The value of family in the lives and work of artists is being showcased at museums across the United States this spring.
In Texas, art by the de la Torre brothers and the Haas brothers highlights familial collaboration. In Baltimore, an exhibition of works by Joyce J. Scott is paired with an exhibition of her mother’s work, and in Florida, sculptures made by Rose B. Simpson are shown alongside those made by her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Elsewhere, family members serve as muses for artists, keeping traditions alive while transforming them with contemporary appeal. Here is a selection.
New York
BEACON
For a new commission, Steve McQueen, the Oscar-winning director of “12 Years a Slave,” takes over the ground-level gallery with an immersive light and sound installation. The work is to then move to the Schaulager museum in Switzerland. A concurrent show of McQueen’s video artwork “Sunshine State” (2022) is scheduled to open at Dia Chelsea in Manhattan in September. Opens May 12; Dia Beacon, diaart.org
BUFFALO
The work in this show is a response to the killing of 10 Black people in a mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store in May 2022. The artwork, poetry and prose by the Buffalo-based artists and producers Julia Bottoms, Tiffany Gaines and Jillian Hanesworth in the exhibition were created in dialogue with people affected by the attack, and they honor the contributions to the community of those who were murdered. Through Sept. 30; Buffalo AKG Art Museum, buffaloakg.org
NEW YORK CITY
“Amalia Mesa-Bains: Archaeology of Memory”
A trailblazer in Chicano art, Amalia Mesa-Bains is known for her reimagining of traditional Mexican altars and offerings and her presentations of Mexican American women’s spirituality. Presented are more than 40 works, including Mesa-Bains’s large-scale “altar-installations.” Her multipart “Venus Envy” series of installations is being shown together in its entirety for the first time here. May 2 through Aug. 11; El Museo del Barrio, elmuseo.org
“Crafting Modernity: Design in Latin America, 1940-1980”
The focus here is on six Latin American countries that led the development of modern domestic design in the region: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela. With more than 100 objects, which include furniture, ceramics and textiles, this show examines how design provides context and understanding for the political, social and cultural transformations of the period. Through Sept. 22; Museum of Modern Art, moma.org
“Hiroshige’s 100 Famous Views of Edo (feat. Takashi Murakami)”
In his series of colorful prints, Utagawa Hiroshige depicts 19th-century Edo, now known as Tokyo, through images of the city’s shrines, restaurants, aqueducts and more. The set is being displayed for the first time in nearly a quarter century and is accompanied by photos of modern-day Tokyo as well as fantastical paintings by the artist Takashi Murakami, who created the works in response to Hiroshige’s prints. Through Aug. 4; Brooklyn Museum, brooklynmuseum.org
A fourth-generation weaver, Melissa Cody uses long-established techniques, including with a Navajo loom, while incorporating elements of contemporary technology. Highlighted here are more than 30 weavings, including one produced especially for the exhibition, that reframe and reinvent traditions. Through Sept. 9; MoMA PS1, momaps1.org
“Preservation in Progress: Picturing Immigration”
This show takes visitors behind the scenes of restoration work of “The Bay and Harbor of New York,” an 1855 painting by Samuel Bell Waugh that depicts immigrants arriving to the city. Gary McGowan, a conservator, will be working on the painting in the gallery on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It opened on April 12, to coincide with the anniversary of the busiest day in Ellis Island history, when more than 11,000 immigrants were processed on April 17, 1907. Through Oct. 13; Museum of the City of New York, mcny.org
West Coast
PORTLAND, Ore.
“Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks”
Showcasing nearly 60 designs that push the limits of what footwear can be, this exhibition includes sneakers made from mushroom leather and reclaimed ocean plastics, and shoes made for the metaverse. A mix of art, design and technology, it also features works by the architects Rem D. Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid, as well as designs made in collaboration with Rick Owens, Stella McCartney and more. Through Aug. 11; Portland Art Museum, portlandartmuseum.org
LOS ANGELES
“Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital”
Exploring the history of filmmaking in Los Angeles, this exhibition goes back to the early 20th century and explains how the city became the industry’s epicenter. It also highlights the contributions of the Jewish filmmakers who founded the Hollywood studio system. Opens May 19; Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, academymuseum.org
The work of the multimedia artist Simone Leigh examines Black female subjectivity, and much of it draws on traditions from Africa and across the African diaspora. This comprehensive survey presents works by her in ceramic, bronze, video and installation, and it features pieces from her 2022 Venice Biennale presentation. May 26 through Jan. 20, 2025; LACMA, lacma.org
PASADENA, Calif.
“I Saw It: Francisco de Goya, Printmaker”
The Spanish artist Francisco de Goya is considered by many to be both the last old master and the first modern one. Much of his early work focused on portraits of the aristocracy, but Goya was also a printmaker and often used the medium to depict and scrutinize Spanish culture. On view here are his four major print series, as well as works by artists who were inspired by Goya, including Pablo Picasso, Yinka Shonibare and Andy Warhol. Through Aug. 5; Norton Simon Museum, nortonsimon.org
SAN FRANCISCO
For nearly 70 years, Irving Penn helped revolutionize fashion photography. Shown here are around 175 photographs by Penn, the longtime Vogue contributor, including documentary scenes, abstract nudes and celebrity portraits of Audrey Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich and more. Through July 21; de Young, famsf.org
“Phoenix Kingdoms: The Last Splendor of China’s Bronze Age”
Based on recent archaeological discoveries, this exhibition showcases the technological and artistic advancements of the Zeng and Chu states of Bronze Age China, kingdoms that preceded and were largely overshadowed in historical records by the Qin Empire. This is the final show in a trilogy at the Asian Art Museum and follows “Terracotta Warriors” and “Tomb Treasures: New Discoveries From China’s Han Dynasty.” Through July 22; Asian Art Museum, asianart.org
Mid-Atlantic
BALTIMORE
“Joyce J. Scott: Walk a Mile in My Dreams”
A retrospective of the 50-year career of the Baltimore-based contemporary artist, this show features more than 120 objects, including Scott’s sculpture, garments and prints, as well as performance footage and archival materials. Running through Sunday at the Baltimore Museum of Art is also a companion exhibition of works by Scott’s mother, “Eyewinkers, Tumbleturds, and Candlebugs: The Art of Elizabeth Talford Scott.” Through July 14; Baltimore Museum of Art, artbma.org
PHILADELPHIA
Mary Cassatt was a Pennsylvania-born Impressionist painter who spent much of her adult life in Paris and whose work often depicted the social and working lives of women. This exhibition, with more than 130 works, also looks at Cassatt’s own professional life, and it will present new information about the materials she used and her artistic process. May 18 through Sept. 8; Philadelphia Museum of Art, philamuseum.org
PITTSBURGH
First shown at the Venice Biennale of Architecture in 2023, this show examines how plastics shape and degrade economies and environments. Through site-specific commissions by five artists, architects and designers, it also considers how our relationship with the materials has changed as well as their unknown impact on our future. Through July 21; Carnegie Museum of Art, carnegieart.org
WASHINGTON, D.C.
“Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1860-1960”
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the museum is presenting an exhibition that examines the cultural and artistic transformation during 100 years marked by increasing mechanization and scientific and philosophical development. The more than 200 artworks, shown mostly in chronological order, include pieces by Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, Joan Miró and Picasso. Through April 20, 2025; Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, hirshhorn.si.edu
Midwest
CHICAGO
“Christina Ramberg: A Retrospective”
Christina Ramberg, part of a group of artists known as the Chicago Imagists, often depicted fragmented female bodies — hair, hands and, particularly, torsos — in her paintings. The 100 or so works shown here include some of those pieces as well as the experimental quilts that Ramberg made in the late 1980s during a break from painting. Through Aug. 11; Art Institute of Chicago, artic.edu
“The United Colors of Robert Earl Paige”
Though raised in Chicago’s South Side, Robert Paige helped bring West African designs into American homes in the 1970s with his Dakkabar collection of fabrics, which was carried by Sears. Six decades of his textile designs are shown here along with recent clay, painting, drawing and collage pieces that he made during a recent residency at the Hyde Park Art Center. Through Oct. 27; Hyde Park Art Center, hydeparkart.org
“Virginia Jaramillo: Principle of Equivalence”
The abstract artist Virginia Jaramillo draws on her studies of physics, science fiction, mythology and modernist design. Her paintings and handmade-paper works examine how we experience the physical world and offer alternative understandings through abstraction. This show, of more than 40 works, includes her “Curvilinear” series, as well as works made during a collaboration with the Dieu Donné papermill in New York. May 4 through Jan. 5, 2025; Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, mcachicago.org
CLEVELAND
“Korean Couture: Generations of Revolution”
This exhibition, which features about 30 pieces, including 17th-century aristocratic garments, traces the history and transformation of Korean fashion. A combination of traditional Korean aesthetics with contemporary trends is shown through the work of designers such as André Kim, Lie Sang Bong and Lee Jean Youn. Sunday through Oct. 13; Cleveland Museum of Art, clevelandart.org
IOWA CITY
“To My Friends at Horn: Keith Haring and Iowa City”
In 1984 and 1989, Keith Haring made trips to Iowa City to visit Ernest Horn Elementary School. On the first, he conducted workshops with students in a three-day residency, and on the second he completed a mural at the school. That mural, “A Book Full of Fun,” is on loan here while the school is renovated. May 4 through Jan. 5, 2025; University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art, stanleymuseum.uiowa.edu
Mountain West
DENVER
“Biophilia: Nature Reimagined”
Biophilia is a theory suggesting that humans innately seek a connection with nature and other life-forms. This show, through more than 80 works, including by Iris van Herpen, Studio Gang and teamLab, reflects on that idea, particularly in the context of a digital and urban world. May 5 through Aug. 11; Denver Art Museum, denverartmuseum.org
New England
BOSTON
“Beyond Brilliance: Jewelry Highlights from the Collection”
Pulled from the museum’s collection, the more than 150 pieces in this exhibition cover thousands of years. Among the highlights are an ancient Egyptian broad-collar necklace and 20th-century designs by Tiffany & Company and Bulgari. The contemporary designers featured include Christian and Yasmin Hemmerle, Wallace Chan and Feng J. Opens May 18; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; mfa.org
The work of Firelei Báez, a Dominican-born artist who lives and works in New York, examines and questions historical narratives, particularly about colonialism and the African diaspora. Her paintings, drawings and installations are informed by anthropology, geography, folklore and other disciplines. This show will feature about 40 works before it moves to Vancouver, British Columbia, and then to Des Moines. Through Sept. 2; Institute of Contemporary Art, icaboston.org
SALEM, Mass.
Covering nearly 2,000 years of Ethiopian art and culture, the more than 200 objects in this exhibition include painted religious icons, illuminated manuscripts and metalwork. These pieces are paired with works by contemporary artists, such as Wosene Worke Kosrof, Julie Mehretu and Helina Metaferia, to trace the artistic traditions of the East African nation to the present day. Through July 7; Peabody Essex Museum, pem.org
HARTFORD, Conn.
“Styling Identities: Hair’s Tangled Histories”
Done in collaboration with local hairstylists and other members of the Hartford community, this show tells the story of hair and its various meanings. Arranged in four thematic sections — dealing with issues of community, change, care and judgments — the exhibition includes works by Lee Krasner, Mickalene Thomas and Cindy Sherman, and it is drawn primarily from the museum’s collection. Braiders, barbers and other hairstylists will be on site to work on visitors’ hair as part of the exhibition. Through Aug. 11; Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, thewadsworth.org
South
ATLANTA
“Truth Told Slant: Contemporary Photography”
This exhibition takes its name from an Emily Dickinson poem (“Tell all the truth but tell it slant”) and features five emerging photographers who challenge traditional documentary photography practices. Instead of showing disinterested observation, they embrace their own subjectivity on subjects such as race, sexual orientation, globalization and environmental justice. Through Aug. 11; High Museum of Art, high.org
CHARLOTTE, N.C.
