“Eight Must-See Art Exhibitions in New York City to Start the New Year”

**Exploring Art in 2025: Unmissable Exhibits Across New York City**

As the new year unfolds, the art world continues to offer diverse, thought-provoking, and inspiring exhibitions. From shimmering sequences to contemplative calligraphy, the galleries and museums of New York City provide an array of cultural experiences for art enthusiasts. Here is an overview of some of the most notable exhibits currently on display.

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### **1. Ayiti Toma II: Faith, Family, and Resistance**
**Where:** Luhring Augustine, Tribeca
**Dates:** Through January 11, 2025

This exhibition brings together an impressive array of Haitian art, combining historical significance with contemporary perspectives. Organized by Tomm El-Saieh in collaboration with Luhring Augustine, El-Saieh Gallery, and CENTRAL FINE, the show features a tapestry of visuals. Highlights include shimmering sequined textile works by Myrlande Constant and commanding portraits by André Pierre. Together, these pieces delve deeply into Haiti’s rich artistic, cultural, and political history.

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### **2. Gary Simmons: Thin Ice**
**Where:** Hauser & Wirth, Soho
**Dates:** Through January 11, 2025

Gary Simmons’s latest series tackles the intersection of popular culture and racial identity. His paintings rely on a “blurring” technique to critique the American tradition of caricaturing Blackness while imitating white European ideals. “Thin Ice” strikes a chord by navigating complex themes, offering viewers a provocative commentary on identity and representation in the arts.

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### **3. Mary Sully: Native Modern**
**Where:** Metropolitan Museum of Art, Upper East Side
**Dates:** Through January 12, 2025

Mary Sully, a self-taught Yankton Dakota artist, receives overdue recognition in this groundbreaking exhibit showcasing her intricate and colorful triptych portraits. Blending Native traditions with Modernist aesthetics, Sully’s works create a visual dialogue between abstraction and representation. This collection not only offers a fresh perspective on 20th-century art but also re-centers Indigenous voices in larger art historical narratives.

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### **4. Obsession and Evidence**
**Where:** AP Space, Chelsea
**Dates:** Through January 15, 2025

Machine Dazzle, best known for his flamboyant creations for Taylor Mac, continues to embrace maximalism in his new exhibition. Pieces like “Hydra” combine found-object sculptures with layers of gold paint, transforming everyday materials into grandiose works of art. This collection is both playful and profound, showcasing a queer aesthetic that challenges traditional notions of beauty and artistry.

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### **5. Nicholas Galanin: The Persistence of Land Claims in a Climate of Change**
**Where:** Peter Blum Gallery, Lower East Side
**Dates:** Through January 18, 2025

Nicholas Galanin (Lingít and Unangax̂) critiques the colonial commodification of Indigenous art and culture through works like “Pause for Applause,” an installation highlighting insincere land acknowledgments. Other pieces, such as “Reenactment (Inversion),” use the destruction of counterfeit totem poles as a metaphor for reclaiming authenticity. Galanin’s multimedia approach provokes reflection in viewers, encouraging them to consider their role in systems of appropriation and exploitation.

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### **6. Romare Bearden: Paris Blues/Jazz and Other Works**
**Where:** DC Moore Gallery, Chelsea
**Dates:** Through January 18, 2025

Romare Bearden, a legendary figure of the Harlem Renaissance, captures the rhythm and vibrancy of jazz in this exhibition. Scenes from Paris, New York, and New Orleans come alive in his distinct collage work. Bearden’s mastery of color and form evokes a sensory connection to jazz, transforming viewing into a multi-dimensional experience.

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### **7. Sohrab Hura: Mother**
**Where:** MoMA PS1, Long Island City
**Dates:** Through February 17, 2025

This survey of Sohrab Hura’s work spans multiple mediums, including photography, painting, video, and sculpture. Hura offers a deeply personal exploration of memory and familial bonds, weaving intimate moments into universal truths. The collection’s standout feature is its painterly exploration of memory, with gouache works unfolding as visual memoirs.

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### **8. The Three Perfections: Japanese Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting**
**Where:** Metropolitan Museum of Art, Upper East Side
**Dates:** Through August 3, 2025

A celebration of the integration of Japanese poetry, calligraphy, and painting, this exhibit spans over a millennium. Highlights include “The Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals,” a mesmerizing set of 17th-century painted screens. With 159 works on display, this exhibit provides a deep dive into Japan’s artistic synergy between written and