From Classic to Contemporary: Must-See Art Galleries in NYC This Season

As it gets colder, it gets harder to find ways to have fun but visiting art galleries is the perfect activity no matter the weather. Here are some upcoming exhibits in some of the best museums in NYC along with free museum days and information on galleries across the city. Whether you’re into traditional art or are looking for something newer there’s something out there for everybody. It’s the perfect place to get great pictures as well. As an avid museum enthusiast, I always feel like I’ve been to every museum ever and it gets repetitive so my favorite time of the year is whenever rotating art installations to my favorite museums change. Here are some installations that will be on view throughout the fall and winter as well as days and ways you can go for free. 

1. Mexican Prints at the Vanguard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art- on view until January 5th, 2025. 

Admission: The museum is open every day 10 am-5 pm except  Fridays and Saturdays when it is open 10 am-9 pm. Admission is pay what you wish for students in NJ, NYC, CT. 

For some time I was deterred from ranking the MET as my favorite museum in New York City since it is so presumably overhyped and I kept running into some boring art in the American Wing. However there’s no denying it, this colossal museum is impeccable. It has an infinite amount of art to offer from almost every single part of the world and every single historical period. While they do have a myriad of permanent exhibitions they also have rotating exhibitions that are worth catching before they leave the museum. I was able to catch Mexican Prints at the Vanguard during an event they hosted for Hispanic Heritage Month. The exhibition tells the story of Mexican printmaking which came about in the 16th century with the help of Spanish materials that were brought over to Mexico. The prints were primarily religious like this thesis proclamation by Jose Vicente Maldonado y Trespalacios, dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe which was printed on silk. In Latin above the Virgin Mary, it states “She hath done this for no other nation” referring to her allegedly being spotted in Mexico. In 1781 Mexico opened up the Academia de San Carlos which paved the way for even more printmaking and also lithography. 

2. Vital Signs- Artists and the Body on view at the MOMA until Feb 22, 2025

Admission: Free every first Friday of the month open 10:30-5:30 pm everyday except Saturday when it is open late 10:30-7pm

In honor of the Medical Humanities, I am highlighting this exhibition which shows the intersection between the physical body, its anatomy, and the social concepts that are applied to it as well as the different ways in which artists have interpreted it throughout the years. The exhibition features the work of a variety of artists including Frida Kahlo who is notorious for the way she incorporated her bodily perceptions into her art. It features her painting My Grandparents, My Parents, and Me which she created in 1936 depicting her rendition of a family tree amid a Mexican landscape. It also features Resurrección by Belkis Ayón who studied Afro-Cuban spirituality and Santeria. This specific art piece focuses on the gender divide in spiritual practices like the Abakuá society which is only for men and incorporates a reclamation of power for women in these spaces. Cecilia Vicuna’s Black Panther and Me is a self-portrait featuring Cecilia with 2 other versions of herself, a staircase, a panther, and trees. These represent the unlimited versions of herself that have her questioning her true essence and multiple faces, her love for nature and parks as sacred spaces, a staircase to other realms, and finally the Black Panther party which originated in 1966. As a Chilean woman, Cecilia says that she was all for the Black Panther party and she never saw the liberation of other groups of people as the exclusion of her own. I think this is especially important in today’s political climate. We should all be resisting our oppressors together on the path towards global liberation instead of succumbing to divisive forces .  

3. The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition is on view at the Brooklyn Museum of Art until January 26, 2025

Admission: always free for ages 19 and under and free admission on the first Saturday of every month. Open Wednesday to Sunday 11 am-6 pm.

I couldn’t make a list without including my favorite collection of the summer which featured artists specifically from Brooklyn. All the pieces were also pretty recent since they are from local artists. It includes Chitra Ganesh’s All the Farewells which is a beautiful piece incorporating her homeland with futuristic elements reflecting on the past and present and the feelings of grief that these memories may carry. I interpreted it as a departure from our old selves and embracing growth while reflecting on everything we once were. Melissa Joseph’s Olive’s Hair Salon is also featured with a rendition of her brother and his daughter giving him a haircut during the COVID lockdown. The artwork is based on a picture that was sent to her , representing the ways in which we still tried to connect with our loved ones during this time through digital interactions. 

 I hope this motivated you to visit these exhibitions before they are no longer at said institutions but most importantly I hope it motivates you to go to a museum in general. We are many times enthralled by our work, or studying and being productive. This is a good way to decompress healthily, appreciate art and learn about history. It also helps you take a peek into the brains of others and see the universality of the human experience and how we express ourselves.  Its a good way to see life through the lens of oppressed groups who usually aren’t given the chance to have their perspectives heard and it’s important to highlight and value their stories as a focus.

• art
• gallery
• museum
• nyc
• themet