children's program, all set within the former Nabisco box-printing factory along the Hudson River.

Near death experiences, ‘crip memes’ and the tyranny of the DWP: the new exhibition powered by illness and disability

Flare Up, a group exhibition co-curated by Mariana Lemos and Natasha Hoare at CCA Goldsmiths in London, showcases art centered on illness, chronic conditions, disability, neurodivergence, and deafness. The show features works by artists including Benoît Piéron, Avril Corroon, Derek Jarman, Christine Sun Kim, Jesse Darling, and the collective Freestylers, exploring themes such as near-death experiences, crip memes, government bureaucracy, and the fluctuating nature of symptoms. Highlights include Piéron's bunting made from hospital sheets, Corroon's installation on poverty and health, and Jarman's 1992 painting Act Up.

At the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp a major exhibition on Antony Gormley, with more than one hundred works

The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) is hosting a major exhibition titled "Geestgrond" dedicated to British sculptor Antony Gormley, running from May 23 to September 20, 2026. Curated by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, the show features over 100 works made from diverse materials including clay, stone, wood, glass, bread, iron, lead, and steel. The exhibition places Gormley's sculptures in dialogue with the museum's historical collection, spanning from a 14th-century Flemish Crucifixion to works by James Ensor, Auguste Rodin, and Julio González. It also extends beyond the museum walls into the streets of Antwerp and along the Scheldt River, with works from the Domain and Weave Works series appearing in urban spaces.

Kick off summer with these 10 must-see NYC art exhibitions

A roundup article highlights ten must-see museum and gallery exhibitions in New York City for the summer season. Featured shows include Carol Bove's interactive installation at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, a dual exhibition of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera at MoMA, Sarah Lucas's public sculpture "VENUS VICTORIA" at the New Museum, and Andreas Schulze's "Cake" at Sprüth Magers Gallery New York. Other notable exhibitions include "Revolutionary Women" at The New York Historical and "Another Wonderland" at the Museum of the City of New York, which presents a restored 1930s Alice in Wonderland mural.

Exhibition | Meg Webster, 'Thicket' at Paula Cooper Gallery, 521 West 21st Street, New York, United States

Meg Webster's exhibition 'Thicket' opens May 9 at Paula Cooper Gallery, 521 West 21st Street, New York, featuring new sculptures and drawings. The centerpiece is a large spiral installation made from plant cuttings, inviting viewers inside for an immersive sensory experience. The show follows Webster's major presentation at Dia Beacon (2024–2026) and her inclusion in 'Minimal' at Bourse de Commerce - Pinault Collection, Paris (2025–2026). Also on view are monochromatic works on paper made by rubbing organic materials onto the surface, and a three-part beeswax relief.

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera at MoMA in New York in a Passionate Theatrical Dialogue

Frida Kahlo et Diego Rivera au MoMA de New York dans un dialogue théâtral plein d’ardeur

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York has opened a theatrical exhibition titled "Frida and Diego: The Last Dream," curated by Beverly Adams, the museum's curator of Latin American art. The show features around twenty paintings and drawings by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera from MoMA's collection, alongside photographic portraits. The exhibition's dramatic staging, designed by British set designer Jon Bausor—who also worked on the Metropolitan Opera's concurrent production of "El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego"—creates a tense dialogue between the artists' contrasting styles: Rivera's political murals and Kahlo's intimate, colorful self-portraits. Highlights include Kahlo's "Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair" (1940) and Rivera's "Zapata, Agricultural Leader" (1931).

In Basel, a Dive into the Great Bath of Colors of Helen Frankenthaler

À Bâle, plongée dans le grand bain de couleurs d’Helen Frankenthaler

The Kunstmuseum Basel has opened a major retrospective of American painter Helen Frankenthaler (1928–2011), a key figure in Color Field painting who is less known in Europe than her contemporaries Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. The exhibition was sparked by a 2024 donation of Frankenthaler's 1963 painting "Riverhead" from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, and features around fifty works showcasing her signature soak-stain technique, in which she applied thinned paint to unprimed canvas using sponges, brooms, and scrapers. The show traces her career chronologically, highlighting influences from Old Masters and her physical approach to painting on the floor.

