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

Tuesday, June 18

A Venetian mask. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

1. “MoMA PS1 Gala After Party: Midsummer Masquerade” at the Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art may be officially closed, but you’ve got one more chance to visit before October reopening, thanks to the MoMA PS1 Gala After Party. This summer solstice shindig is being billed as “a night of mystery and magic” featuring a surprise performance, an open bar, and desserts. The dress code calls for your “finest disguise” and invites guests to BYO mask.

Location: The Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53 Street
Price: $100
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

—Nan Stewert

Wednesday, June 19

Ethan James Green, a photo from Young New York. Photo courtesy of Aperture.

2. “Aperture Conversations: Young New York” at Brooklyn Academy of Music

Ethan James Green’s new book from Aperture, Young New York, features his black-and-white portraits of of queer New York City creatives. The photographer will talk with three of his subjects (Dara Allen, Marcs Goldberg, and Matt Holmes) about how queer representation has changed in the 50 years since the Stonewall uprising.

Location: BAM Fisher, Fishman Space, 321 Ashland Place, Brooklyn
Price: $15
Time: 7 p.m.

—Nan Stewert

Wednesday, June 19

Devin Troy Strother’s design for +Pool’s Bluefish swimming lesson students. Photo courtesy of +Pool.

3. “+Pool Summer Pool Party” at the William Vale

The artists behind the nascent experimental public pool known as +Pool are still working to bring a floating pool to the waters of New York City. To support their efforts, they’re hosting a swanky pool party at the William Vale in Williamsburg. There will be an open bar and food by Andrew Carmellini, and your chance to bid on such coveted items as a tour of collector Beth Rudin DeWoody’s New York apartment—especially enticing because she’s moving soon—and tickets to the exclusive invite-only lawn party the Bridge, a lavish Hamptons affair at Bridgehampton’s members-only golf club featuring vintage cars and a contemporary art show. (The bidding is already at $3,000.) Plus, for the fourth year, + Pool has commissioned an artist to design new swim gear for its Bluefish program, which offers free swimming lessons to children in NYCHA housing—this time, it’s Devin Troy Strother.

Location: Vale Pool at the William Vale, 111 North 12th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Price: $200 and up
Time: 6 p.m.–9p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Wednesday, June 19–Sunday, June 23

The brick sofa at the Brick Bar. Photo courtesy of the Brick Bar.

4. The Brick Bar at Bogart House

Traveling pop-up the Brick Bar, which promises a blast of nostalgia in the form of one million Lego bricks—it’s not affiliated with the Danish toy company—comes to New York this week. There will be large-scale Lego art installations for your Instagram pleasure, plus brick-themed cocktails for adult visitors (no guests under 21 without adult supervision). You can also build your own Lego creations, with the chance to win prizes.

Location: Bogart House, 230 Bogart Street, Brooklyn
Price: $25
Time: Wednesday–Friday, 5 p.m.–11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Thursday, June 20–Saturday, July 20

David Datuna, UK – Viewpoints of Millions. Photo courtesy of David Datuna.

5. Datuna Art Space Grand Opening at Datuna Art Space

Artist David Datuna is opening his own private art space dedicated to conceptual art in a repurposed taxi cab garage in Long Island City. He plans to hold six non-commercial shows a year in the 4,000-square-foot space. The inaugural outing will focus on his own work, including the interactive installation Cloning Eternity, fresh off an appearance in Washington Square Park.

Location: Datuna Art Space, 43-05 Vernon BL, Long Island City, Queens
Price: Free with RSVP
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–10 p.m.; Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

—Tanner West

Thursday, June 20–Friday, July 26

Rosemarie Trockel, Dutch Fairytale (2016). ©Rosemarie Trockel, courtesy the artist and Gladstone Gallery, NY and Brussels.

6. “Abstract, Representational, and so forth” at Gladstone Gallery

Works by the likes of Nick Mauss, Rosemarie Trockel, and Betty Woodman show off all manner of clay confections at Gladstone’s ceramics-themed summer group show.

Location: Gladstone Gallery, 515 West 24th Street
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

—Caroline Goldstein

Farah Atassi, Woman with Brooch. Courtesy of Almine Rech.

7. “Farah Atassi: Paintings” at Almine Rech

In her first show at Almine Rech, Farah Atassi presents ten new paintings that blend abstraction and figuration by incorporating backgrounds filled with bold, geometric shapes and patterns. The result echoes the traditions of both Modernism and Folk Art.

