5 Must-see Art Shows You Don’t Want to Miss This Summer

With summer fast approaching, the year’s best art shows are upon us. In honor of the warmer, longer days ahead, we’ve enlisted Senior Curator, Brittany Gersh to select the five best exhibits to visit this summer and our top picks to style the look in your home.

1. America Is Hard to See, The Whitney Museum of American Art

Running People at 2,616,216 (1978–79) by Jonathan Borofsky. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. Photograph © Nic Lehoux

The reopening of the famed Whitney Museum “signifies a big change for the museum, and is symbolic of changes many museums are confronting to put on commercially successful art shows that focus more on what’s new,” says Gersh. Located in the trendy Meatpacking district of Manhattan, the new location has already proved to be a big hit among the art and fashion elite since its opening on May 1. America Is Hard to See showcases the Whitney’s expansive collection of modern and contemporary American art, including signature assemblage collages by Robert Rauschenberg and iconic Pop Art pieces by Roy Lichtenstein.

Left: Robert Rauschenberg, Dawn Gallery Exhibit, 1965 Right: Roy Lichtenstein, Mirror, from Harvey Gantt Portfolio, 1990

2. China: Through the Looking Glass, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Left: Film still from Daughter of the Dragon, 1931 Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, PARAMOUNT/THE KOBAL COLLECTION Right: Ralph Lauren Evening dress, fall/winter 2011–12 Photography © Platon

This year’s exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is “one of the largest exhibitions that the Costume Institute has done in recent years, featuring 140 designs from some of the most renowned names in fashion,” says Gersh. “Chinoiserie and Chinese details are not only on-trend amongst the fashion elite, but the art world is becoming more and more intrigued and influenced by the Asian market.” With Eastern imagery inspiring designs from fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent, Prada and Alexander McQueen, this exhibit explores the Chinese aesthetic through Western interpretation. As with each inaugural exhibit through the Costume Institute, this exhibit is not to be missed. Visit the exhibition, on through August 16 and get the look with pieces like Lotuses by Chinese artist Yizhou.

Yizhou, Lotuses

3. Le Corbusier, Mesures De L’Homme, Centre Pompidou

If you are lucky enough to be in Paris this summer, stop by the Centre Pompidou’s exhibition featuring works by Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, known as Le Corbusier, who is “one of the icons and pioneers of modernism, defining what we understand today as modernity,” according to Gersh. Known for his architecture, urban planning, theories on modernity, as well as his painting and sculptures, Le Corbusier. Get inspired with this exclusive chaise lounge chair, which will be available on The RealReal June 1.

4. Alex Katz, This Is Now, High Museum

Alex Katz Summer Picnic, 1975 Oil on canvas Courtesy of Marlborough Gallery, New York © Alex Katz/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

This seems to be the summer of Alex Katz. With a shows at the High Museum in Atlanta, the Colby Museum in Maine and a collaboration with Barneys, Katz is hotter than ever at 87 years old. “As art became more and more abstract, Katz looked to the human figure and natural forms for inspiration. His stylized forms continue to inspire,” notes Gersh. Opening June 21, This Is Now focuses on his large-scale landscape portraiture, including some of his more recent, abstract pieces.

Left: Alex Katz, Night: William Dunas Dance II, 1983 Right: Alex Katz, Wedding Dress, 1993

5. All The World’s Futures, Venice Biennale

Photo courtesy of Marni

On now through November 22, this year’s 56th installment of the Biennale features 136 artists and brings in over 370,000 visitors. According to Gersh, “While reviews are mixed, one thing remains — the 120-year-old tradition continues to provoke commentary and reflection.” This year also features an exhibit entitled Becoming Marni, exploring the work of Brazilian artist Véio. It’s being unveiled by the Italian fashion house as it celebrates its 20th anniversary. We’re celebrating the Biennale with the iconic, sun-soaked works of Italian artist Massimo Vitali.

Left: Massimo Vitali, Untitled Right: Massimo Vitali, Knokke