Gallery Watch: Art Exhibits to See This Summer

New York

Museum of Modern Art - Picasso Sculpture

This MOMA exhibit is unusual in that it present Picasso’s lesser known sculptures rather than his paintings, but many of his sculptures are fascinating with their playful use of unorthodox, everyday items. In 1971 Picasso donated his sculpture Guitar (1914) to the museum, a three-dimensional interplay of cubism and sheet-metal. This exhibit is part of a series highlighting the museum’s most noteworthy collections, and runs through November 3 at The Museum of Modern Art.
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Jeff Koons on the Roof

Like Picasso, Jeff Koons draws inspiration from ordinary items. This rooftop art features Balloon Dog (Yellow) constructed out of high chromium stainless steel, modeled after the balloon animals that street performers create for young children. The structure is more than ten feet tall, and plays with elements of light, weight, and solidity. Other can’t-miss works include Koons’ Coloring Book & Sacred Heart (Red/Gold). The exhibition runs through October 26.
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The Whitney - "Progress"

This exhibit brings together the works of artists and architects inspired by the evolution of the American utopia. The majority of the pieces fall between 1926 and 2008, with a heavy emphasis on modernity, optimism, and ideals. Features artists include Dan Flavin, Naum Gabo, Barbar Kruger, Louis Lozowick, Danny Lyon, Ad Reinhardt, Joel Sternfeld and Diana Thater. "Progress" runs through November 30 at The Whitney of American Art.
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Museum of the City of New York - "Campaigning for President"

With a tumultuous election year just around the corner, what better way to show your political stripes than by exploring all of the past political campaigns? This exhibit has over 200 years of New York candidates, and features rare, comical and even provocative buttons. Some other items are a coat button from George Washington’s inauguration, a Garfield mechanical metal nose-thumber and an Al Smith pin with trademark derby.
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San Francisco

De Young - Dale Chihuly

As Dale Chihuly’s first major exhibit in San Francisco, this event is housed in the impressive de Young space, which has eleven galleries filled with his exotic, fiery glassware. The exhibit spans the past 4 decades of the Washington native, including a 56 foot long Mile Fiori garden of glass and the neon Saffron Tower, which towers 30 feet in the air. Because of popularity, there is a $5 surcharge to enter the exhibit and a timed ticket: one is allowed to stay in the exhibit for as long as needed but must enter before the timed ticket is up. Chihuly's exhibit runs at de Young through September 28.
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San Francisco Museum of Modern Art - Frida Kahlo

The Mexican artist and revolutionary Frida Kahlo began painting in 1926 after her near fatal bus accident, and drew inspiration from a social, personal, and political landscape. Many of her paintings are recognized by the Surrealists, though Kahlo aligned herself with traditional Mexican symbolism and folklore. This exhibition celebrates the artist’s birth, paintings throughout her life and career, and photographs. The exhibit will used the system of timed ticking to diminish long lines and offer better views of the artwork. There is also a self-guided audio tour for $3 available in English, French and Spanish. The commentary is based on the exhibition’s co-curators, artists, musicians and scholars. Frida Kahlo's exhibit runs through September 28.
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Asian Art Museum -  "Power and Glory: Court Arts of China's Ming Dynasty"

Ming art has been one of the most potent aesthetic movements in all of Chinese history. The exhibit contains some relics of the most important empires from Chinese history. This marks the Asian Art’s Museums first collaboration with The Palace Museum of the Forbidden City in Beijing, The Nanjing Municipal museum, and the Shanghai Museum- three of the most notable institutions in China, and the first US exhibit to focus exclusively on Ming arts. The exhibition runs through September 21 at the Asian Art Museum.
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Miami

Bass Museum of Art - "VOOM Portraits"

One of the most exciting exhibitions in Miami at the moment, "VOOM" displays still portraits via continuous, high-definition video loops. Presentations are displayed on a 65-inch plasma screen and are accompanied by sound from an HD media player. The pieces were created by renowned artist Robert Wilson in collaboration with VOOM Networks. "VOOM Portraits" runs through August 3 at the Bass Museum of Art.
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Museum of Contemporary Art - "Sympathy for the Devil: Art and Rock and Roll Since 1967"

Calling all music lovers: "Sympathy for the Devil" should be on the top of your list of exhibitions to see this summer. The exhibition consists of paintings, album covers, music videos, and other materials that are used to show the relationship between the arts and rock-and-roll culture over the years. "Sympathy for the Devil" runs through September 7 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Mi