Each week, we search New York City for the most exciting and thought-provoking shows, screenings, and events. In light of the global health situation, we are currently highlighting events and exhibitions available digitally. See our picks from around the world below. (Times are all EST unless otherwise noted.)
Tuesday, June 23
1. “Hide/Seek: Portraits for LGBTQ+ Pride Month” at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC
In honor of the 10-year anniversary of “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture,” the National Portrait Gallery is hosting a discussion about the landmark exhibition featuring the museum’s senior historian Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw alongside the show’s co-curators Jonathan Katz and David Ward. The exhibition was the first major museum show dedicated to LGBTQ+ subjectivity in portraiture, and it was not without controversy: the Smithsonian leadership at the time demanded a work by David Wojnarowicz be removed from the show, making international headlines. Tune in to hear the behind-the-scenes story of one of the most groundbreaking museum exhibitions in American history.
Price: Free with registration
Time: 5 p.m.
—Katie Rothstein
2. “The Rise of the Regional: Recovering Mid-sized Institutions” at ArtTable
In an effort to reimagine museums in the age of reopening, ArtTable has launched “RE/VIEW,” a new series of talks bringing together female industry leaders. With unprecedented budgetary strain from longtime closures and slashed city budgets, midsize museums are facing challenges they never could have anticipated. In this conversation, Masha Turchinsky, director of the Hudson River Museum; Belinda Tate, director of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts; and Jill Snyder, the outgoing director of MOCA Cleveland, will talk creative problem-solving strategies and how to rebuild community-driven institutions.
Time: 4 p.m.
Price: $5 donation with registration
—Katie White
3. “In the Company of Cats & Dogs : a Curator Q&A (with Special Furry Guests),” at the Blanton Museum, Austin
Price: Free with registration
Time: 6 p.m.
—Eileen Kinsella
4. “Insider Insights—Gerhard Richter Painting” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met Breuer’s blockbuster Gerhard Richter retrospective was only open for nine days before the museum was forced to shut its doors. Now, the Met has decided not to reopen its Madison Avenue outpost before turning over the Brutalist building to the Frick Collection. But even if you missed exhibition by the German artist, you can still hear from filmmaker Corinna Belz, in conversation with Met curator Brinda Kumar, about the making of her documentary Gerhard Richter Painting. The film is available to stream on the Met website through July 31, and you can catch the prerecorded talk on Facebook or YouTube.
Price: Free
Time: 6 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
Wednesday, June 24
5. “Violet Hour: Artist Talk With Zackary Drucker” at the Baltimore Museum of Art
The Baltimore Museum of Art has launched a new Facebook live event series highlighting artists and makers, kicking off this week with a Q&A with photographer, producer, and LGTBQ+ activist Zackary Drucker, perfectly timed to Pride month. You can also take a virtual tour of Drucker’s show “Icons,” which was on view at the museum when it closed, on YouTube.
Price: Free
Time: 6 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
6. “Sublime Ideas: Drawings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi” at the Morgan Library & Museum, New York
The Morgan was planning to mark the 300th birthday of the great draftsman Giovanni Battista Piranesi, who created haunting, fantastical drawings of an imaginary prison complex for a series he called “Carceri,” with “Sublime Ideas: Drawings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi.” The show, which would have opened May 29, has been postponed, but the Morgan, which has the world’s the largest collection of the artist’s drawings, is still celebrating with an online Zoom preview hosted by exhibition curator John Marciari, head of its department of drawings.
Price: Free with registration
Time: 3 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
Thursday, June 25
7. “Carl Craig Sessions Launch Event” at the Dia Art Foundation, New York
Price: Free with registration
Time: 5 p.m.
—Tim Schneider
Thursday, June 25–Sunday, June 28
8. The Contemporary and Digital Art Fair, Paris
CADAF, founded by Elena Zavelev, has an advantage over other fairs that were forced to migrate online—the computer screen is the native viewing platform for the digital art on offer. The fledgling fair’s Paris edition was originally timed to Europe’s largest tech conference, Vivatech. Now, it will offer a free selection of talks, panels, video art screenings, and performances while selling digital art in virtual booths—and like a real fair, you’ll be able to see where the online visitors are flocking, making it easy to catch the must-see moments. CADAF will also feature Mana Digital Open Studios, highlighting 300 artist studios from Mana Contemporary.
Price: Free with registration
Time: 10 a.m. Thursday–6 p.m. Sunday
—Sarah Cascone
Friday, June 26
9. “Talking Dreams: Instagram Live Session 1 With Jordan Nassar” at the Asia Society, New York
Get your artist talk fix over at the Asia Society’s Instagram, where the venerable organization is hosting a series of conversations with artists featured in its forthcoming Asia Society Triennial. This time around, Boon Hui Tan, artistic director of the triennial, will speak with Jordan Nassar, the New York City-based artist whose intricate works reference traditional Palestinian hand embroidery. To watch, follow @asiasociety on Instagram and tune in at the appointed time.
Price: Free
Time: 10 a.m.–11 a.m.
—Julia Halperin
10. “Curators From the Couch: Who We Are” at the Museum of the City of New York
Cartographer and South Bronx-based environmental activist Monzo López will lead a conversation on Facebook with the experts responsible for “Who We Are: Visualizing NYC by the Numbers,” MCNY’s exhibition that explores some of the myriad untold stories behind the demographics of the city’s eight and a half million people.
Price: Free
Time: 1:30 p.m.–2 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
11. “Pride Online With DJ SHYBOI” at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
The Whitney is celebrating Pride by teaming up with New York-based music collective Discwoman to present a live DJ set by SHYBOI, a member of the queer artist collective #KUNQ. Follow the museum on Instagram to dance along.
Price: Free
Time: 8 p.m.–9 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
Saturday, June 27
12. “Book Signing With Maximilian Schubert” at Off Paradise
For those in New York looking for events outside their homes, Off Paradise, the experimental Tribeca project space founded and run by Natacha Polaert, is reopening on June 23 with an exhibition by Maximilian Schubert. The artist’s latest show, “Doubles,” takes its deepest inspiration from Felix Gonzalez-Torres, the one artist Schubert says he has never been able to keep off his mind.
The show’s catalogue, written by Randy Kennedy, has been published in an edition of 300, and a book signing (featuring Kennedy; photographer Kevin Brady; and publisher David Schoerner of Hassla) will take place over an extended Saturday afternoon (to allow for very small numbers of people to enter the space) on June 27. All sales proceeds will go to the Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective.
Price: Free; RSVP for the book signing here or email paradise@offparadise.com
Location: 120 Walker Street, New York
Time: 2 p.m.–6 p.m.
—Pac Pobric
Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28
13. Virtual Collect + Connect at Photo LA
For Photo LA’s online fair, Virtual Collect + Connect, over 70 exhibitors will have online booths on the Whova App. Other virtual programming will include Zoom Q&As and coffee sessions and cocktail hours, as well as curated digital installations.
Price: $20
Time: 1 p.m. Saturday–10:30 p.m. Sunday
—Tanner West