Best Gallery Exhibitions Summer 2021, From Salon 94 to The Hole

Installation view of “Julie Mehretu: A Decade of Printmaking at Gemini G.E.L.” Gemini G.E.L. at Joni Moisant Weyl

Welcome to Observer’s 2021 Summer Arts & Entertainment Preview, your full guide to the best the warmer months have to offer. The finest TV, movies, dance, opera, streaming theater, the visual arts and literature this season await you.

As the art world speeds to reopen in the midst of vaccinations happening nationwide, it seems that this summer will be the summer of the gallery. Gallery exhibitions, both solo and group, have always held a special place in the arts world as a place to discover emerging artists as well as appreciate long-term art world darlings. Summer 2021 across the country galleries open (or continue business as usual in the case of some) desiring a robust return of visitors to the art we love. It is of course, dizzying in a world of so much artistic talent to choose what gallery shows you wouldn’t want to miss yet we found a way.

“JULIE MEHRETU: A DECADE OF PRINTMAKING AT Gemini G.E.L.” at Gemini G.E.L. at Joni Moisant Weyl (until July 30)

A solo exhibition of Julie Mehretu’s prints is on display at Gemini G.E.L. at Joni Moisant Weyl in New York City, featuring every collaboration of the artist and the workshop. One of Time’s 2020 Most Influential People and a MacArthur Fellow, Mehretu first worked with the workshop with a small drypoint etching in 2008 to raise funds for then-Senator Obama’s winning presidential campaign. Julie Mehretu: A Decade of Printmaking at Gemini G.E.L. is a must-see niche exhibition of a prolific artist.

“Return To Color” Ha Chong Hyun at Tina Kim Gallery. Tina Kim Gallery

“Return To Color” with works by Ha Chong-Hyun at Tina Kim Gallery (until June 30)

Ha Chong-Hyun, one of the leading artists of the Dansaekhwa movement, is showing in “Return To Color” at Tina Kim Gallery in Chelsea. The exhibition features new polychromatic works, taking a step away from his former obsession with the monochromatic. Ha is no stranger to exhibiting internationally, this solo exhibition being his third with the gallery, along with having work in the public collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea; and The Guggenheim. The bold and colorful fresh work of Ha’s will make this a must-see exhibition this summer. 

“Density Betrays Us” at The Hole (Opening June 29)

Opening soon at The Hole, “Density Betrays Us” is a group exhibition curated by Andrew Woolbright, Angela Dufresne, and Melissa Ragona, with an intimidating yet exciting group of twenty-one artists. Featuring works by Caitlin Cherry, Chris Coy, Angela Dufresne, Mala Iqbal, Terrance James, William E. Jones, and more. The Hole, run by Kathy Grayson, is known for compelling group shows of emerging artists, “Density Betrays Us” is guaranteed to have something for every art lover. 

Installation view of “Facing Giants” by Huma Bhabha. Salon 94

“Facing Giants” with works by Huma Bhabha at Salon 94 (until June 26)

A full curatorial experience, “Facing Giants” is a solo exhibition of a new body of work by sculptor Huma Bhabha at Salon 94’s new space on 89th Street in New York City. Bhabha’s sculptures and mixed media pieces complement the stunning new location, echoing the experience of an archeological museum, yet instead of ancient artifacts there are marvelous sculptures that capture our own time in collapse.

Double Exposure of a Nighttime March, n.d. by Ernest C. Withers.
Archival Pigment Print. Estate Stamped verso. The Fahey/Klein gallery

“I’ll Take You There” photographs of Ernest C. Withers at The Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles (until June 24 – July 31)

Acclaimed photojournalist Ernest C. Withers (1922-2007) will have a solo exhibition of his photographs, in conjunction with his posthumous photograph book, “I’ll Take You There” at The Fahey/Klein Gallery open on June 24. Until July 31, those in Los Angeles have a chance to view Withers’ work, which serves as a historical record of Southern African American life during the mid-20th century. In a time of constant conversation around the impacts of racism in the United States, and abroad, revisiting and understanding history is more relevant than ever before.

“Jorge Riveros: Abstracción Eterna” in Miami at Fundacion Pablo Atchugarry (until August 28) 

In Miami, Piero Atchugarry Gallery is proudly showing the great Colombian Abstract Geometric artist Jorge Riveros in “Abstracción Eterna.” The exhibition features paintings, sculptures, and drawings of the artist, and even hosts a new mural of Riveros. At eighty-six years old, the artist is as prolific as ever, while his influence can be seen everywhere. If one finds themselves in Miami this summer before Art Basel in September, be sure to stop at the Fundacion Pablo Atchugarry and witness Riveros’ talent in person. 

21.03.14.01, 2021, watercolor on paper, 12 x 12 inches by Nicole Phungrasamee Fein for Nancy Hoffman Gallery May 13 to July 3. Nancy Hoffman Gallery

 

“Joy Fields” works by Nicole Phungrasamee Fein at Nancy Hoffman Gallery (until July 3)

Till July 3rd “Joy Fields” at Nancy Hoffman Gallery will display Nicole Phungrasamee Fein’s watercolors on paper, showcasing Fein’s masterful control over the medium. Fein’s dedication to her craft is obvious in the gorgeous exploration of color and being, reflecting themes that span her two-decade career. “Joy Fields” will evoke soothing understanding yet emotional depth in viewers, who will not want to miss an exhibition of Fein’s work in New York City.

“The Pride of Origins” works by Maliza Kiasuwa in DC at Morton Fine Art (June 2 – June 30)

Kenyan artist Maliza Kiasuwa’s “The Pride of Origins” opens June 2nd at Morton Fine Art, featuring delicate mixed-media works made up of “bits and pieces” the artist collects during her daily walks. Combining traditional cultural methods of textile making with new techniques of mixed-media, Kiasuwa tackles through her work the relationship between globalization and the art world; the west and Africa; and the relationship we all have to the raw materials that make up the objects we use daily. Only showing throughout June, gallery goers in Washington D.C. won’t want to miss taking in Kiasuwa’s complex and important works. 

Mandarin (1957) by Edward Zutrau. Berry Campbell

“Edward Zutrau: Mandarin (Paintings from the 1950s)” at Berry Campbell Gallery (June 3 – July 2) 

Representing artist Edward Zutrau’s (1922-1993) estate, Berry Campbell Gallery will be opening their second exhibition of Zutrau’s work on June 3rd, “Edward Zutrau: Mandarin (Paintings from the 1950s)” until July 2nd in Chelsea. The works featured are colorful, giving, and showcase a decade-long fascination with abstract citrus-focused expression. The Brooklyn-born and raised artist experimented with shape and color throughout his career in an innovative way, yet these paintings from the ‘50s capture Zutrau at peak experimentation.