visit the contemporary museum

Austin Insider Blog

This blog, written and curated by Visit Austin staff, shares the things that visitors love and locals can't get enough of.

10 Museums Worth Visiting in Austin

Austin's impressive  arts scene  is thriving. And you'll discover that local museums offer diverse experiences geared to a variety of interests and age groups. Whether you're looking to please the kids, a family history buff or the art enthusiast in your friend group, we're confident you'll find a museum everyone will remember.

Don't miss Austin Museum Day, held the second to last Sunday each September in coordination with the Austin Museum Partnership, featuring free admission, programs and activities at area museums and cultural spaces. Here's a list of 10 to jump-start your planning.

1. Blanton Museum of Art

Austin’s Blanton Museum houses the largest and most comprehensive collection of art in Central Texas. Enjoy the permanent collection of over 21,000 pieces, along with unique rotating exhibits and special events. You'll discover European paintings, as well as modern and contemporary American and Latin American art. Visit the Blanton Museum  website for current hours and admission prices. Insider tip: Admission is free on Tuesdays! 

2. Bullock Texas State History Museum

Named after the state’s 38th lieutenant governor, Bob Bullock, the Bullock Museum extends his love and preservation of Texas history through meaningful and educational experiences to locals and visitors alike. Thought-provoking and culturally enriching exhibits, programs and events are offered for all ages. Discover more about current admission prices and hours on the Bullock Museum  website .

3. The Contemporary Austin

With two locations, The Contemporary is Austin's top attraction for modern and contemporary artwork. Located in the heart of Downtown Austin , The Contemporary Austin - Jones Center is hard to miss. Jim Hodge’s glittering work of art appears as if it’s floating in mid-air and will catch any visitor's eye. The iconic outdoor installation, which states “With Liberty and Justice for All,” sets the tone for what you'll experience during your visit. The 8,000 square feet of space allows for seasonal, dynamic exhibits and educational events the whole family will enjoy. Looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Downtown Austin? The Contemporary Austin -  Laguna Gloria is a historic site situated right on Lake Austin. This location showcases outdoor sculptures by renowned international artists in a magical landscape. Wander the grounds on your own or add the free Action Pack , recommended for families, to enhance your visit. Information about admission, parking and hours for both locations can be found on the  website .

4. George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural & Genealogy Center

The Carver Museum is located in East Austin , one of the city's historically Black neighborhoods. The museum’s mission is to celebrate and honor the global contributions of Black people to Texas and the world. The goal is to serve as a catalyst to connect communities and build a larger narrative surrounding Blackness. Explore exhibits designed to preserve African American culture, history and aesthetic expression. Admission is always free. Visit the  website for current hours.

5. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

“Where flowers bloom, so does hope,” former Lady Bird Johnson once said. The former First Lady and environmentalist, Lady Bird Johnson, along with actress Helen Hayes, envisioned a future where natural landscapes were restored and preserved. They founded the National Wildflower Research Center (later renamed  Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center  to honor Johnson). The  South Austin  center is internationally recognized for its conservation of native plants. Visit to learn more about education programs and outreach, research projects and sustainable gardens. Continue to their  website to plan your visit.

6. LBJ Presidential Library and Museum

On the grounds of The University of Texas at Austin , the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum  honors Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th U.S. president. Walk through innovative, educational exhibits to get a glimpse into the political and personal lives of Lyndon and his wife, Lady Bird Johnson. Gain insight into important decisions President Johnson faced regarding education, civil rights, the environment and health care. Ready to begin a tour? Click here for admission fees and hours . Insider tip: Anyone with “Lyndon” in their name will be admitted for free.

7. Mexic-Arte Museum

Immerse yourself in a unique cultural learning experience by walking through the Mexic-Arte Museum  in the vibrant  Warehouse District of  Downtown Austin . The museum's exhibits explore rich Mexican, Hispanic, and Latin American art and culture. Seasonal and rotating exhibits and events keep crowds coming back. Admission and hours can be found  here .

8. Pioneer Farms

Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms in North Austin illustrates how pioneers lived in the Blackland Prairie during the 19th century. Highlights of the 90-acre living history park and museum include the 1844 Tonkawa Indian Encampment, 1866 Kruger Farm and 1899 Sprinkle Corner village. Children especially love visiting the farm animals in the 1850s barn. Workshops and demonstrations typically include crafts, blacksmithing and banjo lessons. Take a self-guided tour of the grounds by following a printable booklet. Visit Pioneer Farms'  website for current hours and ticket prices. 

9. Thinkery

Unleash your child’s creativity, imagination and love of learning at the Thinkery  in the Mueller neighborhood . The Thinkery offers a hands-on learning experience in 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) activities are geared to newborns through 11-year-olds, though activities are designed to engage all ages. Ticket reservations are encouraged, as walk-ins are limited. Learn about the hours here .

10. UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum

The UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum , honoring the work of American sculptor Charles Umlauf, is located in a six-acre garden featuring Texas’ largest collection of touchable sculptures. Rotating exhibitions of work by Umlauf and other contemporary artists provide an educational experience that inspires an appreciation and understanding of nature and sculpture. Hours and admission information can be found  here .

Make your trip to Austin a memorable one by using our creative itineraries to help plan your next visit. 

Guest Blogger

IMAGE: LEFT: The Contemporary Austin – Laguna Gloria, Austin, Texas, 2019. Photograph by Alexa Johnson. RIGHT: Jim Hodges, With Liberty and Justice for All (A Work in Progress) , 2014–2016. Stainless steel, Dichrolam, acrylic, enamel paint, and LED lights. Installed, 84 x 1,737 x 10 inches. Installation view, The Contemporary Austin – The Moody Rooftop at the Jones Center, Austin, Texas, 2017. Artwork © Jim Hodges. Courtesy the artist and Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels. Image © The Contemporary Austin. Photograph by Brian Fitzsimmons.

The Contemporary from Home

Create   exercise your creative muscles with art making for all ages find instructions for some of our most popular activities like second saturdays are for families, and more ideas to activate art in your home. click here to create with us explore & reflect find escape in contemporary art enjoy our museum galleries and sculpture park digitally through art and nature snapshots, tours, and quiet moments of reflection. click here to start exploring watch & listen experience past performances and new happenings at the museum, discover artist talks and lectures, and stream films and playlists for our current moment. click here to watch and listen now teach & learn teach and learn from home with lesson plans based on art at the museum, teacher curricula, and other resources for educators, parents, and caregivers. click here to find resources for educators we need your help.

The Contemporary Austin remains committed to inspiring our community through experiences with contemporary art. While we have reopened both of our sites to visitors, we also continue to develop virtual programming to keep Austin inspired, organize virtual art classes for adults and kids through our Art School, and build robust art-based curricula and resources for educators and the general public—all while maintaining our 14-acre sculpture park and caring for the artwork at the Jones Center on Congress Avenue. Please consider supporting our efforts if you are able.

How you can support The Contemporary Austin:

BECOME A MEMBER Members provide essential support to art and art education initiatives in Austin.

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Joyce J. Scott Closes July 14

See the Baltimore icon's career retrospective, called "spectacular" and "fantastic" by BMA visitors.

• Press Release

June 25, 2024

Bma to open solo exhibition of new and recent works by acclaimed artist nicholas galanin.

The exhibition is part of Preoccupied : Indigenizing the Museum , a major initiative focused on enhancing the presence of Native voices and works throughout the BMA 

BALTIMORE, MD (June 25, 2024)—On July 14, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) will open Nicholas Galanin: Exist in the Width of a Knife’s Edge , a solo exhibition of new and recent works by the artist that addresses the consequences of European colonization and occupation of Indigenous homelands—specifically theft and erasure of belongings, Land, resources, and cultural knowledge from Indigenous communities. In his multifaceted works, Galanin (Lingít and Unangax̂) offers an incisive and unflinching view of the enduring impacts of colonialism—including the willful excision of history and resulting collective amnesia—while also reclaiming Indigenous narratives and creative agency. Exist in the Width of a Knife’s Edge engages audiences with his provocative practice through eight significant works and installations, urging reflection on the damage caused by cultural erasure and eradication, as well as the persistence of Indigenous self-determination. The exhibition is part of the BMA’s ongoing initiative Preoccupied: Indigenizing the Museum and will remain on view through February 16, 2025.

“Through his forceful exploration of the past, present, and future, Galanin interrogates the long-term impact of colonialism within collecting art institutions by inviting a close look at the practices and motivations behind possessing Indigenous cultural belongings,” said co-curators Dare Turner (Yurok Tribe) and Leila Grothe. “His work embraces the transformative potential of art as a catalyst for change and understanding, speaking truth to power with a resolute voice.”

