These are the 30 best museum exhibits in NYC right now

New York City’s cultural landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, anchored by the grand reopening of the New Museum in its expanded 60,000-square-foot building designed by OMA. The inaugural exhibition, "New Humans: Memories of the Future," features over 200 contributors exploring the intersection of technology and humanity. Simultaneously, major institutions are launching blockbuster shows, including a massive Raphael retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the 2026 Whitney Biennial, which focuses on artificial intelligence, climate grief, and geopolitical power.

These are the 30 best museum exhibits in NYC right now

New York City’s cultural landscape is undergoing a significant transformation with the reopening of the New Museum in its expanded 60,000-square-foot building designed by OMA. The inaugural exhibition, "New Humans: Memories of the Future," features over 200 contributors exploring the intersection of technology and humanity. Simultaneously, major institutions are launching landmark shows, including a massive Raphael retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the 2026 Whitney Biennial, which focuses on artificial intelligence and climate grief.

NEXT in the Gallery: April art includes baseballs, ambiguous boundaries and scraposaurs

Pittsburgh’s art scene is preparing for a busy spring season with a diverse array of exhibitions opening across the city’s galleries and public spaces. Highlights include Hugh Watkins’ multi-disciplinary retrospective at Christine Fréchard Gallery, Dale Lewis’s massive "Scraposaurs" sculptures made from recycled metal at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, and a unique exhibition of hand-painted baseballs by the late umpire George Sosnak. These shows serve as a creative prelude to major upcoming regional events like the 59th Carnegie International and the Three Rivers Arts Festival.

New York art exhibit highlights Port Arthur's Robert Rauschenberg

The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York is hosting a major retrospective titled "Robert Rauschenberg: Spreading Viaducts," which places a significant focus on the artist's formative years in his hometown of Port Arthur, Texas. The exhibition explores how the industrial landscape and unique coastal environment of the Gulf Coast influenced Rauschenberg’s revolutionary approach to materials and his development of the "Combine" paintings.

Large Roman Villa Uncovered in the U.K. During Wind Farm Survey

Archaeologists conducting surveys for an offshore wind farm project in Norfolk, England, have discovered a significant Roman villa dating back to the 1st through 3rd centuries C.E. The expansive estate, which measures over 100 feet in length, featured a bathhouse, a covered porch, and ancillary buildings for crop processing. Excavations also yielded high-status artifacts including an ornate bronze door handle, a lion-headed furniture foot, and imported pottery, alongside evidence of a Roman road and two lost medieval villages.

A Chunk of Eiffel Tower’s Spiral Staircase Returns to Auction After 40 Years

A significant 8.5-foot segment of the Eiffel Tower's original 19th-century spiral staircase will be auctioned by Artcurial on May 21. This piece, removed during a 1983 renovation and one of only 24 sections created, has remained in private French hands since its initial sale that same year and is expected to fetch between €40,000 and €50,000.

Our Critics Disagree on MoMA PS1’s Greater New York, a Wide-Ranging Survey Defined by a Fascination with Fragility

MoMA PS1 has launched the sixth edition of Greater New York, its signature quinquennial survey featuring 53 artists living and working across the city's five boroughs. Marking the institution’s 50th anniversary, this iteration was organized entirely by the museum’s internal curatorial staff rather than outside contributors. The exhibition moves away from the introspective, surrealist themes of the pandemic-era 2021 edition, focusing instead on the social fabric of the city and the systemic challenges facing its residents.

2026 Guggenheim Fellowships Go to Sonya Clark, John Miller, and American Artist

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has announced its 101st class of fellows, awarding 223 scholars and artists across 55 disciplines for 2026. Selected from a pool of nearly 5,000 applicants, the new cohort includes prominent visual artists such as Sonya Clark, John Miller, American Artist, and Kota Ezawa. The fellowships provide significant financial grants to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts.

Yves Saint Laurent’s Lalanne Mirrors Set for $15 Million Sale

Sotheby’s has announced the sale of a monumental set of 15 gilt-bronze mirrors by Claude Lalanne, originally commissioned by fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent for his Paris apartment. The mirrors are the centerpiece of a 123-lot auction from the collection of Jean and Terry de Gunzburg, scheduled for April 22 at the Sotheby’s Breuer building. Estimated to fetch between $10 million and $15 million, the mirrors represent a significant appreciation in value since the de Gunzburgs acquired them for approximately $2.4 million at the historic 2009 Saint Laurent estate sale.

Still Life Painter Poppy Jones’s Career Is on the Move

British artist Poppy Jones has seen a meteoric rise in market and institutional recognition over the past year. Her enigmatic still lifes, created by mono-printing photographic images onto found materials like silk and suede, have resonated with collectors, leading to a major jump in searches on the Artnet Price Database and auction results that have tripled estimates, with her record now over $60,000.

