Living in New York City, one of the global capitals of art in all of its forms, it would be inexcusable to not visit a museum or a gallery from time to time. Women face struggles on a daily basis due to so many factors, and it’s important and absolutely necessary that we celebrate the success of women and promote the inspiring work they create. As such, we have compiled a list of exhibits that you can see right now to help you do just that! All of these shows feature inspiring women from so many walks of life, and each one of them have a lot to teach us.
MoMA
Want to hear one of the many perks of being a New School student? You get into the MoMA free of charge when using your student ID. That’s right, now you really have no excuse not to go see Making Spaces: Women Artists and Postwar Abstraction. With over 100 works that feature exclusively female artists, this show will pull a diverse body of work together to showcase the art women were creating in a time when they didn’t have nearly as many opportunities as their male counterparts. The show opens on April 15, so I suggest adding it to your calendar now.
The Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is one of the most incredible spaces in the city, especially due to the fact that they have an entire wing dedicated to feminist artwork. Expanding on this idea, they’ve started a revolutionary year long project called A Year of Yes: Reimagining Feminism at the Brooklyn Museum, bringing you a range of female-focused exhibits year round. Currently, you can check out Marilyn Minter: Pretty/Dirty as well as the beloved Georgia O’Keefe in Living Modern. Don’t forget, this will be going on all year! Head back on April 21st for the opening of We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965-85.
The Studio Musuem in Harlem
Simone Leigh is one of my personal favorite artists not only due to the incredible depth contained in her work, but also because of her bold range of material exploration. In this installation at Marcus Garvey Park hosted by the Studio Museum in Harlem, Leigh explores “her interest in African and African-American material culture and female identity”. The homes, or imba yokubikiras, that make up the exhibit, symbolize the diaspora faced by many in rural Zimbabwe and are a striking contrast to the surrounding park area, making it a powerful visual and cultural experience.
The Queens Museum
Marinella Senatore’s deeply symbolic work in installation, photography, and video, amongst other mediums, relies on community involvement and cultural understanding. Her exhibit at the Queens Museum, La Piazza Universale/Social Stages, opens on April 9th and includes brand new pieces as well as older works that have moved crowds worldwide. She is an artist, professor (who happens to have taught all over the world), and of course, a total girlboss.
The New Museum
In an exhibit that focuses on sexuality and gender, The New Museum has brought together the largest U.S. collection of work by the incredible Italian artist Carol Rama in their newest exhibit, Antibodies. Rama recognizes that so many artists go their entire working careers experiencing a huge lack of representation, which is why so much of her work is focused on highlighting others in her field who have influenced her. Plus, while you’re there, make sure to check out the rooftop view for some incredible Instagram opportunities.
The Jewish Museum
The Jewish Museum is one my favorite spots on Museum Mile, which is why I was especially excited to learn that they were highlighting the work by an amazing surrealist artist Florine Stettheimer. Not only did Stettheimer paint and draw, she also photographed and wrote poetry as part of her astoundingly diverse body of work, which is why Painting Poetry is such an appropriate title for this show. The exhibit will feature over 50 pieces, so make sure you have a few hours to devote to her work in order to get the most out of this experience. This exhibit is opening on May 5th!