Gallery Girl Guide: Summer’s Must-see Art Exhibitions

Is there a better way to beat the summer heat than by escaping to an air conditioned art gallery? We don’t think so. This summer, museums across the country are tempting us indoors with fascinating exhibitions on artists from Edvard Munch to Yayoi Kusama. Read on for our guide to what to see this summer along with looks that will have you ready to gallery hop.

Brooklyn Museum: Georgia O’Keeffe ‘Living Modern’
March 3 – July 23, 2017

One scroll through Instagram and it’s easy to see that Georgia O’Keeffe’s pioneering personal aesthetic resonates deeply with the style-conscious set at the moment. She made a wardrobe of classics — crisp white shirts, black wrap dresses, head scarves and wide-brimmed hats — feel utterly her own, and it’s hard not to think of the iconic images of O’Keeffe herself when admiring her art. The Brooklyn Museum’s Georgia O’Keeffe: Living Modern (part of their Year of Yes: Reimagining Feminism at the Brooklyn Museum series) puts this fact front and center, examining the crafting of O’Keeffe’s public persona with photographs of the artist and pieces from her personal wardrobe on display alongside a selection of painted works. Have your own O’Keeffe moment in a pared-down palette with artful, minimalist accents.

 Simon Miller Bonsai Bag, $325; Ellery Flared Pants, $695; Tiffany & Co. Sevillana Earrings, $265

SFMOMA: Edvard Munch: Between The Clock And The Bed
June 24 – October, 9 2017

There’s more to Edvard Munch than The Scream. He created his most iconic work when he was just 30 years old in 1893, but continued to mature as an artist into the 1940s with works that wrestled with love, despair and death. SFMOMA’s new exhibition approaches Munch’s career backwards, using his last self-portrait as the beginning of a journey looking at his life’s work. If the themes of Munch’s art seem heavy, looking at the works is a different experience, with captivating figures and bright, bold colors drawing you in. Several of the pieces on view are making their way from Munch’s native Norway to the U.S. for the first time, offering a new glimpse at the artist who captured the modern era’s anxiety in a way that still resonates today. Keep it Scandinavian minimal for an art-filled afternoon with muted tones and quietly chic accessories.

 Boyy Devon Capperi Bag, $800; Oscar de la Renta Spring 2017 Button-Up, $530; The Row 2017 Suede Mules, $395; Céline Wrap Skirt, $795

Seattle Art Museum: Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirrors
June 30 – September 10, 2017

Polka dots may be back in this season, but for Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, they’re a way of life. “I wanted to examine the single dot that was my own life,” Kusama has said, and over her 65-year career, she’s done that writ large with repetitive, even obsessive, meditations on the dot in paintings, sculptures and installations. This summer, her popular Infinity Mirror pieces are making their way to the Seattle Art Museum, giving the Pacific Northwest a chance to marvel at rooms that magnify the swirling dots she’s known for, edging closer and closer to the infinite. While the experience is fun and trippy, and undoubtedly Instagrammable, for Kusama art is a kind of therapy. She has lived in a mental hospital in Japan since the ‘70s (at the age of 88 Kusama is still producing work), and has channeled her hallucinations into kaleidoscopic artworks in an effort to forget herself and merge with the creative process, a concept she calls ‘obliteration.’ If you can’t do the same, you can at least merge with the surroundings. What better occasion to sport something from the Kusama x Louis Vuitton collaboration?

 Rebecca de Ravenel Les Bonbons Earrings, $395; Yayoi Kusama for Louis Vuitton Dots Infinity Lockit MM, $2,300; Chloé Spring 2017 Crochet Top w/Tags, $805

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Marcel Duchamp And The Fountain Scandal
April 1 – December 3, 2017

Marcel Duchamp shocked the art world when he christened a urinal Fountain and declared it art in his groundbreaking piece that changed the way we think about everyday objects. The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s exhibition celebrates the centennial of the work (the original was destroyed, but they have one of the earliest replicas), showcasing how it came to be, and the reactions of Duchamp’s critics and collaborators. Make your own small gesture of irreverence with clashing prints and feminine pieces paired with skate sneakers.

 Balenciaga 2017 Bazar Shopper Tote, $1,395; Miu Miu 2017 Wrap Skirt, $830; Vans Mesh SK8-Hi Sneakers, $95

Gagosian: Anselm Kiefer: Transition From Cool To Warm
May 5 – July 14, 2017

“A ruin is not a catastrophe. It is the moment when things can start again,” proclaims Anselm Kiefer. Gagosian Gallery’s Anselm Kiefer: From Cool To Warm celebrates this sentiment with a collection of paintings, watercolors and artist’s books by the German painter and sculptor that focus not on just on the end aesthetic object, but on the unique process of creation. Using wide-ranging materials and techniques — marbled effects evoking sculpture, lead — Kiefer’s works feature a cast of female nudes among watery, pastel landscapes. Channel the mood of Kiefer’s works with cool blues and romantic pieces like an embroidered off-shoulder top and jeweled platforms. Plus, be sure to take home a copy of the exhibition’s illustrated companion publication, complete with essays by Karl Ove Knausgaard.

 Alexander McQueen 2017 Off-The Shoulder Blouse, $1,075; Prada Spring 2017 City Bag, $1,895; Miu Miu 2017 Platform Sandals, $595; Loewe Sping 2017 Printed Skirt, $800

LACMA: Chagall: Fantasies For The Stage
July 31 – January 7, 2018

As one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century Marc Chagall is well known for his monumental stained glass windows and large scale paintings, but LACMA’s upcoming Chagall: Fantasies For The Stage highlights a fascinating subset of his works for four stage productions. From costumes to set design to paintings of musicians, the works prove not only that Chagall was an artistic polymath, but that art, music, ballet and opera take each other higher in harmony. Bright bursts of color are a Chagall signature — bring your own with vibrant pieces by Balenciaga.

Balenciaga Asymmetrical Dress, $200; Balenciaga 2017 Floral Ankle Boots, $895; Meli Melo 2017 Art Bag, $825; Vetements x Levi’s Boyfriend Jeans, $930

Inspired? Shop our latest art arrivals here.