At the heart of the exhibition is the new installation Exist in the Width of a Knife’s Edge , which features 60 porcelain daggers that embody Lingít Indigenous design and technology and that are decorated with Russian ceramics patterns. Russian settlers first descended on Indigenous communities along the islands and coast of present-day Alaska in the 1700s, inflicting violence, capturing land, and displacing Indigenous people and their ways of life. Galanin notes, “With this installation, fragile and decorative representations of powerful weapons speak to the restriction of Indigenous people’s right to resist settler violence and legislation, tolerant of only fragile and decorative Indigenous people. The suspended blades hover at the height they would be wielded in battle. Frozen in mid-air, their capability to cut emerges from their ability to shatter. If these daggers break, their destruction would produce sharp projectiles and edges, rendering new forms to use as tools or weapons.”

Another major work in the exhibition is Fair Warning: A Sacred Place (2019), which comprises single channel audio and six photographs. The photographs capture empty museum displays that once featured Indigenous cultural belongings. As the viewer encounters these desolate images, they can hear the lively sound of an auction in progress, calling for new owners to claim possession of Indigenous works offered for sale. The juxtaposition of absence within the photographs and sense of removal within the audio pointedly challenges the notion that any person or institution can claim ownership over culture. Here, Galanin underscores this concern, stating that these artworks were “acquired (at best) from individuals suffering under extreme hardships enforced by colonization or by illegal means.”

Additional featured works include We Dreamt Deaf (2015), which explores the impacts of colonization on land and water and the struggle to survive in untenable conditions; Infinite Weight (2022), an installation that highlights the desire to control and dominate what is valuable and to continually marginalize what is deemed insignificant; and Visions of Liberation (2024), a hand-dyed and hand-tied rug that suggests the pixelated screen of a broken television. This work speaks to the role of mainstream media in perpetuating colonialist tendencies, false or partial narratives, and the oppression of land and peoples. Together, the artworks in the exhibition capture the depth, range, and intricacy of Galanin’s practice and highlight his ability to leverage the power of art and personal experiences to encourage new learning, understanding, and action toward a more just society.

Of his own practice, Galanin says, “My process of creation is a constant pursuit of freedom and vision for the present and future. I use my work to explore adaptation, resilience, survival, dream, memory, cultural resurgence, and connection and disconnection to the Land.”

The exhibition is part of the BMA’s Preoccupied: Indigenizing the Museum initiative that significantly increases the presence of Native voices, experiences, and works across the museum. Unfolding over the course of 10 months, Preoccupied includes nine solo and thematic exhibitions, interpretative interventions across the museum’s collection galleries, the development of a publication guided by Indigenous methodologies, and public programs. It represents an exceptionally expansive museum presentation of Native artists and thinkers, with nearly 100 individuals contributing to and represented across the initiative. The project was led by Dare Turner (Yurok Tribe), Curator of Indigenous Art at the Brooklyn Museum and former BMA Assistant Curator of Indigenous Art of the Americas; Leila Grothe, BMA Associate Curator of Contemporary Art; and Elise Boulanger (Citizen of the Osage Nation), BMA Curatorial Research Assistant, in consultation with a 10-member Community Advisory Panel that includes artists, scholars, designers, and community leaders.

This project is generously supported by the Ford Foundation, the Terra Foundation for American Art, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Eileen Harris Norton Foundation, the Estate of Carolyn Lee Smith, The Dorman/Mazaroff Art Exhibition Fund, the Hardiman Family Endowment Fund, the Sigmund M. and Mary B. Hyman Fund for American Art, The Clair Zamoiski Segal and Thomas H. Segal Contemporary Art Endowment Fund, and the Robert Lehman Foundation.

Nicholas Galanin

Nicholas Galanin (Lingít and Unangax̂) was born in 1979 and lives and works in Sitka, AK. He has participated in the 2023 Liverpool Biennial; 2021 Desert X Biennial; 2020 Biennale of Sydney; 2019 Whitney Biennial; 2019 Honolulu Biennial; and 2017 Venice Biennale Native American Pavilion, among others major events and exhibitions. Solo exhibitions include those at the Baltimore Museum of Art (2024), SITE Santa Fe (2023), New York Public Art Fund (2023-24), Heard Museum (2018,) and others. Galanin’s work is in such collections the Museum of Modern Art, NY; Whitney Museum of Art, NY; Brooklyn Museum, NY, Seattle Art Museum, WA; Phillips Collection, Washington, DC; Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, CA; Art Institute of Chicago, IL; The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, TX, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ont; and Denver Art Museum, among others. He is a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow; 2023 Joan Mitchell Fellow; the 2020 recipient of the Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Award in Art, Academy of Arts and Letters, New York; and a 2020 recipient of a Soros Arts Fellowship.

About the Baltimore Museum of Art

Founded in 1914, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) inspires people of all ages and backgrounds through exhibitions, programs, and collections that tell an expansive story of art—challenging long-held narratives and embracing new voices. Our outstanding collection of more than 97,000 objects spans many eras and cultures and includes the world’s largest public holding of works by Henri Matisse; one of the nation’s finest collections of prints, drawings, and photographs; and a rapidly growing number of works by contemporary artists of diverse backgrounds. The museum is also distinguished by a neoclassical building designed by American architect John Russell Pope and two beautifully landscaped gardens featuring an array of modern and contemporary sculpture. The BMA is located three miles north of the Inner Harbor, adjacent to the main campus of Johns Hopkins University, and has a community branch at Lexington Market. General admission is free so that everyone can enjoy the power of art.

Press Contacts

Anne Brown Baltimore Museum of Art Senior Director of Communications [email protected] 410-274-9907

Sarah Pedroni Baltimore Museum of Art Communications Manager [email protected] 410-428-4668

Alina Sumajin PAVE Communications [email protected] 646-369-2050

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The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century

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Hassan Hajjaj, Cardi B Unity ., 2017/1438 (Gregorian/Hijri), From the series My Rockstars , Lambda metallic print on aluminum sheet, wood, and plastic green teaboxes, 55 1/4 x 40 x 4 in (140.3 x 101.6 x 10 cm), Courtesy Yossi Milo Gallery, New York

Zéh Palito (Brazilian, b. 1991),  It was all a dream , 2022, acrylic on canvas, 66 15/16 x 68 7/8 in. (170 x 175 cm), Courtesy of the artist, Simões de Assis and Luce Gallery, ©Zéh Palito

Derrick Adams (American, b. 1970),  Heir to the Throne , 2021, non-fungible token, Private Collection

June 28–September 29, 2024

Western & Southern Galleries  (Galleries 232 and 233) Ticketed. Free for Members. Save $2 when purchasing tickets online. Adult tickets: $12 in-person, $10 online Seniors, college students and children 6–17 years: $8 in person, $6 online Children 5 years & under: free Press Release

Purchase Tickets

See the exhibition for free on Thursday nights from 5–8 p.m.; during Art After Dark on June 28, July 26, August 30, and September 27 from 5–9 p.m.; during the Cincinnati Music Festival weekend from July 25–27; and on CAM Kids Day on Saturday, August 3.

In the wake of hip hop’s 50th anniversary, the Cincinnati Art Museum is hosting a groundbreaking exhibition exploring the genre’s extraordinary influence on contemporary society over the past two decades.

The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st   Century showcases more than 100 works of art by some of today’s most important and celebrated artists—such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Roberto Lugo, Carrie Mae Weems, William Cordova, Hassan Hajjaj, Hank Willis Thomas—and fashion brands, with looks from Cross Colours and Vivienne Westwood. A range of music ephemera will also be on display.

The Culture  was originally curated by Asma Naeem, the Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director of the Baltimore Museum of Art; Gamynne Guillotte, former Chief Education Officer at the Baltimore Museum of Art; Andréa Purnell, Audience Development Manager at the Saint Louis Art Museum; and Hannah Klemm, former Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Saint Louis Art Museum. The presentation of the exhibition at the Cincinnati Art Museum was curated by Jason Rawls, EdD. Rawls is an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University in the Department of African American & African Studies and the School of Music, a DJ himself (aka J. Rawls), an author, and a prolific record producer.

The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century  is accompanied by a comprehensive catalog with contributions from more than 50 artists, writers, scholars, curators, and arts leaders.

Share your feedback about the exhibition.

Check out this playlist created by DJ J Rawls (aka Jason Rawls, Assistant Professor of Hip Hop at The Ohio State University) and guest curator of the Cincinnati presentation of the exhibition.

Hear verbal descriptions of highlighted artworks and interpretive content for the exhibition ,  wherever you are.

Access the Audio Exhibition

Members Opening— The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century

Thursday, June 27, 5–7 p.m.

