14 Must-See Museum Shows in New York This Spring

New York museums are launching a significant slate of spring exhibitions, featuring major retrospectives and thematic surveys. Highlights include "Noguchi's New York" at the Noguchi Museum, exploring the sculptor's unrealized urban projects; "Raphael: Sublime Poetry" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a comprehensive look at the Renaissance master; and "Gothic by Design: The Dawn of Architectural Draftsmanship," also at the Met, focusing on medieval architectural drawings.

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MoMA PS1 has opened its marquee spring exhibition, “The Gatherers,” a group show featuring 14 artists from around the world who explore the psychic and material burdens of climate change, globalization, and neoliberalism. Curated by Ruba Katrib, the exhibition includes works in sculpture, video, assemblage, and installation, spanning regions from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Lithuania, and is on view through October 6. Katrib, PS1’s chief curator and director of curatorial affairs, emphasizes that the show lets the artworks speak for themselves through form and material rather than delivering a direct lecture.

15 Art Shows to See in Los Angeles This Spring

Los Angeles art institutions are presenting a diverse slate of spring exhibitions. Highlights include a major retrospective of conceptual artist Michael Asher at the Museum of Contemporary Art, a sprawling group show on Chicanx photography at the Riverside Art Museum and the Cheech, and an exploration of the Black Arts Movement through photography at the Getty. Other notable shows feature Arshile Gorky's road trip-inspired works at Hauser & Wirth, an audiovisual film exhibition at the Variety Arts Theater, and a presentation of Steven Arnold's queer baroque aesthetics at Del Vaz Projects.

What’s on for spring? Spiritualism and symbolic systems

This article surveys several spring exhibitions in Chicago that explore themes of spiritualism, symbolic systems, and interconnected consciousness. Featured shows include Mindy Rose Schwartz's "Countersealed" at M. LeBlanc, which uses deconstructed fur coats, wands, and twisted fiber sculptures to evoke rituals addressing ecological disaster and historical subjugation. Daniel G. Baird's "Margin" at Patron examines thresholds between material and spiritual realms through a gilded canoe, wax arm cast, and birchwood oar. Leah Ke Yi Zheng's "Change, I Ching (64 Paintings)" at the Renaissance Society presents 64 hexagram paintings on silk, connecting abstract minimalism with Eastern silk painting traditions.

Review: Manet-Morisot exhibition is a deep dive into artistic ways of seeing, making

The Cleveland Museum of Art's spring exhibition examines the artistic relationship between 19th-century French Impressionist painters Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot, showcasing 36 paintings and seven works on paper. Organized by curator Emily Beeny of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the show is the first to closely analyze how the two artists influenced each other, correcting the historical record that long positioned Manet as the dominant figure while undervaluing Morisot's contributions. Through side-by-side juxtapositions, the exhibition reveals that Manet may have taken more from Morisot than she from him, highlighting their collaborative and competitive dialogue over 15 years.

MOCAD Reopens with New Exhibitions from Detroit Artists

Detroit's Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCAD) has reopened after an eight-month closure for construction, unveiling four new exhibitions as part of its 2026 Spring Exhibition and 20th anniversary. The renovations include a new HVAC system, educational space, and windows that allow passersby to see inside. The building has been renamed the Julia Reyes Taubman Building in honor of the late co-founder, whose family contributed $1.8 million toward the $3 million first phase. Mayor Mary Sheffield toured the exhibitions at an April 23 media preview, praising the museum's role in community healing and access. Featured exhibitions include "Olayami Dabls: Detroit Cosmologies," the first retrospective of the artist's nearly 50-year career, showcasing his evolution from figurative acrylics to abstract collage.

