New York April 12, 2023 IN THIS ISSUE:We pick 15 shows to see this monthReviews of Peter Shear at Cheim & Read, Lemko artist Nikifor at the Ukrainian Museum, and Free Black Potter Thomas W. Commeraw at NYHSA closer look at the photography of Barkley L. HendricksClaudia Andujar talks about her activism and current exhibition at The Shed What better feeling is there than waking up one morning to find that the skeletal trees outside your window are again in full bloom? Thank you, spring, for your return, and thank you, New York City, for your year-long supply of good art to see. This month, our list of recommendations includes Shellyne Rodriguez’s loving portraits of her Bronx community, Susan Bee’s colorful fables, a tribute to Afro-Hispanic painter Juan de Pareja at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and more. See our full list of highlights this April! For more recommendations, check out our Spring 2023 New York Art Guide. SPONSORED Not invited to the Met Gala? Not to worry! Brooklyn Public Library’s People’s Ball on Sunday, April 30, 7pm, is a free, inclusive event that eschews elitism and honors the colors, textures, and styles that comprise the city’s urban runway. Come celebrate and be celebrated by your friends and neighbors as you dance, party, and pose. RSVP now LATEST REVIEWS The position Shear has been defining in his work is one that accepts, contemplates, and reimagines the possibilities of abstract painting. | John Yau Peter Shear: Following Sea Mar. 23–May 13 Cheim & Read, 547 West 25th Street, Chelsea (cheimread.com) Born with a speech impediment that made him unintelligible to many people, Lemko artist Nikifor turned to drawing as a means of communication. | Aga Sablinska Nikifor: The Ultimate Outsider Jan. 19–Apr. 15 Ukrainian Museum, 222 East 6th Street, East Village (theukrainianmuseum.org) For too long, the New York potter was mistakenly identified as White and of French descent. | Annabel Keenan Crafting Freedom: The Life and Legacy of Free Black Potter Thomas W. Commeraw Jan. 27–May 28 New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, Upper West Side (nyhistory.org) CLOSING SOON Riley’s nautical-themed exhibition brims with antic details that constitute a feat of serious world-building. | Louis Bury Duke Riley: DEATH TO THE LIVING, Long Live Trash Jun. 17–Apr. 23 Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway (brooklynmuseum.org) SPONSORED Written by Erika Dickerson-Despenza and directed by Candis C. Jones, this lyrical meditation on legacy, erotic fugitivity, and self-determination is on view in NYC. Learn more. A CLOSER LOOK Over the past five decades, activist and photographer Claudia Andujar has worked with the Amazon’s Yanomami people to defend their native rights. | Silvia Benedetti The Yanomami Struggle Feb. 3–Apr. 16 The Shed, 545 West 30th Street, Hudson Yards (theshed.org) Most people know the artist for his paintings gracefully embodying the Black experience in America. In an upcoming exhibition, his photographs take center stage. | Briana Ellis-Gibbs Barkley L. Hendricks: Myself When I Am Real Apr. 13–May 26 Jack Shainman Gallery, 513 W 20th Street, Chelsea (jackshainman.com) We rely on member support to publish quality arts journalism and criticism that is free and available to all. Become a Member MORE ON HYPERALLERGIC The flags of UN member states that typically line the Rink now depict bagels, pizza slices, and local restaurants in a new partnership with the food rescue organization City Harvest. | Taylor Michael NEW & UPCOMING MUSEUM SHOWS What That Quilt Knows About Me Mar. 17–May 28 American Folk Art Museum, 2 Lincoln Square, New York, Upper West Side (folkartmuseum.org) Cecily Brown: Death and the Maid Apr. 4–Dec. 3 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side (metmuseum.org) Jaune Quick-to-See Smith: Memory Map Apr. 19–Aug. Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort Street, Meatpacking District (whitney.org) Daniel Lind-Ramos: El Viejo Griot: Una historia de todos nosotros Apr. 20–Sept. 4 MoMA PS1, 22-25 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City (momaps1.org) Tracey Rose: Shooting Down Babylon Apr. 23–Sept. 10 Queens Museum, Grand Central Parkway and Van Wyck Expressway (queensmuseum.org) |