The Large Galleries
The giants of the international commercial art world, these NYC galleries do everything from advising to tapping into the zeitgeist (and some might say creating the zeitgeist as well). Their shows range from new names to legends of modern/contemporary art; displayed in simple spaces and backed by impeccable research. In addition, many of the galleries publish catalogs and monographs, hold virtual and/or IRL exclusive interviews with artists, curators, and historians, posting the results on their websites. The result is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the field of art, from creation to collecting.
Gagosian: Helen Marden: Interlude of Joy (until August 27, 2026 at 541 West 24th Street), Brice Marden: I Am Plane Image (September 15 – December 12, 2026 at 522 West 21st Street), Jordan Wolfson (September 18 – October 24, 2026 at 555 West 24th Street) Marcel Duchamp (April 25 – August 28, 2026 at 980 Madison Avenue), Robert Rauschenberg: Important Early Works from the Cy Twombly Foundation (April 25 – August 28, 2026 at 980 Madison Avenue)
Hauser & Wirth: Rita Ackermann – The Chemical Alphabet (September 9 – October 17, 2026) at 134 Wooster Street), Arp. Heads or Tails (September 10 – October 17, 2026 at 542 West 22nd Street location), Lee Bul – The Anatomy of Every Setting Sun (September 10 – October 24, 2026 at 542 West 22nd Street location), George Rouy – REPRISE (September 10 – October 17, 2026 at 542 West 22nd Street location), Anna Maria Maiolino – ANNA-And the infinite line (September 10 – October 31, 2026 at 443 West 18th Street location)
Pace Galleries: Torkwase Dyson: Seeing in Blue (September 11 – October 24, 2026 at 540 West 25th Street location), Lynda Benglis: KNOTTING, TYING, FOLDING (September 11 – October 24, 2026 at 540 West 25th Street location), Paul Thek: Dream of Vanishing (May 15 – Aug 14, 2026 at 540 West 25th Street location), Arlene Shechet: She Said She Said (September 11 – October 24, 2026 at 508 and 510 West 25th Street locations), David Byrne (April 10 – December 31, 2026 at 540 West 25th Street location) Asher Liftin: Recent Work (September 18 – October 31, 2026 at 125 Newbury located at 395 Broadway)
David Zwirner: Scott Kahn: Silent Night (September 10 – October 17, 2026 at 537 West 20th Street location), Nate Lowman: Hanging Out (September 10 – October 17, 2026 at 519 West 19th Street location), Thomas Ruff: jpegs ny (September 10 – October 17, 2026 at 533 West 19th Street location), Yoshitomo Nara (October 29 – December 12, 2026 at two locations: 533 West 19th Street and 537 West 20th Street), Emma McIntyre (September 18 – October 24, 2026 at 52 Walker Street)
The Mid-Size & Small Galleries
Offering everything from a deep dive into a little-known aspect of an artist’s career, an introduction to an established artist from another country, or exploring a topic you never considered before, the mid-size and small galleries of NYC leave an indelible impression on visitors. Run by noted experts in their subject, these gallerists often place their artists’ works in major arts institutions around the country, helping create permanent collections that future generations of art lovers will find useful and relevant. The listing below is just a sample of the fantastic variety of works available for viewing this season.
Mid-Size Galleries
Hollis Taggart: (TBA at 521 West 26th Street location, First Floor), Osamu Kobayashi: Cave Painting (September 3 – October 10, 2026 at 109 Norfolk Street location)
Lehmann Maupin (501 West 24th Street): Rana Begum (September 10 – October 24, 2026)
Galerie Lelong (528 West 26th Street): Alfredo Jaar: A Logo for America (September 10 – October 24, 2026)
Lisson Gallery: Leonilson (September 15 – October 24, 2026 at 508 West 24th Street location), Hiroshi Sugimoto (September 15 – October 24, 2026 at 504 West 24th Street location), Yu Hong (November 4, 2026 – January 9, 2027 at 504 West 24th Street location)
Luhring Augustine: settle for a good fantasy (September 11 – October 24, 2026 at 531 West 24th Street location)
Small Galleries
Alexander Gray Associates (384 Broadway): People Make Art: A Tribute to Melvin Edwards (September 9 – October 24, 2026)
Berry Campbell (524 West 26th Street): Perle Fine: Ninth Street Woman (September 10 – October 24, 2026), In Focus: Susan Vecsey (September 10 – October 24, 2026), Elaine de Kooning (1918-1989) (October 29 – December 19, 2026)
HB381 (381 Broadway): Marianne Huotari: Voyage (September 9 – October 31, 2026)
Claire Oliver Gallery (2288 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd): The Weight of Grace: New Works by Stan Squirewell (September 4 – October 31, 2026)
Rosenberg & Co. (19 East 66th Street): The Shape of Things: American Abstract Art (July 31 – September 30, 2026)
Jack Shainman: Gordon Parks: Voices in the Mirror (September 18 – November 9, 2026 at 46 Lafayette Street), Becky Suss: Night House (September 10 – October 31, 2026 at 513 West 20th Street)
School Museums & Galleries
NYC has an international reputation for the depth and breadth of its educational institutions: what is less known is how many of them contain galleries open to the public (often with free admission). These spaces feature a stunning range of exhibition topics: alumni artworks, school collections/archives, and graduate students’ work in curation, design, and research.
