September 24–27, 2026 | Javits Center, New York City
If you love art, this is one of those weekends when New York seems to belong to the art world.
The Armory Show 2026 is now open at the Javits Center, bringing together more than 240 galleries from 30 countries. The fair runs through Sunday, September 27, with contemporary and modern art, curated exhibitions, talks, performances and plenty of opportunities to discover artists you may not have encountered before.
And after looking through what is being presented this year, there is a lot to discover.
The Galleries Are the Main Attraction
More than 240 exhibitors are bringing together artists from the United States and around the world, representing different generations, backgrounds and approaches to contemporary and modern art.
Walking through the fair, you encounter familiar names alongside artists who may be completely new to you.
Among the many artists represented this year are Vik Muniz, Sheila Hicks, Pat Steir, Jennifer Bartlett, Louise Nevelson, Robert Motherwell, Lynda Benglis, Beauford Delaney, Romare Bearden, Ha Chong-Hyun, Kenny Scharf, Ali Cherri, Dustin Yellin, Larry Poons, Daniel Buren and Tomie Ohtake.
That variety is one of the pleasures of an art fair like this. You don’t have to arrive knowing exactly what you are looking for. Sometimes the most interesting discovery is the artist you had never heard of five minutes earlier.
A Few Artists to Look For
One presentation that caught our attention is from Nara Roesler, featuring artists including Vik Muniz, Sheila Hicks, Abraham Palatnik, Daniel Buren and Tomie Ohtake.
Sheila Hicks — official website
Another artist worth seeking out is Kathia St. Hilaire, whose work is being presented in a solo exhibition by Perrotin. Her work combines painting, printmaking and unusual materials in ways that make the pieces particularly intriguing up close.
And these are just a few names among hundreds of artists represented throughout the fair.
The VIP Opening: Collectors Were Already Buying
The VIP opening took place Thursday, September 24, and the reports coming out of the first day indicate that collectors were not waiting until the weekend to start buying.
Among the reported Thursday transactions were:
- Michael Rosenfeld Gallery sold a Joan Mitchell painting for more than $2 million.
- Edwynn Houk Gallery sold a László Moholy-Nagy gelatin silver print for $320,000.
- Nara Roesler sold a Sheila Hicks work for approximately $260,000.
- Gazelli Art House sold a historic Lilly Fenichel painting for approximately $200,000.
- Galerie Maximillian sold a 2025 work by Rashid Johnson for $175,000.
These are reported individual sales from the opening, not an official total for the fair. Art fairs generally do not disclose every transaction, and some reported sales cannot be independently verified. But there was clearly serious buying activity from the moment the VIP doors opened.
Read the latest Armory Show sales report from Artsy
The Caribbean Has an Important Place Here
One of the distinctive aspects of this year’s fair is its attention to the Caribbean and Caribbean diaspora.
The focus is centered in the Focus section, curated by María Elena Ortiz, with artists including Ana Fernandez Mosseri, Mercedes Elena Gonzalez, Ricardo Cabret, Ernesto Rivera, Gio Swaby, Kachelle Knowles, Lizania Cruz, Nora Maité Nieves, Joshua Nazario, Paul Gardère, Kukuli Velarde, Ana de Orbegoso and Clovis-Alexandre Desvarieux.
The subject also appears elsewhere throughout the fair. The Armory Show describes the Caribbean and diaspora as a broader curatorial throughline connecting artists and ideas across the Caribbean, Latin America, Canada, the United States and the wider Americas.
In other words, the Caribbean is an important part of this year’s conversation, but it is one part of a much larger international fair.
That balance is important. The Armory Show remains a place where you can see art from New York, Los Angeles, Europe, Latin America, Asia and many other parts of the world in one visit.
Solo Exhibitions Give Artists Room to Breathe
The Solo section is another part of the fair I would not rush through.
Instead of seeing one or two works by an artist in a large group presentation, these displays allow you to spend more time with a particular body of work.
