Visual Arts at Americas Society

02/23/2023

Tropico es Politico is now open at ! Check out the exhibition in San Juan this spring or visit our website for more information. Exhibition pocketbooks are still available - order your copy today!

02/21/2023

“My mission is this: to get what I have, so that the next day I can represent the existence of Earth. It is the meaning of my life…. And in my representation I will receive many gifts from the world.” - Arthur Bispo do Rosario

Gallery hours: Wednesday - Friday, 12pm-6pm, Saturday 12pm-5pm
Our galleries are free and open to the public.

📸Installation view, Bispo do Rosario: All Existing Materials on Earth, Americas Society New York, January 25 - May 20, 2023, Image: Arturo Sanchez.

02/15/2023

LIVE TODAY at 5:00 pm EST, IN THE STUDIO: LEDA CATUNDA

Brazilian artist Leda Catunda () will discuss these works and others with Ricardo Resende(), co-curator of Bispo do Rosario: All Existing Materials on Earth.

Leda Catunda was born and currently lives in São Paulo, Brazil. Her inclusion in Como Vai Você?, Geração 80, a watershed group show at Parque Lage Visual Art School in Rio de Janeiro in 1984, cemented Catunda’s pivotal position in Brazilian contemporary art and ushered in a revitalization in painting.

Tune in to our live story to hear more

A Vitrine, 1984, acrylic on artificial fur, 200 x 400 cm

O Espírito do Jardim, 1990, acrylic on canvas and leather coat, 198 x 158 cm

Cadu, 2010, acrylic on canvas and fabric, 231 x 335 cm

Botão, 2014, acrylic on fabric and leather and t-shirt, ø 214 cm

Véus, 2018, watercolor with collage, 57 x 45,5 cm

Roupinha II, watercolor with collage, 21 x 15 cm

02/10/2023

Join us in person on Monday, February 27th for two panel discussions “The Drawings of Minnie Evans” and “A Chess Game with Bispo do Rosario," organized in collaboration with Outsider Art Fair.

5:00 to 6:00 PM
"The Drawings of Minnie Evans" is a conversation on the life and work of artist Minnie Evans (1892–1987) between Nathan Kernan, Elizabeth Penton, and Wayne Evans, moderated by Esther Adler.

6:15 to 7:15 PM
“A Chess Game with Bispo do Rosario” will feature writer, curator, and editor Edward M. Gómez, and Bispo do Rosario: All Existing Materials on Earth Co-Curator Javier Téllez to discuss Bispo do Rosario’s oeuvre.

To RSVP, click the link in our bio!

*Masks are encouraged.

Artworks:
Minnie Evans, Green Animal, c. 1963. Colored pencil, crayon, oil, and pencil on paper. 8 3/4 × 11 7/16" (22.3 × 29 cm). Courtesy the Museum of Modern Art New York / Gift of Mrs. Nina Howell Starr.

Arthur Bispo do Rosario, Untitled [Uma obra tāo importante que levou 1986 anos para ser escrita (A work so important that it took 1986 years to be written)], n.d. Fabric, thread, wood, metal. 101 ½ x 59 3⁄8 inches (258 x 150 x 1 cm). All the works reproduced are courtesy of Museu Bispo do Rosario Arte Contemporânea. Photo: Rafael Ardojan

01/24/2023

Join us tomorrow January 25th for the opening of our Spring exhibition Bispo do Rosario: All Existing Materials on Earth!

The artists created more than one thousand objects from within a psychiatric institution in Rio de Janeiro, where he lived most of his life. The exhibition brings together some of his iconic artworks, including hand-embroidered textiles with assorted attached elements, mixed-media sculptures, and his signature “Annunciation Garment”, his best known work.

Join us for the opening reception at Americas Society from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

To RSVP, click the link in our bio!

This exhibition will be on view from January 25 to May 20, 2023.

The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Museu Bispo do Rosario Arte Contemporânea in Rio de Janeiro, and is co-curated by Aimé Iglesias Lukin, Ricardo Resende, and Javier Téllez, with Tie Jojima.