At Palm Beach’s Hottest Fair, Blue-Chip Meets Emerging Art

The ninth edition of the Palm Beach Modern and Contemporary (PBM+C) art fair opened with a VIP preview benefiting the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens. The fair, presented by Art Miami, features 55 international galleries showcasing a mix of blue-chip modern works, contemporary art, and emerging talent, with highlights including special exhibitions dedicated to Russell Young's Marilyn Monroe centennial works and a satellite exhibition at the sculpture garden.

Restored Victorian greenhouse links Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery to its living neighbours

Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery has unveiled the 'Green-House,' a $34m welcome and education center centered around a meticulously restored 1895 Victorian cast-iron greenhouse. Designed by Architecture Research Office (ARO), the facility includes classrooms, research archives, and dedicated gallery spaces. The project transforms a formerly dilapidated commercial florist shop into a modern gateway that connects the 478-acre National Historic Landmark to its surrounding urban neighborhood.

Metropolitan Opera and MoMA Together Put Kahlo at Center Stage

The Metropolitan Opera and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) have launched a rare cross-disciplinary collaboration centered on the life and work of Frida Kahlo. The project features a new operatic production at the Met, complemented by a specialized exhibition at MoMA conceived by the opera's set designer to provide visual and historical context.

Why Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s Go-Go Dancer Piece Remains Subversive

The New York Times examines the enduring power of Felix Gonzalez-Torres's 1991 performance piece "Untitled" (Go-Go Dancing Platform), in which a go-go dancer performs on a pedestal for a brief, scheduled period each day. The work, currently on view at the Art Institute of Chicago, uses the dancer's absence as a central component, creating a poignant metaphor for queer presence and loss.

The Titan of Land Art Moves Indoors and Gets Intimate

Michael Heizer, the pioneering Land Art figure known for monumental desert works like "City" and "Double Negative," is presenting a new exhibition of smaller-scale, indoor sculptures at Gagosian Gallery in New York. The show, titled "Collapse," features a series of large, geometric steel forms that, while still substantial, represent a significant shift in scale and context from his earth-moving outdoor projects.

Emerson Bowyer Appointed Chief Curator of Kimbell Art Museum

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth has appointed Emerson Bowyer as its new chief curator, effective March 5. Bowyer joins from the Art Institute of Chicago, where he served as the Searle Curator and oversaw significant acquisitions, including works by William Holman Hunt and Camille Claudel.

Centre Pompidou Hanwha to open its Seoul space in June 2026.

The Centre Pompidou Hanwha is scheduled to open its doors in Seoul in June 2026, following a three-year construction period. Located within the iconic 63 Building in the Yeouido district, the 10,000-square-meter facility replaces a former aquarium with a four-story "box of light" designed to maximize natural illumination.

The Asian Market Carries Art Basel Hong Kong

Le marché asiatique porte Art Basel Hong Kong

Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 concluded with strong attendance and significant sales, demonstrating the fair's central role in the Asian art market. The event attracted over 91,000 visitors and featured 240 galleries, with a strong presence from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, and the United States. Major international galleries like Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, and David Zwirner reported multimillion-dollar sales of works by artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Liu Ye, and Marlene Dumas, alongside notable transactions for works by Tracey Emin and Antony Gormley.

Ten Essential Shows During Frieze New York

Frieze magazine has published a curated list of ten essential exhibitions to see in New York City during the Frieze New York art fair. The recommendations highlight major institutional shows, including a Carol Bove exhibition at the Guggenheim, a Marcel Duchamp presentation at MoMA, and a Raphael-focused exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Elucidating the Esoteric with Hilma's Ghost

The feminist art collective Hilma’s Ghost, founded by artists Dannielle Tegeder and Sharmistha Ray, is reclaiming the role of alternative spiritualities and the occult within art history. Sparked by the 2018 Hilma af Klint retrospective at the Guggenheim, the collective emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic as a research-based project that bridges artmaking with esoteric practices like tarot, witchcraft, and neo-tantric cosmologies. Through workshops and collaborative paintings, the duo explores how women and queer artists have historically been erased from the canon due to their unconventional, mystical methods.

‘We refuse_d’: rehearsing refusal as method, memory, and possibility.

Marking the fifteenth anniversary of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the traveling exhibition ‘we refuse_d’ has opened at M HKA in Antwerp. Curated by Nadia Radwan and Vasif Kortun, the project draws on the intellectual lineage of Hannah Arendt’s reflections on displacement and the historical precedent of the Salon des Refusés. The exhibition features a constellation of works by artists including Khalil Rabah, Barış Doğrusöz, and Nour Shantout, exploring refusal not as a simple negation, but as a complex strategy for survival, dignity, and the preservation of memory.

