Winter will be here before we know it, and just like the changing seasons, New York City’s art scene is constantly adding new exhibitions into the mix.
Here are a few things in New York City in art that you won’t want to miss this winter.
Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy
The Shed, 545 West 30th St., Manhattan
On display through Jan. 5, 2025
Modern art comes alive at Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy. This fantastical display of rides, attractions and interactive installations created by innovation artists from the 20th century. The exhibition features a ferris wheel by Jean-Michel Basquiat, a carousel by Keith Haring, a wave swinger by Kenny Scharf, a wedding chapel by André Heller, and immersive pavilions by David Hockney, Salvador Dalí and Roy Lichtenstein, plus more from Arik Brauer, Sonia Delaunay, Monika Gil’sing and other artists.
Note: though it may look tempting, you cannot ride the rides at Luna Luna. Tickets start at $64 for adults and $35 for kids.
The Space Between Us
Union Square Park, Manhattan
On display through May 2025
Union Square Park has plenty of seating options, but have you tried looking up? The Space Between Us is a new installation that features twin chairs sitting 15 feet above the park. Created by Brooklyn-based multimedia artist, composer, filmmaker, and sculptor Risha Gorig, The Space Between Us elevates the reciprocal act of conversation above the hustle and bustle of Union Square Park.
The literal space between the chairs in The Space Between Us provides a meaningful opening for making space and generating change, high above the city’s noise and leaning into the need for society to have deeper dialogue.
Symbols in Perceiving: Intuiting Symbolism Through Abstract & Pictorial Imagery
Untitled at 3 Freeman Alley, Manhattan
On display until Feb. 21, 2025
Freeman Alley is no stranger to art, and this exhibition leans into the unique feel the space has. Created in collaboration with curator Elizabeth Chatham of Azure Arts, Symbols in Perceiving: Intuiting Symbolism Through Abstract & Pictorial Imagery looks at subjective symbolism in the abstract paintings of neo-symbolist artist Ford Crull against the pictorial symbolism in New York City photographer Matt Weber’s works.
Though both of the artists’ creative practices are very different, they have a remarkably similar processes of conscious and unconscious symbol-making. Come see how the two artists blend while also keeping their own distinct styles.
B.K. Art Winter Fest
The Box Factory, 1519 Decatur St., Ridgewood
Dec. 19-22, 2024
Fully immerse yourself in a four-day art event at B.K. Art Winter Fest. The festival is dedicated to fostering meaningful connections between visual and musical artists who will come together to showcase their work. Watch art and music come alive and embrace the vibrant atmosphere.
Tickets for B.K. Art Winter Fest start at $16.
Lillie P. Bliss and the Birth of the Modern
Museum of Modern Art, 11 W 53rd St., Manhattan
On display through March 29, 2025
This new exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) focuses on the collection and legacy of Lillie P. Bliss, one of the Museum’s three founders. Bliss was an early advocate for modern art, and this exhibition marks the 90th anniversary of Bliss’s contributions to the museum, including iconic works such as Paul Cézanne’s The Bather (c. 1885) and Amedeo Modigliani’s Anna Zborowska (1917).
The exhibition features 40 works and archival materials.
Origami Tree at the American Museum of Natural History
200 Central Park West, Manhattan
On display Nov. 25 through the holidays
The American Museum of Natural History has brought back out a 13-foot tall tree each year with origami, marking the start of the holiday season in the museum. This year’s theme is Jumping for Joy, celebrating the many animals and the prowess that set them apart, like leaping, hopping and pouncing. The tree is decked out with models of rabbits, kangaroos, grasshoppers, frogs, squirrels, porpoises, whales, the leaping leech and cicadas. The tree also have models of the museum’s iconic Blue Whale and Tyrannosaurus rex.
Have something to add? Email emily.davenport@amny.com.