Sold out - CAM Presents—Panel Discussion: Vinyl Vibes, Artistic Finds: Collecting Music and Art 

Thursday, June 27, 7–8 p.m.

A Happening: Press Play

Saturday, June 29, 2024, 6:30–11 p.m.

Saturday, July 13, 1–3 p.m.

Friday, July 26; Friday, August 30; and Friday, September 27 Details coming soon.

Saturday, August 3, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Details coming soon.

One of the leading figures in the study of hip hop and an advocate for education about the genre will guest-curate the exhibition. Jason Rawls, EdD, is an assistant professor of hip hop at The Ohio State University, leading the team that is creating a hip hop studies program in its School of Music and Department of African American & African Studies. Dr. Rawls–who is featured in a hip hop exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History–is also known for his music production work with artists like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Beastie Boys and is a published author and DJ (aka J. Rawls). Prior to OSU, Dr. Rawls helped develop the first hip hop-based education program in a college of education at Ohio University.

The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century is organized by the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Saint Louis Art Museum.

This exhibition is generously supported by the Ford Foundation, the Henry Luce Foundation, and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

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The Cincinnati Art Museum is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign, the region's primary source for arts funding.

Free general admission to the Cincinnati Art Museum is made possible by a gift from the Rosenthal Family Foundation. Exhibition pricing may vary. Parking at the Cincinnati Art Museum is free.

Generous support for our extended Thursday hours is provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.

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Visit the Nerman Museum

We invite you to visit the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art (NMOCA) to experience the creations of some of the top internationally acclaimed and upcoming artists of today.

Learn about the museum and the art in-depth by arranging a guided tour (recommended for groups of 5 or more), or use our online resources for a self-guided tour.

The Nerman Museum is an accessible educational environment where students and patrons learn to understand what they see, connect with artists and consider art from various perspectives.

Museum Guidelines

Folding campstools, pencils and clipboards are available for visitors, classes and tour groups by request. Visitors may leave personal belongings inside the coat storage areas during a tour, although JCCC cannot be held responsible for theft. Lockers are available with a 25-cent deposit.

• No touching the art or the cases that protect the art.
• No leaning on walls, cases or pedestals (either to write or for physical support).
• Visitors may take photos of works in the permanent collection only. Loaned works may not be photographed. Photography with flash or video recording is not allowed inside the museum.
• Visitors are kindly requested to silence their cell phones when entering the museum.
• Food items and liquids are not allowed inside the museum, except in the designated café space.
• Running, jumping or other objectionable behavior is prohibited.
• Use only pencils in museum galleries. Ink pens and markers are prohibited.
• Backpacks, oversized handbags, umbrellas or other bulky objects may not be brought into the galleries; visitors may leave these items in storage closets.

Event Scheduling

To host your next special event at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, refer to the college website for more details on how to use our event spaces .

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FREE ADMISSION Tue., Fri., Sat.: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed., Thu.: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun.: noon-5 p.m. Mon. and JCCC Holidays: Closed Upcoming JCCC Holidays: Independence Day: July 4, 2024

The museum’s front entrance is currently not accessible and will be undergoing repairs. On-site signage indicates location of the accessible entrance to the museum.

Find all the information you'll need to plan your visit, including information about our updated hours, timed ticketing, and health and safety protocols.

Welcome! We can't wait to see you at The Contemporary Jewish Museum (The CJM). Our highest priority is the health and safety of you and our staff. Please take a moment to review our health and safety guidelines and contactless ticketing process prior to your visit:

Still have questions? For more information on our safety practices and what to expect during your visit, read our full FAQ here .

• Seniors (65 Years+) and Students $14
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For information on virtual private tours, please visit our  Tours  page.

Not a member? Join today!

Membership at The CJM grants you access to an exciting array of contemporary art, music, film, and educational programming. Join a diverse community of individuals who share your passion for contemporary art and new views on Jewish culture! 

Become a Member today!

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ADDRESS 736 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94103

CONTACT US 415.655.7800 [email protected]

Book convenient and affordable parking in advance through SpotHero, the nation’s leading parking reservation app.

To reserve your parking spot, visit The Contemporary Jewish Museum SpotHero Parking Page and book a spot with rates up to 50% off drive-up.

New to SpotHero? Click here to download the SpotHero app.

Secure bike parking can be found at 4th and Mission through BikeLink. Click here to learn more.

Visit The CJM with free admission on the first Friday of each month! Free First Fridays are open to all visitors.

Generous support for Free First Fridays is provided by the Alexander M. and June L. Maisin Foundation and by Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

During  Bank of America  Museums on Us  weekends—the first full weekend of every month—Bank of America, Merrill, or Bank of America Private Bank (U.S. Trust) cardholders receive complimentary general admission to The Museum. Tickets are available on-site at the Shenson Welcome Center, day-of only, and are subject to availability. 

• Offer available for account holder or cardholder only
• Visitors aged 18 and under always receive free admission to The CJM
• Free admission may be redeemed by presenting a Bank of America, Merrill, or Bank of America Private Bank (U.S. Trust) credit or debit card and photo ID

The Contemporary Jewish Museum (The CJM) acknowledges that it is on the traditional and unceded lands of the Ramaytush Ohlone People of Yelamu, and the Muwekma Ohlone, and pays respect to elders, both past and present, of the Ohlone people. We recognize that the entire Bay Area rests on the land of Indigenous cultures, who were the original stewards of this territory, and that the Ramaytush Ohlone and Muwekma Ohlone people are alive and active members of our San Francisco and Bay Area communities.

The Contemporary Jewish Museum strives to ensure that its facilities, exhibitions, and programs are accessible, and that all of our visitors feel a sense of welcome, respect, and inclusion. We believe that positive arts and cultural experiences are essential to building healthy communities. For information, registration, or to request an accommodation, contact Access and Community Engagement Programs at The Contemporary Jewish Museum: 415.655.7856 or  [email protected] .

The Contemporary Jewish Museum offers a variety of family friendly programs that can make your visit meaningful, memorable, and enriching. Join us for fun and interactive opportunities where you can make art, play, enjoy live performances, explore The Museum, and spend quality time together.

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Five Must-Visit Contemporary Art Museums in Shanghai

Between the high-profile architecture and the evolving contemporary art collections, these museums in shanghai offer up a feast for the eyes..

Rapidly evolving in the past decades, the contemporary scene in Shanghai boasts a great range of art venues today, including some prestigious museums and a solid group of art galleries, making the city one of the best destinations for Contemporary Art in Mainland China and the Asian region. And you don’t have to worry about language and app barriers. Shanghai is highly international, advanced and efficient—once you have a VPN and are signed up for DiDi and Alipay, you’ll be able to navigate the city’s vast cultural geography smoothly.

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In the early 2000s, there was a lot of discussion about the museums springing up all over China. Many of these museums were created for tax and finance purposes and often involved famous architects. Many people at that time predicted that these museums would remain empty or mostly showcase the buildings without much in the way of actual art. In reality, most of these museums have created solid programs, established serious collections and launched important partnerships with top art institutions around the world.

Keep reading for a look into some of the art museums you should put on your itinerary for your next trip to the region and what they have on view this summer.

Long Museum

Established by billionaire art collectors Liu Yiqian and wang wei , this institution, officially known as the Long Museum West Bund, opened in 2014 and is part of a larger cultural complex in Shanghai’s Xuhui District along the Huangpu River. The museum welcomes visitors with its stunning, full concrete modern architecture designed by Liu Yi-chun, a Chinese architect from Atelier Deshaus; the building covers an area of 33,000 square meters with 16,000 square meters of exhibition space. The main building is characterized by a unique umbrella-vaulted structure divided into four floors. The Hopper Corridor (doulang) was transformed from the former Coal Hopper (meiloudou) construction at Beipiao Port, creating a rational and tranquil sense of industry and primitivism as well as offering a sharp contrast between power and lightness, while endowing the museum with an acute quality of contemporariness and creativity. The exhibition space in the basement is a classic white box space, which allows other curatorial opportunities.

In addition to hosting an extensive art collection, which includes Chinese porcelains and some major names from the local and international art scenes, the Long Museum also serves as a cultural hub, with well-curated temporary exhibitions and a variety of educational programs, workshops and public events aimed at promoting art appreciation and cultural exchange.

The museum’s main location in West Bund is currently celebrating ten years of its collection with “ Blossom – The Tenth Anniversary of The Long Museum ,” which presents more than 200 paintings by over 150 artists. Divided into five chapters (“Glamour of Heaven and Earth,” “Flowers in the Bloom,” “Flowers in the Wild,” “Flowers and Portraits” and “Everlasting Flowers”), the show unfolds a narrative of flowers spanning ten centuries, from traditional Chinese flower-and-bird paintings to modern artworks of the mid-nineteenth century and then to contemporary art. Highlights in the show include work by big names such as Anselm Kiefer , Jonas Wood, Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami to Jadé Fadojutimi and Yuan Fang , as well as a beautiful installation by the duo Allora and Calzadilla .

