Thursday, November 5, 6-8pm: Yoshitomo Nara at Davis Zwirner

Spanning David Zwirner Gallery’s 537 West 20th Street and 533 West 19th Street locations in New York, this exhibition will be Nara’s first major solo exhibition in New York in close to a decade The nearly one hundred works on view explore Nara’s multifaceted worldview through his ongoing search to identify what is uniquely his own. Behind his artistic creativity lies an approach originating from his solitary childhood growing up in Aomori in rural Japan. Memories of those snow-covered landscapes and a connection with nature remain present for Nara.

In his new work, Nara has furthered his exploration of the possibilities of color luminosity through his muted palette. He often repurposes materials from his studio to collage used objects foraged from everyday life, creating surfaces that enrich his painted imagery.

This exhibition coincides with Yoshitomo Nara: Sentinels of Stillness at the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC. 

Through December 12 at David Zwirner, 533 West 19th Street and 537 West 20^th Street, New York, NY Info

Thursday, November 5: Viktor Koen | Bestiary at Soho Photo

Bestiary is the product of Viktor Koen's long fascination with Greek mythology and late 19th century photography. Based on hybrid creature descriptions and influenced by religious iconography, this is a series where myth meets social criticism by molding monstrous archetypes into contemporary commentary. Here, the beasts go beyond their typically singular dimension and assume complex, tragic personalities in which monsters and heroes become difficult to tell apart.

Drawn from the vast pictorial collection of the US Library of Congress, these anonymous characters possess the haunting qualities of early photography. Non-camera-savvy subjects’ awe for the technology is etched in their expressions as, to a certain degree, their souls were being captured by the lens. Traditionally, bestiaries were natural history compendiums where animal descriptions and illustrations were usually accompanied by a moral lesson. At a time where science intertwines with nature in alarming ways, this compilation of genetic brutes is not only relevant but cautionary too.

Soho Photo Gallery, 539 W 23rd St, New York, NY  Info

Thursday, November 5: Maira Kalman | Joy at Mary Ryan

On view are 51 paintings, all of which are reproduced in her new book Joy. These works showcase her signature vivid colors, achieved through multi-layered gouache on paper. After her last exhibition and book, Still Life with Remorse, Kalman turned her lens to beautiful moments found throughout her day: the unexpected, ecstatic, yet ordinary things whose beauty can take you by surprise. “It’s very straightforward – whatever makes my heart sing is what I paint,” Kalman says. Through exuberant color and exquisite details, the artist revels in the small delights of everyday life. Click to preview the book with Steve Heller’s commentary.

Through December 12 at Mary Ryan Gallery, 515 West 26^th Street, New York, NY Info

Friday, November 6: Vladimir Dubossarsky | Infinite Transfer at WhiteBox Portable 

Vladimir Dubossarsky, a Ukranian artist celebrated for his astute commentary on the circulation and transformation of images, has chosen an unexpected canvas for his newest project: The MTAs Unit #17, located just above the A, C, and E lines at Times Square. Over the course of a month, this corridor becomes both an art studio and a fishbowl. Photo above from a previous installation of Dubossarsky's work

The project will generate both large-scale paintings and more intimate works on paper. Rather than presenting only finished works, the artist makes artistic production itself the exhibition. Commuters may enter into conversation with Dubossarsky, and through chance exchange or recurring contact, become participants in the work in process. Infinite Transfer takes these opportunities as both its subject and its working method: an experiment in the artist’s place within a culture where the making and circulation of images are no longer exclusive privileges.

Infinite Transfer runs through December 5. You can check out the live scene updates directly on the WhiteBox Instagram Feed  before you head underground

Saturday, November 7, 12-6pm: Pratt Open Studios / Open Fields

This  free day of art, conversation, and connection celebrates both artistic practice and the resources that sustain it. The day will feature Making Space for Community: Art, Practice, and Connection, a panel discussion organized by MoMA’s Public Engagement Department from 12:30–1:30 PM, followed by a reception from 5–6 PM.

Visitors are invited to explore MFA studios and a pop-up exhibition, while also engaging with nonprofit organizations offering residencies and grants, as well as advocacy groups. Together, these two events create a unique ecosystem: a chance to experience works-in-progress firsthand and to access the networks that help artists thrive. Open Fields’ programming invites attendees to engage directly with experts in the field on how artists build and sustain their practices through studio work, community engagement, resource networks, and alternative models of support. Click for more information. Register

Pratt Fine Arts’ MFA studios, Dock 72, Brooklyn Navy Yard, 1 Dock 72 Wy, Brooklyn, NY Map

News from the Home Office

The annual AI-AP book launch—famously known as The PARTY—returns on Thursday, November 12, 2026, transforming the historic Angel Orensanz Foundation into an electric showcase of visual storytelling. This isn’t just an industry gathering; it’s a centrifuge all its own where emerging illustrators and photographers rub elbows with their idols, and with seasoned art directors, and where the hard-bound realities of American Photography 42 and American Illustration 45 make their official debut.

Over at American Illustration 45, Phoebe Flynn Rich's creative direction brings us a luxurious 384-page volume anchored by a hand-turned spinning wheel cover by Katherine Streeter. Right alongside it, American Photography 42 captures a striking cross-section of editorial and fine-art grit designed by Mike Schnaidt and Erin Hollaway Palmer. For anyone with an appetite for the experimental and the year's absolute best imagery, it's the ultimate night to meet, mix, and mingle on the edge of visual culture. 

Click to register. Click to pre-order discount copies of AI45 and AP42