Chicago
“Georgia O’Keeffe: My New Yorks”
Where: The Art Institute of Chicago
When: June 2 - September 22, 2024
Why It’s Worth a Look: This body of work on display at the Art Institute of Chicago captures the essence of New York through the eyes of one of the country's most celebrated artists. Recognized for her iconic modernist depiction of flowers and deserts, O’Keeffe here made a departure from her typical fare. Still, curators Sarah Kelly Oehler and Annelise K. Madsen consider the work to be essential to understanding her larger oeuvre.
Know Before You Go: O’Keeffe’s five-year study of the city was inspired by her stay at the Shelton Hotel in 1924, at the time the tallest residential skyscraper in the world. Look out for works focusing on the building, whether it be the exterior or her view from the 30th floor.
San Francisco
“We Have a History” by Leilah Babirye
Where: de Young
When: June 22, 2024 - June 22, 2025
Why It’s Worth A Look: How will future generations understand our contemporary period? This Uganda-born, New York-based artist is taking charge of the narrative, preserving the LGBTQ+ community through sculpture. Inspired by traditional statues and totemic forms originating in western and central Africa, Babirye blurs lines between the past, present, and future to rewrite the cultural narrative of her community.
Know Before You Go: In Babirye’s first institutional solo show in the United States, the collection of sculpture focuses on the use of everyday materials mixed with meticulously crafted ceramic work to examine queer identities.
Miami
“Away with the Tides” by Calida Rawles
Where: Pérez Art Museum Miami
When: Opening June 27, 2024
Why It’s Worth a Look: Rawles dives head first into the complicated history of Miami with this body of work. Through a series of hyper-realistic paintings of Overtown residents swimming in the artist's characterstically aquatic landscapes, Rawles investigates the city's story through a different lens. In “Away with the Tides,” she highlights the resilience of the Black community in Overtown, welcoming others to confront the difficult pasts of their own cities.
Know Before You Go: Rawles’s paintings are complemented by a large-scale video installation in this site-specific exhibition, her first solo museum show Stateside.
Buffalo, New York
“Marisol: A Retrospective”
Where: Buffalo AKG Art Museum
When: July 12, 2024 - January 6, 2025
Why It’s Worth A Look: It is safe to say Marisol’s contribution to Pop Art is significantly underrecognized. The mononymous Venezuelan-American and Paris-born artist utilized her unique perspective to tackle crucial political and social issues that remain relevant. Glamorous, radical, and famed for her satirical life-size sculptures, Marisol gets her proper recognition in this comprehensive retrospective.
Know Before You Go: Upon her passing, Marisol left a substantial collection of artwork from her personal collection to the Buffalo AKG, and these works form the core of the exhibition.
Santa Fe
“Teresita Fernández / Robert Smithson”
Where: SITE Santa Fe
When: July 5 – October 28, 2024
Why It’s Worth a Look: This exhibition examines who has authority: humans or the earth? In a power struggle that necessitates mutual destruction, Teresita Fernández considers our existence in the context of her study of Robert Smithson’s work. Both artists’ contributions signal the long-standing struggle between man and nature, one that has yet to be rectified through generations.
Know Before You Go: The show was co-curated by Fernández and Lisa Le Feuvre, executive director of Holt/Smithson Foundation.
Waterville, Maine
“Deep Time” by Martha Diamond
Where: Colby College Museum of Art
When: July 13 – October 13, 2024
Why It’s Worth a Look: Diamond believes “life is defined by time,” and yet, her artworks transcend it. Diamond’s abstractions of built spaces echo both modern and ancient structures. This exhibition organized by the Colby College Museum of Art and The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum spans the artist’s vast body of work, showcasing rarely seen works alongside well-known pieces that encapsulate her style.
Know Before You Go: In this exhibition, Diamond's works are accompanied by her first comprehensive monograph, Deep Time.
Minneapolis
“Pearl Lines” by Walter Price
Where: Walker Art Center
When: August 8 – December 8, 2024
Why It’s Worth a Look: Price depicts specific facets of cultural identity, history, and race through abstract figurations and hidden motifs in his vivid paintings. This body of work, including pieces never-before-seen, offers insight into the vibrant mind of the artist, manifested in bold colors and expressive brushstrokes.
Know Before You Go: On August 8, Walker Art Center is celebrating the opening with an artist talk between Price and curator Rosario Güiraldes.
Queens, New York
“Our first and last love” by Lyle Ashton Harris
Where: Queens Museum
When: May 19 - September 22, 2024
Why It’s Worth a Look: “Our first and last love” showcases a diverse range of Harris’s work, offering fresh insights into his exploration of identity. Harris’s "Shadow Works" combine photographs with Ghanaian funerary textiles and personal artifacts to delve into themes of otherness, vulnerability, and legacy.
Know Before You Go: Harris integrates unique elements in his work, such as shells, pottery shards, and even his own hair. This exhibition provides an opportunity to see the artist’s personal reflections, creative process, and intricate craftsmanship up close.
West Palm Beach, Florida
“Journeys of Clay” by Rose B. Simpson
Where: Norton Museum of Art
When: Through September 1, 2024
Why It’s Worth a Look: In this exhibition, Simpson’s clay and found material sculptures will be on display alongside the work of influential artists on her life and career, including her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Simpson speaks to womanhood and maternity through this blend of talent while drawing in her cultural ties to the Santa Clara Pueblo of New Mexico.
Know Before You Go: Outside this recent matrilineal line, Simpson comes from a lineage of almost 70 generations of ceramicists and potters.