Artwork caption: Untitled [Grande Veleiro (Big sailboat)], n.d. Wood, plastic, fabric,
foam, metal, ink, graphite, paper, found materials, thread, fiber,
nylon. 46 ½ x 62 ¼ x 25 ½ inches (118 x 158 x 65 cm).

01/24/2023

01/23/2023

01/23/2023

12/20/2022

We are closed for the Holidays and will reopen our galleries on January 25 after installing our next exhibition Bispo do Rosario: All Materials on Earth. Wishing you Happy Holidays and a great start of 2023!

Image caption: Untitled [Recordações (Recollections)], n.d. Fabric, thread, wood, plastic, synthetic leather, paper, graphite, ink. 523⁄4 × 751⁄4 × 37⁄8 inches (134 × 191 × 10 cm)

12/07/2022

IN THE STUDIO: Averia Wright

Join us tomorrow, December 7th at 5:00pm EST LIVE on Instagram Live (.visualarts) for a conversation between Bahamian artist Averia Wright () and Marina Reyes Franco (.visitoreconomy), Curator at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico.



📸: Hileum Creative

11/23/2022

LIVE TODAY at 5:00 pm EST, IN THE STUDIO: DIONNE BENJAMIN-SMITH

Bahamian-American artist Dionne Benjamin-Smith () will discuss her work with Marina Reyes Franco (.visitoreconomy), Curator at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico ().

As a visual artist, Dionne’s printmaking has been described as “iconoclastic, smart and passionate” and often uses tongue-in-cheek references to deliver her observations of art, culture and society. Her work has been discussed and featured in international art journals and publications as well as in essays and articles by noted writers, curators and historians. Dionne continues to exhibit her print work in group exhibitions at home and internationally. Her work has been collected by private and museum collections in The Bahamas, US, and Europe.
Tune in to our live story to hear more

1. Real Bahamian Art Series (2006)
2. “bishops, bishops everywhere and not a drop to drink” (2003)
3. “built on sand,” (2003)
4. "Greased" (2004)
5. "Sweetheart" (2004)
6. “Black Man” (2004)
7. “Bahamian Colloquialisms, Parts 1-44” (2006)
8. “Beauty for Ashes” (2018)
9. “Faces” (1990-1995)
10. “lost in paradise” (1990-1995)

11/22/2022

IN THE STUDIO: Dionne Benjamin-Smith

Join us tomorrow, November 23rd at 5:00pm EST LIVE on Instagram Live for a conversation between Bahamian-American artist Dionne Benjamin-Smith () and Marina Reyes Franco (.visitoreconomy), Curator at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico () and the current exhibition. This event is part of our public programs series In the Studio, where contemporary artists present their work and practice.



📸 Installation Photo: Arturo Sanchez

11/15/2022

TODAY, Tuesday, November 15, we are presenting the Roundtable Discussion: Tropical Is Political: Caribbean Art Under the Visitor Economy Regime. Marina Reyes Franco .visitoreconomy, Curator of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico (), will be in conversation with artists Joiri Minaya , Oneika Rusell , and David Smith to discuss the effects of tourism and finance on subjects including economic policy, self image and artistic production.

The program will take place in person at Americas Society (680 Park Avenue) from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Join us!

To register and more information please visit the link in our bio.

*Masks are required to attend this event

Image credit: Dave Smith. Night and Day-O, 2012. Acrylic and glitter on canvas, 96 × 60 inches (228.6 × 152.4 cm). Courtesy of the artist
📷: Arturo Sánchez (photo details)

11/14/2022

Join us tomorrow, Tuesday, November 15th for the Roundtable Discussion: Tropical Is Political: Caribbean Art Under the Visitor Economy Regime. Marina Reyes Franco .visitoreconomy , Curator of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico ( ), will be in conversation with artists Joiri Minaya , Oneika Rusell , and David Smith to discuss the effects of tourism and finance on subjects including economic policy, self image and artistic production.

