Summer Review: Three Hot NYC Group Shows

By Emma Hapner, October 14, 2026

Although we are now well into autumn, with leaves falling and my sweater collection officially unpacked, I’m not quite ready to let go of summer. I find myself reminiscing about those long, sun-filled days spent wandering through New York City’s art galleries, where these group exhibitions offered the perfect excuse to discover new artists and experience an exciting range of contemporary art all in one visit.

There’s something especially exciting about a group show. Bringing together artists with distinct perspectives, styles, and approaches, these exhibitions invite unexpected connections and create conversations between works that might otherwise never share the same space.

I’m holding on to that summer feeling a little longer by revisiting three exhibitions that caught my attention at GOCA by Garde in Chelsea, GR Gallery in Tribeca, and a VAC pop-up in Brooklyn Heights. Each offers a different perspective on the possibilities of contemporary art and the unique energy of discovering multiple artists under one roof. There really is nothing quite like a summer group show.

Installation view of *HIGH VISIBILITY at* Goca by Garde

GOCA by Garde is a Chelsea-based gallery dedicated to connecting American, Japanese, and Greater Asian sensibilities by introducing emerging Asian artists to an international audience. My favorite recent show of theirs titled HIGH VISIBILITY was curated by Charlotte Hailstone Wu was on view from July 30-August 29, 2026 and brought together 20 artists whose work utilizes and interprets color in different ways. The show did more than just present a collection of highly saturated images; it featured a variety of artistic styles that each engage the viewer in a unique way.

I was especially drawn to the way HIGH VISIBILITY balanced immediate visual impact with a deeper sense of discovery. The exhibition demonstrated that color doesn’t need to function solely as decoration; it can become the central language through which an artist constructs meaning and invites participation. By bringing together 20 distinct artistic voices, GOCA created an environment where each work could stand on its own while also contributing to a larger conversation about contemporary image-making. The result was an exhibition that felt energetic and cohesive without sacrificing the individuality of each artist.

(Left to right) Theresia Zhang, *May the Moonlight Bless Our Launch,* Amy Yamamoto, *Eyeshadow (Hermès Orange)* in HIGH VISIBILITY at Goca by Garde

I particularly enjoyed the dichotomy between two paintings that appeared next to each other in the installation. Theresia Zhang’s painting, May the Moonlight Bless Our Launch, used shades of blue to infuse the scene with a sense of loneliness - a cold journey into the unknown, while Amy Yamamoto’s piece, Eyeshadow (Hermès Orange), suggests the warmth of the sensual gaze that passes between the subject and the viewer. Zhang’s view of the moon suggests a great distance from the familiar, while Yamamoto’s portrait has a sense of closeness and intimacy.

Installation view of The Blue Season at GR Gallery

Located in Tribeca, GR Gallery has built a program around contemporary artists whose work spans a range of imaginative styles, bold visual languages, and playful interpretations of the world around us. Their late-summer group exhibition, Blue Season, was on view from August 13 through August 30, 2026, and brought together 24 artists in a collective reflection on the fleeting beauty of summer and the emotional nuances of seasonal change.

I found myself interested in the exhibition’s underlying invitation to appreciate a moment that might otherwise pass unnoticed. Summer is often associated with movement, spontaneity, and long days in the sun, yet its conclusion offers an opportunity for stillness. Blue Season embraces this quieter side of the season, transforming the transition into a subject worthy of attention in its own right. There is something comforting about acknowledging that an ending does not necessarily mean a loss; it can also mark a period of growth, renewal, and anticipation. In its own way, the show felt like a celebration of what has passed - a vibrant exploration of life through all its cycles.

(Left to right) Carlo D'Anselmi, Double Jinx, Carlos Pineda Palma, Replicant in The Blue Season at GR Gallery

Two stand outs from Blue Season for me were Double Jinx by Carlo D'Anselmi and Replicant by Carlos Pineda Palma. D’Anselmi’s Double Jinx has a dreamlike quality that evokes nostalgia and a longing for things that have passed, like trying to hold on to a memory that is already beginning to fade. The window becomes more than a physical boundary; it separates different perspectives while also connecting them. There is a quiet intimacy to the scene, but also a sense that we may be intruding on something not entirely meant for us. In this world of blues, looking becomes an act of longing, curiosity, and perhaps even self-reflection.

While D'Anselmi’s painting evokes the feeling of a window to the past, Pineda’s piece looks to the future. Its synthetic, anime-esque figure brings to mind a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, robotics, and the possibility of humanoid machines becoming part of our everyday lives. The title itself suggests replication and the blurred boundaries between the human and the artificial. Are we meant to be seduced by its plastic, artificial perfection, or repulsed by the sense that something is not quite right? Perhaps the discomfort comes from the fact that both reactions can exist simultaneously.

Together, these two works create an interesting dialogue between past and future. For me, this contrast captures something essential about Blue Season: the feeling of standing in a moment of transition, caught between what has already passed and what has yet to come.

Installation view of *The Midnight Garden* by Visionary Art Collective

After the saturated, pop-culture infused shows at Goca and GR, The Midnight Garden slows things down with a soft, restful approach to the iconic summer group show format. Featuring 25 artists and curated by Jessica Libor, founder of Era Contemporary, this show has a feminine touch and nature inspired ambience in-line with Libor's signature style. Realistic botanicals are balanced by lush abstract pieces, all reflecting the exhibitions themes of blooming, decay, and renewal.

Rita Dee Peters, *Rosebud* in *The Midnight Garden* by Visionary Art Collective

Particularly striking in this show are Rita Dee Peters painting, Rosebud and Yannie Yiyang Gu’s The Arrival of Light. Peter's oil painting closely examines floral blooms, reminiscent of Georgia O'Keefe, but with the artist’s distinctive, mystical details. The sparkling edges of the forms are like beautiful thorns, both inviting and warning. On a dark backdrop, the petals appear pastel and luminescent, creating an otherwordly, dreamlike atmosphere. Someone please buy this painting and gift it to me.

Yannie's piece, The Arrival of Light takes ethereal to another level entirely. The artist draws heavily from Buddhist symbolism, her abstract pieces acting as a channel to dissolve the self and return to a state of complete emotional openness. The flowing lines and brushstrokes give her work a transcendent quality imbued with spirituality.