The New New Museum
The Manhattan institution reopens this week! Plus, the sari in NYC, Gainsborough, Carol Bove, and a tiny haven for experimental art in Brooklyn.
New Humans at the new New Museum: Try to say that five times fast. But yes — the Manhattan museum, which has been closed to the public for two years, is finally reopening, with an inaugural exhibition about what it means to be human during sweeping technological change.
Press isn't allowed to step into that 25th-century milk carton of a new building until tomorrow morning — but keep an eye out, because you know we'll tell you how we feel about it, no holds barred. In the meantime, read up on our coverage of this drawn-out process of reopening, the artist's in the opening exhibition, and what New Yorkers thought of the renderings ("hostile" and "corporate" were some operative words). And tell us what you think when it opens to the public this Sunday!
We've also got some local features to round out what's happening in New York today, because it's certainly not just multi-million-dollar museum expansions. Associate Editor Lakshmi Rivera Amin walks us through the history and politics of the sari in our beloved city, Eileen Isagon Skyers explains how Thomas Gainsborough engineered status, Seph Rodney gives his thoughts on the Carol Bove retrospective at the Guggenheim, and I tell you about Subtitled NYC, a very special project space in Greenpoint.
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.
The Sartorial Is Political in “The New York Sari”
The sari is a "living art form, an heirloom, a document, and a political statement," Amin writes. A show at the New York Historical makes that apparent — highlights include the one worn by city councilmember Shahana Hanif during her swearing-in ceremony in 2021 and photos of women donning the garment in 1980s Queens.
Local Features
The Tiny Brooklyn Project Space Resisting the Gallery Machine
After I managed to find this noncommercial Greenpoint art gallery, I found myself in a haven for site-specific, process-based, and experimental art, as well as community.
A Visual Journey Through 150 Years of the Legal Aid Society
Staff Writer Isa Farfan takes us through the storied history of the largest legal organization serving low-income individuals in the country.
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.
From Our Critics
Seph Rodney
Carol Bove at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
"For me, the problem with this career survey is that most of what’s on view seems to be what Bove has produced in the past 25 years along the way to enlightenment."
Eileen Isagon Skyers
Gainsborough: The Fashion of Portraiture at the Frick Collection
"Taste promised to regulate luxury, refine appetite, and prove that wealth had earned its elevation. Gainsborough built a career on the visual execution of that promise."
What Else is Happening?
- The New York Academy of Art announced that it will donate more than $65,000 in funds associated with Jeffrey Epstein to an organization supporting sex trafficking survivors.
- Former Whitney curator Laura Phipps will lead the Gochman Collection of Indigenous Art as it builds a permanent exhibition space Upstate, in Katonah.
- Art House Cinema Week, a citywide celebration of independent movie theaters featuring free and discounted tickets plus special screenings, is here! (Fri Mar 20–Thurs Mar 26) [arthouseny.org]
- The Hill Art Foundation will be hosting a free screening of Peter Hujar's Day (2025)! (Fri Mar 20) [Hill Art Foundation]
- Dear Friends Books in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn is hosting an opening party featuring ceramics artists (Fri Mar 20) [Dear Friends Books]
- Farewell to that beloved giant pigeon on the High Line! Send Iván Argote’s "Dinosaur" off in style with photoshoots, DJ sets, pigeon-themed trivia, and a "top-secret, special experience." (Sat Mar 21) [thehighline.org]
- Arleene Correa Valencia will be giving an artist talk to accompany her exhibition about Mexican migrant narratives at Fridman Gallery. (Sat Mar 21) [Fridman Gallery]
- Boyfriend Co-Op is hosting Gaza in Our Hearts, a fundraiser market including art prints, ceramics, tarot, zines, and more. (Sat Mar 21) [Boyfriend Co-Op]
- Learn how to appliqué and paper-piece at the Old Stone House in Park Slope as part of Lean In: A Small Quilt Show. (Sun Mar 22) [Old Stone House]
- Join nature educator Eman Rashid for a Nature Walk for Palestine, where you'll learn about native plants and animals in Prospect Park. (Sun Mar 22) [Brooklyn Families for Palestine]
- Triskelion Arts, the Greenpoint-based organization supporting dance artists, just bought its building. Congrats! No small feat in NYC. [Triskelion Arts]