The program will take place in person at Americas Society (680 Park Avenue) from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

To register and more information please visit the link in our bio.

*Masks are required to attend this event

Image credit: Joiri Minaya (left to right)
Labadee, 2017. HD video installation, 7:10 minutes, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist
The Upkeepers, 2021. Archival pigment print, 17 × 11 inches (43.2 × 27.9 cm). Courtesy of the artist
Ayoowiri/Girl with Poinciana Flowers, 2020. Archival pigment print, 17 × 11 inches (43.2 × 27.9 cm). Courtesy of the artist
📷: Arturo Sánchez

11/02/2022

LIVE TODAY at 5:00 pm EST, IN THE STUDIO: nibia pastrana santiago. Puerto Rican artist nibbia pastrana santiago (.pastrana.santiago) will discuss these works and others with writer and independent curator Nicole Smythe-Johnson (). Tune in to our live story to hear more.



los presidentes pisan, o conmemorando lo invisible, o quiero ser una iconoclasta sexy [the presidents step on, or commemorating the invisible, or I want to be a sexy iconoclast], 2014

los presidentes pisan, o conmemorando lo invisible, o quiero ser una iconoclasta sexy [the presidents step on, or commemorating the invisible, or I want to be a sexy iconoclast], 2014

Baliza (Beacon), 2019

YOUR ISLAND HERE, 2019 Videostill: Jarrod Dugger

TTTT: Thank You Tego, Thank You Trisha, 2019 Photo: Dale Brown

TTTT: Thank You Tego, Thank You Trisha, 2019 Photo: Dale Brown

Reenactment of Francisco Oller’s “Portrait of William McKinley,” 2020 | Francisco Oller, Portrait of William McKinley, 1898

El Weather Bureau, 2021 Photo: José López Serra, Hidrante

El Weather Bureau, 2021 Photo: José López Serra, Hidrante

YOUR ISLAND HERE, 2022

11/01/2022

Join us this Friday, November 4 at 12pm for Caribe Hostil: Narratives of Displacement in Puerto Rican Contemporary Art, a virtual panel discussion moderated by Dr. Yarimar Bonilla in conversation with Ricardo Cabret , Sofía Gallisá Muriente , and Roberto “Yiyo” Tirado >>> Registration via Link in Bio

Friday, November 4, from 12 to 1pm EST
FREE via Zoom Live
To REGISTER, click the link in our Bio

Image caption: Sofía Gallisá Muriente, El enviado (aunque no sea más que una tregua), 2022. Video, 24 minutes. Courtesy of the artist
📷: by Arturo Sanchez

11/01/2022

IN THE STUDIO: nibia pastrana santiago.

Tomorrow, November 2, 5:00 pm EST LIVE on Instagram and later on YouTube and our website, join us for a conversation between Puerto Rican artist .pastrana.santiago and writer and independent curator , part of our public programs series In the Studio, where contemporary artists present their work and practice.



📷: Supakid

10/12/2022

We are deeply saddened about the loss of Freddy Rodríguez, a major Dominican artist who moved to New York in the 1960s for his artistic training. Rodríguez infused his abstract paintings and collages with aspects of his cultural background in the Dominican Republic, as well as with elements of Caribbean history and culture.

We were so honored to have celebrated his life and work in an interview early this year for our series , and to have included his testimony in the book “This Must Be The Place: An Oral History of Latin American Artists in New York 1965-75” (co-published with ).

Here is a quote from the artist: “One of the things about my art is about freedom, which is the reason I keep on changing. I don’t want people to tell me what to do. If I sell some kind of style, once I finish with that, I change. I don’t care if it sells, the most important thing to me is my freedom.” (extract from the In The Studio interview with Freddy Rodriguez by Carla Stellweg ).

We send our sincere condolences to his family and friends.