SEE ALSO: The World Trade Center Offers Case Studies in Making Space for Artists in Urban Centers

Additionally, the museum is hosting a solo exhibition of powerful cosmic abstractions by previous street art artist Chen Yingije , “Intuitive Wanderings,” that includes new works inspired by his trips and field paintings from locations such as Yunnan and Tibet. Also on view is the curated show “ On Stories ,” which showcases over forty works related to movies, plays, novels, folktales and legends, as well as a conversation between Wan Liu and Yang Bao ’s site-specific installations and sculptures. Finally, the solo exhibition of Iranian artist Mehdi Ghadyanloo, “ The Stolen Memories ,” presents twelve of his fantastical new paintings and works on paper alongside older pieces, including a series of playful and dreamy children’s toys of all sizes and shapes from slides to rocking horses and merry-go-rounds.

The museum operates two other branches: the Long Museum Pudong, which opened in 2012 and houses modern and contemporary art, and the Long Museum Chongqing. All branches of the Long Museum contribute significantly to Shanghai’s reputation as a growing center for art and culture, bringing to the city a triple-A collection and becoming part of its cultural heritage.

Power Station of Art

Established in 2012, Power Station of Art (PSA) was the first state-run museum in mainland China dedicated to contemporary art. It is also home to the Shanghai Biennale. Standing tall by Shanghai’s mother river, the Huangpu, PSA occupies an area of 41,000 square meters. Designed by Original Design Studio in a former Power Station, the museum boasts 15,000 square meters of exhibition space , but of course, its 165-meter chimney has also made it an integral part of Shanghai’s world-famous skyline.

Currently, PSA is hosting “ Impermanence – 4o Years of Estudio Campana ,” the first Asian survey on the global career of Brazilian design duo Estudio Campana and their visionary, eclectic approach to design. The exhibition, which runs through September, stages some of their most iconic pieces within a spectacular framework designed by Humberto and Fernando Campana : an awe-inspiring structure of artificial stalactites and stalagmites, standing as a reference to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, where visitors can roam freely and discover the works, as they materialize from behind the organic-looking columns, like a game of hide-and-seek. “Plato’s classic allegory is something we can all relate to at any age or background. I like to think we are all born curious, and this scenography is an invitation to embrace estrangement, step away from your comfort zone, and be rewarded by the courage to let imagination run free in an adventurous search for joy,” Humberto Campana said in a statement.

On the 7th floor, another show celebrates the 10th anniversary of the PSA Emerging Curators Project , which, since its inception in 2014, has already supported more than fifty young curatorial talents. In this year’s two final selected proposals, “Pidgin Spectrum: Nonlinear Narratives of Multiculture” (curated by LI Jiawen and ZHANG Jiawei) and “Terrestrial Landing: Planet Candidates” (curated by Rainne ZENG and Tianle HUANG), we find very progressive and forward-thinking works that translate some of the most pressing concerns and themes close to the young generation and prove how the emerging Chinese art scene can be on top of the contemporary conversation around technology, environment and multiple sense of reality.

Additionally, on June 12 PSA will open the major first retrospective devoted to the work of Gabrielle Chanel in China, “Fashion Manifesto,” with the exclusive support of CHANEL and design by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) in a show co-organized by the Palais Galliera, Fashion Museum of Paris, and Paris Musées.

Art Museum Pudong

Located under the iconic Pearl Tower, Art Museum Pudong opened to the public in 2021. It is supported, funded and managed by the Lujiazui Group and was designed by Archistar Ateliers jean nouvel (AJN). The museum aims to present world-class exhibitions to its audience while showcasing the work of domestic artists. Currently on view is “ Tidal Flux ,” a significant show by Cao Fei , arguably one of the most important and well-known Chinese artists on the global scene, who made her name with the at-the-time visionary and futuristic project of RMB city, a sort of metaverse before times. Fei was one of the first Net Art artists to create this fictional Chinese city constructed in the online virtual world of Second Life, which she then used in different works and installations. She was one of the pioneers in creating a powerful commentary on the compressed modernity and the meteoric rise of the Chinese economy between technology and social policies, as well as on the blurring boundaries between physical and virtual experience—something that is, by now, more and more interchangeable and intertwined.

“Tidal Flux” marks the artist’s first large-scale mid-career retrospective in Shanghai and one of the largest solo exhibitions of her works ever staged globally. Highly immersive and thought-provoking, the exhibition exemplifies Cao Fei’s creative worldmaking,  inviting visitors on an engaging journey into the recent past and an advanced future that is already here for contemporary China as a global power. This intricate major show also has a stellar curator group, including Nancy Spector from the United States, Xue Tan from Hong Kong, China, and Yang Beichen from Beijing, China.

Also on view at the museum through September is “ Ages of Splendor: A History of Spain in the Museo del Prado ,” co-organized by Museo Nacional del Prado and marking the most extensive presentation of Museo del Prado’s collection in China in terms of scale with seventy masterpieces on loan for this show, over half of which are being shown for the very first time in Asia. Spanning the 16th to the 20th Century, the exhibition brings to China works by Titian , Veronese, El Greco , Rubens, Zurbarán, Velázquez, Murillo and Goya, among others. Additionally, an “In Focus” curatorial section also sheds light on the intricate interconnections between Prado’s Mona Lisa and the original at the Louvre.

On the 4th floor, we find “ Fantastic Visions: 100 Years of Surrealism ,” organized by the Museum of Art Pudong (MAP) with the National Galleries of Scotland and featuring a selection of Surrealist works from their collection, by artists including  Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Max Ernst , Joan Miró, Leonora Carrington and Dorothea Tanning . And finally, the museum has an ambitious site-specific installation by Chinese artist Xu Bin , “Gravitational Arena,” in Exhibition Hall X at MAP.

Yuz Museum Shanghai officially opened in May 2014 and is a contemporary art museum founded by Mr. Budi Tek , a Chinese-Indonesian entrepreneur, philanthropist and collector who started his art collection about ten years ago—mostly with Chinese contemporary paintings, but especially those created between early 1980s and late 1990s. He then moved to integrate international contemporary art, adding names such as Maurizio Cattelan , Fred Sandback and Adel Abdessemed. As usual, architecture played a big part in turning this into a must-see destination: the main building is the result of a major conversion project of the hangar from the original Longhua Airport. Designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto , the entire complex covers an area of over 9,000 square meters, with the main gallery occupying more than 3,000 square meters. Currently, the museum is hosting an extensive solo exhibition of the Chinese artist Shi Zhiying , “ Stones and Stories ,” running through July 14; the first major exhibition of the French artist Diane Dal-Pra in Asia, “ Inside the Folds ,” just closed.

West Bund Museum x Centre Pompidou

Among the locations the Centre Pompidou has opened worldwide, the Shanghai outpost was one of the first successful attempts at Museum Diplomacy .  The collaboration started with a memorandum in 2017 as one of the highest-level cultural cooperation projects between China and France and was included in the Joint Declaration between the People’s Republic of China and the French Republic in 2018. In 2019, it opened to the public at the moment of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 55th anniversary of establishing Sino-French diplomatic relations. Designed by  British starchitect David Chipperfield , the West Bund Museum is a critical element of the Museum Mile or Xuhui Waterfront, destined to become one of the most significant cultural districts in Shanghai and Asia.

Following the success of the first five years of collaboration, a contract renewing the partnership for a further five years was signed last year. The aim is to embrace a more expansive cultural perspective, deepen collaboration on various aspects, and jointly shape  new possibilities in arts and culture . “ The Shape of Time ” (curator: Marcella Lista) was the first of the semi-permanent touring exhibition that gave a start to this collaboration, introducing the history of art in the 20th and 21st Century that are due to be rolled out successively over the next five years. A second semi-permanent exhibition followed, “ The Voice of Things ,”, which was on display from July 2021 to February 2023 and brought together a collection of emblematic works, ranging from the avant-gardes of the early 20th Century. Currently on view is “ Mirrors of the Portrait. Highlights of the Centre Pompidou collection ,” the third semi-permanent exhibition, on display through November 2024, which brings together a selection of three hundred works from the Centre Pompidou collection dating from 1895 to the present day, focusing on portraits as an essential form of art in the course of civilization.

