9 City Museum Exhibits and Pop-ups to Check Out This Fall
Cities are hotbeds of culture. It can be overwhelming to choose which favorite lunch spot to visit, much less what to do on a weekend afternoon. But if inspiring self-expression is what you crave, these 9 picks will help you conquer decision paralysis and dive into a creativity wonderland.
1. GULLIVER'S GATE Lauded as New York's magical miniature world, Gulliver’s Gate in the heart of Times Square features teeny-tiny replicas of locations from all around the world, such as the Panama Canal, Taj Mahal, and of course, Manhattan. The 50,000-square-foot exhibit is the product of a team of artists, engineers, and electricians, and even features its own GPS system. Visitors can become "model citizens" and using scanner technology, create miniature toy versions of themselves to be placed within Gulliver's Gate as a permanent part of the exhibit— art imitating life, indeed.
Image courtesy of gulliversgate.com.
Image courtesy of Laura Morton (via sfgate.com).
Image courtesy of perotmuseum.org.
4. TAKASHI MURAKAMI: LINEAGE OF ECCENTRICS Often referred to as Japan's Andy Warhol, Takashi Murakami is known for his bold, often playful works, as well as his many fashion and celebrity collaborations. Beginning on October 18 at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, Takashi Murakami: Lineage of Eccentrics places his work alongside the museum's collection of Japanese art from various periods, creating a larger conversation between contemporary art and its historical context.
Image courtesy of mfa.org.
5. GOLDEN KINGDOMS: LUXURY AND LEGACY IN THE ANCIENT AMERICAS Beginning on September 16 at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, the Golden Kingdoms exhibit is a gilded exploration of luxury arts in the Americas from 1000 BC to the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century. From textiles to precious metals, take in these gorgeous artifacts with a dose of historical, social, and political context. The exhibit is part of Los Angeles' Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA series showcasing Latin American and Latino art in Los Angeles.
Image courtesy of pacificstandardtime.org.
6. RACE: ARE WE SO DIFFERENT? "The story of race is the story of the United States," reads the description of the Chicago History Museum's upcoming exhibit, Race: Are We So Different Billing itself as the first of its kind in the country, it presents visitors with the nation's history of race, a scientific exploration of our shared human ancestry, and social and personal experiences and of race and racism today. The exhibit opens on November 11.
Image courtesy of chicagohistory.org.
7. FIREFLIES Commissioned by the Association for Public Art, Fireflies is artist Cai Guo-Qiang's largest public art project in over a decade. The project consists of hundreds of glowing paper lanterns tied to 27 pedicabs in Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway, reminiscent of traditional Chinese lantern festivals. The best part? Free public rides on the pedibikes are available every evening through October 8.
Image courtesy of Jeff Fusco Photography (via associationforpublicart.org).
8. THE SCIENCE BEHIND PIXAR Coming to Detroit on October 14, The Science Behind Pixar gives children and adults alike a unique and hands-on opportunity to look at (and test out!) the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts the artists and computer scientists used to create beloved Pixar movies such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and more.
Image courtesy of sciencebehindpixar.org.
9. YAYOI KUSAMA: INFINITY MIRRORS Perhaps one of the most Instagrammable exhibits ever, Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors arrives in Los Angeles on October 21. Among other works by Kusama, the exhibit features six of her Infinity rooms— immersive mirrored installations that resemble colorful kaleidoscopes. Tickets are already sold out, but more tickets will be available beginning on October 2— mark your calendars.
Image courtesy of thebroad.org.
1. GULLIVER'S GATE Lauded as New York's magical miniature world, Gulliver’s Gate in the heart of Times Square features teeny-tiny replicas of locations from all around the world, such as the Panama Canal, Taj Mahal, and of course, Manhattan. The 50,000-square-foot exhibit is the product of a team of artists, engineers, and electricians, and even features its own GPS system. Visitors can become "model citizens" and using scanner technology, create miniature toy versions of themselves to be placed within Gulliver's Gate as a permanent part of the exhibit— art imitating life, indeed.
Image courtesy of gulliversgate.com.
Image courtesy of Laura Morton (via sfgate.com).
Image courtesy of perotmuseum.org.
4. TAKASHI MURAKAMI: LINEAGE OF ECCENTRICS Often referred to as Japan's Andy Warhol, Takashi Murakami is known for his bold, often playful works, as well as his many fashion and celebrity collaborations. Beginning on October 18 at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, Takashi Murakami: Lineage of Eccentrics places his work alongside the museum's collection of Japanese art from various periods, creating a larger conversation between contemporary art and its historical context.
Image courtesy of mfa.org.
5. GOLDEN KINGDOMS: LUXURY AND LEGACY IN THE ANCIENT AMERICAS Beginning on September 16 at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, the Golden Kingdoms exhibit is a gilded exploration of luxury arts in the Americas from 1000 BC to the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century. From textiles to precious metals, take in these gorgeous artifacts with a dose of historical, social, and political context. The exhibit is part of Los Angeles' Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA series showcasing Latin American and Latino art in Los Angeles.
Image courtesy of pacificstandardtime.org.
6. RACE: ARE WE SO DIFFERENT? "The story of race is the story of the United States," reads the description of the Chicago History Museum's upcoming exhibit, Race: Are We So Different Billing itself as the first of its kind in the country, it presents visitors with the nation's history of race, a scientific exploration of our shared human ancestry, and social and personal experiences and of race and racism today. The exhibit opens on November 11.
Image courtesy of chicagohistory.org.
7. FIREFLIES Commissioned by the Association for Public Art, Fireflies is artist Cai Guo-Qiang's largest public art project in over a decade. The project consists of hundreds of glowing paper lanterns tied to 27 pedicabs in Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway, reminiscent of traditional Chinese lantern festivals. The best part? Free public rides on the pedibikes are available every evening through October 8.
Image courtesy of Jeff Fusco Photography (via associationforpublicart.org).
8. THE SCIENCE BEHIND PIXAR Coming to Detroit on October 14, The Science Behind Pixar gives children and adults alike a unique and hands-on opportunity to look at (and test out!) the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts the artists and computer scientists used to create beloved Pixar movies such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and more.
Image courtesy of sciencebehindpixar.org.
9. YAYOI KUSAMA: INFINITY MIRRORS Perhaps one of the most Instagrammable exhibits ever, Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors arrives in Los Angeles on October 21. Among other works by Kusama, the exhibit features six of her Infinity rooms— immersive mirrored installations that resemble colorful kaleidoscopes. Tickets are already sold out, but more tickets will be available beginning on October 2— mark your calendars.
Image courtesy of thebroad.org.
