You won’t find too many blockbuster names on this year’s list, which is dominated by timely themes and under-recognized artists.
This year, our favorite shows in the US were especially quirky. There aren’t many blockbuster names on this list; instead, most of these exhibitions thoughtfully explore a theme, or introduce an overlooked artist from the past. The various museums, galleries, and spaces featured here span from the Bay Area to Boston (we have separate lists for Brooklyn, New York City, and Los Angeles). In our top selections, we chose to highlight three longer-term projects and series that impressed us in the depth of their research and ambition of their scope. With so many shows coming and going, it’s refreshing to see organizations and museums committing to a single idea or theme for long periods.
[The article lists Sunrise, Sunset amongst an impressive list of shows at national museums, non-profits and one other gallery. The exhibition is #18 out of 20:]
18. Sunrise, Sunset at Emerson Dorsch
November 30, 2017–January 19, 2018
This show’s title is drawn from Edwidge Danticat’s story of the same name. Published in the New Yorkerthe same week as Hurricane Irma — which for a time seemed destined to hit Miami directly — made landfall in the States, it’s a story about familial relationships, the struggle to communicate between them, the importance of learning to understand each other when life is fleeting. Set in Little Haiti — just like the story — the exhibition’s 15 artists address these themes in their own ways, proving how art can gently mitigate messages about mortality, memory, and family. Curator Tyler Emerson-Dorsch has done an excellent job in grouping such varied pieces; each work tenderly makes room for the one nearest to it, as if in dialogue.
— Monica Uszerowicz
Due to COVID-19, we are open by appointment. The gallery will follow social distancing protocol and allow only a certain number of visitors per appointment.
