7 Can't-Miss Exhibits To See In NYC This Winter

Beat the cold and enjoy these fleeting exhibits this season.

Andy Warhol: Revelation

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Andy Warhol: Revelation at the Brooklyn Museum explores a lesser-understood aspect of the artist’s career—the influence of his Byzantine Catholic upbringing. Comprising more than 100 objects, including source materials and newly discovered items along with major paintings and experimental films, this exhibition delves into the artist’s relationship with his faith, which was often depicted throughout his work. From his iconic celebrity portraits to reimagined Renaissance pieces, Warhol drew inspiration from Catholic history and displayed it in the context of popular culture. Examining themes such as life and death, power and desire, and depictions and duplications of Christ, Andy Warhol: Revelation offers a novel lens through which to look at the celebrated artist’s career. Through June 19, 2022, 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn

Design and Healing: Creative Responses to Epidemics

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum explores design’s role in times of crisis with the aptly timed Design and Healing: Creative Responses to Epidemics. Featuring works from designers, artists, doctors, engineers and more, the exhibition includes objects created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, from PPE and medical devices to infographics and posters, alongside historical narratives and architectural case studies. The creative actions taken by these individuals, including open-source collaboration, rapid-response prototyping and others, have brought aid to those who need it and pushed for change. Design and Healing: Creative Responses to Epidemics honors the creativity and innovation that have contributed to the healing of the current pandemic. Dec. 10-Aug. 14, 2022, 2 E. 91st St.

Ann Greene Kelly, “Homesick Nightgown” (2020), from Soft Water, Hard Stone

Greater New York

Returning for its fifth edition, Greater New York explores the lives of artists living and working in New York City. The show offers an intimate glimpse into the history of art-making in the city through the works of 47 artists and collectives, many of which have gone unrecognized for decades. Through a variety of mediums and practices, Greater New York examines the emotions and connections formed in New York City, highlighting the resilience of the city’s art communities. Honoring the ability of these artists to make sense of the many aspects and obstacles that shape New York City, the exhibition is an ode to the city’s creators. Through April 18, 2022, MoMA PS1, 22-25 Jackson Ave., Long Island City, Queens

Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts

Diving into the European inspiration behind Walt Disney Animation Studios’ designs, films and theme parks, Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts is the Met’s first exhibition exploring the imaginative work of Walt Disney. One hundred fifty artworks from the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, Walt Disney Archives, Walt Disney Imagineering Collection and The Walt Disney Family Museum, including selected film footage, will be featured alongside 40 18th century European pieces of decorative arts and design, including tapestries, furniture and Boulle clocks. The exhibit, which marks the 30th anniversary of Beauty and the Beast’s animated theatrical release, will examine Disney’s personal fascination with European arts and French motifs, displaying connections between their artistic influence and the studios’ imaginative creations. With nods to Rococo Paris-inspired objects and animations, Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts transports onlookers into the iconic fantasy land of Disney. Dec. 10-March 6, 1000 Fifth Ave.

Labyrinth of Forms: Women and Abstraction, 1930-1950

Many American abstractionists were women, and Labyrinth of Forms at the Whitney Museum of American Art highlights the achievements of these artists and the influence they had on artistic exploration and innovation. The show’s title is inspired by an Alice Trumbull Mason print included in the exhibition and alludes to the artworks’ reflections of the development of the 20th century. Featuring 27 artists, including well-known artists such as Lee Krasner and Louise Nevelson as well as underrecognized ones, the exhibit displays works on paper drawn almost entirely from the Whitney’s collection. With over 30 abstract pieces from the 1930s and ’40s, Labyrinth of Forms is a can’t-miss. Through March 2022, 99 Gansevoort St.

Soft Water, Hard Stone

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Soft Water, Hard Stone is the fifth New Museum Triennial—the only recurring international exhibition in New York devoted to emerging artists from around the world. The title of the 2021 Triennial is based on a Brazilian proverb that translates to “Soft water on hard stone hits until it bores a hole.” Referencing resilience, perseverance and impact, the exhibition brings together the works of 40 artists and collectives from across the globe and recognizes these creators’ reimaginations of traditional models and techniques, and their challenging of established paradigms. Through a variety of mediums, Soft Water, Hard Stone displays works that examine the adaptability of both the natural world and humankind. Through Jan. 23, 235 Bowery

What I Saw

Joseph E. Yoakum began drawing landscapes at the age of 71. Created from memories of the places he’s traveled to over the course of his life, both real and imagined, the works displayed in What I Saw offer a look at the world from his perspective. Works such as landscapes depicting empty roads, overflowing green foliage and distorted landforms almost always void of human forms reflect both Yoakum’s religion and his experience as a man of color in the U.S. throughout the 20th century. Through March 19, 11 W. 53rd St.