Each week, we search New York City for the most exciting and thought-provoking shows, screenings, and events. See them below. 

Tuesday, July 23

Artwork by Baseera Khan. Photo courtesy of the School of Visual Arts.

1. “Lunchtime Lecture: Baseera Khan” at MFA Art Practice, School of Visual Arts

Baseera Khan, a faculty member of SVA’s MFA Art Practice program, will present a lunchtime talk about her work and its influences in the realms of politics, consumerisms, pop culture, and spirituality.

Location: School of Visual Arts, 209 East 23rd Street
Price: Free
Time: 12:30 p.m.–2 p.m.

—Nan Stewert

Tuesday, July 23–Thursday, July 25

Ligia Lewis, minor matter (2016). Photo by Martha Glenn.

2. “Ligia Lewis: Sensation 1/This Interior” at the High Line

Choreographer and dancer Ligia Lewis has transformed her solo work Sensation 1 into an hour-long piece for six dancers, performed on the High Line set to a score by Twin Shadow.

Location: The High Line, West 14th Street
Price: Free with RSVP
Time: 4 p.m.–7:30 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Tuesday, July 23–Tuesday, August 15

Jeanette Hayes work featured in “(hot girl) summer featuring (hot girl) summer art by Jeanette Hayes” at the Untitled Space. Courtesy of the Untitled Space, New York.

3. “(hot girl) summer featuring (hot girl) summer art by Jeanette Hayes” at the Untitled Space

Summer escapism takes flight at the Untitled Space, where Jeanette Hayes presents pop culture-inspired oil painting and graphite on paper drawings that hope to offer the viewer a break from real life. “These fantasy collages are composed with art historical/pop culture references and memes/imagery found on Instagram and TikTok laced together with my own unique creations,” said Hayes in her artist statement. “The viewer is encouraged to explore these works and discover details that invoke (or trigger) happiness and nostalgia, hope for a fun future (maybe a future as soon as later tonight) or even rage, if that is what you enjoy.”

Location: The Untitled Space, 45 Lispenard Street
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–9 p.m.; Tuesday–Friday, 12 p.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday, 12 p.m.–5 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Wednesday, July 24

The festivities at Uptown Bounce 2018. Photography by Filip Wolak for Museum of the City of New York. Courtesy of Museum of the City of New York.

4. “Uptown Bounce” at the Museum of the City of New York and El Museo del Barrio

For the first of the neighborhood’s quartet of annual summer block parties, the two uptown institutions serve up a plethora of culturally engaged fun, food, and education. El Museo offers visitors a walking tour of artist Miguel Luciano’s public art installation focusing on former Young Lords Party photographer Hiram Maristany’s images, as well as extended hours for its galleries and a curator-guided tour of its 50th anniversary show. (Times and details for each event can be found here.)

A few steps away, MCNY’s slate includes consciousness-raising opportunities with West Harlem activist group WE ACT, a station where visitors can make their own flags to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, and disco, soul, salsa, and funk sets by DJ Joey Carvello and DJ Woof. Wash it all down with food and drinks from local favorite Amy’s Bread and go home smarter, happier, and more connected to the community.

Location: The Museum of the City of New York and El Museo del Barrio, 1220 and 1230 Fifth Avenue (both at East 104th Street)
Price: Free; pre-registration encouraged
Time: 6 p.m.–9 p.m.

—Tim Schneider

Thursday, July 25

Nickolas Muray, Frida Kahlo with Olmec figurine (1939). © Nickolas Muray Photo Archives.

5. “Frida’s Fragrance: Art, Scent, & Persona” at the William Vale

Art historian Jessica Murphy, also known as the perfume professor, will take a deep dive into Frida Kahlo’s closet—the subject of recent exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum and London’s Victoria & Albert—allowing guests to sample five perfumes known to have been worn by the great Mexican artist. The evening, which asks us to consider fragrance as a from of self-expression, is presented by Think Olio.

Location: The William Vale, 111 North 12th Street
Price: $20
Time: 7:30 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

A workshop with Kameelah Janan Rasheed during the 2018 inaugural Convening for Contemporary Art, Education, and Social Justice. Photo courtesy of the New Museum.

6. “Melanie Crean, Shaun Leonardo, and Sable Elyse Smith in Conversation with Nicole R. Fleetwood” at the New Musuem

The New Museum’s second annual Convening for Contemporary Art, Education, and Social Justice, which brings together activists, artists, and educators to consider the theme of “transformative justice,” kicks off with a Friday night talk. Artists Melanie Crean, Shaun Leonardo, and Sable Elyse Smith will discuss their residency and exhibition “Mirror/Echo/Tilt” (on view through October 10). Registration for the rest of the weekend is closed, but the event page lists a contact email.

