Many think of the summer as the slow season for arts and culture; the ballet and opera typically take time off during the late summer, and many institutions change their hours. However, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy great arts and culture this summer. This week, we’ve gathered our top choices for July and August art offerings – and if you don’t live in one of these cities, we are confident these recommendations are worth traveling for! Enjoy!
New York
To us, Shakespeare in the Park is always worth traveling for. Next month, don’t miss As You Like It – and you can now choose to wait in line in the park or enter the virtual lottery. Note that certain donation levels to the The Public Theater also allow for reserved seats to the shows. While you’re in town, we also recommend reserving tickets for a performance of Hadestown on Broadway; the award-winning musical tells the story of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. If you’ll be in NYC before the end of July, make sure you stop by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Winslow Homer exhibition. During the day, stop by Anita Rogers Gallery in downtown NYC to view their current exhibition, Anas Albraehe: The Dreamer; the colorful exhibition features paintings by the Syrian artist of sleeping refugees and day laborers (pictured above). The show is accompanied by a poem written by the artist, presented in the gallery in both English and Arabic.
Los Angeles
Those in Los Angeles will enjoy the new exhibition at LACMA, Park Dae Sung: Virtuous Ink and Contemporary Brush, which just opened July 17. LACMA is also currently hosting the first McQueen exhibition on the West Coast, Lee Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse; sign up for Women of Culture’s tour and dinner to view the show and meet other like-minded art enthusiasts on July 30.
Chicago
If you live in the proximity of Chicago or have been planning to visit, now is the time! The Art Institute of Chicago is hosting a major retrospective (the largest in nearly 30 years!) for Cezanne through September 5. If you miss it in Chicago, the show will travel to the Tate Modern in London afterwards. While in Chicago, visit the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art to view a large exhibition of paintings and drawings by Michel Andreenko, a well-respected Ukrainian Modernist painter. Follow it up with a visit to Tryzub, a Ukrainian restaurant serving traditional food with a twist and inventive cocktails; we are excited to try the Chicken Kyiv, crispy potato pancakes, and the fermented vegetable medley.
Washington DC
Visit our nation’s capital to see the Smithsonian’s exhibition I Dream a World: Selections from Brian Lanker’s Portraits of Remarkable Black Women: Part I. The show features photographs by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Brian Lanker of extraordinary women, including Maya Angelou and Rosa Parks. While you’re in town, make time for a visit to The Double at the National Gallery of Art. The museum states The Double is the first major exhibition to consider how and why modern and contemporary artists have employed doubled formats to explore perceptual, conceptual, and psychological themes. From Matisse, Duchamp, and Gorky to Rauschenberg, Johns, Warhol, Truitt, and Hesse, this multimedia presentation features works by many of today’s leading artists, including Kerry James Marshall, Glenn Ligon, Roni Horn, and Yinka Shonibare.
London, United Kingdom
For those in London, we suggest viewing The National Gallery’s major exhibition of Raphael works. The exhibition closes July 31 and we highly recommend making time to visit – the show features works on loan from the Louvre, National Gallery of Art, Washington, the Prado Museum, Uffizi Museum, and the Vatican Museum. For those interested in Renaissance art, this is a can’t-miss exhibition.
Venice, Italy
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Venice Biennale; the exhibition, entitled The Milk of Dreams, runs through November 27 at the Giardini and the Arsenale. This year’s iteration is curated by Cecilia Alemani, the current Director and Chief Curator of High Line Art in New York City.
Summer Crafts for Kids
