Vally Wieselthier, Head of a woman , model 511, 1928. Red pottery, polychrome glaze, height: 9 5/8 in. (24.5 cm). © Galerie bei der Albertina-Zetter Save Story Save this story Save Story Save this story This fall, New York museums are mounting an intriguing mix of shows that speak to notions of girlhood, nostalgia, and feminine self-expression across time, cultures, and creative disciplines. As diverse as the subjects of these exhibitions are—spanning schoolgirls and screen sirens—poignant parallels arise, whether it’s the assumed connection between women and domesticity, or the perpetual dismissal of art made by women as craft.
Discover here six must-see shows grounded in scholarship on female practices and pursuits.
At the Jewish Museum through November 15, 2026
Vally Wieselthier, Insert for curtain panel, designed 1919, made 1922. Linen bobbin lace, 7 11/16 × 7 11/16 in. (19.5 × 19.5 cm). Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
Design enthusiasts will be familiar with Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser, the architect and artist who established the Wiener Werkstätte in Austria at the turn of the 20th century. Lesser known, however, is the fact that through their classes at the Kunstgewerbeschule (School of Applied Arts), they provided a vital creative loophole for women artists and makers who could not attend fine arts academies until the 1920s (training in the decorative arts was considered close enough to their domestic responsibilities). Organized in collaboration with the Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna (MAK), the Jewish Museum’s latest exhibition illuminates how these women became central to the Wiener Werkstätte’s commercial success in Austria and beyond.
“Modernity and Opulence: Women of the Wiener Werkstätte” presents more than 200 objects, ranging from fashion illustrations and block-printed textiles to jewelry and ceramics, by Jewish women artists. Female patrons are also highlighted: for example, Adele Bloch-Bauer, the subject of Gustav Klimt’s famed “woman in gold” portrait (a drawing of Bloch-Bauer by Klimt is featured in the show). Wiener Werkstätte objects designed by women were included in the legendary 1925 Paris International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, as well as in Hollywood films, but their creative legacy and role in shaping modernism should not be overlooked today.
At the Museum at FIT through January 3, 2027
Loewe by Jonathan Anderson, black vinyl lacquered foam “doll” shoes, spring 2023.
Thanks to the Museum at FIT, Barbie is back—but she’s far from the only plastic muse on view. “Doll Dressing” chronicles how dolls have been transmitters of style for centuries (even as early as the 14th century, when they were circulated throughout Europe as miniature fashion models). The more than 170 objects include full-size garments, too, by the likes of Marc Jacobs, Moschino, Loewe, and more designers known for their play with proportion and trompe-l’oeil. Thematic sections draw on childhood play and identity formation, as well as the impact of subversive dolls, such as Mattel’s Monster High line. Don’t miss the “Modes in Miniature” display, which brings together runway looks with miniatures versions by Emily Adams Bode Aujla, Anna Sui, and Jason Wu, among others.
At the Bard Graduate Center through January 3, 2027
Olaf M. Brauner, Portrait of Irene Castle , 1922. Oil on canvas. Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University,
Tracing the origins of the film-costume-design indust…