L.A. vs. N.Y. vs. UK punks and so much more at a sprawling new Skirball exhibit

The Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles opens a new exhibition titled "Outsiders, Outcasts, Rebels + Weirdos: Punk Culture 1976-86," tracing the evolution of punk music and culture over a decade. Featuring nearly 400 original fliers, posters, photographs, clothing, and pins, the show highlights punk's spread from New York to the UK and then to the West Coast, with a special focus on Los Angeles' contributions and the often-overlooked role of Jewish musicians and icons. The exhibition opens as punk celebrates its 50th anniversary, with events like the Sex Pistols' upcoming tour.

I'm a Chicana Curator. This Is Why I Removed Cesar Chavez From My Show

Curator Karen Mary Davalos removed a 1969 portrait of Cesar Chavez by George Rodriguez from the exhibition "Chicano Camera Culture: A Photographic History, 1966 to 2026" at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture in Riverside, California. The decision came after news reports on March 17 revealed that Chavez had assaulted multiple women and girls associated with the United Farm Workers, including allegations of rape against co-founder Dolores Huerta. Davalos, who curated the show, acted swiftly after a call from interim director Valerie Found, removing the photograph to avoid honoring a figure now seen as an abuser.

Major Exhibition Surveys 60 Years of Chicano Art Across the United States

The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture in Riverside, California, has opened a major exhibition titled "We the People: Chicano Art in the U.S.A.," surveying 60 years of Chicano art across the United States. Organized by artist and curator Benito Huerta, the show features 126 works by 61 artists drawn from the collection of Cheech Marin, the museum's permanent holdings, recent acquisitions, and artist loans. The exhibition spans painting, sculpture, installation, printmaking, and mixed media, including works by historic collectives like Los Four and Con Safo alongside contemporary artists, exploring themes of migration, labor, cultural memory, identity, and everyday life.

Venice Biennale 2026 Roundup

The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, opened in May 2026 amid significant turmoil. The Austrian Pavilion features Florentina Holzinger's performance piece "Seaworld Venice," centered on a giant bell that chimes hourly. The biennale has been marked by the death of its curator, the resignation of the international jury over the inclusion of Russia and Israel, protests by Pussy Riot and the Art Not Genocide Alliance, and the cancellation of the South African Pavilion over Gabrielle Goliath's "Elegy," which honors murdered women including a Palestinian poet. The US Pavilion's state-sponsored offerings have also drawn criticism.

People and places

Elisa Contemporary Art Riverdale Gallery will open a new group exhibition titled "People and places" on May 20, 2026, running through September 2. The show features works by six artists: Betty Ball, Carol Bennett, Sherry Karver, Mitch McGee, Dean Moore, and Jeffrey Palladini, with a focus on uplifting summer themes including water scenes, poolside figures, and bright yellow elements. The exhibition includes new works from Ball's Land & Sea series and introduces Sherry Karver as a new gallery artist.

Helen Frankenthaler at Kunstmuseum Basel

Kunstmuseum Basel has opened a major exhibition of Helen Frankenthaler's work, running from April 18 to August 23, 2026, featuring over 50 large-format pieces spanning six decades. The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation loaned 37 works for the show. The article also notes recent auction results, including Christie's offering of 'The Last Minute in April' (1974) for an estimated $2–3 million, and Sotheby's sales of 'St. John' (1971) for $2.1085 million and 'Perseus' (1983) for $2.804 million. Previous European exhibitions of Frankenthaler's work are listed, including shows at Museo di Palazzo Grimani, Museum Folkwang, Palazzo Strozzi, and Museum Reinhard Ernst.

The San Juan Islands Museum of Art Summer 2026 Exhibitions include Photography, etching, glass sculpture and feather sculpture

The San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA) in Friday Harbor, Washington, will present three exhibitions from June 11 to September 14, 2026, featuring photography, etching, glass sculpture, and feather sculpture. The exhibitions include "Convergence & Divergence: The Family Aesthetic" in the Nichols Gallery, showcasing the work of Imogen Cunningham, Roi Partridge, and Rondal Partridge together for the first time, with over 100 photographs and prints spanning nearly 110 years. Also on view are "Feathered Masterpieces: The Artistry of Chris Maynard" in the North Gallery, featuring intricate feather carvings, and a glass sculpture by Raven Skyriver.