This year’s solo and dual presentations include Almandrade at Galeria Raquel Arnaud, Bernard Childs at BANK, Dhewadi Hadjab at Mennour, and presentations featuring Mel Odom and Jennie Haddad, as well as Timothy App and Madeleine Keesing.
For someone who really wants to discover an artist rather than simply walk through a collection of booths, these presentations can be especially rewarding.
Presents: Some Names You May Want to Remember
The Presents section concentrates on younger galleries, giving emerging artists and newer gallery programs a place within the larger fair.
Among the artists presented are Leroy Johnson, Sasha Brodsky, Winnie Truong, Terrence Musekiwa, Youssra Raouchi, Droste Gallade and Willehad Eilers.
This is often where an art fair becomes more than a showcase of established names. You can come across work that feels completely new, and perhaps see an artist before his or her name becomes familiar to a much larger audience.
More Than Just Works of Art
The Armory Show has also built a program around the exhibitions themselves.
Armory Live brings artists, curators and other members of the art community together for conversations and presentations. On Friday, September 25, the program included the ninth annual Curatorial Leadership Summit, followed by a conversation between artist Lucy Raven and Drew Sawyer. (The Armory Show)
There are also performances and special events throughout the weekend, making the fair feel more like a cultural event than simply a collection of gallery booths.
Friday Night at Armory After Hours
Friday evening brought Armory After Hours, from 7 to 9 p.m., with a performance led by DJ and creative producer Adam “Foreigner” Cooper and live percussionists.
The program drew inspiration from Caribbean carnival, steel pan floats and mas bands, tying naturally into the fair’s broader Caribbean focus.
It was one of those events that reminds you that contemporary art doesn’t always have to be experienced quietly in front of a canvas.
A Name That Goes Back More Than a Century
The name The Armory Show actually goes back to 1913.
The original Armory Show, held in New York that year, introduced American audiences to European modernism alongside groundbreaking American artists. It became one of the defining exhibitions in the history of modern art in America.
The present-day Armory Show is a different institution, but it deliberately carries that historic name.
The modern fair was established in 1994 and became an important part of New York’s contemporary art scene. Over the years it developed into one of the city’s major international art fairs and eventually found its home at the Javits Center. The fair was acquired by Frieze in 2023.
The Armory Show — About and History
New York’s Fall Art Season Is Underway
There is a particular energy to New York during the fall season.
The museums are beginning their new programs. Galleries are opening new exhibitions. Collectors, artists, curators and visitors are arriving from around the world. And suddenly there seems to be something happening on every block.
The Armory Show is one of the events that kick off that season.
For us, the appeal is not simply the opportunity to see expensive works of art. It is the possibility of discovering something unexpected.
That is what makes a large art fair interesting.
If You Missed This Year’s Show
The Armory Show 2026 continues through Sunday, September 27, at the Javits Center.
And if you cannot make it this weekend, the fair’s online viewing room remains available through October 4, giving collectors and art lovers another opportunity to look at works presented by this year’s galleries. (The Armory Show)
But if you missed 2026 altogether, keep an eye out for The Armory Show 2027.
The names may change, the artists will certainly change, and there will undoubtedly be plenty of new discoveries. But the basic attraction remains the same: bringing an extraordinary range of art and artists together in New York.
Hi Class Living’s Take
For Hi Class Living, The Armory Show is one of those New York art events that is a must.
There is simply a lot to take in.
The international galleries are the heart of the fair. The Caribbean and diaspora focus adds another important layer. The Solo and Presents sections give emerging and individual artists more attention. And then there are the performances, conversations and special events that take the experience beyond the traditional gallery booth.
We especially like the fact that you don’t have to be a serious collector to enjoy it.
You can go looking for a particular artist. You can go looking for something to buy. Or you can simply walk in and see what catches your eye.
And that may be the best reason to keep The Armory Show on your New York calendar.
We will certainly be keeping an eye on what comes next in 2027.