[camera emoji]: Freddy Rodríguez in his studio at 133 West 22nd Street, New York, with “Danza de Carnaval” (1974), “Amor Africano” (1974), and “Untitled” (1970), 1974. Courtesy of Freddy Rodríguez and Hutchinson Modern & Contemporary. Photo by Juan Li

Society

10/12/2022

We are deeply saddened about the loss of Freddy Rodríguez, a major Dominican artist who moved to New York in the 1960s for his artistic training. Rodríguez infused his abstract paintings and collages with aspects of his cultural background in the Dominican Republic, as well as with elements of Caribbean history and culture.

We were so honored to have celebrated his life and work in an interview early this year for our series , and to have included his testimony in the book “This Must Be The Place: An Oral History of Latin American Artists in New York 1965-75” (co-published with ).

Here is a quote from the artist: “One of the things about my art is about freedom, which is the reason I keep on changing. I don’t want people to tell me what to do. If I sell some kind of style, once I finish with that, I change. I don’t care if it sells, the most important thing to me is my freedom.” (extract from the In The Studio interview with Freddy Rodriguez by Carla Stellweg ).

We send our sincere condolences to his family and friends.

📷: Freddy Rodríguez in his studio at 133 West 22nd Street, New York, with “Danza de Carnaval” (1974), “Amor Africano” (1974), and “Untitled” (1970), 1974. Courtesy of Freddy Rodríguez and Hutchinson Modern & Contemporary. Photo by Juan Li

Society

10/09/2022

Our friends at will be at the New York Art Book Fair from October 13-16 at booth C31! Pick up your copy of “This Must Be the Place: An Oral History of Latin American Artists in New York, 1965–1975,” co-published by Americas Society and Institute for Studies on Latin American Art (ISLAA).

10/09/2022

Our friends at will be at the New York Art Book Fair from October 13-16 at booth C31! Pick up your copy of “This Must Be the Place: An Oral History of Latin American Artists in New York, 1965–1975,” co-published by Americas Society and Institute for Studies on Latin American Art (ISLAA).

10/08/2022

Our friends at will be at the New York Art Book Fair from October 13-16 at booth C31! Pick up your copy of “This Must Be the Place: An Oral History of Latin American Artists in New York, 1965–1975,” co-published by Americas Society and Institute for Studies on Latin American Art (ISLAA). ()

10/07/2022

Reminiscing on our summer exhibition - click the link in bio to read Jan Avgikos' review of 'Geles Cabrera: Museo Escultorico' included in the October 2022 issue of out now. The exhibition pocketbook, including curatorial texts and selections from the artist's archive, are available for purchase in our gallery space at 680 Park Avenue.

09/28/2022

ABIGAIL HADEED | IN THE STUDIO

Abigail Hadeed joined on our Instagram Live with Americas Society Assistant Curator Rachel Remick about her work and practice. This series of remote visits to artists’ studios brings Americas Society’s Visual Arts public programs to your home.

Follow this series and watch live every other Wednesday at 5 pm ET, .visualarts

09/26/2022

IN THE STUDIO: Abigail Hadeed

Join us Wednesday September 28th at 5:00pm EST LIVE on Instagram Live (.visualarts) for a conversation with artist and photographer Abigail Hadeed

This program is held in conjunction with our current exhibition, Tropical is Political: Caribbean Art Under the Visitor Economy Regime. The artist will discuss their work in the exhibition as it relates to their artistic practice.

📸: Abigail Hadeed, "Self-Portrait," 2020, Courtesy the artist

09/22/2022

We are proud to announce the performance Ophelia by Brazilian artists Ana Mazzei () and Regina Parra () to take place at Americas Society on Wednesday, October 5 at 6:00pm.

The performance engages Shakespeare’s character Ophelia, a woman who is controlled by men around her. The artists transpose Ophelia's lines to hand-painted signs that are carried by nine performers, who transform the quotes into an act of resistance and resignation.

For more information please check the link in our bio!

📸 : Ana Mazzei and Regina Parra, Ophelia, 2018. Performance, oil on plywood, wood and steel, 160 x 450 x 200 cm.

