Seven Art Exhibitions to See This Fall in New York

September brings its usual uptick in invitations, news and openings, and some of the most exciting ones involve the turning over of summer shows into fall exhibitions. Spanning art-world legends and self-taught creatives, this fall offers serenity, inspiration, and relevant reflection through these institutions. Truly, there is something for everyone.

Roy Lichtenstein | The Whitney Museum of American Art

“Roy Lichtenstein: Like New” at The Whitney Museum of American Art Opening October 11

Pop Art fanatics, rejoice! One of the year’s most anticipated shows at The Whitney brings five decades of Lichtenstein’s work to the Meatpacking District. The artist’s focus on print culture and advertising might be even more relevant and question-raising in today’s media milieu. We can expect to see 130 works including his most recognizable alongside lesser-viewed pieces thanks to contributions and shares from a couple of leading collectors of Pop Art.

Uncle Sam Man | New York Historical

“You Should Be Dancing: New York, 1976 and Beyond” New York Historical Opening October 2

This show is a historic acknowledgement of America’s 250th anniversary through a retrospective lens that intentionally begins with the country’s 200-year anniversary in 1976. Music, fashion, and—yes, even—joy are juxtaposed against the backdrop of a New York in decline facing rising crime rates and housing challenges. This should feel like the type of show that holds a mirror to the current times through the unexpected lens of the past.

Arthur Jafa | New Museum

“Arthur Jafa: I Am Tony” New Museum Opening September 24

The range of Jafa’s contemporary work will be shown in the New Museum’s first fall season since their mega reopening. Jafa’s work in cinematography, including “Love Is the Message, the Message is Death,” served as reflections of and stark contradictions involving African-American life. In addition to film, we can expect paintings, sculptures and more from the artist’s most extensive show to date.

Minnie Evans | Whitney Museum of American Art

“The Lost World: The Art of Minnie Evans” at The Whitney Museum of American Art Opened on August 22

A North Carolina-based folk artist who relied on dreams and visions, Evans’ work is inimitable. With a range of throughlines, including the spiritual, religious, and a multitude of references to the natural world, her works lean into geometric elements and feel like kaleidoscopic puzzles inviting us to visually hone in on their individual pieces. In a season filled with notable names across sculpture and fine art, impressionist pieces to pop art to contemporary work, Minnie Evans’ works—some constructed in crayon—raise questions around the establishment in itself and what dictates the confinements of “fine art.”

Full Disclosure | MoMA

“Full Disclosure: The Edge of Information Design” at The Museum of Modern Art Opening September 27

In our data-inundated times, there are cases to be made that this is either a vital topic for an exhibition—or an unnecessary one. But those willing to entertain the former will find a deeper dive into the field of data visualization and how information is interpreted into design. Prepare to explore a range of products, both analog and digital, that bridge the gap between technology and psychology through the lens of communication design.

Modigliani | Brooklyn Museum

Cézanne to Modigliani: Gifts of Modern Art from the Pearlman Collection at The Brooklyn Museum Opening October 2

In addition to the artists mentioned in the exhibition’s title, works by Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and others will also be included. In a unique twist, this show will highlight the stories behind the famous European art collectors, Henry and Rose Pearlman, sharing their tales of adventure with artists and lifelong devotion to sharing their art with the world. Works from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will also be included in the exhibition.

Brancusi | MoMA

“Brancusi: The Artist and His Studio” at the Museum of Modern Art Opening October 25

One major museum’s temporary closure can be another city’s gain, and this show proves it. Objects from the “Atelier Brancusi,” the home and workshop that has become an installation within the Centre Pompidou, will be on view in the Brancusi-focused show at MoMA. Sculptures not seen in New York in decades will be on view along with photographs, belongings and other archival materials having belonged to the artist.

Krasner and Pollack | Metropolitan Museum of Art

Krasner and Pollack: Past Continuous at Metropolitan Museum of Art Opening October 4

Having met in New York in 1941, Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollack married four years later in Long Island where they lived and worked until Pollack’s passing. This exhibition brings awareness to Krasner, the lesser-known artist of the two, and her work gets a light shone on it while offering a rare, side-by-side look at their talents. This marks the first major show of either artists’ body of work in New York in over 20 years.