70 Shows to See in NYC This Spring
Our guide this season's blockbuster shows and hidden gems in New York City is out.
This is our offering, our paean, our plea to the spirits of spring: Hyperallergic's long-awaited guide of more than 70 shows to see this season, should it ever deign to arrive.
This year, we opted to sort our spring guide into categories, the better to match your mood. There are the shows everyone's talking about — big names like Duchamp and Raphael (seriously, how is this the first major survey of his in the city?), Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. There are major surveys, like the New Museum's inaugural show in its expanded building, MoMA PS1's Greater New York triennial, and of course, the Whitney Biennial, which opens to the public on Sunday (but to the press today — stay tuned!).
There are exhibitions themed around the spirit, if you're seeking enchantment. Around the body, if you've been craving embodiment. Around fashion (and the Bezoses' names aren't plastered over everything just yet, we promise). And, of course, there's a strong collection of outdoor art, just in time for the thaw. Spring, we promise, is right around the corner — and it'll be a great season in the art world.
Hyperallergic Spring 2026 New York Art Guide
Our editors put together a beast of a guide on what to see around the city this season, including everything from a giant Buddha on the High Line to the fashion of Thomas Gainsborough.
Affordable Art Fair New York Spring 2026
Affordable Art Fair returns to the Starrett-Lehigh building for an incredible showcase of 90 galleries presenting thousands of one-of-a-kind artworks, all priced from $100 to $12,000. From March 18–22, interact with brilliantly curated installations, enjoy food and drinks, immerse yourself in artworks from all over the world, and fall in love with collecting art.
Whitney Biennial
Making a Mess With CFGNY
In advance of the Whitney Biennial, I spoke to the “vaguely Asian” art and fashion collective about keeping time, falling apart, hanging out, and, of course, making art. They've also got shows at Amant and Pioneer Works this season — they're certainly having a big spring.
The Art Crossword: Whitney Museum Edition
Natan Last is back at it with his monthly crossword, timed for the biennial. What's a three-letter word for "Whitney offering suspended for a year after the museum canceled a performance on Palestinian mourning"?
Indigenous Glass Art Clearly Shines in New York
Celebrate the vibrant medium of glass at the National Museum of the American Indian. Take a guided tour of Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass, and then hear from artists Preston Singletary (Tlingit), Jody Naranjo (Kha'p'o Owingeh [Santa Clara Pueblo]), and Dan Friday (Lummi), only on Saturday, March 21.
Florals and Funerals
A Tour Inside the NY Botanical Garden’s Trippy Orchid Show
The back of a daffodil-yellow taxi — license plate: "ORCHID" — jammed into a car wash. A replica brownstone overtaken by bright purple blossoms. The aptly named Greta Rainbow takes us into the delirious world of the Botanical Garden's annual orchid show staged by the also aptly named Mr. Flower Fantastic. (You know he's dedicated to the bit, because he's allergic to flowers.)
Finding God at the Brooklyn Museum
Rainbow also traveled to the opposite end of the city to a very different scene — the hushed reverence of the more than 2,000-year-old Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead. She spoke to museum curators and superstar conservator Ahmed Tarek from the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo about what it was like to restore these ancient texts, which have been sitting in storage since 1937. In one word: carefully.
From Our Critics
Natalie Haddad
Niyū Yūrk: Middle Eastern and North African Lives in the City at the New York Public Library
"As many marginalized and diasporic communities make headway in transitioning from saying 'we’re here' to presenting nuanced self-portraits, SWANA identity feels perpetually stuck in the stage of proving its existence."
What Else Is Happening?
- Curator Diya Vij, currently vice president of curatorial and arts programs at Powerhouse Arts and previously at Creative Time, the High Line, and Queens Museum, was named the new culture commissioner of New York City.
- The Manhattan District Attorney has dropped felony hate crime charges against photographer Alexa Wilkinson, who was arrested after photographing a protest at the New York Times headquarters.
- Aaron Wile — who organized that beloved Watteau exhibition at the Frick in 2016 — will be joining the institution as John Updike Curator.
- Isabelle Frances McGuire will be debuting her new book, which grew out of her 2024 exhibition at the Renaissance Society in Chicago, at 99 Canal. (Thurs Mar 5) [renaissancesociety.org]
- The Bronx Museum is throwing a free after-hours party, including food, raffles, and crafts. It's in celebration of Women's History Month and spring, which absolutely needs to arrive soon. (Fri Mar 6) [Bronx Museum of the Arts]
- Tabitha Arnold will be hosting a workshop on the revolutionary potential of embroidery at PrintSpace Brooklyn. (Fri Mar 6) [peoplesforum.org]
- The Museum of the City of New York is hosting the one-day festival Irish New York, featuring dancing, workshops, performances, and more. (Sat Mar 7) [mcny.org]
- Do you have a "spark bird" — that encounter that initiated your passion for birding? Would you like to have one? Come share or create your own story at the Arverne East Nature Preserve. (Sat Mar 7) [NYC Plover Project]
- Astoria Food Pantry is hosting a queer craft club. (Sat Mar 7) [Astoria Food Pantry]
- Millennium Film Workshop will be hosting an Intro to 16mm Filmmaking workshop with Anto(n) Astudillo for a sliding-scale fee. (Sun Mar 8) [Millennium Film Workshop]
- Lower East Side community space ABC No Rio's hosting another photo crit in which artists of all levels are invited to print and share their work! (Sun Mar 8) [ABC No Rio]
- Pioneer Works's Second Sundays — a full day of art, science, music, and more across the whole building — is happening this week! (Sun Mar 8) [pioneerworks.org]
