French Designer Thierry Mugler. Credit: Max Abadian
No matter what kind of art you may be into, there’s a show somewhere in the world to suit your style. From classic collections featuring old masters of the brush to first showings from up-and-coming talent, these exhibits across the map provide the perfect excuse to plan a creative jaunt somewhere fun.
“Thierry Mugler: Couturissime” at The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Fashionistas should sashay to Montreal this spring to check out this world premiere retrospective on French designer Thierry Mugler. Costumer to such ostentatious stars as Lady Gaga, David Bowie and Liza Minnelli, Mugler is an icon in the fashion world for his whimsical, spectacular outfits.
Featuring garments all made between 1973 and 2001, this exhibition (on display through September 8) showcases more than 140 pieces of the Renaissance man’s couturier genius, many of which have never been seen.
If that doesn’t scratch your fashion itch, check out the museum’s sister show, “Montreal Couture,” also going on at the same time.
Complete your chic retreat with a stay at Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Hotel Le Crystal. Less than a 10-minute walk from the museum, this boutique property offers perks like an outdoor jacuzzi with an excellent view, a heated terrace and loft-like rooms with luxurious bathrooms — all wonderful spots for resting stiletto-weary feet.
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“Claude Monet: The Truth of Nature” at the Denver Art Museum
If you need another reason to visit Colorado’s snow-capped capital, Denver will showcase the broadest U.S. exhibition of Monet paintings in over two decades (running October 21 to February 2, 2020).
With more than 120 paintings spanning the master’s entire career, the show focuses on his obsession with nature — expect to see famous works from his series on haystacks, poplars and, of course, waterlilies — and there’s a distinct lack of human subjects in these masterpieces.
If the art inspires you, check out the famous flowers at the Denver Botanic Gardens and dabble in your own watercolor rendition of the natural world.
Continue your cultural tour by checking into Four-Star The Ritz-Carlton, Denver, where you’ll find pieces from local artists hanging throughout the building. The plush rooms also prove a bit of a masterpiece in their own right with marble-accented bathrooms, 400-thread-count Frette linens and lovely views of the Rocky Mountains.
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“Van Gogh and Britain” at Tate Britain
A great way to understand a place you’re traveling to is to see it though the veil of art. That’s exactly what this special exhibit does with the beloved Vincent Van Gogh, who lived in England for a few years when he was young.
From March 27 through August 11, see how Great Britain influenced the Dutch artist and his work through this 45-piece display, the largest Van Gogh collection of paintings that have graced the U.K. in nearly a decade.
Delight in works such as Shoes, Starry Night on the Rhône, Sunflowers, At Eternity’s Gate and L’Arlésienne, to name a few.
Enjoy a stay as historic as this exhibit when you check into London’s Five-Star The Goring. Originally opened in 1910 (two decades after Van Gogh’s death), the regal retreat is still family owned. After browsing the Tate, take your post-museum tea in the tranquil garden or in the opulent Dining Room — look out for the cheeky cartoons lining the otherwise elegantly adorned walls.
AKA Smyth Tribeca. Credit: AKA Smyth Tribeca
“Whitney Biennial 2019” at the Whitney Museum of American Art
There’s perhaps no better place to check out the contemporary art world’s up-and-comers than at New York City’s Whitney Museum of American Art, and this summer show is the crème de la crème.
Over the past year, curators Jane Panetta and Rujeko Hockley have hand-selected 75 creators to feature in this biennial showcase. From May 17 through September 22, check out innovative works from the likes of Birmingham, Alabama, sculptor Joe Minter; Puerto Rican multimedia artist Sofía Gallisá Muriente; and New York-based performance artist Autumn Knight.
For overnight accommodations as carefully curated as the biennial, check into Forbes Travel Guide Recommended AKA Smyth Tribeca, just a 15-minute taxi ride south of the museum. Browse the eclectic display of artworks lining the lobby before dining at acclaimed chef Andrew Carmellini’s Little Park, a Forbes Travel Guide Recommended restaurant renowned for its vegetable-heavy dishes.
Berlin’s Alte Nationalgalerie. Credit: Staatliche Museen Zu Berlin Maximilian Meisse
“Fighting For Visibility: Women Artists in the Nationalgalerie Before 1919” at Alte Nationalgalerie
Just 100 years ago, the first women were permitted to attend art classes at the Berliner Kunstakademie, also known as the Academy of Arts in Berlin. This show at the Alte Nationalgalerie celebrates the rise of woman artists and their ability to be seen and showcased over the past century.
Beginning October 11, wander the halls to peruse unique works from pioneers like Sabine Lepsius, Elisabeth Ney and Maria Slavona, among plenty of other lesser-known names, some of whom have pieces on display for the first time.
The 19th-century neoclassical bank that houses Four-Star Hotel de Rome, a Rocco Forte Hotel may be as old as the paintings at the Alte Nationalgalerie, but the rich, contemporary furnishings certainly are not. This stunning and eclectic property is just a quick 10-minute walk or four-minute cab ride from the museum. If you’re walking to the gallery, you also can take in iconic sights like the State Opera House and domed St. Hedwig’s Cathedral along the way.
