7 inspired museum exhibitions to see this summer
Explore the works of Dalí, O'Keeffe and KAWS
When it comes to planning your summer activities, "visiting museums" should be on the list right alongside "hitting the water park" and "going to the fair." Think that sounds like a bore? Think again! You can see the bling worn by your favorite hip-hop artists at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, view French modernist masterpieces by Renoir and Monet at the Portland Art Museum and get up-close and personal with Simone Leigh's bronze creations at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. From coast to coast, here are seven new exhibitions worthy of stopping at on your summer travels.
'Dalí: Disruption and Devotion,' Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Surrealist icon Salvador Dalí made a name for himself with his unorthodox imagery, but much of his technical skill and finesse came from studying traditional European painters. For "Dalí: Disruption and Devotion," 30 paintings and prints on loan from the Salvador Dalí Museum in Florida, including "Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory" and "Ecumenical Council," will be on display alongside portraits and still lifes by El Greco, Diego Velázquez and Orazio Gentileschi, exploring the links between Dalí and his predecessors. July 6-Dec. 1, 2024.
'Georgia O'Keeffe: My New Yorks,' Art Institute of Chicago
Before she found inspiration in the desert landscapes of the Southwest, Georgia O'Keeffe lived in the tallest hotel in New York City, where the metropolis sparked a "five-year period of energetic experimentation across media and at a variety of scales, with subject matter, form and perspective," the Art Institute of Chicago said. The artist christened these works "my New Yorks," and close to 100 paintings, drawings, photographs and pastels will be on display in the Institute's exhibition of the same name. June 2-Sept. 22, 2024.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry,' American Museum of Natural History, New York City
You might want to wear your shades inside the American Museum of Natural History — the pendants, chains and arm bands on display for "Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry" are that bright. This dazzling presentation includes accessories worn by some of hip-hop's biggest performers, with many having made cameos in music videos and on the red carpet, including Notorious B.I.G.'s gold "Jesus piece," Slick Rick's gem-covered crown, eye patch and five-foot long chain, Eve's Ruff Ryders necklace and one of Flavor Flav's many plastic clocks. Through Jan. 5, 2025.
'KAWS + Warhol,' The Warhol, Pittsburgh
The similarities between Andy Warhol and KAWS extend beyond both artists embracing color and referencing pop culture in their pieces. "KAWS + Warhol" examines the "dark themes present" in both of their work, bringing these undertones to light in the first-ever showing of the artists together. The exhibition also marks The Warhol's 30th anniversary, and the museum is going all out to celebrate, with KAWS unveiling a new series of paintings, sculptures and installations tied to his work with General Mills cereals. Through Jan. 20, 2025.
'Monet to Matisse: French Moderns,' Portland Art Museum, OR
The Portland Art Museum is going back to the end of the 19th century and early 20th century, when France was the "artistic center of international modernism" and masters Claude Monet and Henri Matisse stood in the middle of it all. Dozens of works by the artists and their contemporaries will be on view for "Monet to Matisse: French Moderns," including Pierre-Auguste Renoir's "Age of Bronze" and Gustave Caillebotte's "Apple Tree in Bloom." The pieces are on loan from the Brooklyn Museum and include the handiwork of below-the-radar artists as well, like Jehan Georges Vibert and József Rippl-Rónai. June 8-Sept. 15, 2024.
'Simone Leigh,' Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the California African American Museum
Through ceramic, bronze and video, Simone Leigh creates works "exploring questions of Black femme subjectivity and knowledge production," LACMA said. Her art spans "historical periods, geographies and traditions" and references "vernacular and hand-made processes from across the African diaspora." This exhibition is the first broad survey of Leigh's pieces, displaying works she created two decades ago and also stunning pieces made for the 2022 Venice Biennale. May 26, 2024-Jan. 20, 2025.
'WE THE PEOPLE: Portraits of Veterans in America,' Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, GA
Armed with her brushes, watercolorist Mary Whyte traveled across the U.S. to paint a large-scale portrait of one veteran in every state. All 50 faces she captured will be on view at "WE THE PEOPLE: Portraits of Veterans in America." It took seven years to complete the project, which saw Whyte meeting with vets of all ages and backgrounds, including a dairy farmer in Missouri, a science teacher in Pennsylvania and a single mom in South Carolina. July 6-Nov. 17, 2024.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
What the chancellor's pension megafund plans mean for your money
Rachel Reeves wants pension schemes to merge and back UK infrastructure – but is it putting your money at risk?
By Marc Shoffman, The Week UK Published
-
Why Māori are protesting in New Zealand
A controversial bill has ignited a 'flashpoint in race relations' as opponents claim it will undermine the rights of Indigenous people
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 21, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
These 7 touring theater productions are ready to carry you through the holidays and into the new year
The Week Recommends Your favorite movie-turned-musical might be coming to a city near you
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Kimpton Everly Hotel: the perfect base to explore Hollywood
The Week Recommends Escape the bustle of LA at this laidback bolthole
By Caroline Dolby Published
-
The best TV spy thrillers
The Week Recommends Brilliant espionage series, packed with plot twists to keep you hooked until the end
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Magnificent Tudor castles and stately homes to visit this year
The Week Recommends The return of 'Wolf Hall' has sparked an uptick in visits to Britain's Tudor palaces
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Vegetable cocktails are having a moment
The Week Recommends Wild carrot margarita? Mung bean old-fashioned? 'Allotment-inspired' tipples are appearing on drinks menus
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Renegade comedian Youngmi Mayer's frank new memoir is a blitzkrieg to the genre
The Week Recommends 'I'm Laughing Because I'm Crying' details a biracial life on the margins, with humor as salving grace
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Drawing the Italian Renaissance: a 'relentlessly impressive' exhibition
The Week Recommends Show at the King's Gallery features an 'enormous cache' of works by the likes of Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael
By The Week UK Published
-
Niall Williams shares his favourite books
The Week Recommends The Irish novelist chooses works by Charles Dickens, Seamus Heaney and Wendell Berry
By The Week UK Published