Spencer Museum’s spring exhibitions explore richness of Japanese and Asian American art

The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas is opening two major exhibitions on February 19: 'Street Nihonga: The Art of Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani' and 'Brush, Block, and Blood: Three Generations of Yoshida Women Printmakers.' The Mirikitani exhibition is the largest assembly of the Japanese American artist's work, featuring 145 pieces that document his life of displacement, incarceration, and homelessness, created using traditional Japanese techniques with found materials. The Yoshida exhibition presents prints by three generations of women from a renowned Japanese artistic family, marking the first U.S. display of their work together.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Announces the Opening of the Condé M. Nast Galleries, Designed by Peterson Rich Office

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced the opening of the Condé M. Nast Galleries, a 12,000-square-foot exhibition space designed by the New York-based architecture firm Peterson Rich Office (PRO). The galleries, located adjacent to the museum's Great Hall, will be inaugurated in May 2026 by The Costume Institute's spring exhibition titled "Costume Art," which explores the dressed body by juxtaposing garments from the Institute's holdings with treasures from the museum's broader collections. The project is part of a larger renovation that also includes a redesign of the Fifth Avenue and 83rd Street entrance to improve visitor flow.

Addison Gallery Unveils New Spring Exhibitions Highlighting American Art And Phillips Academy Connections

The Addison Gallery of American Art at Phillips Academy has launched its spring exhibition season, featuring a diverse range of shows that draw from its 29,000-object permanent collection and visiting loans. Key highlights include an exploration of Parasol Press and its founder Robert Feldman, a showcase of geometric abstraction by Carmen Herrera and Leon Polk Smith, and a thematic survey of American Modernism featuring works by Edward Hopper and Charles Sheeler.

Ruth Leon recommends… Raphael: Sublime Poetry – Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened its major spring exhibition, "Raphael: Sublime Poetry," the first comprehensive survey of the artist in the United States. Curator Carmen Bambach, exhibition design manager Daniel Kershaw, and research associate Caroline Elenowitz-Hess guide a virtual tour of the show, which brings together over 170 masterpieces and rarely seen works spanning Raphael's career from Urbino to Florence and Rome.

Exciting Spring Exhibitions Across U.S. Museums

Major U.S. museums are launching a series of high-profile exhibitions this spring, headlined by a massive Marcel Duchamp retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Other key highlights include the North American debut of Iris van Herpen’s technologically-driven fashion at the Brooklyn Museum and a focused look at Peter Hujar’s photography of the New York underground at the Morgan Library & Museum.

"Transformations" Art Exhibit at Wilton's browngrotta arts Explores Inventive Uses of Materials in Art

Wilton gallery browngrotta arts will present "Transformations: Dialogues in Art and Material" from May 9-17, 2026, a Spring exhibition exploring how artists transform materials such as clay, silk, steel, bark, seaweed, bamboo, and horsehair. The show features nearly three dozen international artists, including Kiyomi Iwata, John McQueen, Marian Bijlenga, Toshiko Takaezu, and Kay Sekimachi, whose works demonstrate what curator Glenn Adamson calls "material intelligence"—a deep understanding of material properties and possibilities. Co-curator Tom Grotta notes that artists often start with the same material yet arrive at remarkably distinct outcomes, revealing how artistic vision reshapes substance itself.

Spring Exhibitions at the Lilley Museum of Art

The John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art at the University of Nevada, Reno, has announced three new exhibitions for its spring 2026 program, running from January 27 to May 23. The shows include “Home Truth: Image Making in Absence, Photography by Steven Seidenberg,” co-curated by Stephanie Gibson and Carolyn L. White; “Ayana V. Jackson,” co-curated by Gibson and visual storyteller Iyana Esters; and “Homeland Security: Images from the Epicenter of the Cuban Missile Crisis,” featuring archival photographs from Prensa Latina. An opening reception will be held on February 19, with free parking and refreshments.

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Artist Peiqi Su created "The Penis Wall" (2014), an interactive installation featuring 81 3D-printed penises with tiny motors that adjust their flaccidity or erectness to six levels. The penises respond to stimuli such as viewer movement or stock market fluctuations. The work was developed over a semester as a thesis project for New York University's ITP program within the Tisch School of the Arts, and was briefly displayed on May 19–20 as part of the program's spring exhibition.

