Fair Week in NYC!
Our guide to this week’s many fairs, what to see Upstate, and master printmakers and virtuosos.
Frieze, Independent, NADA, Future, oh my! Welcome back from Venice, art world — it’s fair week in New York. Read below for this week’s offerings (and there are many; don’t say I didn’t warn you). Stay tuned for our coverage of the more major of the bunch.
What a season it’s been. Can you believe that everything from the New Museum reopening to the Whitney Biennial and MoMA PS1’s Greater New York — not to mention The Met’s Raphael exhibition and MoMA’s Duchamp show — happened in the last couple of months? This is the last push, I promise. Memorial Day’s right on the horizon.
But if you need that change of pace sooner, we’ve also got a guide to what to see Upstate this month, written by the ever-ebullient Taliesin Thomas. I’ll admit it, I’ve abandoned the city for a weekend or two this spring, and I think I’m the better for it.
NADA New York 2026 Welcomes 121 International Galleries
The 12th edition of the New Art Dealers Alliance’s signature fair presents an expanded selection of contemporary art from around the world. On view May 13–17.
May Art Fairs
Frieze
May 13–17 | frieze.com
The Shed, 545 W 30th Street, Hudson Yards, Manhattan
As the anchor to New York’s spring art fair frenzy, Frieze usually pulls out all the stops with a handful of Instagrammable kinetic artworks, wall-spanning abstract paintings that escape the confines of rectangular composition, and the unscheduled yet inevitable performance of a stray martini olive haplessly rolling in place on one of The Shed’s many escalators. Each floor presents its own maze of booths divided up between megagalleries and mid-market dealers, with a curatorial emphasis on Central and South American exhibitors in this year’s edition — including newcomers W-galería in Buenos Aires, which will showcase Seba Calfuqueo, and Mexico City’s Campeche, which will present Abraham González Pacheco. Find them in the Focus section, dedicated to galleries 12 years old and younger, once again curated by Lumi Tan — typically one of the most unexpected and exciting areas of this massive show.
Independent Art Fair
May 14–17 | independenthq.com
Pier 36, 299 South Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan
Reflective of the anxieties that have seeped into all corners of the world, Independent Art Fair’s overarching theme this year is “dystopia,” aptly invoking Gretchen Bender’s media skepticism, Ian Davis’s eerie contemplations of the systems that fail us, and emerging artist Taina Cruz’s examination of Black womanhood as it’s affected by tradition and technology. More than half of this year’s exhibitors are participating in Independent for the first time, maintaining the fair’s identity as a site for rising talent to take root and grow.
TEFAF New York
May 15–19 | tefaf.com
Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan
Across jewelry, fine art, antiquities, and design, the European Fine Art Fair 88 exhibitors will bring a tight curation of high material culture across the last seven millennia to the Park Avenue Armory this May. This event is ideal for collectors and aficionados who can spell the word “connoisseur” correctly in the first pass, oyster enjoyers, and history buffs who like to mix it up with some modern and contemporary art.
NADA
May 13–17 | newartdealers.org
Starrett-Lehigh Building, 601 W 26th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan
The New Art Dealers’ Alliance’s signature fair is celebrating its 12th birthday this year with over 110 exhibitors across 46 cities worldwide. Typically known for its tight-knit community of small to mid-sized contemporary art galleries, NADA welcomes 51 new participants to this year’s iteration, including Brigitte Mulholland (Paris), The Address (Brescia), and Forgotten Lands (Christiansted). Have a look at Ryan Browning’s paintings and free-standing sculptures at the ADA Gallery booth and Kristen Giorgi’s renderings of non-places shown by the aptly named Spaceless Gallery.
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair
May 13–17 | 1-54.com
Starrett-Lehigh Building, 601 W 26th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan
Thirteen years after Touria El Glaoui founded 1-54 as the world’s first contemporary art fair devoted to art from Africa and its diaspora, the event returns to Chelsea’s Starrett-Lehigh Building. Last year’s fair hosted 30 exhibitors from 17 countries. As always, visitors can expect to encounter galleries representing artists from across the African continent, from Marrakesh to Cameroon, and local artists with familial roots in the diaspora.
Future Art Fair
May 13–16 | futurefairs.com
Chelsea Industrial, 535-551 W 28th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan
Future Art Fair turns six this year, having made a splash in the scene with its Pay-It-Forward model that reinvests 15% of the fair’s annual profits into grants for select participating galleries. New York City galleries make up over half of the roster of 68 participants this year, sharing the floor with dealers from Nashville to Newburgh and Seattle to Seoul. Painting is the dominant medium at this fair, but one can usually find some really inventive wall-hangings, spunky stoneware, and thoughtfully accessorized booths.
ESTHER III
May 12–16 | esther.ee
Estonian House, 243 E 34th Street, Murray Hill, Manhattan
The third Baltic-focused Esther art fair returns to Manhattan’s stunning Beaux-Arts Estonian House. Last year’s lineup included 25 galleries from Europe, Asia, and the United States. Shown in an exclusive members’ club for Estonians, many of the works on view are typically smaller in scale. So far, the fair has named Max Keene, Jill Goldstein, Laurel Gitlen, Katja Novitskova, and Olivia Jia as participating artists.
