Spring 2026 Arts & Culture:

International Exhibitions Highlighting Historical Masters & Contemporary Favorites

We are sharing upcoming Spring 2026 art exhibitions around the world that are well worth traveling for. The coming month brings opportunities to view contemporary artists alongside historic masters, hear art-inspired music, and enjoy the best of the vibrant spring arts season.

Rothko in Florence

Through August 23, Rothko paintings can be found in three historic locations in Florence. The main exhibition is at Palazzo Strozzi. Works are also on view at the Museo San Marco and the Medici Laurentian Library, two locations that inspired Rothko when he visited Florence. At the Museo San Marco, five Rothko works are hung in dialogue with Fra Angelico frescoes that are painted onto the walls of the monks’ cells in the convent – it is an exceptional pairing not to be missed.

May in New York: Art Fairs, Raphael, Music & More

The New York art calendar is nonstop in May. Major fairs including Frieze, TEFAF, Independent, as well as NADA and Future Art Fair all take place the week of May 13. While in town, be sure to see the Whitney Biennial, Raphael: Sublime Poetry at the Met, and the Marcel Duchamp show at MoMA. If you’d like to enjoy some top quality music at the end of your day at the fair, Anita Rogers Gallery is hosting an evening of chamber music on Thursday, May 14 performed by The Glass Clouds Ensemble, a chamber music group of Juilliard graduates, in conjunction with the gallery’s current exhibition, Mark Webber: Keep Moving Forward While Waiting. The event is free and open to the public with RSVP. Details here.

Art Dubai

This year’s special edition of Art Dubai celebrates the fair’s 20-year history by highlighting galleries and institutions who have shaped the region’s art scene over the previous two decades, along with commissions, large-scale installations, talks, exhibitions, performances and screenings. Benedetta Ghione, Art Dubai’s executive director, released a statement saying “this special edition will demonstrate the resilience of the UAE’s cultural scene as well as the power of collaboration, bringing together galleries, artists and institutions at a time when that role of convening feels more important than ever.” The fair will take place at Madinat Jumeirah from May 15-17 (preview on May 14). The fair will be free to all visitors for the first time.

Frida Kahlo in Houston

Frida: The Making of an Icon at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston unites 30 works by the Mexican artist, as well as 120 works by artists she inspired in the decades since her death in 1954. Unlike many of the past retrospectives, this exhibition seeks to follow how Kahlo rose from nearly unknown during her lifetime to the legendary figure she is today; the show highlights the immense influence she had on generations after her.

Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Amsterdam

The Rijksmuseum has curated an incredible collection of over 80 works interpreting Ovid’s 8 CE masterpiece by artists including Bernini, Titian, Correggio, Caravaggio, Rodin, Brancusi, Magritte, and Bourgeois. The show includes master paintings and sculpture, as well as innovative interpretations of the poem by contemporary artists. The exhibition is on view through May 25. In conjunction with the exhibition, the museum has put together a concert series highlighting how musicians have interpreted the work; the next concert, a rendition of Richard Strauss: Metamorphosen, takes place May 17.

Matisse in Paris

Fans of Matisse should visit Matisse: 1941-1954 at the Grand Palais in Paris. The show brings together over 230 works from the final years of the artist’s life. The works, many of which are on loan from the temporarily closed Centre Pompidou and other major international collections, include cut-out gouaches, paintings, drawings, books, and even stained glass. The exhibition is on view through July 26.

Tracey Emin in London

Tracey Emin: A Second Life at Tate Modern, the largest exhibition of Emin’s work to date, showcases 40 years of the artist’s practice, highlighting well-known works alongside pieces that have never been exhibited before. The exhibition is on view through August 31; check the Tate calendar for special talks and other events during the run of the show.

Contemporary Sculpture in Medieval Mougins

Every year Mougins, a charming town on the Côte d’Azur just 15 minutes from Cannes, hosts an outdoor art exhibition of sculpture and installation known as Mougins Monumental. It’s a town with a deep history in the arts; notably, Picasso spent the last years of his life there. It’s a beautiful medieval town that is worth a visit any time of the year but is particularly magical when filled with sculpture. Contemporary British artist Beth Carter has been chosen this year to display her mythological bronzes across the town and gardens. The works will be on view through November 1.