• SEE ALSO : Frieze London and Frieze Masters Announce 2024’s Participating Galleries and Programming

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Art History Happy Hour: Paul McCartney Photographs

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Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

The Starry Night

Vincent van Gogh Dutch

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Artwork Details

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Title: The Starry Night

Artist: Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, Zundert 1853–1890 Auvers-sur-Oise)

Date: June 1889

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 29 × 36 1/4 in. (73.7 × 92.1 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Credit Line: The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest (by exchange), 1941 Conservation was made possible by the Bank of America Art Conservation Project

Learn more about this artwork

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Six places to visit in Cape Town when it rains

W hile Cape Town has a stunning climate with some of the best weather around, rainy days sure do happen and when it does, visiting the city’s outdoor offerings sometimes isn’t an option. Fear not, though, here are six places to visit in Cape Town when it rains…

The Two Oceans Aquarium

Located at Cape Town ‘s V&A Waterfront, the Two Oceans Aquarium is an excellent indoor activity for rainy days, showcasing a variety of marine life from the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

Explore the diverse exhibits, including the predator tank, penguin exhibit, and touch pool. Great for families and marine enthusiasts.

The Zeitz MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary Art Africa)

Also at the V&A Waterfront, Zeitz MOCAA is the largest museum of contemporary African art in the world, housed in a beautifully repurposed grain silo. You can wander through its multiple floors and galleries to experience contemporary art from across the African continent.

The District Six Museum

The District Six Museum offers a poignant look at the history of District Six and the impact of apartheid, providing a deeply moving and educational experience. The museum features personal stories, photographs, and artifacts, making it a powerful place to reflect on Cape Town’s history.

Iziko South African Museum

Located in the Company’s Garden, Iziko South African Museum offers a vast array of exhibits, including natural history, paleontology, and cultural artifacts.

Visit on a rainy day and discover ancient fossils, dinosaur skeletons, and a wide variety of South African cultural artifacts.

Cape Town Science Centre

Situated in Observatory, the Cape Town Science Centre is a fun and educational destination for all ages, featuring interactive exhibits and science demonstrations. Engage with hands-on exhibits, puzzles, and workshops designed to make learning about science enjoyable.

The Book Lounge

The Book Lounge is a cozy independent bookstore and coffee shop in the Cape Town city center, perfect for spending a rainy day reading and relaxing. You can enjoy a wide selection of books, regular book launches, and a comfortable atmosphere with a cup of coffee or tea.

The post Six places to visit in Cape Town when it rains appeared first on SA People .

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Floating Worlds: From Japonisme to Contemporary Art from Japan Opens in Normandy, France!

2024.6.28 [Fri]

The year 2024 marks 150-year anniversary since the first “Impressionist” exhibition in Paris. To commemorate the anniversary, the Normandie Impressionniste 2024 has scheduled over 150 exhibitions and programs.

As part of this comprehensive lineup of events, the Mori Art Museum is joining the Les Franciscaines Cultural Center in the Normandy town of Deauville to present Floating Worlds: From Japonisme to Contemporary Art from Japan . The exhibition features 35 pieces of Japanese contemporary art by 17 artists from the Mori Art Museum Collection. The exhibition opened on Saturday, June 22, with Seto Momoko and Haruki Maiko , both currently based in Paris, attending the opening on June 23.

The exhibition will run until Sunday, September 22. For those residing in or planning to visit France, we encourage that you visit and experience the exhibition!

Floating Worlds: From Japonisme to Contemporary Art from Japan

Period: June 22 [Sat] - September 22 [Sun], 2024 Venue: Les Franciscaines (Normandy town of Deauville, France) Organizers: Les Franciscaines, Mori Art Museum Curated by: Annie Madet-Vache (Museum Director, Les Franciscaines), Martin Germann (Adjunct Curator, Mori Art Museum)

Featured artists from the Mori Art Museum Collection

Enomoto Koichi, Fukaya Etsuko, Haruki Maiko, Hatakeyama Naoya, Ishida Takashi, Katayama Mari, Kazama Sachiko, Lee Ufan, Miyagi Futoshi, Morimura Yasumasa, Seto Momoko, Shinoda Taro, Shitamichi Motoyuki, Tateishi Tiger, Umetsu Yoichi, Yamaguchi Akira, Yoneda Tomoko

Details of the exhibition (Mori Art Museum news)

https://www.mori.art.museum/en/news/2024/03/7146/

Les Franciscaines Website

https://lesfranciscaines.fr/en/programming/floating-worlds

Normandie Impressionniste 2024 Website

https://www.normandie-impressionniste.fr/en/programme/event/936/mondes-flottants

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20 Best Museums in Mexico City

Mexico City is bursting at the seams with fascinating museums, both grand and far-reaching and intimate and focused. Whether your interests lie in art, architecture, anthropology, or history there's something just for you in this world capital. Here are some of our favorites to help get you started on a cultural tour of Mexico City.

MUAC (Museo Universitario Arte Contemporaneo) Arrow

The MUAC is a 14,000 square-foot contemporary art museum on the grounds of Mexico City's largest public university. The building itself, designed by architect Teodoro Gonzalez de Leon, attracts architecture and design aficionados. The art within—a collection of contemporary Mexican artwork from the 1950s onwards, ranging from paintings and drawings to video and sound installations—draws contemporary art fans the world over. The university grounds (which sit on an eco-reserve) are also a popular place for families to hang during weekends.

Museo de Arte Popular Arrow

The Folk Art Museum (Museo de Arte Popular), located in a white Art Deco building in the historic center of Mexico City, focuses on the diversity of folk art and handicrafts in Mexico, showcasing pieces that range from pottery to textiles and everything in between. It's a great place to learn more about the indigenous peoples of Mexico through their creative works. There are usually two or three non-permanent exhibitions running concurrently. They all focus on handicrafts, some delve deeper into a particular craft or material and others focus on how a theme is represented throughout Mexico. The museum is well known for organizing an annual night parade of large carved figures called alebrijes.

Museo Rufino Tamayo Arrow

The Tamayo Museum (Museo Tamayo) was founded by Ruffino Tamayo in 1981, when the Mexican artist donated his own works, in addition to a massive collection of international contemporary art, with the goal of showcasing 20th-century art for the public. The building, designed by Mexican architects Teodoro González de León and Abraham Zabludovsky, is made of reinforced concrete and white marble stone. You would assume such heavy materials would feel like an intrusion in the middle of Chapultepec Park, where the museum is located. But the low-slung design and natural tones allow the building to hide in and among the trees. Inside, glass walls and light wood floors make the gallery spaces feel contemporary, open, and spacious.

Palacio de Bellas Artes Arrow

The Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes) is one of the most iconic and grand buildings in the historic center of Mexico City. The architecture alone is worth a visit: the opulent, eye-catching facade has Art Nouveau and Neoclassical influences and the multiple domes are covered in an intricate lattice of iron and Marroti crystal. The interior spaces are overwhelmingly vast: The top floor of the cultural center houses some seriously impressive murals painted by Mexico's most well-known muralists—Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Roberto Montenegro. Elsewhere, there's the National Theater, the National Museum of Architecture, and other museum spaces dedicated to popular and fine-art exhibits.

Museo Nacional de Antropología Arrow

This massive building in Chapultepec Park is among the city's most famed museums, second only to perhaps the Museo Frida Kahlo . Though the late Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez designed it in 1964, the mammoth building still looks as avant-garde today as it did then. (How exactly does that giant concrete slab float above a pond?) The museum holds the world's largest collection of ancient Mexican artifacts. Some of the most iconic Mesoamerican artifacts discovered to date can be found across 23 rooms. If you want to understand Mexico's history, then a visit here is a must.

Museo Frida Kahlo Arrow

The museum, also known as "Casa Azul" for its shocking cobalt blue exterior, is where Frida Kahlo was born, raised, lived, and died. Visitors can take in a few paintings by Kahlo and her husband, Diego Rivera, in addition to other contemporary artists of their era. But perhaps more interesting is the voyeuristic window into their creative world. The home is carefully preserved and maintained; it's easy to image the spaces as they were during Kahlo's time. In addition to their personal effects and domestic materials, the collection of clothes and corsets Frida needed to support her body after her traumatic accident give an intimate look at the artist's daily struggles.

Dolores Olmedo Museum Arrow

Late Mexican businesswoman Dolores Olmedo turned her estate into a museum in 1994, eight years before her death. The grounds, which are home to peacocks and so-ugly-they're-cute Mexican hairless dogs (Xoloitzcuintle), are as impressive as the hacienda-style architecture and Mexican art exhibits. Olmedo's private collection includes works by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, plus Mesoamerican sculptures and figurines. Visitors can also gain insight into Olmedo's fascinating life by visiting her private quarters, filled with family photos and artworks collected during her many travels.