Location: Almine Rech, 39 East 78th Street
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Thursday, June 20–Monday, July 29

8. “Joseph Elmer Yoakum” at Venus Over Manhattan

Joseph Yoakum, a colorful character who claimed to have traveled with the Ringling Brothers’ Circus, had an exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1972, just a month before his death. This is his largest solo show in New York since. Yoakum, who claimed African-American and Native-American descent, took up art-marking at the age of 72, creating unique, stylized landscapes said to depict the many places he visited over the course of his life.

Location: Venus Over Manhattan, 980 Madison Avenue
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Thursday, June 20–Friday, August 16

Salman Toor, Four Friends ( 2019).
Photo by Guillaume Ziccarelli. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin.

9. “Them” at Perrotin Gallery

This summer group show unites 13 artists who examine the romantic embrace through their figurative painting, celebrating queer companionship and daily queer life. It includes work by Hernan Bas, Jonathan Lyndon Chase, Anthony Cudahy, TM Davy, Angela Dufresne, Louis Fratino, Jenna Gribbon, Paul Heyer, Sholem Krishtalka, Doron Langberg, Maia Cruz Palileo, Ana Segovia, and Salman Toor.

Location: Perrotin, 130 Orchard Street
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Summer hours Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

—Eileen Kinsella

Thursday, June 20–Thursday, August 29

Jasmine Clarke, Palm Curtain. Photo courtesy of Howard Greenberg Gallery.

10. “Bard X HGG, Curated by Stephen Shore” at Howard Greenberg Gallery

Howard Greenberg Gallery has enlisted famed photographer Stephen Shore to put together this show, which pairs photographs from the gallery’s archives of 20th century images—including the artist’s own work—with new pieces by students who graduated this year from Bard College’s photography program, which Shore directs.

Location: Howard Greenberg Gallery, 41 East 57th Street
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Saturday, June 22

Guest at the 2018 Summer Solstice Celebration. Photo courtesy of Storm King Art Center.

11. “Storm King Summer Solstice Celebration” at Storm King Art Center

One of the highlights of the summer art gala circuit, Storm King’s annual celebration of the summer solstice offers a unique chance to see the art center’s exhibitions—this year from Jean Shin and Mark Dion—and to dine under the stars amid a stunning backdrop of monumental sculptures. Top Chef judge, Food and Wine special projects director, and cookbook author Gail Simmons has designed a farm-to-table menu for the occasion, to be prepared by chef Shelley Boris. There will also be performances by dancer Eva Alt and the activist orchestra the Dream Unfinished.

Location: Storm King Art Center, 1 Museum Road, New Windsor, New York
Price: Reception, $150; Dinner, $325 and up
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Saturday, June 22–Sunday, July 28

12. Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise at the Shed

The Shed is known for inviting artists who work in a variety of genres to join forces to create a brand new cultural stew—and Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise is the perfect example of this kind of marquee programming. The so-called “kung fu musical” features music by pop star Sia and is written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger of the cartoon film Kung Fu Panda. The production traces a secret sect in Flushing, Queens, that can extend human life and the twin brother and sister who are struggling to control it. Come for the Sia tunes, stay for the choreography that combines martial arts and ballet.

Location: The McCourt at the Shed, 545 West 30th Street
Price: $25–$99
Time: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday at 8 p.m.; Wednesday, Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m. (Previews June 22, 23, 25, and 26)

—Julia Halperin

Nelly Zagury, The Giant Stalker & the Cannibal Flower (2019). Courtesy of the Chimney.

13. “The Chimney x Ulmer Arts” at William Ulmer Brewery

After lying dormant since Prohibition, nearly a century ago, Bushwick’s historic William Ulmer Brewery has been repurposed as an art venue and rechristened Ulmer Arts. As part of a collaboration by the Chimney with Ulmer Arts and Tungsten Partners, Clara Darrason and Jennifer Houdrouge have curated a group show of large installations by Yasue Maetake (Japan), Andrew Erdos (USA), Desire Moheb Zandi (Turkey), Riitta Ikonen (Finland), Sara Mejia Kriendler (USA and Colombia), Autumn Ahn (USA), Matt Taber (USA), Aaron Taylor Kuffner (USA), Lino Bernabe (USA and Cuba), Nelly Zagury (France).

Location: William Ulmer Brewery, 81 Beaver Street, Brooklyn
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, Saturday, June 22, 2 p.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m.–6 p.m.

