8 BIPOC artists are showing solo at NYC galleries and project spaces this May. The list below is the curated subset of solo exhibitions where the artist's identity is foregrounded in the gallery's own framing — Black American, African, Latinx, Asian American, Indigenous, and other artists of color whose practices are on view across the city.
Below: the full list with title, gallery, neighborhood, dates, and a sentence on what each show is doing.
1. No Still Waters by Phuong Nguyen at IRL Gallery
Phuong Nguyen, No Still Waters at IRL Gallery, Chinatown. Through May 23, 2026.
No Still Waters is at IRL Gallery, 86 Walker St, 2nd Floor, Chinatown, on view Apr 24 – May 23, 2026. Viewing Room Phuong Nguyen (b. 1992, Toronto, Canada) is a Tkaronto-based visual artist working across representational oil painting, wood carving, ceramics, and experimental weaving. Born and raised in Tkaronto, her practice examines the entanglement of ornament, identity, and power through a sustained engagement with Ornamentalism and Orientalism.
2. Mesas/Mountains/Sky by Kay WalkingStick at Hales
Kay WalkingStick, Mesas/Mountains/Sky at Hales, Chelsea. Through May 31, 2026.
Mesas/Mountains/Sky is at Hales, 547 W 20th St, Chelsea, on view Apr 11 – May 31, 2026. Hales is delighted to present Mesas/Mountains/Sky, a solo exhibition of new and recent landscape paintings by Kay WalkingStick at our New York gallery. The exhibition is WalkingStick's third with Hales, and follows the major presentation of works from this series in the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia (2024) as well as the ongoing touring exhibition.
3. Rituals and Liberty by Carlos Garaicoa at Goodman Gallery
Carlos Garaicoa, Rituals and Liberty at Goodman Gallery, Upper East Side. Through May 31, 2026.
Rituals and Liberty is at Goodman Gallery, 23 E 67th St, 2nd Floor, Upper East Side, on view Apr 24 – May 31, 2026. Goodman Gallery is pleased to present Carlos Garaicoa's Rituals and Liberty, the artist's first solo exhibition at the gallery's New York viewing room. This concise exhibition of eight works precedes his solo show at Museo La Tertulia in Cali, Colombia, in May. 'Rituals and Liberty' presents a suite of five reliefs integrating painting and photography, and a series of sculpt.
4. Tatale Provisions by Akwasi Brenya-Mensa at Hannah Traore
Akwasi Brenya-Mensa, Tatale Provisions at Hannah Traore, Lower East Side. Through May 31, 2026.
Tatale Provisions is at Hannah Traore, 150 Orchard St, Lower East Side, on view Apr 30 – May 31, 2026. Hannah Traore Gallery is pleased to present the first-ever installation of Akwasi Brenya-Mensa’s Tatale Provisions in the United States. A category-defying polymath, the Ghanaian-British artist is known for his use of food as a creative medium, embracing the coalescence of food, art, and heritage as an avenue for holistic connection.
5. Travel Diary by Francesco Clemente at Vito Schnabel Gallery
Francesco Clemente, Travel Diary at Vito Schnabel Gallery, Chelsea. Through May 31, 2026.
Travel Diary is at Vito Schnabel Gallery, 455 W 19th St, Chelsea, on view Jan 28 – May 31, 2026. Vito Schnabel Gallery is pleased to present the opening of Francesco Clemente: Travel Diary. The exhibition, featuring works made over the last twenty-five years. The idea of taking a journey has always been central to Clemente’s artistic practice as both a theme and a goal.
6. Baladas by Armig Santos at Lévy Gorvy Dayan
Armig Santos, Baladas at Lévy Gorvy Dayan, Upper East Side. Through Jun 14, 2026.
Baladas is at Lévy Gorvy Dayan, 19 E 64th St, Upper East Side, on view Apr 16 – Jun 14, 2026. Lévy Gorvy Dayan is delighted to present the gallery's first solo exhibition Baladas with Puerto Rican artist Armig Santos. The exhibition debuts a series of canvases that explore the artist's personal and pastoral relationship to the islands of Puerto Rico, drawing upon historical, archival, and ecological sources of inspiration.
7. 24/8* by Anna Gonzalez Noguchi at Derosia
Anna Gonzalez Noguchi, 24/8* at Derosia, Little Italy. Through Jun 14, 2026.
24/8* is at Derosia, 197 Grand St, 2W, Little Italy, on view May 14 – Jun 14, 2026. Gallery Vacancy presents 24/8*, a special solo project by Japanese-Spanish artist Anna Gonzalez Noguchi in the front room of Derosia’s reception office. Set within a working environment where labor, administration, and creativity quietly overlap, the presentation offers a seamless framework for Gonzalez Noguchi’s wall-based sculptures, which are composed from stationery, folded.
Plan twenty to thirty minutes; most NYC galleries are closed Mondays. Check the gallery's posted hours before you go.
8. (All) Americans by Vaughn Spann at Almine Rech
Vaughn Spann, (All) Americans at Almine Rech, Tribeca. Through Jun 14, 2026.
(All) Americans is at Almine Rech, 361 Broadway, Tribeca, on view May 8 – Jun 14, 2026. Almine Rech New York is pleased to present (All) Americans, Vaughn Spann's sixth solo exhibition with the gallery. Whose Home? A curious thing about this country's national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner," is that in its first stanza (which is usually the only one sung when publicly performed) it poses questions.
How to plan a walk
These shows are spread by gallery rather than neighborhood. Cluster downtown (F to East Broadway and 1 to Franklin) and Chelsea (C/E to 23rd) into separate walks. Use Gallop's map to filter for solo shows and save the ones you want to see before you go.
BIPOC artists have been historically underrepresented in NYC commercial galleries. Curating a focused list is one practical way for visitors to find work that gallery algorithms and museum surveys still under-surface.
Are these all solo shows?
Yes — every show on this list is a solo show. Group shows with BIPOC artists are covered in our weekly group-show roundup.
How do I find more BIPOC artist shows on Gallop?
The Gallop app doesn't currently filter by artist demographic, but most gallery press releases note the artist's background. Filter by 'solo shows on view' and read the descriptions.
Where are the best NYC galleries showing BIPOC artists?
Galleries like P·P·O·W, James Cohan, Jack Shainman, Karma, David Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth, Mariane Ibrahim, Sean Kelly, Lehmann Maupin, and many smaller downtown spaces consistently program BIPOC artists. The list below pulls from across this set.
