8 artists are making their first solo show in NYC this May — at galleries from Chelsea to Chinatown, the Lower East Side to the Upper East Side. Catching a debut means seeing an artist articulate their position for the first time in a sustained, edited presentation.
Below: the full list — title, artist, gallery, neighborhood, and end date — with notes on what each show is doing and where to find it.
1. Popeye by Martin Wong at P·P·O·W
Martin Wong, Popeye at P·P·O·W, Chinatown. Through May 31, 2026.
Popeye is at P·P·O·W, 392 Broadway, Chinatown, on view Apr 18 – May 31, 2026. P·P·O·W is pleased to present Martin Wong: Popeye, the gallery’s sixth solo exhibition of the artist’s work, and the first solo show of Martin Wong in New York in over a decade. Co-curated by Mark Dean Johnson and Anneliis Beadnell, Popeye examines Wong’s lifelong preoccupation with artistic subcultures—namely comic book illustration and early tattoo imagery—as reoccurring moti.
2. In Equilibrium by Trishla Jain at Sundaram Tagore
Trishla Jain, In Equilibrium at Sundaram Tagore, Chelsea. Through May 23, 2026.
In Equilibrium is at Sundaram Tagore, 542 W 26th St, Chelsea, on view Apr 23 – May 23, 2026. Sundaram Tagore is pleased to present Trishla Jain: In Equilibrium, the first solo exhibition by California-based artist Trishla Jain (b. 1985, New Delhi) since joining the gallery's roster in 2025. Jain presents new, intricately wrought abstract canvases that are deeply enmeshed with her meditation practice. Born into a large extended family, Jain was spiritually curious fr.
3. The Pursuit of Harmony by Henri Matisse at Acquavella Galleries
Henri Matisse, The Pursuit of Harmony at Acquavella Galleries, Upper East Side. Through May 23, 2026.
The Pursuit of Harmony is at Acquavella Galleries, 18 East 79th Street, Upper East Side, on view Apr 9 – May 23, 2026. Acquavella Galleries is pleased to present Matisse: The Pursuit of Harmony, an exhibition featuring fifty paintings, works on paper, and sculpture by Henri Matisse on loan from museums, foundations, and private collections.
Anima is at Print Center New York, 535 W 24th St, Chelsea, on view Feb 5 – May 24, 2026. Print Center New York is pleased to present our spring 2026 exhibition Felipe Baeza: Anima, the first monographic institutional exhibition in New York surveying the artist's practice. Bringing together over 40 works demonstrating the range of Baeza's material experimentation, Anima is the first exhibition to deeply explore the artist's grounding in printmaking and the developme.
5. This Life Wants You by Stella De Mont at Benrubi Gallery
Stella De Mont, This Life Wants You at Benrubi Gallery, Chelsea. Through May 24, 2026.
This Life Wants You is at Benrubi Gallery, 529 W 20th St, 8th Floor, Chelsea, on view Apr 2 – May 24, 2026. Benrubi Gallery is pleased to present This Life Wants You, the debut solo exhibition of American photographer Stella De Mont. The title is not a provocation — it is a proposition, and one that De Mont's photographs make good on with uncommon conviction.
6. Paris in My Head by Claudia Baez at Bookstein Projects
Claudia Baez, Paris in My Head at Bookstein Projects, Upper East Side. Through May 30, 2026.
Paris in My Head is at Bookstein Projects, 39 East 78th Street, Upper East Side, on view Apr 23 – May 30, 2026. Bookstein Projects is pleased to present an exhibition of paintings by Claudia Doring Baez. This is the artist's first solo show with the gallery. Claudia Doring Baez’s paintings are animated by a deep reverence for art history and literature, rendered through a contemporary, expressionistic lens.
7. Works on Paper: A Survey by Marina Adams at Peter Blum
Marina Adams, Works on Paper: A Survey at Peter Blum, Little Italy. Through May 30, 2026.
Works on Paper: A Survey is at Peter Blum, 176 Grand St, Little Italy, on view Apr 9 – May 30, 2026. Peter Blum Gallery is pleased to present the exhibition by Marina Adams entitled, Works on Paper: A Survey. Spanning over three decades from 1994 to 2025, this marks the first exhibition dedicated to surveying the New York and Italy based artist's works on paper. Marina Adams has developed a dynamic practice of clear and powerful abstract language that explores the possibili.
Plan twenty to thirty minutes; most NYC galleries are closed Mondays. Check the gallery's posted hours before you go.
8. Echoes of Elsewhere by Sylvia Trotter Ewens at Plato
Sylvia Trotter Ewens, Echoes of Elsewhere at Plato, Nolita. Through May 31, 2026.
Echoes of Elsewhere is at Plato, 202 Bowery, Nolita, on view Apr 24 – May 31, 2026. Plato is excited to present Sylvia Trotter Ewens’ inaugural solo exhibition with the gallery, Echoes of Elsewhere. In Echoes of Elsewhere, Honduran-Canadian painter Sylvia Trotter Ewens presents a deeply personal body of work that navigates memory, identity, and the shifting terrain between cultures.
Plan twenty to thirty minutes; most NYC galleries are closed Mondays. Check the gallery's posted hours before you go.
How to plan a walk
Debut shows are spread across NYC by gallery taste rather than neighborhood, so plan loose clusters: downtown debut spaces (F to East Broadway, 1 to Franklin) and Chelsea (C/E to 23rd) each merit an afternoon. Use Gallop's map to find what's closest to wherever you're already going.
Debut shows are often the artist's most carefully edited statement. Galleries spend longer on first shows, and the work is rarely repeated — once an artist's program is established, debuts get replaced by mid-career rhythms.
Are debut shows good investments?
If you're collecting, debuts can be the most accessible price point for an artist's career. But buy because you love the work, not because you expect appreciation.
How do I find more debut shows on Gallop?
Filter the Gallop app by 'opening this week' and look for shows where the artist has no prior gallery exhibitions in the database. The app cross-references career timelines.
What's the difference between a 'debut solo' and a 'first NYC solo'?
A debut solo is an artist's first solo show anywhere. A first NYC solo is their first solo in New York — they may have shown elsewhere first. Both are worth catching; the descriptions below note which is which.