Papalote Museo del Niño Arrow

This huge museum at the edge of Chapultepec Park is packed with interactive activities and even an IMAX cinema. Imagine everything you loved to do as a kid, and your child (OK, you) can do it here: Make huge bubbles, sit for story time, shop in a child-sized supermarket. The interactive exhibits are great for entertaining short attention spans, and the hands-on staff are helpful in guiding you toward your next activity. Every parent who comes here imagines their kids will get bored after two hours—chances are you'll stay three to four, at least.

The Franz Mayer Museum Arrow

German-born financier Franz Mayer amassed an extensive collection of Mexican silver, ceramics, textiles, and furniture in his adopted country. This private collection is now on permanent display at his namesake museum, in Mexico City's historic center. The beautiful everyday objects also include maps, globes, rugs, and books from around the world. After a complimentary guided tour, stop for a simple bite at the on-site café, set in a central courtyard that allws you to take in the building's architectural details—it was once an 18th-century monastery and hospital.

Kurimanzutto Arrow

Art dealers Mónica Manzutto and José Kuri opened Kurimanzutto nearly 20 years ago to showcase both Mexican and international modern artists. The tiny, modern art gallery, on a residential street near Chapultepec Park, showcases celebrates both Mexican and international modern artists. Exhibitions show in one large, warehouse-style room; they change regularly and vary greatly in topic, though most focus on a single artist. The gallery has represented such artists as Gabriel Orozco, Damián Ortega, Gabriel Kuri, Abraham Cruzvillegas, and Dr. Lakra, who are internationally known (Orozoco, for example, just showed at Art Basel Hong Kong) yet whose work is deeply connected to the history and culture of Mexico.

Luis Barragán House and Studio Arrow

The former home and studio of Pritzker-Prize-winning architect Luis Barragán has been transformed into a museum in Mexico City's Hidalgo District. Architecture and design lovers frequent the estate to study the artist's ingenious use of color, light, shadow, form, and texture. From the street, you'd never guess the personality that lies inside: The stark-gray façade humbly blends in with neighboring homes, but walk to the interior of the estate and you'll find striking walls in a kaleidoscope of bright colors, fountains, and pools.

Museo del Objecto Arrow

Exhibitions at this quiet, boutique museum—set in a small former home in the bohemian neighborhood of Roma Norte—are spread across three floors. The museum doesn't have a permanent collection, but rather, exceptionally curated exhibits that rotate every three to four months. Themes range dramatically, covering such topics as "the drinks of Mexico" and "Mexican football," but always offer an interactive look at a particular subject. By examining everyday items (often related to design and communication) in an abstract way, the museum's curators hope to spark a larger conversation about society.

MUCHO Museo de Chocolate Arrow

This museum, set in a house built at the turn of the 20th century, is entirely dedicated to chocolate, as Cacao is native to Mexico and was first domesticated in Mesoamerica. The majority of the exhibitions provide historical insight, but some "sensory exhibits" are interactive (i.e. mouth-watering tastes of chocolate). The museum also hosts chocolate-making workshops and other courses. Though MUCHO is one of the city's lesser-known museums, it is rising in popularity.

Museum of Modern Art Arrow

The Museum of Modern Art (Museo de Arte Moderno) is a Mexico City institution located in Chapultepec Park. The building itself is circular in shape; at its center is a large dome, which bathes interior gallery spaces in a golden hue. Exhibitions showcase contemporary art by both international and Mexican artists (Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Rufino Tamayo). Works span a range of mediums—painting, sculpture, photography, multimedia, etc.

Frida Toy, Art-Object Museum (Museo del Juguete Arte-Objeto Frida) Arrow

Think of this space like a museum within a museum: It's essentially the basement art gallery and exhibition space of Estación Indianilla. (Sounds sketchy but we promise it's not!) The collection is composed of art-object toys made specifically for international biennal festivals by influential artists who have lived in Mexico, like Fransisco Toledo, Leonora Carrington, and Vicente Rojo. It's the perfect place for Mexican art enthusiasts who think they've seen it all.

National Palace (Palacio Nacional) Arrow

Diego Rivera's famous mural "The History of Mexico," showcases the history of the nation, from the Aztec era through the conquest to the Revolution and the development of industry. It's grandiose and captivating, a unique opportunity to learn about Mexico's past through art. Not to mention it's free: The mural is housed in a distinguished building east of the Zócalo that operates as a government office. Among the office workers milling about, you'll see a mix of local, national, and international tourists who come to be awe-stricken by Rivera’s masterpiece.

Museo Jumex Arrow

Museo Jumex houses one of Latin America's largest private contemporary art collections, which includes works by Andy Warhol, Martin Kippenberger, Cy Twombly, and Damien Hirst. Mediums range from paintings and drawings to light and video installations. The building is as distinctive as the art: British architect David Chipperfield designed the 15,000 square-foot white-concrete cube with a sawtooth top. (Plus the Soumaya Museum is just across the square, so you can feed two birds with one scone.) 

Museo de Culturas Populares Arrow

Located on a tree-lined street in Mexico City's pretty Coyoacán neighborhood, this museum focuses on the many cultures and peoples of Mexico. The exhibitions are often interactive and reflective of present-day customs, showcasing everything from altars for Day of the Dead celebrations to collections of textiles and folk art. It's more well-known among locals than international tourists, so you'll see many Mexicans visiting during big holidays, like Day of the Dead, Christmas, and Easter, when impressive seasonal exhibitions show how these events are celebrated across the country. They are also often accompanied by an outside market and live performances.

Casa del Emilio (Indio Fernandez) Arrow

The former home of Emilio "El Indio" Fernandez offers a unique window into the world of this award-winning Mexican filmmaker. Few international tourists seek out the museum, but a visit offers deeper insights into Fernandez's life and the Golden Age of Mexican cinema in the 1940s and 1950s. As you walk around, you'll see his possessions as he originally used them. And the house itself, made of volcanic stone, is a well-preserved example of Mexican architecture during that era.

Old and Ancient Toy Museum (Museo del Juguete Antiguo México) Arrow

The Museo del Juguete Antiguo México is a quirky museum in Colonia Doctores that arose from architect Roberto Shimizu Kinoshita's passion for toys. The museum, as the name implies, houses an extensive collection of toys. Thousands upon thousands of toys from the 19th century to the 1980s, with a particular emphasis on those that were popular in Mexico. As you wander more than four floors, you will likely find more than a few objects that make you feel nostalgic for your childhood.

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Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is a non-collecting institution dedicated to presenting the best and most exciting international national and regional art of the last 40 years. Founded in 1948 the Museum prides itself on presenting new art and documenting its role in modern life through exhibitions lectures original publications and a variety of educational programs and events. The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston occupies the famous stainless steel building in the heart of the Houston Museum District. This highly recognizable building was designed for the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston by award-winning architect Gunnar Birkerts and opened in 1972. The Museum Shop at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston offers a diverse selection of books periodicals and exhibition catalogues related to contemporary art as well as a wide array of unusual gifts including artist and designer-made jewelry and educational toys and games for children.

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The 10 best museums in Mexico City

Given that Mexico City has the 2nd largest number of museums in the world, it can be hard to know where to start so we've picked out the best of the bunch for you

Foto: iStock

Mexico City is one of the cities with the most museums in the world. Don’t wait until International Museum Day, which is celebrated annually on 18th May, to visit them. Among the huge number on offer, we are recommending which 10 museums to visit if you are staying or living in Mexico City. 

Mexico City is home to the most visited museum in the country: the Museo Nacional de Antropología, which holds one of the most important collections of pre-hispanic art. You’ll also find places dedicated to the rich history of Mexico, such as Chapultepec Castle which used to be the official residence of Charlotte and Maximilian of Habsburg; in others, you will find wonderful photography and contemporary art exhibitions.  

The best museums to visit in Mexico City

1.  museo nacional de antropología (mna).

• Miguel Hidalgo

It’s impossible to see the entire museum in one day, but coming back and seeing the Coatlicue with adult eyes will change your perception of one of Mexico’s most important museums. After 54 years, it was necessary to restore its two great murals: The World of the Maya (Leonora Carrington) and the Map of Meso-America (Ernesto Vázquez y Luis Covarrubias). 

2.  Museo Frida Kahlo. Casa Azul

The selling point of this museum – the most visited in all of Mexico City - is that it was the house where Frida Kahlo was born, lived her life and died. When one enters the Blue House, they’re transported immediately to Frida’s universe, and within it, you’ll find not only her most famous works like Viva la Vida and Frida and her Cesarean , but also diaries, dresses, mirrors and even her bed. In fact, her ashes can be found in what was her bedroom. 

