Six Must-See Winter Art Exhibitions in and Around Boston

Where to go and what to see for your winter design fix.

Sign up for our weekly home and property newsletter, featuring homes for sale, neighborhood happenings, and more.

“Arabesque”

The swirling lines of arabesque have long appeared in both Islamic and European art (think: intricate patterns chiseled onto the side of a mosque or a Rococo-style bureau). At the Clark Art Institute, trace the evolution of this important design element through furniture, textiles, book illustrations, and more.

12/14–3/22/20, 225 South St., Williamstown, 413-458-2303, clarkart.edu.

“The Art of Observation”

What do dogs, Paris, and Jacqueline Kennedy have in common? They’ve all been the subjects of photographer Elliott Erwitt during his six-decade career. Find inspiration for the composition of your next Instagram photo among more than 90 of the artist’s iconic gelatin-silver prints, on display at Springfield’s D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts.

11/9–1/12/20, 21 Edwards St., Springfield, 413-263-6800, springfieldmuseums.org.

Fabienne Delacroix

If you’re feeling nostalgic for the Boston of yore, step back in time at M Fine Arts Galerie—host to painter Fabienne Delacroix’s historical Hub cityscapes this December. Following in the footsteps of her father, legendary naïf-style painter Michel Delacroix, the French artist plans to share canvases depicting bygone Paris, too.

12/1–12/31, 460 Harrison Ave., Boston, 617-450-0700, mfinearts.com.

“Game Changers”

Experience the latest contemporary artwork—for free—at the new MassArt Art Museum, slated to open in February 2020. The museum, formerly known as the Bakalar & Paine Galleries, will host three debut exhibitions, including “Game Changers,” a multi-artist show that explores the connection between video games and art.

Opens February 2020, 621 Huntington Ave., Boston, 617-879-7333, maam.massart.edu.

“Inheritance”

Fafnir Adamites takes abstract concepts—inherited trauma, intuition, and the “invisible influences in our lives”—and translates them into tactile, physical creations. See her work at Boston Sculptors Gallery, where you’ll find a 42-foot-long stunner woven with recycled black and white T-shirts, among other installations.

11/6–12/8, 486 Harrison Ave., Boston, 617-482-7781, bostonsculptors.com.

“Tschabalala Self: out of body”

Tschabalala Self’s hometown of Harlem comes alive in her multimedia masterpieces, which make their debut at the ICA this January. The show, Self’s first in Boston and largest to date, will feature colorful, collage-like paintings and sculptures—each inspired by the native New Yorker’s old neighborhood.

1/20/20–7/5/20, 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston, 617-478-3100, icaboston.org.