Dia Beacon | 3 Beekman St, Beacon | Year Round (Thu-Mon 10a-5p)

_{Dia Beacon, Riggio Galleries, © Dia Art Foundation | Photo: Bill Jacobson Studio. Courtesy Dia Art Foundation}

The converted Nabisco box-printing factory remains one of the most powerful spaces for art in the country. The 2026 schedule is Dia's most ambitious to date, with 12 presentations opening across three exhibition spaces. The headline this spring is Agnes Martin: Painting is not making paintings, which returns Martin's canvases to Beacon's galleries for the first time in nearly a decade. Later in the year, look for a long-term presentation of Lee Ufan opening in May, John Chamberlain in June, and Bridget Riley in July. The new South Garden, designed by Studio Zewde, will open an additional eight acres of Dia's campus to the public in 2026.

_{Dan Flavin “monuments for V. Tatlin” (1964-90) Photo courtesy of Louise Makowski}

Don't miss the permanent installations while you're there. Richard Serra's Torqued Ellipses, Dan Flavin's monuments for V. Tatlin, and Michael Heizer's North, East, South, West are all reason enough to visit on their own. The Agnes Martin show draws primarily from Dia's own extensive collection, focusing on the range of her output in the 1950s and '60s alongside significant later works, and feels like a homecoming for an artist who belongs in these light-filled galleries.

Storm King Art Center | 1 Museum Rd, New Windsor | Opened Apr 1

Five hundred acres of rolling Hudson Valley landscape studded with large-scale sculpture. The 2026 season opened April 1, and the big exhibitions arrive in May: Anicka Yi's Message from the Mud and an Outlooks commission by Saif Azzuz, both on view through November 9. Liz Glynn's Open House rounds out the temporary program. If you can swing it, the Moonlit Walk events let you experience the grounds from sunset through moonrise with Storm King educators.

_{Alexander Calder “Five Swords” (1976) and Mark di Suvero “Pyramidian” (1998) Photo Courtesy of Ahead World}

Anicka Yi is one of the most exciting artists working right now, known for installations that blur the line between the biological and the technological. This will be a major outdoor commission for her. Saif Azzuz's piece is part of the Outlooks series which has consistently been a launchpad for emerging and mid-career artists working at ambitious scale for the first time outdoors. Both open May 17.

Magazzino Italian Art | 2700 Rt 9, Cold Spring | Year Round (Thu-Mon 11a-4:30p)

_{Exterior view Magazzino Italian Art. Photo by William Mulvihill, courtesy of MQ Architecture}

A sleek warehouse devoted to postwar Italian art, tucked just off Route 9 in Cold Spring. The permanent collection houses what is likely the largest presentation of Arte Povera outside Italy. Right now, the Robert Olnick Pavilion features Piero Manzoni: Total Space, and there's a Manzoni symposium weekend on April 11-12 that includes an activation of his Base magica, inviting visitors to become artworks themselves. Don't skip Cafe Silvia for regional Italian food before or after.

The Manzoni show is the one to catch right now. The symposium will explore the philosophical foundations of Manzoni's work, his conceptual strategies, and the network of exchanges that shaped his practice. The Base magica activation is the kind of participatory moment you won't find in most museums: step onto the pedestal and, even if only for a moment, you become the artwork.

_{Installation view, Piero Manzoni: Total Space at the Robert Olnick Pavilion at Magazzino Italian Art; Photo David Ebony.}

Manitoga | 589 NY-9D, Garrison | Opens May 14

This is the sleeper pick on the list. The 75-acre National Historic Landmark preserves the house, studio, and woodland garden of mid-century industrial designer Russel Wright. The current exhibition is Jeff Zimmerman: Glass Light Nature, a solo show by the glass artist installed in dialogue with the environments designed by Mary and Russel Wright. Public tours resume mid-May 2026, so plan accordingly. It's a reservation-only, guided experience, and worth every minute.

_{Manitoga-Dragon Rock House. Photo by Michael Biondo}

The Zimmerman show is a perfect match for the site. His blown-glass forms catch and scatter the natural light that floods Dragon Rock, the experimental home Wright built into a former quarry ledge. The Design Gallery, which opened in 2021, is also well worth your time: over 200 objects tell the story of how the Wrights shaped modern American lifestyle, from spun aluminum to the iconic American Modern dinnerware.