3.  MUAC, Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo

• Ciudad Universitaria

This is one of the most functional and beautiful museums in Mexico City. Inaugurated in November 2008 and with an impressive design by Teodoro González de León, this is a multimodal space that also allows for the exhibition of retrospective work, which is a space of installations designed specifically for this building. One of the museum’s most interesting offerings is the Experimental Sound Space: a dark room where sound works of all types are created. 

4.  Munal. Museo Nacional de Arte

• Art and design

The building is the old Palace of the Secretary of Communications and Public Works, designed by Italian architect Silvio Contri, who began its construction in 1904. On the inside, it opens to a beautiful staircase whose marble steps show the footprints of time. There’s also impactful, French-influenced marble sculptures in the vestibule, such as the famous “Malgré Tout” (“Inspite of it all”) by Jesús Fructuoso Contreras (1882-1948). The museum’s collection is vast and includes all types of work from the viceroy era to the middle of the 20th century.

5.  Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes

• 5 out of 5 stars
• Recommended

Its construction began in 1904 during the Porfirio Diaz dictatorship, and its interiors were designed in the decades after the revolution. Not to mention the vestibule’s impressive Art Deco construction. Inside, there are several exhibition halls for plastic arts and history, and dominating its walls are some of the most imposing murals of the greatest Mexican Muralists: Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, José Clemente Orozco, Roberto Montenegro and Jorge González Camarena. 

6.  Museo Jumex

Eugenio López Alonso’s contemporary art collection began in the 1990s and is one of Latin America’s most extensive and important. Beginning in November of 2013, it got one step closer to city residents in a new headquarters that acts as the primary exhibition space of the Jumex Contemporary Art Foundation. British architect David Chipperfield, who formed part of the Tate Modern and the River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames, designed this building, his first in Latin America. 

7.  Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporáneo

The Tamayo Contemporary Art Museum is one of the preferred museums of art lovers, thanks to the fact that it continuously houses vanguard exhibits and for its impressive collection of Rufino Tamayo, donated by the artist for the museum’s creation, as well as its international collection from the 1960s-70s. The architect in charge of the transformation couldn’t have been anyone other than Teodoro González de León, who along with Abraham Zabludovsky, developed the original project. 

8.  Museo Dolores Olmedo

• 4 out of 5 stars

More than a museum, Dolores Olmedo’s home is a true oasis on the city’s southern side. With a walkway through the gardens of this former plantation in La Noria. Dolores Olmedo’s life was as vibrant as her collection. As friend and benefactress of Diego Rivera, the main treasure of her collection are the works of the famed painter and that of his most beloved women: his first wife, Angelina Beloff and Frida Kahlo, whose paintings are constantly traveling the world and therefore may not be on display upon your visit. 

9.  Museo Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso

It’s always been a college. Even when it was a new facility in 1588, the Jesuits gave classes here. Throughout the centuries, the building also became the barracks for the Mexican army, and again a college, and then again a barracks, until 1867 when Benito Juárez’s government established the space as the National Preparatory School, which it remained until it closed in 1978. It reopened as a cultural space in 1992. Inside the building you’ll find the diverse murals of artists such as Jean Charlot, David Alfaro Siqueiros, José Clemente Orozco and The Creation , Diego Rivera’s first mural. 

10.  Museo de Arte Moderno

This museum came to life around the same time as the National Anthropology Museum, the former Viceregal Art Gallery and the Museum of Natural History; all during the city’s 1960s cosmopolitan boom. It continues to be one of the most important collections of 20th century art in Latin America. Beyond its offering of high-quality temporary exhibits, it also boasts its own collection of artists such as Diego Rivera, Leonora Carrington, Frida Kahlo and Remedios Varo. 

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A new species of spiny-throated reed frog, Hyperolius ukaguruens i, from the mountains of Tanzania.  ©Christoph Liedtke

Natural History Museum scientists described a record 815 new species in 2023

This year scientists at the Natural History Museum have been busy documenting a whole menagerie of new species.

From ancient dinosaurs to worms at the bottom of the ocean, scientists and associates described an extraordinary 815 new species in 2023. 

With Earth facing a biodiversity crisis, it has never been more important to understand the life we share this planet with.

We are unable to protect what we don’t know, and so describing new species is an integral aspect that underpins much of the work in protecting, preserving and reversing the declines in biodiversity seen across the natural world.

This year, scientists at and associated with the Natural History Museum have described a record-breaking number of species new to science, in addition to publishing over 700 new research papers . 

Known only from female specimens, Anicetus lysithea is a wasp from the forests of Costa Rica that might parasitise gall-forming insects. ©Noyes 2023

An entire genus of wasp has been named  Dalek  along with the 14 species within it, such as  Dalek nationi , named after Terry Nation who created the monsters. ©Noyes 2023

The underappreciated diversity of wasps

The uncontested stars of this year’s list are the wasps, with a staggering 619 new species described over the past 12 months. While many of us think of wasps as the black and yellow-striped insects with a penchant for jam sandwiches, wasps are an incredibly diverse group of insects that include pollinators, predators, parasites and parasitoids.   

Found in the swamps and lowland forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Delorhachis tommasoi is currently only known from male individuals. ©Taberer et al. 2023

The majority of new wasps this year belong to a group known as the Encyrtidae. These are parasitic insects that lay their eggs on and in unsuspecting invertebrate hosts. The astonishing numbers described this year are largely due to the ongoing work of the Natural History Museum’s Scientific Associates Dr John Noyes and Christer Hansson, who between them published 574 new species as part of their work documenting the diversity of Hymenoptera in Costa Rica.

Whilst beautiful in their own right, with flashes of metallic blues, purples and oranges, they are also economically significant animals that help control agricultural pests.

‘It is important to keep describing new species because many will have a profound influence on their environment and without knowing what to call them, we cannot convey any information about them,’ explains John. ‘In this particular case, the Encyrtidae is probably one of the most important groups of insects in biocontrol, or the use of natural enemies to control agricultural and forest pests.’

‘In the past 60 years or so, three species have been incredibly important. One in preventing the possible starvation of up to 300 million people in Africa, a second preventing the rainforest from destruction in Thailand, and another the collapse of the economy of Togo.’

With 2023 also celebrating the 60 th anniversary of Doctor Who, it is perhaps rather appropriate that these new species should also give a nod to the long-running sci-fi series. An entire genus of wasp has been named Dalek along with the 14 species within it.

‘I thought it was a good name for a genus and a bit of fun having been a big fan of Doctor Who in my early years,’ says John. 

Following on from the wasps, there were 58 new species of beetles named. These have included a number of gorgeous, vivid green and pinkish-orange darkling beetles from China and Laos, and four new long-snouted weevils from South Africa.

The lesser thorn-tailed gecko,  Strophurus spinula , from Western Australia have amazing psychedelic eyes and can shoot goo out of their tails. ©Anders Zimmy

A new species of swamp eel,  Ophichthys terricolus , was found burrowing through the damp soil in Assam, India. ©Rachunliu G. Kamei

Joining the invertebrates are three freshwater and one marine crab, a handful of trematode worms and protists, two bees from Oman and six stick insects from Australia. This included one stick insect called  Micropodacanthus tweedae  that was found on the side of a bin, proving that new species can be found in even the most unremarkable of environments. 

That even extends to the built-up hubbub of London, where an unidentifiable moth discovered in Ealing turned out be a new species actually native to Western Australia.  Called  Tachystola mulliganae  after the amateur moth-er who found it, the moth has so far eluded other urban trappers. It joins eight other moths named this year.

The giant penguin  Kumimanu fordycei  lived about 60 million years ago and weighed up to 150 kilograms. ©Simone Giovanardi

Moving slightly further afield and a whale carcass on the ocean floor off the coast of Byron Bay, Australia, has proven to be particularly rich pickings. On the remains of this one whale researchers were able to identify an incredible nine new species of polychaete worms, including two that actually eat the bones. 

There are typically fewer vertebrates described each year. This year the tally includes 24 new species of frogs , of which 20 are miniature species in the genus Mantidactylus that come from the forests of Madagascar. In addition to these, there have also been a handful lizards such as Strophurus spinula , a gecko from Australia that has the most strikingly patterned eyes, a snake and two fish.

Moving on from animals, and there have been a number of new plants and algae this year. This has included a new species of birch tree from China and 15 newly described species of algae from the freshwater pools, creeks and bores of Australia’s Northern Territory. 

Describing the dead

In addition to the living, researchers have also been busy describing the past diversity of Earth.

This year has seen four new fossil bird species. These include an ancient, toothed bird that was flapping around at the time the asteroid hit, a species of Mauritius ground thrush that likely went extinct in the 1600s after the introduction of black rats, and the largest penguin ever known to exist , Kumimanu fordycei .  