Post-Mortemism: An Autopsy of “Nigerian Modernism: Art and Independence” at Tate Modern.

A critical essay by Ayọ̀ Akínwándé performs a forensic 'autopsy' of the Tate Modern exhibition 'Nigerian Modernism: Art and Independence.' The review dissects the show's structure, arguing it fails in its curatorial framework by isolating Nigerian artists within a regional category, using ethnographic display methods, relying on incomplete research, and excluding key artists and historical context.

In Kyoung Chun: Make Room

The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston is presenting "Make Room," a solo exhibition by South Korean-born, Atlanta-based artist In Kyoung Chun. The show features a mix of paintings and site-specific installations, including transparent houses and suspended structures that explore the artist's experience as an immigrant. By blurring the lines between interior and exterior spaces, Chun’s work invites viewers into environments that reflect on the fragility and resilience of home.

Art Dubai Downsizes Dramatically as War Reshapes Plans

Art Dubai has announced a significantly scaled-back 20th-anniversary edition, reducing its exhibitor list by 57 percent following regional conflict and logistical disruptions. Originally scheduled for April, the fair has been postponed to May 15–17 at Madinat Jumeirah and will now feature only 50 galleries, with a heavy emphasis on regional participants. To support dealers during this period of uncertainty, organizers have implemented a "risk-sharing" booth fee model where galleries pay a percentage of sales capped at their original fee.

Marc Restellini’s ‘atom bomb’ of a Modigliani catalogue raisonné is finally published

After nearly three decades of legal disputes and intense research, Marc Restellini has finally published his definitive catalogue raisonné of Amedeo Modigliani’s oil paintings. Released through the Institut Restellini and Yale University Press, the six-volume work utilizes forensic scientific analysis, spectrometry, and archival evidence to authenticate the artist's oeuvre. The publication includes 100 newly authenticated works while excluding 15 previously accepted paintings due to a lack of definitive evidence, marking a shift from connoisseurship to a fact-based methodology.

Poly Auction Hong Kong Spring Auctions 2026: High Jewels and Watches, Modern and Contemporary Art Auctions to Be Held on 6 April

Poly Auction Hong Kong has announced its Spring 2026 auction series, scheduled to take place from April 6 to April 8 at the Shun Tak Centre. The sales feature a diverse array of categories including Modern and Contemporary Art, Chinese Ceramics, Chinese Paintings, and High Jewelry and Watches. Highlighting the contemporary selection is Liu Wei’s 1995 masterpiece "You Like Pork?", a rare work previously exhibited at the Venice Biennale, alongside a significant 1960s "White period" abstract canvas by Zao Wou-Ki.

Death of Artist Fabien Verschaere

Disparition de l’artiste Fabien Verschaere

The French contemporary art world is mourning the sudden death of artist Fabien Verschaere at the age of 50. Represented by Galerie Brugier-Rigail since 2012, Verschaere was known for a prolific and singular body of work that blended childhood imagery, fairy tales, and pop culture icons like Mickey Mouse and Batman into a complex personal mythology. His career was marked by significant exhibitions at major institutions including the Palais de Tokyo, the Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon, and the Grand Palais.

Artist Lee Bae's solo exhibit questions his understanding of art and interrogates his farming roots

South Korean artist Lee Bae has opened a major solo exhibition titled "En attendant: Waiting" at Museum SAN in Wonju. The show features 39 works, including his signature "Issu du feu" charcoal sculptures and massive 10-meter-tall bronze "Brushstroke" installations placed within the museum's Stone Garden. The exhibition is designed to harmonize with the unique architecture of Tadao Ando, utilizing natural light and the surrounding mountain landscape to create a meditative experience for visitors.

New Museum Reopens in Downtown New York With OMA Expansion

The New Museum has officially reopened its downtown New York campus following a significant expansion designed by the architectural firm OMA. The renovation introduces a massive internal staircase that connects all four floors, resolving long-standing circulation issues previously caused by a reliance on elevators. To mark the reopening, the museum debuted a site-specific facade sculpture by Tschabalala Self titled "Art Lovers" and a massive inaugural group exhibition, "New Humans: Memories of the Future," featuring over 150 international contributors.

13 Exhibitions To Catch During Hong Kong Art Month 2026

Hong Kong Art Month 2026 is set to feature a packed schedule of at least 13 major exhibitions across the city's galleries and museums. The event coincides with the return of Art Basel Hong Kong and other major art fairs, drawing international galleries and collectors to the region.