Sunday, June 6 | Opening Day

Cézanne Drawing at the Museum of Modern Art
MoMA presents a major exhibition offering a new look at the celebrated modern artist Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) through close attention to his process in pencil and watercolor and fresh insights into this profoundly original yet lesser-known body of work. 

Cézanne Drawing is the first major effort in the United States to unite drawings from across the artist’s entire career, tracing the development of his practice on paper and exploring his working methods. More than 250 works on paper—including drawings, sketchbooks, and rarely seen watercolors—are shown alongside a selection of related oil paintings, all drawn from MoMA’s collection as well as public and private collections from around the world. Presented together, these works reveal how this fundamental figure of modern art—more often recognized as a painter—produced his most radical works on paper.  

“Drawing is merely the configuration of what you see,” Cézanne wrote, and his practice of drawing, he believed, taught him “to see well.” Encouraging such close looking, Cézanne Drawing offers the opportunity to see through Cézanne’s eyes. In their preoccupation with the passing of time, their wonder at the natural world, their investigations of the bounds of color, and their daring approach to the human figure, Cézanne’s drawings speak eloquently both to their own time and to our moment.

Cezanne Drawing, June 6 through September 25. The Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53^rdStreet, NY, NY Info

Friday, June 4 | Van Gogh Bathing

According to ArtNet News, there’s never been a phenomenon quite like the “immersive Van Gogh” exhibition craze that is sweeping the country. This just in: 
“Maybe it’s the enduring popularity of the Dutch artist. Maybe it’s the hunger for in-the-world experiences after a year of quarantine. Maybe it’s that one scene in Emily in Paris… but whatever it is, the hunger to venture into a giant animated projection of a Van Gogh painting is real, and it’s everywhere.” Guide to the more than 50 installations here  In New York City:

Immersive Van Gogh
Location: Pier 36
Dates: June 4–September 6, 2021

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
Skylight on Vesey
From: June 4–September 6

Saturday, Opening June 5 and continuing

Creative Time welcomes you to Rashid Johnson’s Red Stage—art and art-makingfor the public, for activation, animation, and occupation in Astor Place (above).

Resurgence offers a day of making and gathering embrace and move beyond this pandemic and the crises we face. Artist and composer Ethan Philbrick performs Case, a score for 20 cellists created just for Red Stage. Artist and beatmaker Nelson Bandela hosts an instrument-making workshop. Choreographer Emily Johnson conjures the land through the melodic repetition of the Rising Stomp, a two-hour endurance performance featuring 12 dancers with sound by Raven Chacon. Join walking tours and tabletop workshops grounding the space in the people’s history of Astor Place and the East Village. 

Opening day culminates in a party with Sounds of South Asian and MENA Solidarity, co-organized with activist, cultural organizer, and DJ Thanushka Yakupitiyage (Ushka) and featuring Humeysha, Zahra AlZubaidi and Zafer Tawil, Alsarah, DJ Shirine Saad, DJ Rekha, and more. For the complete calendar, go here 

Closing June 6 | American Folk Art Museum

The exhibition PHOTO | BRUT is a continuation of the American Folk Art Museum’s commitment to champion the works of self-taught artists—this time with a focus on the ever-changing field of photography, the frontiers and accessibility of which expanded proportionally with the invention of portable and affordable cameras. It welcomes the substantial art brut photography collection of French filmmaker Bruno Decharme and speaks to Decharme’s subjective collecting activity that brought him—without the parameters of a historical framework—from one discovery to another. The exhibition is complemented by the museum’s holdings, as well as by artworks treasured by American collectors and public organizations. Image courtesy of American Folk Art Museum

American Folk Art Museum, 2 Lincoln Square, NY, NY Info

Thursday, June 10, 5-6:00 pm|  Talk and Closing Reception
ChaShaMa's 340 E 64th Street Gallery showcases the creative breadth of 20 artists from NYFA’s 2020 Immigrant Artist Program with Shifting Sands. The closing reception features a talk with artists Zorica Colic, j.p. Mot, and Levan Mindiashvili and curators/artists Ghislaine Sabiti and Hedwig Brouckaert from 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM EDT, followed by a closing reception. Info

Saturday, June 12, 6:00 pm | In Person Discussion, Bronx Documentary Center
The BDC presents photographer James Nachtwey and TIME Magazine Editor Paul Moakley to discuss their work 'The Opioid Diaries'.

In 2017, Nachtwey and Moakley set out to document the U.S. opioid crisis, an addiction epidemic that kills nearly 64,000 people in America every year. They traveled the country gathering stories from users, families, first responders and others at the heart of America’s opioid epidemic. Nachtwey’s images are paired with Moakley’s interviews, short videos, and firsthand accounts from people at the heart of the crisis.

"The Opioid Diaries" can be viewed here. This event is held in conjunction with the upcoming exhibition The Human Cost: America's Drug Plague on view (in-person) June 6 -July 5, 2021. RSVP REQUIRED
Bronx Documentary Center Annex, 364 E. 151st St, Bronx, NY 10455

ONLINE

Tuesday, June 8, 7:00 pm

The National Academy of Design presents, "RE:" a series of video conversations with leading members of the National Academy of Design. The series premieres Tuesday, June 8^th with "RE: William T. Williams" exploring the artist's wide-ranging reflections on the deeper meaning of painting. The episode will be live-streamed via Zoom beginning at 7 pm, hosted by Earnest with Q&A to follow.

Created and hosted by Jarrett Earnest, discussions range from the practical to the philosophical, with guests David Diao, Harmony Hammond, Mónica Ponce de León, Dorothea Rockburne, Alison Saar, Kay WalkingStick, Carrie Mae Weems, and William T. Williams (right). 

"RE: Kay WalkingStick" will follow on June 22nd, with subsequent episodes released every other Tuesday evening through September. Following their release, episodes will be available for viewing on-demand on the National Academy of Design’s website and Vimeo page. Info

Saturday, June 5, 2-6:00 pm
The Brooklyn Museum clebrates the resilience and joy of queer community this Pride Month at First Saturday Lite—a low-key, free outdoor afternoon amplifying culture and community in our borough. Above: Derek Fordjour, Cadence, 2020, courtesy David Kordansky Gallery

DJ Undocubougie kicks off the day, followed by indie rock band Kalbells, who share dreamy synth music from their sophomore album Max Heart. Beloved Brooklyn-based collective Switch n’ Play transforms the plaza steps with a drag and burlesque showcase honoring queer and trans icons. 

Enjoy art-making inspired by The Slipstream: Reflection, Resilience, and Resistance in the Art of Our Time. This outdoor event is free and open to the public. Please reserve tickets in advance to visit the galleries. A limited number of timed tickets will be available on-site on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY. Info

Tuesday, June 8 | Podcast

The Rubin Museum of Art will launch its newest podcast, “AWAKEN,” hosted by acclaimed musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson. “AWAKEN” explores the dynamic path to awakening and what it means to “wake up.” Inspired by the Rubin’s current exhibition “Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment,” on view through January 3, 2022, the ten-episode podcast series takes listeners on a journey with personal stories 

Continuing | The Art Angle Podcasts: Shattering the Glass Ceiling

Inspiration from women who are breaking barriers, the Art Angle podcasts from ArtNet News: The dynamo curator and author Legacy Russell (left) spoke to Artnet News’s London editor Naomi Rea about her book Glitch Feminism, carving a career path, and the importance of taking time to log off and tune in to yourself. More

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