Ten Must-See Fall Exhibitions

Art is long, but autumn will be here and gone before you know it. Head to one of these exceptional new shows to refresh, relax, rediscover old treasures, and renew your sense of wonder.

“Krasner and Pollock: Past Continuous,” Oct. 4 – Jan. 31, 2027

After World War II ended, an artistic revolution began. At its center were the Abstract Expressionists who rewrote the rules of painting. While many artists painted in this new style, husband and wife Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner were its movers and shakers. In 1949, Life Magazine posited that Pollock might be the greatest American painter. Right next to him, working side-by-side, breaking conventions and creating new visions, was Krasner. With over 120 works, this exhibition is one of the first to present them as they were – artistic equals and collaborators.

The Met Fifth Avenue, 1000 Fifth Ave., metmuseum.org

“The Bowery: Devil’s Mile,” Sept. 24, 2026–Jan. 31, 2027

It’s New York’s oldest thoroughfare. It’s known around the world. It’s been home to some of the city’s most notorious denizens, and now it’s the subject of an exhibition that looks at a 400-year stretch of the history, art and artists of the Bowery. Head to the New Museum, right on Bowery St., to see historical paintings, photographs and documents. Then journey from the Beat Generation to Pop, Punk and beyond, with artworks from Nan Goldin, Keith Haring, Eva Hesse, Robert Indiana, Lynda Benglis, Cy Twombly, and others.

New Museum, 235 Bowery, newmuseum.org

“Brancusi: The Artist and His Studio,” Oct. 25 – Feb. 27, 2027

Constantin Brancusi’s vision was one of less is more. This pioneering sculptor created forms so spare and streamlined, they seemed to encapsulate an idea of a shape rather than a shape. His “Bird in Space” was so radical that when it traveled to the U.S. in 1926, customs officials registered it under the category that contained kitchen utensils and raw materials, rather than art. See MoMA’s version along with a full floor of his work and a look at his studio tools and practices.

The Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rd St., moma.org

“Siena: The Art of Bronze, 1450–1500,” Oct. 15 – Jan. 18, 2027

“Kent Monkman: Officer and Laughing Girl,” Nov. 12 – Feb. 22, 2027

Here are two good reasons to visit the reopened Frick Collection. Five centuries ago, sculptors in Siena, Italy were breaking new ground in working with bronze. With dozens of statues, reliefs, medals and more from artists like Donatello and Vecchietta, most of which have never traveled to New York before, it’s a rare opportunity to view Renaissance masterworks. Contemporary Cree painter, Kent Monkman’s artistic responses to Vermeer’s “Officer and Laughing Girl” promise to deliver a thoughtful and provocative visual dialogue with a much-loved local treasure.

The Frick Collection, 1 East 70th St., frick.org

“Fossils of the Flaming Cliffs,” Ongoing

Scientists from the American Museum of Natural History cap a century of exploration by sharing extraordinary findings with the public. Look for spectacular proof of life long past with casts of dinosaur, lizard, and mammal fossils from some of the world’s richest grounds for excavation - the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.

American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, amnh.org

“Camille Henrot: Dogs,” Sept. 9 – Aug. 29, 2027

The dog days of August have past, so it’s a fine time for visiting sculptor Camille Henrot’s playful abstractions of man’s best friend. Fifteen newly created outdoor works in stone, bronze, steel and concrete, presented by the Public Art Fund, capture the joy of dogs. Some look more like toys than toy poodles, but you’ll recognized gestures, poses and expressions. “Dogs sit in the middle ground between nature and humans,” Henrot states. For the next year, they’ll be sitting, jumping or rolling over at the southeast corner of Central Park.

Doris C. Freedman Plaza, East 60^th Street and Fifth Avenue, publicartfund.org

.“Selections from Three Millennia of Chinese Art,” Sept. 10 – Jan. 3, 2027

To celebrate its 60^th anniversary, the China Institute Gallery reached out to prestigious institutions and private collections around the world to gather masterworks chronicling 3,000 years of Chinese art. The 85 objects on view, including precious jades, ritual vessels, religious sculptures, calligraphy and paintings, range in date from the 11^th century BCE to contemporary works. The selection highlights of some of the important exhibitions and programs presented over six decades by one the United States’ most renowned galleries for Chinese art.

China Institute of America, 40 Rector Street, chinainstitute.org

“Locating Girlhood: Place and Identity in Early American “Schoolgirl” Art,” Oct.9 – Feb. 28, 2027

For most people, domestic artworks – the things that make a home beautiful – were made by girls and women. A needlepoint hung on the wall. A glorious quilt adorned a bed. Tablecloths and pillowcases were embroidered with care. This exhibition, with 100 objects from over 35 museums and private collections, demonstrates how girls’ creative output, despite being cherished and widely practiced, has been overlooked by art history.

American Folk Art Museum, 2 Lincoln Square, folkartmuseum.org

“Taryn Simon: Father Country I Do Love You” Sept. 18 – March 14, 2027

“America he always said, ‘was the best story on earth, if you could find someone to tell it,’” Taryn Simon recalled of her father, who traveled to Russia, Iran, Israel, China,

Afghanistan, and Korea while working for the U.S. government. Simon, who’s known for visual storytelling through photography, text, and documentation spent ten years on this collection that creates a fictional presentation about truth, laws and justice and attendant strengths and flaws. The exhibition will fill the entire rotunda – a first for a photography-based body of work.

Guggenheim New York, 1071 Fifth Ave., guggenheim.org

“The Lost World: The Art of Minnie Evans” Opening Aug. 22

“Roy Lichtenstein: Like New” Opening Oct. 11

At the Whitney, see two very different views of the world from American artists who were working at roughly the same time. Minnie Evans, a self-taught artist from Wilmington, NC, made drawings and paintings that display stunning originality and deep spiritual grounding. Angels, prophets, birds and flowers populate a hopeful universe of Evans’ creation. Roy Lichtenstein was born in New York city, went to art school at age 16, ran with the “in” art crowd and rode the waves of Abstract Expressionism and then Pop with solo shows at major galleries, followed by museums. His riffs on comic books and popular culture offer ways of considering the imagery we encounter daily.

Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort St., whitney.org