It’s time to breathe some color into your life, and we don’t mean just spring flowers.
While New York is known for its soaring skyscrapers and busy crowded streets -- nothing takes away from our beautiful art scene in the spring.
The opening of pop-up shops, galleries, and street art pieces makes it an exciting time to check out works from both well-known and emerging artists.
And while some of our favorite art pieces are aimed at provoking social change this season, others are simply eye-catching enough to snap a selfie with.
Want to see the best art pieces happening throughout March and beyond? We bet you do! Check out the full list below.
1. Raúl de Nieves - “Whitney Biennial”
Some art literally takes your breath away, and Raúl de Nieves’ latest stained-glass panels and sculptures are no different. The faux-stained glass and multimedia sculptures can be found on the fifth floor of the Whitney Museum, and they are absolutely gorgeous.
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The artist achieves to transform the mundane into magic, covering six floor-to-ceiling windows with eighteen stained-glass panels he made using paper, wood, glue, tape, beads, and acetate sheets.
2. Amanda Krugliak and Richard Barnes - "State of Exception”
Artist Amanda Krugliak and photographer Richard Barnes shares “State of Exception” at the Parsons SJDC Galleries. The installation wall is covered up with hundreds of backpacks left behind by migrants crossing the Arizona desert.
Revealing a powerful message the artist showcases the resilience and suffering that many immigrants encounter in search of the American dream. The backpacks symbolize a fragment of history and a vivid representation of our current times.
3. Jerkface - “New(ish) Stormtrooper/Guy Fawkes”
Street artist Jerkface has unveiled his latest dope art piece at L'Asso Pizza Wall in 192 Mott St. The mural depicts Star Wars Stormtroopers and Guy Fawkes.
You can check out more of his work here.
4. Yinka Shonibare - “The British Library” (through March 18th)
This visually stunning installation at the James Cohan Gallery features a library brim with a collection of positive contributions that immigrants have brought to their adopted lands. The piece consists of 6,000 books arranged in shelves with artist Yinka Shonibare’s signature brightly colored, Dutch wax cloth.
On the spines of each book are the gold embossed names of prominent and unfamiliar figures, including T.S. Eliot, Henry James, Mick Jagger, and much more. Each of these individuals has made unique contributions to the British culture.
At a time when immigrants are vilified, the exhibit celebrates diversity and asks us to consider the global migration of refugees and the state of society without the important contributions of immigrant populations.
5. Sam Cardelfe + A.R.T.S.Y Magazine - “Spread Love” (until March 31st)
Artist Sam Cardelfe has brought to life the walls outside of Sweet Chick Life in Williamsburg with a “Spread Love” art mural.
In collaboration with A.R.T.S.Y Magazine, a digital and print publication that sheds light on young underground artists, Cardelfe reminds us the importance of spreading love.
With all the madness going on around the world, it’s important to come together as a community. There are so many people walking around with extra emotional weight and the art mural serves as a symbol of hope in a time of darkness.
6. Isabel - “Be Bold For Change” (until March 31st)
Celebrate girl power with Isabel’s latest mural featuring super rad, bold and badass women!
In collaboration, with TicTail Market, Refinery29, and Keds, the Tictail store is celebrating women’s month this March by selling female-founded brands. Plus, all sales will go towards Planned Parenthood and HeForShe.
Don’t miss out on this beautiful art mural with a powerfully-driven message at the LES this season.
7. Lamerol Gatewood - “The Energy Series” (until April 2nd)
Artist Lamerol Gatewood is unveiling his first solo show in 10 years. Being a veteran to the artworld, Gatewood has had much recognition in numerous group and solo exhibitions.
His latest series consists of painting-collage-mixed media works on paper. The exhibit, “The Energy Series,” features 20 of Gatewood’s signature abstract paintings-collages.
Many of these finished works are pieced together from hundreds of Gatewood’s deconstructed abstract paintings and drawings. The artist rips, shreds, and cuts large scale drawings and paintings and reconstructs to form whole collages which symbolize the state of our global spirit.
Apart from being a visual artist, Gatewood has also spent a quarter of a century as an arts educator within the New York City Board of Education in Brooklyn. The artist believes that the idea of infinite possibilities and energy empowers his visual creativity.
Gatewood’s “The Energy Series” is on display at the BAF Gallery.
8. Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari - “Tolietpaper Paradise” (until April 12th)
Toiletpaper Paradise, presented by Visionaire, provides us with a trippy glimpse of Toiletpaper Magazine.
Curated by Italian photographers Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari, the gallery is an extension of the surrealist world they present in Toiletpaper Magazine, a bi-annual publication.
Toiletpaper Paradise brings many of Toiletpaper Magazine's past works to life through funky textiles and furniture pieces.
9. Organized by Jane Panetta - “Fast Forward: Painting from the 1980s” (until May 14th)
This installation at the Whitney Museum presents works from the 1980s drawn entirely from the museum’s collection.
In the midst of extensive change, painting recaptured the creative ability of the contemporary art world in the 1980s. An unprecedented number of galleries displaying high and low art were on the rise, specifically in downtown Manhattan.
New mediums of visual art also emerged into the scene including video and photography. Yet, despite the growing popularity of this art form, many artists still turned to painting.
The exhibition includes works from Jean-Michel Basquiat, Sherrie Levine, David Salle, and Julian Schnabel, and many other painters.
[Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]