Salon Zürcher: 100 Women of Spirit +Part 4
May 11–17 | galeriezurcher.com
Zürcher Gallery, 33 Bleecker Street, East Village, Manhattan
Returning for its 34th edition, the Zürcher Gallery is back with its biannual satellite fair featuring 11 women artists. The small Bleecker Street gallery event draws upon the French term femme d’esprit, which refers to intellectual and clever women. This spring’s show includes an abstract painting by Deborah Freedman and stained glass work by Ellen Mandelbaum.
Fridge Art Fair
May 13–17 | fridgeartfair.com
Hotel Alameda/Highline Bar and Lobby, 518 W 27th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan
All teenagers go through one phase or another, and at 13 years old, Fridge Art Fair is locked in on Dolly Parton. Fridge’s founder Eric Ginsburg tells Hyperallergic that the event is leaning into joy and playfulness, fixating on Parton’s beloved persona and high-vibrational philanthropy. As it always is with Fridge, the theme is loosely interpreted but there may be an impersonator or two making their rounds onsite. Please be aware that this event is BYOD (Bring Your Own Dog)!
Read our full guide to spring art fairs.
Up Close With NYC Artists
At 90, Printmaker Mohammad Omer Khalil Gets His Due
The New York-based Sudanese artist looks back on a lifetime of experimentation in a multi-city retrospective. | Jasmine Weber
Ridgewood’s Thriving Art Scene Steps Out of Bushwick’s Shadow
Ridgewood Open Studios drew hundreds to explore hidden alcoves in converted factories, basement spaces teeming with sculptures, and printmaking workshops in playgrounds. | Aaron Short
Virtuosos
What Did Mozart’s Life Look Like?
An exhibition at the Morgan Library guides visitors through the life and career of the virtuoso via art and well-preserved ephemera. | Greta Rainbow
Shoot the Shit With Jack Kerouac
In NYC, an exhibition of cherished letters, photographs, and talismans brings us into the daily life of the reluctant Beat Generation icon. | Greta Rainbow
From Our Critics
Julia Curl
Sophie Rivera: Double Exposures at El Museo del Barrio
"What truly distinguishes Rivera’s work, however, is her ability to capture the texture of New York City in the 1970s and '80s."
John Yau
Mary Frank at Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects
"The figures, almost exclusively women, seem to exist in a realm found somewhere between the Garden of Eden and a Renaissance version of the idyllic, where sorrow and lament can fill the air."
Arthur Nersesian
Keith Haring at the Brant Foundation
"Haring’s free-handed yet perfectly fonted and justified style blows right through desktop publishing; it feels prescient now, in light of the upcoming AI cataclysm, a Nostradamus-by-emojis."
Upstate Escapes
10 Exhibitions to See in Upstate New York This May
Irina Lotarevich’s edgy minimalism, Koyoltzintli’s investigations into a sacred object, Daniele Frazier’s explorations in camera-less photography, and more. | Taliesin Thomas
What Else Is Happening?
- There's a ton of Keith Haring around the city this week — on top of the aforementioned Brant Foundation show, Sotheby's is also exhibiting works he gifted to his childhood best friend through May 13.
- Artists and special guests, including Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian, will perform in Dreamweaving at Governors Island's Liggett Terrace, a celebration inspired by Persian gardens and spring, in partnership with Bahar Behbahani's exhibition. (Sat May 16) [arteeast.org]
- Frida Kahlo’s grand-nieces will be at Rizzoli Bookstore to celebrate the first book about their family home. (Wed May 13) [Rizzoli Bookstore]
- The ADAA Chelsea Gallery walk returns for its eighth year this Thursday, with walkthroughs, performances, and other special programming! RSVP for a shot at a tote bag full of art books. (May 14) [artdealers.org]
- Pioneer Works is opening an exhibition on the archive and publishing platform Khajistan this Friday! (May 8) [pioneerworks.org]
- Curators La Tanya S. Autry and Maggie Mustard and NYPL Assistant Director of Division of Art, Prints, and Photographs Deirdre Donohue are giving a talk on curating protest at the main branch of the library. (Fri May 13) [printedmatter.org]
- Graphic journalist Joe Sacco is giving a book talk with Sunita Viswanath of Hindus for Human Rights and Alex Kane of Jewish Currents at the People's Forum. (Fri May 13) [peoplesforum.org]
- The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space is giving a slide talk at Tompkins Square Library before a guided tour of the museum itself. (Sat May 16) [nypl.org]
- Abrons Art Center and Impulse magazine are hosting a panel on how visual art is being valued and accessed across appraising, collecting, fairs, publishing, and of course, art-making. (Sat May 16) [abronsartscenter.org]
- Poet-performer duo Brian Alarcon and E.R. Pulgar will be performing at Future Space in Ridgewood this Saturday, featuring readings by Sol Cabrini and Paola Assad Barbarino. (Sat May 16) [Future Space]
- Leigh Raiford will be discussing her new book on a Black Panther family album with writer and activist Salamishah Tillet at the Studio Museum in Harlem. (Sun May 17) [studiomuseum.org]
- The 10th annual Horseshoe Crab Festival is at Sunset Cove (American Ballfields) Park in Broad Channel, Queens, this Sunday! (May 17) [Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy]