—Tanner West

Saturday, June 22–Sunday, October 13

Leidy Churchman, Untitled (Billboard of an Empty Bed) 2018. Collection of Milovan Farronato. Photo by Lewis Ronalds, courtesy the artist and Rodeo, London/Piraeus.

14. “Leidy Churchman: Crocodile” at the Hessel Museum of Art, Bard College

Leidy Churchman’s first US solo show, curated by Lauren Cornell, features over 60 paintings, including a newly commissioned large-scale floor mural. The artist’s work ranges from figurative to abstract, and from portraits to landscapes, with diverse references including both Buddhist symbols and the Mastercard logo.

Location: Hessel Museum of Art, 33 Garden Road, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Thursday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Saturday, June 22–Monday, October 14

Amie Cunat, a work from “Granary” at the Shaker Museum, Mount Lebanon. Courtesy of the Shaker Museum, Mount Lebanon.

15. “Granary” at the Shaker Museum, Mount Lebanon

The Shakers, a 19th-century Christian religious sect known for its furniture design and craftsmanship, has become a major influence on Amie Cunat, who last year transformed VICTORI + MO into a brightly colored meetinghouse based on historic Shaker artifacts. This time around, she’s brought her vibrant work to an actual granary built by the Shakers in 1838, installing paper reconstructions of the old equipment and Shaker-inspired drawings in the historic space.

Location: Historic Mount Lebanon Site, 202 Shaker Road, New Lebanon, New York
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 2 p.m.–6 p.m.; Friday–Monday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Sunday, June 23

Marilyn Minter. Pop Rocks (2009). Courtesy the collection of Danielle and David Ganek and the Brooklyn Museum.

16. “The Art of Sexuality” at the Playhouse

Art critic Jerry Saltz will lead artists Marilyn Minter, Xaviera Simmons, and Natalie White in a roundtable discussion on depictions of gender and sexuality in art, and how nudity has been perceived over the years. The event is being hosted by Playboy, which recently joined White in championing her campaign to pass the Equal Rights Amendment.

Location: The Playhouse, 150 Wooster Street
Price: Free, RSVP suggested
Time: 4 p.m.–5 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Through Sunday, June 23

Don Freeman, Lisa and Corduroy in Her Bedroom. Courtesy of the Kerlan Collection, Children’s Literature Research Collection, University of Minnesota.

17. “A City for Corduroy” at the Museum of the City of New York

The Museum of the City of New York celebrates Don Freeman, author and illustrator of the beloved children’s book Corduroy, and its sequel A Pocket for Corduroy with an exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of the first book’s publication. A selection of Freeman’s drawings and paintings are on view, many of which depict scenes of everyday life here in New York City. You can also catch the original designs and sketches for the bear Corduroy and other characters created by the artist.

Location: The Museum of the City of New York, 1220 5th Avenue at East 103rd Street
Price: $18 suggested admission
Time: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

—Sarah Cascone

Through Saturday, June 29

Pacifico Silano, Boundless Blue (2019). Courtesy of the artist and the Bronx Museum of the Arts.

18. “Pacifico Silano: Speaking Little, Perhaps Not a Word” at the Bronx Museum’s Block Gallery

Re-photographing imagery culled from gay erotica of the ‘80s, Pacifico Silano explores the relationship between loss and lust, death and desire. Despite the sunsets, waterfalls, and comely young men populating the source material, a sadness permeates Silano’s pictures—the shadow of the AIDS crisis. Faces are often obstructed or cropped out, like a reminder of the lives lost. And yet, there’s a defiant sense of resilience too.

Location: The Block Gallery, 80 White Street, 2nd Floor
Price: Free
Time: Wednesday-Friday, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM.

—Taylor Dafoe

Through Saturday, July 13

Dominique Fung, Access to a Warm Space for Bathing. Courtesy of Ross + Kramer Gallery.

19. “Dominique Fung: Wash Your Corners” at Ross + Kramer Gallery

Curator Ché Morales has teamed up with Brooklyn-based artist Dominique Fung to create a “bathhouse” experience inspired by her work at Ross + Kramer Gallery. The show, which opened this past Friday, claims to ask some questions of its audience: “Who is doing the looking and who has the agency? Are you inside the body or are you the object? Or are you here for the spectacle?”

Location: Ross + Kramer Gallery, 14 East 63rd Street
Price: Free
Time: Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sunday and Monday by appointment

—Cristina Cruz