Met Gala 2026 – Everything to know about fashion's biggest night

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's 2026 Met Gala will take place on May 4, themed "Costume Art" to highlight fashion as a central artistic discipline. Co-chairs include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, with a host committee featuring Anthony Vaccarello, Zoë Kravitz, and other celebrities. The event coincides with the opening of the new Condé M. Nast Galleries and the spring exhibition "Costume Art," which pairs historic garments with artworks spanning 5,000 years. The dress code is "fashion is art," and the red carpet will be livestreamed by Vogue.

Watercolor dreams come alive at New Mexico spring show

The New Mexico Watercolor Society is hosting its annual juried Spring Exhibition at Expo New Mexico's Fine Arts Building from May 2 through May 23, featuring approximately 100 watercolors by over 300 society members. The show includes works by artists like Marcia Birmingham, Tom Cassidy, and Junko Nakao, who paint subjects ranging from old grain elevators to historic rail yard interiors and Japanese shrines. The society holds free monthly meetings open to anyone interested in learning watercolor techniques.

Twelve Exhibitions, One Looming Question: Bard Student Curators Take on the Meaning of Now at Hessel Museum

The Hessel Museum at Bard College has launched its annual spring exhibition season, featuring twelve distinct curatorial projects titled "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today." Organized by graduating students from the Center for Curatorial Studies (CCS), the showcase serves as a professional debut for an emerging cohort of curators. The projects range from solo retrospectives of under-recognized artists like Brazilian painter Maria Auxiliadora Silva to explorations of feminist art history through the work of A.I.R. Gallery co-founder Anne Healy.

Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art highlights dynamic spring exhibition season

The Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in Tarpon Springs, Florida, has launched a dynamic spring 2026 exhibition season featuring four shows that highlight regional artists and student creativity. Exhibitions include "Richard Heipp: Reliquaries & Artifacts" (through July 26), which uses hyper-realistic paintings to explore how museums shape cultural memory; "Dallas Jackson: Unsung Heroes, The Fabric of America" (through June 14), a mixed-media tribute to overlooked community figures; and "David Anderson: Now and Again" (through June 14), presenting eight newly acquired works never before publicly exhibited. The season also includes student-focused programming from kindergarten through middle school.

7 ‘Body Types’ in the Met’s ‘Costume Art’ Fashion Exhibition

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute has announced its upcoming spring exhibition, titled '7 Body Types,' which will explore fashion through the lens of diverse physical forms. The show will feature garments designed for seven distinct body types, challenging traditional fashion norms and highlighting inclusivity in design. Curated by Andrew Bolton, the exhibition draws from the museum's extensive collection and includes works from contemporary designers.

Spring Exhibitions Opening at the Tom Thomson Art Gallery

The Tom Thomson Art Gallery (TOM) in Owen Sound is launching two new exhibitions this spring. 'Liz Zetlin: More Than Human – a year in my garden' is an immersive video installation documenting the seasonal cycles of the artist's garden, while 'Emergence 2026' showcases works by regional high school students.

Creative Young Minds exhibit sparks imagination

The Carmen Durazo Cultural Arts Center, in partnership with the Calexico Recreation Department, has launched the "Creative Young Minds" exhibition. The showcase features diverse works including paintings, photography, ceramics, and mixed media from 51 student artists hailing from Calexico, El Centro, Imperial, Brawley, and Mexicali. The opening ceremony was attended by local dignitaries and the Mexican consul, highlighting the cross-border cultural participation of the region's youth.

Local artists shine at Focus Art Spring Exhibition: “It’s a good turnout”

The Focus Art Association hosted its annual spring exhibition at Cornwall Square, showcasing nearly 100 works from over 30 local artists. The two-weekend event featured a diverse array of mediums, including oil painting, photography, and soft chalk pastels, and included a vernissage where the public could engage directly with the creators. Highlights included the transition of veteran photographer John Lester into painting and the personal watercolor narratives of artist Glenda Gibson.

Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU announces four spring exhibitions

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Washington State University has unveiled its spring 2026 exhibition program, featuring four distinct showcases that emphasize sensory awareness and embodied perception. The lineup includes a solo exhibition of sculptural works by Montana-based artist Mimi Jung, a site-specific kinetic sound installation by Trimpin titled 'Ambiente432', a curated selection of photography from the permanent collection focused on light, and the annual MFA Thesis Exhibition featuring emerging artists Keegan Baatz, S. Camille Comer, and Kahyun Uhm.

Exhibitions to See Across the US This April

A curated selection of notable art exhibitions opening across the United States in April is highlighted. Key shows include Pat Oleszko's inflatable sculptures at New York's SculptureCenter and the annual 'The Photography Show' in New York.

Hopkinsville Art Guild's Annual Spring Exhibition Underway

The Hopkinsville Art Guild has launched its annual Spring Member Art Exhibition at the Hopkinsville Community College Auditorium Gallery. Featuring 80 works by 26 local artists, the show spans diverse media including oil painting, pottery, and photography. During the opening, Peggy Luensmann was awarded Best of Show, with top honors also going to Steve Chlupsa, Linda Pierce, and Henrietta Kemp.

Spring Exhibitions Showcase Artworks by Youth and Emerging Artists

Multiple venues in Athens, Georgia, are hosting spring exhibitions featuring works by youth, student, and emerging artists. Shows include the Athens Academy Community Art Show, ATHICA's "Bird's Eye View" by Lybi Cucurullo, OCAF's "Youth Art Month" and "Tiny Worlds," Dodd Galleries' student works, Lyndon House Arts Center's exhibitions by Kate Kaiser and Sebastian Granados, the 51st Annual Juried Exhibition, "Creative Tracks" from the Athens-Clarke County Jail, the "Green Life Student Art Exhibition," Taylor-Grady House's "Home & Family" printmaking exhibit, and Winterville Cultural Center's K-5 student show and Sherre Watwood's solo exhibition.

Galloping into the New Year – 2026 Ningxia Zodiac Printmaking Spring Exhibition Opens in Yinchuan

“骏启新岁——2026宁夏生肖版画迎春展” 在宁夏银川开幕

The 'Galloping into the New Year – 2026 Ningxia Zodiac Printmaking Spring Exhibition' opened on January 18, 2026, at the Yuecai City Public Art Exhibition Area in Yinchuan, Ningxia. Organized by the Ningxia Artists Association and co-organized by its Printmaking Art Committee and the Ningxia University College of Fine Arts, the exhibition features 101 works, including 81 selected from an open call and 20 invited pieces from established printmakers. The opening ceremony was attended by association officials and artists, and a printmaking workshop was set up to allow visitors to try the art form.

Spring Art Exhibition Aligned Again Opens at Village Theatre Art Gallery

The Village Theatre Art Gallery in Danville is launching its spring exhibition, "Aligned Again," featuring the work of six women artists. Opening with a reception on April 18, the show highlights a diverse range of mediums and styles that explore themes of connection and creativity. The exhibition will remain on view through June 19, serving as a centerpiece for the town's seasonal cultural programming.

Ready, Set, Go: Ten Spring Exhibitions Opening or Closing Within Six Weeks

Boston Art Review (BAR) has published a guide titled "Ready, Set, Go: Ten Spring Exhibitions Opening or Closing Within Six Weeks," highlighting a curated selection of ten spring exhibitions in the Boston area and beyond. The article provides a concise overview of each show, including opening and closing dates, venues, and featured artists, aimed at helping readers plan their art-viewing schedules during a compressed six-week window.

Killeen ISD student artwork celebrated, joins statewide exhibition in Austin

Finn Brantley, a student at Chaparral High School in Killeen ISD, has had his artwork titled "Chrono" selected for the Texas Art Education Association’s Spring Exhibition. The piece will be displayed at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin alongside works from other high-achieving students across the state ranging from Pre-K to 12th grade.