Summer group shows are categorically fun. Caught somewhere between the end of the spring solo season and the Fall openings, summer show are looser with galleries bringing together artists who might not otherwise share a room. They test new names, pull out smaller or stranger works, and take chances they may not take in serious buying season.
For someone looking for art, that creates a real opening. Prices are often lower than they would be in a solo show. Smaller works appear by artists who are already well known. Emerging artists get their first serious gallery context. And occasionally an established artist shows something unusual enough to feel like a real find.
Below I break down a few shows that caught my attention and what I’d buy, why, and how it could work in a room. Some of the artists are already in museum collections. Some just finished graduate school. Others are still building the context around the work.