Palate Cleansers at Frieze NY

Hyperallergic's coverage of Frieze New York and concurrent art fairs in the city frames the experience as overwhelming yet punctuated by standout works. Senior Editor Valentina Di Liscia compares the fair to an assembly-line salad, finding reprieve in art that evokes lush canopies, diaphanous portraiture, and ancestral gardens. The issue also includes dispatches from Future Fair, 1-54, TEFAF, NADA, and Independent Art Fair, alongside a tribute to Austrian performance artist Valie Export, who died at age 85, remembered for her radical feminist guerrilla performances that challenged the male gaze.

The Last Quarter of My Life Should Be Like the Beginning

"Das letzte Quartal meines Lebens soll wie der Anfang sein"

Armin Mueller-Stahl, the 95-year-old German actor and painter, opens his solo exhibition "Nacht und Tag auf der Erde" (Night and Day on Earth) at Museum Schloss Moyland. The show features a graphic cycle inspired by Jim Jarmusch's film "Night on Earth," in which Mueller-Stahl played a New York taxi driver. In an interview, he reflects on his dual careers in film and painting, his life between Hollywood, East Germany, and the present, and themes of loss and memory.

Phoenix Art Museum to offer nostalgic new exhibit highlighting vintage automotive posters and fashion

Phoenix Art Museum will debut 'Modern Treads: The Discount Tire Poster Collection' in June 2025, featuring over a dozen oversized vintage automotive posters from Discount Tire's collection, dating from 1900 to 1930. The collection, started by founder Bruce Halle in the 1980s and now comprising over 500 posters, highlights developments in the automobile and tire industries at the turn of the 20th century. The exhibition also includes two period fashion ensembles from the museum's collection, showing how early drivers dressed for protection. Co-curated by Susan Driver of the Discount Tire Collection, the show runs through January 2027 in the Lower-Level Katz Wing.

‘Walking With Giants’ exhibition to bring larger-than-life art to COD campus

The College of DuPage (COD) will host a new outdoor exhibition titled 'Walking With Giants,' featuring large-scale sculptures and installations by various artists on its campus in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The show aims to transform the campus environment into an immersive art experience, with works placed in public spaces for students and visitors to encounter.

Gallery at the heart of Changfeng mixed-use development opens to the public

Jia Art, a new gallery designed by Foster + Partners, has opened in Shanghai's Putuo District as part of the Changfeng mixed-use development. The 5,000-square-meter building features flexible exhibition, event, and educational spaces, with a design inspired by spring blessing flowers found in the local park. Its petal-like form, tubular glass ribs, and central glass skylight create a dynamic, light-filled environment that houses both contemporary and traditional art.

F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio welcome new exhibition by Shore Collective

The F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio in Northern Ireland has opened a new exhibition titled "Threads of Time: Industry, Ecology and the River Bann," presented by Shore Collective, an artist-led group based in Lurgan. The show features work from twenty local artists across painting, textiles, photography, and performance, exploring the River Bann's historical role in Irish linen production, its agricultural significance, and its evolving environmental story. The exhibition runs until July 2026 with free admission.

Art Museum of Southeast Texas exhibit captures essence of the Neches River

The Art Museum of Southeast Texas has opened a new exhibition centered on the Neches River, capturing its ecological and cultural significance through a range of artworks. The show features pieces by regional artists who explore the river's landscapes, wildlife, and its role in the community's history.

River Arts Presents Colors of Nature by Artist Mark Christopher

River Arts in Damariscotta, Maine, presents "Colors of Nature," a solo exhibition by artist Mark Christopher. The show features his luminous oil paintings of Maine landscapes and detailed wood and stone bird carvings, running from May 14 to June 2. Christopher, a wildlife biologist and award-winning wildfowl carver, brings a scientific precision to his artistic depictions of nature.

"Hungry Eyes" Opens at 49 Oak Street

"Hungry Eyes" has opened at 49 Oak Street in Portland, Maine, featuring emerging artists Cam Fox, Bets Ondrey, Sophia Sutherland, and Tom Dailey. The group exhibition explores themes of appetite, the animal, and the sensation of consuming art through layered abstraction, figurative imagery, and mixed-media works such as stitched sugar packets on canvas. A public reception is scheduled for June 5 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.