09/22/2022

We are proud to announce the performance Ophelia by Brazilian artists Ana Mazzei () and Regina Parra () to take place at Americas Society on Wednesday, October 5 at 6:00pm.

The performance engages Shakespeare’s character Ophelia, a woman who is controlled by men around her. The artists transpose Ophelia's lines to hand-painted signs that are carried by nine performers, who transform the quotes into an act of resistance and resignation.

For more information please check the link in our bio!
Image caption: Ana Mazzei and Regina Parra, Ophelia, 2018. Performance, oil on plywood, wood and steel, 160 x 450 x 200 cm.

09/10/2022

Come visit “Tropical is Political: Art Under the Visitor Economy Regime” open today until 5pm!

09/07/2022

Tropical is Political opens tonight! Join us from 6-8pm for the opening reception. RSVP via link in bio!

Featuring: .pastrana.santiago and Abigail Hadeed

Image: Ricardo Cabret, Guión criptográfico (Ofuscación costera) [Cryptographic script (Coastal obfuscation)], 2022. Software (Javascript) on browser installation, poplar wood, Mac mini, two 32” displays, HDMI cables, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist.

08/15/2022

Save the date! Opening September 7th is our newest exhibition ‘Tropical is Political: Caribbean Art Under the Visitor Economy Regime’ curated by Marina Reyes Franco (.visitoreconomy)

The show investigates the ideas of natural and fiscal paradise, and the geographical coincidence of these concepts within the Caribbean region, where tourism and finance form the “visitor economy regime.” Tropical is Political features works by 19 contemporary artists from the working within the Caribbean sphere and its diasporas. Through video, installation, painting, and sculpture, the exhibition will underline the effects of tourism and finance on subjects including economic policy, self-image, and artistic production.

Image: Yiyo Tirado, Caribe Hostil, 2020. Blue glass neon. Dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist and Km 0.2

08/11/2022

This is the last weekend to visit Hélio Oiticica's Subterranean Tropicália Projects: PN15 at Socrates Sculpture Park! On August 13th, Socrates will be hosting "Q***r Cafeteria," New York's first LGBTQ+ food festival and market in partnership with . August 14th, the final day of Subterranean Tropicália, will feature a performance and clay workshop with Bel Falleiros. We hope to see you there!

Image by Katherine Abbott Photography

08/04/2022

Make sure to check out Hélio Oiticica's "Subterranean Tropicália Projects: PN15" before it closes on August 14th! TODAY from 5 to 8pm, Socrates Sculpture Park presents Brazilian Samba Reggae drumline performance by and Capoeira workshop with . Enjoy delicious, savory bites from , including Pao de Queijo Recheado, known as the official pastry of Brazil.

Installation photo by Katherine Abbott Photography

08/01/2022

👋 Goodbye for now
Our gallery will be closed for the month of August.

We will be working hard preparing for the upcoming exhibition, “Tropical Is Political: Caribbean Art Under the Visitor Economy Regime” which opens on September 7, 2022.

Enjoy the rest of your summer ☀️

07/30/2022

Today is the last chance to visit both Geles Cabrera: Museo Escultórico and Grandes Maestros del Arte Popular Mexicano! Clme visit from 12pm - 5pm today!

07/29/2022

Today is the second to last day to see Geles Cabrera: Museo Escultórico and Grandes Maestros del Arte Popular Mexicano! Enjoy the modernist sculptures of Geles Cabrera in our main galleries, then enter our library and archives space to see our inaugural show of popular Mexican art. We are open until 6pm today, and from noon to 5pm on Saturday!

07/28/2022

If you haven't had a chance to see Geles Cabrera: Museo Escultorico, join us today for a tour of the exhibition with Assistant Curator .

Thursday July 28th
6pm - 7pm

Geles Cabrera: Museo Escultórico explores the legacy of Mexican sculptor Geles Cabrera, presenting a selection of works created over 40 years of the artist’s career.

This tour is open to the public
To RSVP click the link in our bio!