Fall might promise cooler weather, but galleries, festivals and art shows are just starting to heat up. This season’s calendar of exhibits across the country offers a chance to be surrounded by gorgeous works of art, build community and reflect on our past, as with the landmark project If Emmett Till Lived, which opens September 10 at the Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) in Chicago.
Co-curated by Sarah Elizabeth Lewis and Reverend Wheeler Parker Jr., Emmett Till’s 87-year-old cousin and the last surviving witness to his kidnapping, it’s part of a larger remembrance of the young teen who was brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955, celebrating a life that should have been. Colin Kaepernick, David Oyelowo, John Legend, Lonnie G. Bunch III, Ava DuVernay, and more are participants in the project.
Artists, collectors, and fashionistas will pack the house where creativity meets history and community—spaces where Black art and history are unapologetically on display. Whether you want to pull up to Atlanta for one of the most electric art festivals running or embrace your sense of whimsy at the Seattle Art Museum, these exhibits are where the plans finally make it out of the group chat.
If Emmett Till Lived
Museum of Contemporary Photography—Chicago, IL
If Emmett Till Lived, opening at the Museum of Contemporary Photography on September 10, asks us to wonder how our past continues shaping our present. The exhibit was put together with the help of Till’s cousin and last surviving witness to his kidnapping, Reverend Wheeler Parker Jr. At a moment when it is crucial to continue speaking about unfiltered Black history, the exhibit keeps Till’s legacy alive through storytelling. Through December 19.
Jerrell Gibbs: Come Home With Me
Baltimore Museum of Art—Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore-born artist Jerrell Gibbs walks us through the places that shaped him in his exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art, opening September 16. The tender collection of 35 new paintings is an honest look at the experiences and people that formed Gibbs’ foundation. As the cities and places we knew growing up continue to evolve, Come Home With Me is a safe space to reflect on how community defines our sense of home. From September 26 through May 2, 2027.
Jubilation! Ambassadors on a Sacred Journey
Kentucky Center for African American Heritage—Louisville, Kentucky
Right near EBONY’s home base, Jubilation! Ambassadors on a Sacred Journey opens in the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage on September 18. The exhibit celebrates the trailblazing legacy of the Jubilee Singers and their dedication to keeping spirituals and Fisk University alive through national concerts. As HBCU students head back to classes and hang out on the Yard, it’s the perfect destination to discover the power of student action. From September 18, 2026, through Feb 28, 2027.
18th & Vine Arts Festival
Kansas City, Missouri
On September 25, Kansas City is welcoming the 18th & Vine Arts Festival for three days of performances, artwork, and photo-worthy fashion. The celebration’s good energy unites local and national artists in the city’s historic 18th & Vine District, known for its jazz legacy. This year, the festival is embracing neo-soul fusion for its theme, so you better fire up that Erykah Badu and Leon Thomas playlist. From September 25 to 27.
Calling All Cats!
Museum of the African Diaspora—San Francisco, California
As the month comes to a close, Dorian Reid’s Calling All Cats! collection arrives at the Museum of the African Diaspora on September 30. Step into a playful world Reid created to mimic our own through a collection of objects that trace the story of the Black Cat Revolution movement. These cats have a lot to say about the power of community-building action. From September 30, 2026, through December 6, 2026.
Atlanta Art Fair
Pullman Yards—Atlanta
October opens with the annual Atlanta Art Fair in Pullman Yards on October 1. The celebration continues to drive the city’s artistic culture, featuring tons of first-time art exhibitors alongside larger installations and creatives from abroad. With almost 70 galleries and cultural leaders from the Southeast set to attend, you’ll find inspiration and expertise all around you in the backdrop of Atlanta’s unreplicable creative vibe. From October 1 to 4, 2026.
Untitled Art, George R. Brown
Convention Center—Houston
Contemporary art is the center of the conversation at this year’s annual Untitled Art fair, starting on October 2 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The fair opens the door to more diverse voices in the growing contemporary art space, making it a perfect destination for art lovers to discover new and young Black voices. Now that AI feels inescapable, this celebration is your chance to unplug and meet modern artists in person. From October 2 to 4.
Dodge Poetry Festival
New Jersey Performing Arts Center—Newark, New Jersey
Audiences will be entranced by the performances of spoken word artists as they command the stage during the Dodge Poetry Festival, starting October 15. The event transforms different locations in Newark into havens for poets to freely share their ideas, for writers to socialize and hone their craft at mixers, and for readers to stop into a pop-up bookstore. From October 15 to 17, 2026.
Power to the People: The Revolutionary Art & Vision of the Black Panther Party
Riverside Art Museum—Riverside, California
You won’t find a better spot to gaze at history than at the Power to the People exhibit at the Riverside Art Museum when it opens on October 17. The exhibit brings together the art and visuals that defined the Black Panther Party as they fought for recognition and uplifting communities. If you’ve spent time scrolling through political art on your Instagram feed, this is the opportunity to see how art blended with action back in the day. From October 17 to April 11, 2027.
Karon Davis: Not My Circus
Seattle Art Museum—Seattle
Welcome in November with a visit to the Seattle Art Museum when Karon Davis’ Not My Circus debuts on November 5. Davis’ collection comments on modern-day power dynamics through her whimsical lens of a big-top circus world. From November 5 through July 4, 2027.
Hard Art
MoMA PS1—Queens, New York
Also on November 5, MoMA PS1 brings Hard Art to the public. The exhibit spotlights the legacy of Black artists who entered the abstract art movement in 1969 and features the work of over forty artists. It’s an ideal space for younger and mature art lovers to come together and experience the decade-spanning collection, a reminder of how art evolves as techniques are passed down and shaped through generations.
Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers
Museum of Contemporary Art—Chicago
In a fitting end to a fall gallery journey, Chicago-born artist Rashid Johnson’s A Poem for Deep Thinkers opens at the Museum of Contemporary Art on November 7. The exhibit marks over two decades since the artist staged his first solo exhibit at the museum, bringing a massive collection of 70 of Johnson’s artworks to the premises. Spanning years of his career, the exhibit feels like a worthy homecoming. From November 7 through Apr 25, 2027.