New year, new exhibits. If you thought 2026 would just be more of the same iced-coffee-and-screens routine, think again. The city’s museums are unrolling heavy-hit exhibits, bold retrospectives, and fresh curated shows that beg to be experienced in person. Here are the ones I’m circling on the calendar, and why you should too.
What’s Coming — The 2026 Exhibits You Should Actually See
The Metropolitan Museum of Art — Revolution! (Jan 19–Aug 6, 2026)
After winter’s doldrums, The Met kicks off the year with “Revolution!”, a deep historical dive (with art, paintings, artifacts) that promises drama, reflection, and maybe a bit of moral ambiguity. It’s the kind of show that reminds you art isn’t always easy or safe, but always worth seeing.
The Met — Fanmania (Dec 11, 2025–May 12, 2026)
Because winter doesn’t have to be grim. “Fanmania” leans into pop-culture, fandom, visual spectacle, perfect for a post-holiday brain reset when you want to leave seriousness at the door.
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) — Wifredo Lam: When I Don’t Sleep, I Dream (through April 11, 2026)
A surreal, mind-bending show that fuses Caribbean roots, modernist energy and dream-logic visuals. MoMA’s always been where you go to reconsider what art can do, this one seems timed to do exactly that.
MoMA — The Many Lives of the Nakagin Capsule Tower (through July 12, 2026)
For the architecture lovers and the design obsessives: a show celebrating a legendary (and controversial) piece of modern urban history. It feels especially right now, with all of us cooped up wishing for escape, real or imagined.
The Morgan Library & Museum — Renoir Drawings (through Feb 8, 2026)
For something quieter, classically beautiful, and almost meditative: drawings by Renoir, in a space that still smells faintly of old paper and serious collectors. Perfect for a grey weekday when you need calm more than spectacle.
The Latinx Project (NYU Galleries) — Ya Mero (Almost There) opens Jan 30 2026; Burning the Mask opens Mar 19 2026
Smaller-scale, community-minded, and culturally rich, these are exhibitions with heart. “Ya Mero” and “Burning the Mask” are perfect for when you want art that feels political, alive, and rooted in identity and history.
Written by: Wika Soto-Hay