“Shinichi Sawada: Agents of Clay”
In the mountains of Shiga Prefecture, the Japanese ceramist Shinichi Sawada, who is autistic and mostly nonverbal, creates fantastical clay figures. Shown here are about 30 of his sculptures, which explore Japanese and Shigaraki pottery traditions. Saturday through Aug. 11; Mint Museum Randolph, mintmuseum.org
NASHVILLE
“Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous”
The fashion photographer Ann Ray had unparalleled access to the world of Alexander McQueen, the provocative British fashion designer who died in 2010. Over 13 years and 43 collections, Ray created an archive of more than 32,000 negatives. She picked 65 photographs, which will be shown alongside dozens of McQueen garments. May 30 through Aug. 25; Frist Art Museum, fristartmuseum.org
RALEIGH, N.C.
“To Take Shape and Meaning: Form and Design in Contemporary American Indian Art”
This show features works by 75 contemporary Indigenous artists from more than 50 tribes throughout the United States and Canada. The art, including a beaded pair of Christian Louboutin shoes and a piece created from a Chevrolet El Camino, highlight the traditions and evolutions of Native art. Through July 28; North Carolina Museum of Art, ncartmuseum.org
MIAMI
“Huguette Caland: Outside the Line (1970-84)”
The Lebanese artist Huguette Caland moved to Paris in 1970. There she created a series of paintings, “Bribes de corps” (Body Parts, 1973-76), shown here alongside associated works of hers. Her erotic and abstract art depicts the body, sometimes her own and often close-up, in colorful and intimate lines. May 3 through Oct. 6; Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami; icamiami.org
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.
“Rose B. Simpson: Journeys of Clay”
A mixed-media sculpture artist, Rose B. Simpson comes from a long matrilineal line of ceramists and potters. This show explores the relationship between Simpson, a member of the Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico, and her relatives, and it features sculptures by her mother, Roxanne Swentzell; her grandmother Rina Swentzell; and her great-grandmother Rose Naranjo. Through Sept. 1; Norton Museum of Art, norton.org
Southwest
DALLAS
Exhibited here are a series of installations, both indoors and outdoors, by the fraternal twins Nikolai and Simon Haas, who make imaginative and fantastical sculptural objects. Among the works will be two “Moon Towers,” tall, glowing sculptures inspired by the streetlamps of Austin, Texas, that will stand in front of the museum. May 11 through Aug. 25, Nasher Sculpture Center, nashersculpturecenter.org
FORT WORTH
“Art and War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries”
For the first time in the United States, the entire series of these seven large-scale tapestries will be shown. A celebration of the victory by Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, over King Francis I of France in the Italian War of 1521-1526, the tapestries provide insights into Renaissance history, technology and style. They will be shown alongside arms and armor from the period. June 16 through Sept. 15; Kimbell Art Museum, kimbellart.org
SAN ANTONIO
“de la Torre Brothers: Upward Mobility“
The brothers Einar and Jamex de la Torre began collaborating in earnest in the 1990s and create maximalist and often satirical mixed-media art. Their influences include Catholic iconography, Aztec mythology and German expressionism, and this exhibition, across four galleries, features their glass sculpture, lenticular prints, video work and installations. Through Sept. 15; McNay Art Museum, mcnayart.org
PHOENIX
“Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960s-1980s”
Highlighted here is the creative experimentation of Eastern and Central European artists of the period in their efforts to circumvent and elude the restrictions and controls on how their work was made and circulated. Nearly 100 artists from East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Yugoslavia are featured. Through Sept. 15; Phoenix Art Museum, phxart.org
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