Vectipelta barretti the first ankylosaur discovered on the Isle of Wight for over 100 years. ©Stu Pond

There was also a new dinosaur from the Isle of Wight. The species of large, armoured ankylosaur would have once roamed the flood plain with a meandering river that covered the island around 140 million years ago. It was  named  Vectipelta barretti  after the Natural History Museum’s Professor Paul Barrett.

Dr Susannah Maidment is a palaeontologist at the Museum who helped describe this new species.

This year 15 new species of algae have been described from the freshwater pools, bore holes and marshlands of Australia. ©Casanova et al. 2023

‘Paul is incredibly influential in our discipline,' says Susie. 'He is incredibly high profile and has contributed an enormous amount to the field. But he's also had an absolutely enormous influence on all of our careers, and we wanted to thank him for that.'

'So we decided to name a small, slow-moving, spikey organism after him.'

Diving beneath the waves and there have also been a number of fossil aquatic species named this year. This has included a trio of trilobites, a smattering of ancient sharks, a horseshoe crab relative and a couple of fossil turtles, in addition to an ancient creature called  Anomalocaris dalyae , which would have been the largest predator swimming the seas roughly 500 million years ago.

As plants then first emerged onto land, a newly described species of parasitic fungus was not far behind. Discovered infecting the roots of 400-million-year-old plants,  Potteromyces asteroxylicola  is the earliest disease-causing fungus ever discovered.

Finally, there have been a number of extraterrestrial classifications with 14 new meteorites described by Museum scientists this year, and a new species of mineral named Mikecoxite joining the list.

With species around the world going extinct as an increasingly concerning rate, it is vitally important that we continue to describe as many new species as possible so that we have a record of the intricate web of life on this planet.

• New species
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Museum scientists described 351 new species in 2022

It has never been more important to describe as much of the natural world as possible.

Dinosaurs and meteorites: Museum scientists described 552 new species in 2021

Museum scientists have described 552 new species.

Armoured 'slug' among 503 new species described by Museum scientists in 2020

Museum scientists described 412 new species this year

You can't protect what you don't know. 

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A first-time guide to Albania

Jun 30, 2024 • 6 min read

Here's what every first-time visitor needs to know ahead of a trip to Albania © DaveLongMedia / Getty Images

Albania has never been more popular with travelers than it is now. Joel Balsam, author of the Albania chapter in the new Western Balkans guidebook , shares his expert tips for exploring this singular country.

Is it just me or does it feel like everyone is talking about traveling to Albania ? It’s been like that for a few years, and it’s easy to see why.

TikTok-adored Adriatic beaches with turquoise-painted water line the southwestern coast, the Albanian Alps provide perfect hiking terrain, there’s amazing ancient architecture, and Albania is far cheaper than nearby Croatia, Greece and Italy.

But for every positive pitch about why you should book a trip to Albania right this instant, there are its detractors – some seem to think that Albanian gangs elsewhere in Europe represent the average person in Albania. In short: they don’t, and the locals you’ll encounter in Albania are honest, curious and welcoming.

Here’s what you should know for your first time visiting Albania.

When should I go to Albania?

Europe’s obsession with lazy beach days and cheap flights make Albania’s best accessible beaches, Ksamil and Saranda, good and truly swarming from June through September. If you want a little more peace and quiet, plan a visit in May, though the sea will be chilly. Better yet, go between September and December, which are probably the best months to visit Albania overall as the weather is still lovely and there are fewer visitors.

If visiting in winter, stick to Tirana , the capital city, where you can warm up in its many atmospheric restaurants and bars like Komiteti , which serves many different flavors of rakija  (fruit brandy). Activities in much of the rest of the country shut during winter.

How much time should I spend in Albania?

If you only have a weekend, fly to Corfu in Greece and take the ferry over to Saranda to see the Albanian Riviera . Or land in Tirana to enjoy the capital’s terrific food and historic sights.

If you have time for a road trip, you can cover Albania highlights like Tirana, a beach on the coast and one of Berat or Gjirokastra in a week. Allow for more time if you want to hike in the Accursed Mountains or if you plan to take public transport – Albanian buses are notoriously unreliable and slow.

Is it easy to get in and around Albania?

There’s just one international transport hub in Albania at Tirana International Airport. But if you want to visit the southwestern beaches it’s better to fly to Corfu and take the short ferry ride over.

Once inside Albania, getting around is, sadly, very challenging. Communist-era furgon shared minibuses that run between towns belong in a museum and don’t have consistent timetables. They also have a bad habit of breaking down.

Driving is more convenient, though it comes with plenty of warnings. Many complain about Albania’s aggressive drivers and speedy sports cars (likely to be a Volkswagen or Mercedes). Personally, I don’t find driving in Albania to be that bad, especially on the main highways – and you really should stick to the highways as country roads aren’t always well maintained.

Hiring a car is also a headache, with international brands charging a premium and only maintaining offices at Tirana airport. Local car hire companies are cheaper and can be found outside the airport, but you’ll have to pay cash or bank transfer, meaning you won’t be able to use insurance protections from your credit card if it comes with those.

Top things to do in Albania

Enjoy albania's beautiful coastline.

You may have seen it on Instagram – now’s your chance to swim from Albania’s picture-perfect beaches. Ksamil, the country’s most popular beach, is indeed gorgeous, but more expensive than anywhere in the country and stupidly crowded in summer – there isn’t even room to put down a beach towel. Travel up the coastline to find quieter beaches in and around Himara and Dhërmi and take a boat tour to “secret” beaches inaccessible to cars. 

If you do go to Ksamil, don’t you dare miss Butrint , a jaw-dropping Greek and Roman city.

Bar hop in Tirana's Blloku neighborhood

During Albania’s communist era from 1946–1991, Tirana’s Blloku neighborhood was blocked off to the public as a private residence for party officials. When Albania’s democratic revolution finally toppled the regime, the gates to Blloku swung open and the neighborhood has since become a place to see and be seen. Hip cafes and bars with plant-filled terraces line the streets, and there are plenty of cool clubs as well. My personal favorite is Radio Bar .

Visit the "museum towns" of Berat and Gjirokastra

For amazing architecture, travel to Albania’s UNESCO-recognized “museum towns”. In Berat, explore a city-sized castle atop the hill and wind through tiny stone alleyways. Don’t miss the city’s prized windows, which are best viewed from across the Osum River.

In Gjirokastra, the architecture is no less remarkable. Walk up the hill (you’ll be doing a lot of that here), to see ancient homes with heavy stone tile roofs and its impressive castle. Underneath the city, wander through communist-era bunkers – there’s a huge one beside the town hall.

My favorite thing to do in Albania

What truly won me over in Albania is the country’s mountainous north, starting with Shkodra . The artsy student city is easily the most bike-friendly place I’ve seen in Eastern Europe and a great base for exploring nearby peaks.

In three days, you can take a ferry to Valbona , hike a section of the Peaks of the Balkans trail linking Albania with Kosovo and Montenegro and jump into cobalt “blue eye” ponds in Theth . Accommodations in Shkodra can organize the circuit for you.

How much money do I need for Albania?

Few places in Albania accept card payments. You can take out local currency, lek, from ATMs, with a steep transaction fee or exchange cash at money changers. At the time of writing, €1 equals 100 lekë.

• Hostel room: 1500 lekë
• Basic room for two: 5000 lekë per night
• Self-catering apartment (including Airbnb): 5000 lekë per night
• Ticket for a bus in Tirana: 40 lekë
• Inter-city bus: prices vary. A trip between Saranda and Tirana is 1600 lekë
• Coffee: 100 to 200 lekë
• Sandwich: 600 lekë
• Dinner for two: 2000 lekë
• Beer/pint at the bar: 300 lekë

Is Albania safe?

Contrary to what many say, Albania is safe. Pickpocketing barely happens, and crime associated with Albanian organized crime elsewhere in Europe has little to do with the average traveler’s experience.

Is Albania religious?

Most Albanians identify as Muslim, but you’ll rarely see locals display their faith in public with traditional clothing. You will, however, see plenty of mosques as well as a lot of churches. 

Despite Albania appearing quite secular, it’s still respectful to dress conservatively outside of Tirana and the beaches. If entering a popular mosque, there should be extra clothing to cover up during your visit.

Is it worth visiting Kosovo while in Albania?

A visit to Kosovo, Albania’s neighbor to the east, is easy, and border guards will rarely even stop you to check your passport. The two countries are strongly linked, with the vast majority of people in both identifying as ethnic Albanian – their division is a result of border lines drawn by Western European powers.

In Kosovo, you’ll find prettier mountain trails along with historic Prizren, with its many gorgeous places of worship and castles. Also, check out burgeoning Pristina , which looks more like a Western European city by the day.

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