Art Students League of New York (215 West 57th Street): Fairfield Porter: What Everyone Knows (June 5 – August 18, 2026)
Bard Gallery (18 West 86th Street): CLOSED FOR THE SUMMER, REOPENS September 18, 2026 for Goddesses in the Machine: Fashion in American Silent Film (September 18, 2026 – January 3, 2027)
Grey Art Museum (New York University, 18 Cooper Square): by Alison Knowles: A Retrospective (1960-2022) (September 9, 2026 – January 30, 2027), Making Music: Helen Frankenthaler from the New York University Art Collection (September 9, 2026 – July 3, 2027)
Bertha and Karl Leubsdorf Gallery (Hunter College, Hunter West Building, 132 East 68th Street): TBA
ISAW [Institute for the Study of the Ancient World] (15 East 84th Street): CURSED! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World (September 17 – December 13, 2026)
ISLAA [Institute for Studies on Latin American Art] (142 Franklin Street): Ulises Beisso: (Hidden) in Plain Sight, Chonon Bensho: Biri biri imaboi / Your fingertips will glow, Yeni and Nan: Genesis (all exhibitions open until August 29)
Mishkin Gallery (Baruch College, 135 East 22nd Street): TBA
Museum at FIT (227 West 27th Street): CLOSED FOR THE SUMMER, REOPENS September 16, 2026 for Doll Dressing (September 16, 2026 – January 3, 2027)
New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting & Sculpture (8 West 8th Street): TBA
Print Center New York (535 West 24th Street): New Voices: Design (June 11 – August 22, 2026), Parasol Press: Breaking New Ground (September 17 – December 19, 2026)
Wallach Gallery (Columbia University, 615 West 129th Street, 6th Floor): Children’s Art Carnival in Harlem: The Making of Contemporary Artists (until September 13, 2026), Allan Sekula: Fish Story (October 2 – December 20, 2026), Didier William: Time Portal (January 15 – March 14, 2027)
Associations & Cultural Centers
A side effect of NYC’s diversity is the tremendous amount of organizations eager to share their communities’ artistic/cultural contributions to the USA and the world at large. Their exhibitions are geared more towards contemporary and/or modern works, with the occasional historical show linking to the institution’s background. In addition, they offer concerts, educational programs, films, and lectures (both virtual and in-person) on a wide variety of subjects that are enjoyed by fans and newbies alike.
AS/COA (Americas Society/Council of the Americas, 680 Park Avenue): Telenovela (September 9, 2026 – March 27, 2027), Kelly Sinnapah Mary (April 14 – July 21, 2027)
Austrian Cultural Forum New York (11 East 52nd Street): Dietmar Feichtinger: Architecture of Connection (March 5 – September 20, 2026)
Center for Book Arts (28 West 27th Street, 3rd Floor): Paper Cuts (September 10 – December 12, 2026)
Czech Center New York (Bohemian National Hall, 321 East 73rd Street): When Monsters Dream (June 1 – September 3, 2026)
The Drawing Center (35 Wooster Street): Certainly an Act: Works on Paper by Pope L. (June 26 – September 27, 2026), Drawing Connections: Student Exhibition (May 20 – September 27, 2026)
The Grolier Club (47 East 60th Street): Pioneers in Hand Papermaking: 50 Years of Innovation at Dieu Donné Information (September 8 – November 28, 2026), Henry Wessel: Photographs and Books (September 8 – November 14, 2026), Black Brilliance: An American Chronicle (December 3, 2026 – February 20, 2027), Uncertainty and the Quantum Revolution (December 13, 2026 – March 16, 2027), Crossing Boundaries: Women Traveling, Writing, and Collecting in South and Southeast Asia, 1715–1945 (March 4 – May 15, 2027), Rivers of Free Thought: 2,000 Years of Wonder from the Embassy of the Free Mind (March 31 – July 3, 2027), here
Japan Society (333 East 47th Street): ART EXHIBITION GALLERY CLOSED FOR THE SUMMER (other cultural events going on as usual), REOPENS October 6, 2026 for Gen’ichiro Inokuma’s NYC Salon (October 6, 2026 – January 10, 2027)
National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South at 20th Street): Everett Raymond Kinstler: Celebrating 100 Years (September 10 – October 8, 2026) Information here
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (40 Lincoln Center or 111 Amsterdam Avenue between 64th & 65th Streets): Martha Graham: The Mother of Psychological Dance (May 20 – November 7, 2026), “Through the Perilous Fight”: The Star-Spangled Banner First Edition (June 15 – August 31, 2026)
New York Public Library, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (515 Malcolm X Boulevard at 135th Street): To Uncover and Reveal to the World: Arturo Schomburg’s Library (until December 5, 2026), Sacred Winds: The Breath of the Revolution (until May 1, 2027)
New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (42nd Street and Fifth Avenue): Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures (ongoing)
Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation (87 Eldridge Street): TBA
Scandinavia House (58 Park Avenue): NORDIC TEXTILE TAKEOVER: THE COLD STITCH (September 4 – 16, 2026)
Society of Illustrators (128 East 63rd Street): American Society of Botanical Artists 29th Annual International Exhibition (September 10, 2026 – January 9, 2027)
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