Location: The New Museum, 235 Bowery
Price: $15
Time: 4 p.m.–7:30 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Thursday, July 25–August 15

Dylan Hurwitz, Pressing. Courtesy of Monya Rowe Gallery.

7. “RISD MFA Painting Show” at Monya Rowe Gallery

The RISD MFA Painting Program exhibition will feature works by 2019 graduates Samuel Drake, Zuhal Feraidon, Evan Gilbert, Dylan Hurwitz, Zahra Jewanjee, Katelyn Ledford, Alex McAdoo, Nathan Prebonick, and Emilie Stark-Menneg.

Location: Monya Rowe Gallery, 224 West 30th Street
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Tuesday–Thursday, 12 p.m.–5 p.m.; Friday, 12 p.m.–4 p.m.

—Eileen Kinsella

Thursday, July 25–Sunday, August 18

A painting by Sara Erenthal. Photo courtesy of the Storefront Project.

8. “Sara Erenthal: Backstory” at the Storefront Project

For Sara Erenthal’s upcycled works, she paints her cartoon-like, wide-eyed female figures on top of old canvases picked up at thrift stores—a holdover from the early days of her career when she couldn’t afford to buy new materials. Now, in her new show curated by Nina Blumberg, the subjects of the old paintings have become a source of inspiration for the new works—religious scenes, like a painting of a rabbi, might remind Erenthal of the challenges she faced leaving the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in which she was raised, while a field of flowers, still partially visible in the final piece, represents personal tranquility.

Location: The Storefront Project, 70 Orchard Street
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–9 p.m.; Tuesday–Sunday, 1 p.m.–6 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Thursday, July 25–Thursday, August 29

Dustin Thierry, The Category is Face: She’s a Mizrahi (2018). Photo courtesy of Aperture.

9. “2019 Aperture Summer Open: Delirious Cities” at Aperture

Aperture takes a look at the urban experience through the lens of 23 emerging photographers. The show takes its name from Rem Koolhaas’s 1978 manifesto Delirious New York, but features scenes from as far afield as Mumbai, Amsterdam, Brussels, Miami, Istanbul, and Luanda, Angola.

Location: Aperture, 547 West 27th Street
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m.; Thursday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27

Kim David Smith. Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

10. “ETHEL and Friends: Kim David Smith” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Apollo 50 celebrations continue at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with two nights of live performances by Australian cabaret performer Kim David Smith inspired by the moon, celestial bodies, and lunar landscapes.

Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue
Price: Free with $25 general admission
Time: 5 p.m.–8 p.m.

—Tanner West

Friday, July 26–Sunday, July 28

Danny Lyon, Route 12, Wisconsin, from The Bikeriders (1963). Photo courtesy of Magnum Photos/Fahey/Klein Gallery.

11. “Danny Lyon: Then and Now” at Anthology Film Archives

Filmmaker and photographer Danny Lyon will be on hand at Anthology Film Archives this week for screenings of his documentary films of the 1970s and ’80s, including the “New Mexico trilogy,” as well as more recent work from the past decade.

Location: Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue
Price: $12 general admission
Time: July 26, 7:30 p.m.; July 27, 5:45 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; July 28 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

—Tanner West

Saturday, July 27

llustration by Grace Robinson.

12. MoMA PopRally x Staten Island

MoMA may be closed for renovations, but PopRally carries on! The museum’s annual creative summer series is moving around the five boroughs all year, and this Saturday it will wash up on the shores of Staten Island’s Snug Harbor. The night will include a screening of Splash, the classic tale of a mermaid in Manhattan starring Darryl Hannah and Tom Hanks. Special performances will include a set by DJ Tom of Maker Park Radio, the Gotham Easy Brass Band, and the Wu Tang Clams mermaid krewe. 

Location: Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island
Price: Tickets $10
Time: Doors open at 7 p.m.

—Katie White

Liz Glynn, Myth of Singularity (2014) at LACMA, installation view. Photo by Fredrik Nilsen, courtesy of the artist.

13. “Tabula Rasa: The Watermill’s 26th Annual Summer Benefit & Auction” at the Watermill Center

The summer’s most hotly anticipated Hamptons art event is undoubtedly the Watermill gala, known for offering cutting-edge performance art in a bucolic setting. Among the expected highlights for 2019 are Liz Glynn’s The Myth of Singularity, first presented at LACMA; a piece from sound artist Bill John Bultheel; and a new outdoor version of Watermill Center alumni Gillian Walsh’s Fame Notions. The night will also feature auctioneer Simon de Pury manning the gavel.