_{Jeff Zimmerman “Vine” (2023) Image Courtesy of R& Company}

Opus 40 | 356 George Sickle Rd, Saugerties | Open 4 April

_{Harvey Fite “Opus 40” Earthwork (1978) Image Courtesy of Opus 40}

One man, one quarry, 37 years. Harvey Fite built this 6.5-acre environmental sculpture from an abandoned bluestone quarry using only hand tools. No mortar or cement. Unlike most sculpture parks, you walk on the art here. The 2026 season begins April 4. It's the kind of place that makes you rethink what dedication looks like, and the Catskill Mountain views from the top of the monolith are worth the trip alone.

The earthwork itself is the exhibition, always. But the Richards Gallery hosts rotating shows, and this spring features a solo presentation by Anne Leith, on view through May 10. Beyond the gallery, the 2026 concert and events season is again curated by The Local in Saugerties, so keep an eye on their calendar for live music, open-air film screenings, and bluestone workshops throughout the summer.

Art Omi | 1405 Co Rte 22, Ghent | Year Round (Closed on Tuesdays 9a-5p)

_{Art Omi Aerial View, Courtesy of Art Omi}

A 120-acre arts center featuring a Sculpture & Architecture Park with over 60 large-scale works in nature, plus rotating shows in the Newmark Gallery. It's free, open six days a week, from dawn to dusk, and dogs are welcome. Currently on view in the gallery: YATTA: Iron + Palm Wine. Art Omi sits about 2.5 hours from the city, which makes it a natural add-on if you're already heading to Hudson or Chatham for a weekend. Adventurous, family friendly, and totally worth the detour.

Currently on view in the Newmark Gallery is DOMINIO: An Unfinished Visual Archive of Architectural Extractivism by Onnis Luque, on view through May 31. The show traces the often-invisible origins of construction materials back to the raw landscapes from which they're extracted, which feels especially resonant when you're surrounded by 120 acres of Hudson Valley land. New sculptures are added to the park each year, so even repeat visitors will find something they haven't seen before.

The School / Jack Shainman Gallery | Kinderhook | Opening May Saturdays (11a-6p or by appointment)

_{The School Facade - Photo Courtesy of Jack Shainman Gallery}

Just a few minutes from Art Omi. A former school building converted into a massive exhibition space for large-scale works both within and outside of Jack Shainman's gallery program. Open May through November, so this is a warm-weather pick. If you're building a day around the upper Hudson Valley, pair this with Art Omi and lunch in Hudson.

The summer exhibition hasn't been announced yet for 2026, but recent years have set a high bar. Last year's General Conditions (below) brought together 130 artworks confronting injustice, displacement, and power.Past solo presentations have included Nick Cave, El Anatsui, and Nina Chanel Abney.Whatever they mount this May, expect it to take full advantage of those towering ceilings and raw, unrestored upstairs rooms. Check jackshainman.com closer to opening for details.

_{Diedrick Brackens “blood compass” cotton and acrylic yarn, 2023}

Buffalo AKG Art Museum | Buffalo | Year Round (Thu-Mon, hours vary)

_{Buffalo AKG Art Museum © StudioSZ Photo. Image by Justin Szeremeta}

The furthest afield, but a genuine destination. The recently expanded campus features the OMA-designed Wilmers Building connected to the original Knox building by a glass walkway. Current exhibitions include One with Eternity: Yayoi Kusama featuring three immersive installations including two Infinity Mirror Rooms, plus Let Us Gather in a Flourishing Way, a survey of contemporary Latinx painting (through September 2026), and Dine In, organized around food and its related activities entirely from the AKG's collection.

The Kusama show is the headliner and it requires timed tickets, so book ahead. But Let Us Gather in a Flourishing Way is the sleeper: it explores contemporary Latinx artists' innovations within established traditions of painting and runs through the summer. If you're making the trip to Buffalo, pair this with a visit to Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin D. Martin House, which is just across Delaware Park from the museum.

_{Yayoi Kusama “One With Eternity” Photo: Brenda Bieger, Courtesy of Buffalo AKG Art Museum}