Exhibitions Not to Be Missed Before the End of 2023

Museums across the country really have something to see in 2023. Whether you’re looking to rekindle a sense of wonder, follow the career of an outstanding artist, learn something new, or all of the above, this collection of art exhibitions offers plenty of opportunities for inspiration.

Mold-A-Rama: Molded for the Future

Dates and locations:

Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago, through fall 2023

This exhibit at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry is part nostalgia, part engineering marvel. It is a whimsical look at the melting and molding of plastic. The Art exhibition explores the history of this plastic injection machine that debuted at the 1962 World’s Fair. The most pleasant thing at the exhibition is the opportunity to make a plastic novelty to order. We think it will please creators of all ages.

Sharks

Dates and locations:

American Museum of Natural History, New York City, through September 4, 2023

When you stand face to face with a replica of the Megalodon, the largest predatory fish of all time, it will shock you to realize how easily you can fit in the jaws of a prehistoric shark. Luckily, you’re not in that danger at this American Museum of Natural History exhibit. The new show is a breathtaking look at predators that hurt in the ocean, with dozens of life-size models, fossils and interactive art exhibitions.

Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty

Dates and locations:

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, May 5–July 16, 2023

This year’s art exhibition from the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the first major retrospective of the work of designer, creative director of Chanel and aesthete Karl Lagerfeld. If you decide to visit this exhibition, you will find a breathtaking and in-depth look at the legend’s unique sense of style. The exhibition highlights are more than 150 dresses designed by Lagerfeld, along with a fascinating narrative of his storied career, his unique work methods and the many famous people he styled through the decades.

Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper

Dates and locations:

National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, November 19, 2023–March 31, 2024

Rothko created over 1000 paintings on paper throughout his storied career. The exhibition highlights are going to be more than a hundred of his most celebrated paper paintings, some never before seen – ranging from some of the artist’s early figurative subjects to surrealist studies as well as his famous abstractions in color.