Location: The Watermill Center, 39 Watermill Towd Road, Water Mill
Price: Cocktails $650, dinner from $2,500
Time: Cocktails, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.;, dinner 8 p.m.–10 p.m.; after party, 10 p.m.–12 a.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Saturday, July 27 and Saturday, July 28 

Barbara Hammer, Nitrate Kisses (1992). Photo courtesy of EAI.

14. “Nitrate Kisses + Generations” at the Museum of the Moving Image

Catch the tail end of “Barbara Hammer, Superdyke,” the Museum of the Moving Image’s retrospective of the recently deceased lesbian feminist filmmaker Barbara Hammer. This weekend features screenings of her first feature-length film Nitrate Kisses (1992), and Generations, her 2010 film co-directed with Joey Carducci, a queer filmmaker of the next generation.

Location: Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 Avenue, Astoria, Queens
Price: General admission $15
Time: 4 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Saturday, July 28 

15. “The Great Forgotten Garden Party” at Untermyer Gardens

In the 1920s and ’30s, the public flocked to Samuel and Minnie Untermyer’s 150-acre Yonkers estate, a beautifully manicured landscape that was maintained by a staff of 60 gardeners and welcomed famous artists and performers. The couple left the garden to the city of Yonkers, but upkeep was cost prohibitive, and the property became wildly overgrown, its architectural structures fallen into ruin long ago. Since 2011, the nonprofit Untermyer Gardens Conservancy has been working to restore the property; for the third year in a row Atlas Obscura is throwing a summer party celebrating the garden’s history, design and architecture. This year’s edition—originally scheduled for last weekend but postponed due to the excessive heat—will feature live music, including Armen Ra on the theramin, and one of artist Ventiko’s signature photo booth experiences.

Location: Untermyer Gardens, 945 North Broadway, Yonkers
Price: $70
Time: 5 p.m.–10 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Through Saturday, July 28 

Eden Seifu, “One Day You Must Put Down the Sword.” Courtesy of Deli Gallery.

16. “Lararium” at Deli Gallery

A stunning group show in East Williamsburg closes this weekend. “Lararium” features the works of 12 artists, including ceramic sculptures by Alex Anderson, dyed wool pieces by Lila de Magalhaes, and paintings by Eden Seifu. Seifu’s diverse range of influences, which include “illuminated manuscripts, comic books, jazz album covers, Byzantine mosaics, and dollar stores,” according to the gallery, produce a phantasmagorical quality that must be experienced in person.

Location: Deli Gallery, 110 Waterbury Street, Brooklyn
Price: Free
Time: 12 p.m.–5 p.m.

—Cristina Cruz

“Lee Jaffe: Jean-Michel Basquiat.” Photo courtesy of Galerie Eva Presenhuber.

17. “Lee Jaffe: Jean-Michel Basquiat” at Galerie Eva Presenhuber

This unusual exhibition features photographs taken by Lee Jaffe, manager of Bob Marley and the Wailers, during a 1983 trip around the world sponsored by Pan Am Airlines (stops included Japan, Switzerland, and Thailand). Jaffe’s travel buddy? Close friend and fellow reggae enthusiast Jean Michel-Basquiat.

Location: Galerie Eva Presenhuber, 29 Great Jones
Price: Free
Time: Monday–Friday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Through Sunday, August 18

Amy Arbus, The Clash (1981). © Amy Arbus. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.

18. “Among Others: Photographer and the Group” at the Morgan Library & Museum

With 60-some photos culled largely from the Morgan’s own collection—some of which are over 150 years old—“Among Others” looks at the camera’s capacity to translate invisible relationships between people, from the sitters of a staged group portrait to passersby in a candid street scene. Some shots are intimate or performative; others represent more of an observational or documentary approach. Often what stands out the most is not the subjects’ relationship to each other, but their relationship to the person clicking the shutter. 

Location: The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue
Price: $22
Time: Tuesday–Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–5 p.m.; Friday, 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

—Taylor Dafoe

Through Sunday, September 8

Betsy Kenyon. Courtesy of Pioneer Works.

19. “In Progress: Exhibition Series With Betsy Kenyon” at Governors Island

The first in a series of collaborative residencies between Baxter Street at the Camera Club of New York and Pioneer Works kicked off this weekend, with an exhibition of work created by Betsy Kenyon at the Pioneer Works darkroom. The site-specific show, called “Lighthouse,” is inspired by the history of Governors Island’s Noland Park, which once housed military officers.

Location: Governors Island, Nolan Park 8B
Price: Free
Time: Saturdays, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; Friday, August 2, 5 p.m.–9 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone