Art Rx
The weather in nice in New York and there's lots to see. From MFA shows at Hunter & Columbia to a new solo show by Cindy Sherman and an exhibition that responds to the murder of Trayvon Martin so get out of your house or apartment and see art.
This week, the weather is great in New York and the doctor has obviously taken a vacation since she won’t return our calls. All this means you can do whatever the hell you want. But just in case … we have a bunch of suggestions to ensure you stay healthy and strong.
Two MFA shows (Hunter & Columbia) should give you a youthful fix, while shows by Oldenburg and van Bruggen and French prints through the ages will give you a dose of history with your art viewing. There’s also a new Cindy Sherman show in Chelsea that gets its Photoshop on and an exhibition in Midtown that responds to the senseless murder of Trayvon Martin. One thing you can be sure of is art viewing in New York is never boring.
Theatrical Oldenburg and van Bruggen
When: Opens Thursday, April 26, 6–8pm
Where: The Pace Gallery (545 West 22nd Street, Chealsea, Manhattan)
The Pace Gallery is taking a look at work by Claes Oldenburg and his late partner Coosje van Bruggen (1942–2009). On view is a theatre installation with the sort of ginormous scale you’d expect from the duo, and a special treat is “The European Desktop,” the last piece the couple completed. —RB
Being Black and Male in America
When: Opening Thursday, April 26, 7–10pm
Where: CCCADI (
408 West 58th Street, Midtown, Manhattan )
Swarming masses
When: Friday, April 27, 6–10pm
Where: Hunter College MFA building (450 West 41st Street, Chelsea, Manhattan)
At the end of every semester, MFA programs open their doors and invite the public to see what all those weird art students have been up to all all semester. The Hunter MFA Open Studios is one of the most popular open studio events in New York. Known for its DIY spirit, the highly regarded MFA program at Hunter College has around 130 students and is sure to have something for everyone. —DE
More Cindy Sherman
When: Opening Saturday, April 28 at 5:30pm
Where: Metro Pictures Gallery (519 West 24th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan)
If you’ve been itching for a fix of Cindy Sherman since her MoMA retrospective, the Metro Pictures Gallery is ready for your next dose: a new series of portraits featuring oddly-dressed female caricatures against Photoshop-enhanced backgrounds. The images play with our notions of beauty in a world so easily retouched with the click of a mouse. —RB
Out on Your Own Now
When: Sunday, April 29, 2–5pm
Where: Fisher Landau Center for Art (38-27 30th Street, Long Island City, Queens)
After seeing the work of Hunter MFA students in Chelsea on Friday, you will have the opportunity to see more MFA work from the classier, more expensive Columbia MFA program. Columbia will once again be showcasing their MFA Thesis exhibitions at the Fisher Landau Center for Art in Long Island City and it promises to be a strong mix. Known for its high caliber of students and strong intellectual rigor, the MFA program at Columbia has a very solid reputation, and this exhibition is a great opportunity to see the graduating class’s work in person. —DE
Centuries of French Prints
When: Opening Sunday, April 29, 6–8pm
Where: Pocket Utopia (
191 Henry Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan)
Ok, I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for French prints, especially 18th C. ones. Along with the journals of the era, they are the internet of their age and they tell us a lot about the era and their obsessions. This far reaching show starts in the Renaissance and ends in the early 20th C. Even if print collecting and connoisseurship has fallen out of fashion there’s no reason that you couldn’t pull out your monocle — assuming you own one — and head over to this gallery and decide if they’re ready for a come back.
Master of Light and Space
When: Monday, April 30, 6:30pm
Where: Columbia Miller Theater (2960 Broadway, Upper West Side, Manhattan)
Acclaimed artist Robert Irwin will be giving an artist talk at Columbia in conjunction with his current exhibition Dotting the i’s & Crossing the t’s: Part I at Pace Gallery. Irwin is a preeminent West Coast artist from the post-abstraction era known for placing issues of perception at the center of his work. —DE
Screening War
When: Monday, April 30, 7pm, $12
Where: Theater 2, The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 2, MoMA (
11 West 53rd Street, Midtown, Manhattan)
In conjunction with their installation 9 Scripts from a Nation at War, which was reviewed by Hyperallergic Weekend, artists Andrea Geyer, Sharon Hayes, Ashley Hunt, Katya Sander and David Thorne will discuss their work and collaborative practice. The work is a chilling portrayal of the individual in a time of war mongering — which is something we can all (unfortunately) relate to.
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With listings by Robert Cicetti and Don Edler.
