October Art Calendar for Artists: Exhibitions, Openings and Events to Know
October has always felt like a particularly exciting time in the art world. After the slower pace of summer, things begin to pick up again. Galleries open their doors to new exhibitions, museums welcome visitors into thoughtfully curated shows, and art communities come together through fairs, talks, studio visits, and all the little moments that remind us how much is happening around us. There is a certain feeling of things coming back to life, of artists sharing what they have been working on, curators introducing new ideas, and people finding their way back into galleries and exhibition spaces.
And honestly, one of the lovely things about this time of year is that there is always something new to discover. You might find yourself drawn to an exhibition by an artist you have followed for years, stumble upon someone whose work you have never encountered before, or come across a conversation that makes you think about your own creative practice a little differently. For artists, especially, these events can be a wonderful way to feel connected to the wider art world, find inspiration outside the studio, and see what fellow artists, galleries, and institutions are exploring.
This October is bringing plenty to look forward to. From major museum exhibitions in New York to the much-anticipated Frieze Week in London, the month is filled with opportunities to experience art in different forms and settings. Alongside these larger events, there are also creative opportunities worth keeping on your radar if you are an artist looking to share your work, connect with new audiences, or simply stay informed about what is happening across the art community.
Whether you are planning to visit an exhibition in person, following the art world’s conversations from home, or looking for a little inspiration to carry into your own practice, we have gathered a few dates worth saving.
Here are six dates and events to have on your October art calendar, with a little something for artists, art lovers, and anyone who wants to make more room for art this month.
1. 101 Art Book: Texture Edition – Open Call by Arts To Hearts Project
Deadline: October 15, 2026
If you are an artist looking for a publishing opportunity this month, keep 101 Art Book: Texture Edition on your radar.
The fifteenth edition of the 101 Art Book by Arts to Hearts Project is currently open for submissions, bringing together 101 artists around the idea of texture. The theme is broad enough to welcome very different approaches, from the physical surface of a painting or ceramic piece to texture found in photography, textiles, sculpture, collage, paper, digital work and mixed media.
Guest curator Rachel Burke, a multidisciplinary artist, designer and author based in Meanjin/Brisbane, is curating this edition alongside the Arts to Hearts editorial team. Selected artists will be featured in the hardcover publication, while the edition also includes additional recognition for three artists, including a $500 award for the winner.
The call is open worldwide to artists aged 18 and above, from emerging to established practices, and closes on October 15 at 11:59 p.m. local time.
If your work is particularly concerned with surface, material, marks or the physical experience of making, this is one deadline worth adding to your calendar now.
2. Krasner And Pollock: Past Continuous
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York | October 4, 2026 – January 31, 2027
October brings a major exhibition to New York that places two names together in a way that invites a closer look at both of their practices.
“Krasner and Pollock: Past Continuous” opens at The Met on October 4. The exhibition brings together more than 120 works from over 80 lenders and explores the artistic relationship between Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock across twelve thematic sections.
For anyone interested in women artists and the history of modern art, Krasner’s presence here is particularly significant.
Krasner was an accomplished artist in her own right, yet her career has often been discussed in relation to Pollock. An exhibition that considers their practices together gives visitors an opportunity to look more closely at the work itself and at the artistic conversations taking place between them.
The show runs through January, making October a good time to begin if you happen to be in New York.
Look out for: paintings, drawings and works exploring two intertwined but distinct artistic practices.
3. Roy Lichtenstein: Like New
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York | Opens October 11, 2026
Pop art gets another major moment this fall with “Roy Lichtenstein: Like New” at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Opening October 11, the exhibition brings together more than 130 works spanning Lichtenstein’s career from the 1940s through the 1990s. It also reunites all eight works from his 1962 debut at Leo Castelli Gallery for the first time.
For artists, exhibitions like this can be useful reminders of how much context can sit behind a familiar visual language. Lichtenstein’s bold lines, comic-inspired imagery and Ben-Day dots have become instantly recognisable. Seeing a larger body of work together, however, allows visitors to move beyond the individual images and think about repetition, appropriation, popular culture and the development of an artistic language over decades.
The exhibition is scheduled to run through December 21.
4. Frieze London And Frieze Masters
London | October 14–18, 2026
If there is one week when London becomes particularly difficult for an art lover to ignore, it is Frieze Week.
Frieze London and Frieze Masters return to The Regent’s Park from October 14 to 18, bringing contemporary art and historical art together across the two fairs. Running alongside them is Frieze Sculpture, the outdoor programme in the park, which continues from September into early November.
But Frieze is far from the only thing happening that week.
London will also host 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair at Somerset House from October 15 to 18, while PAD London runs October 13 to 18. The London Invitational will take place at The Chancery Rosewood from October 15 to 18, bringing together a curated selection of international galleries.
For artists, art fairs can be fascinating even when you are not there to buy anything.
Pay attention to how galleries present artists, how works are installed together and how different practices are introduced to an audience. For anyone interested in the business side of art, a major fair can also offer a useful glimpse into the relationship between artists, galleries, collectors and institutions.
5. Someone Like You: Salman Toor
The Courtauld, London | October 2, 2026 – January 17, 2027
Salman Toor’s first solo exhibition in Europe opens at The Courtauld in London on October 2.
“Someone Like You” brings together 19 paintings made since 2019 alongside a selection of drawings. The exhibition explores Toor’s intimate figurative paintings and his interest in friendship, intimacy, identity and everyday life.
It is an exhibition worth knowing about not only because of the artist’s growing international profile, but because of the way Toor builds expansive emotional worlds around seemingly ordinary moments.
The show also makes for an interesting stop during an especially busy month for London art.
If you are visiting for Frieze Week, you can easily turn the trip into something broader than a few hours at an art fair. Museums, galleries and independent spaces across the city will be presenting their own programmes, making October a particularly rich month for anyone wanting to see contemporary art in different settings.
The Art World Beyond The Big Museums
Across October 2026
October’s art calendar is not only about the biggest names and institutions.
In Atlanta, the High Museum of Art opens “Photography as a Way of Life,” bringing together work by Minor White, Aaron Siskind and Harry Callahan from October 9. In New Haven, Yale University Art Gallery opens “Sarah Sze: Images in Translation” on October 9. And in New York, MoMA’s October programme includes “The Surrealist Book: Tomorrow Lives in Mirrors,” opening October 4, followed by exhibitions such as “Brancusi: The Artist and His Studio” later in the month.
There are also smaller, community-led exhibitions worth looking for.
San Francisco Women Artists’ Artist’s Choice 2026 runs October 6 through November 6, bringing together Bay Area artists selected by juror Cynthia Tom, with an opening reception on October 10.
And in Los Angeles, the Hammer Museum opens “Mavis Pusey: Mobile Images” on October 11. The retrospective brings together more than 60 works from the Jamaican-born artist’s five-decade career in geometric abstraction.
These are the kinds of exhibitions that are easy to overlook when everyone’s attention is fixed on the biggest fall openings, but they can often lead you to artists and practices you might not otherwise encounter.
Make October Your Art Month
You do not have to travel to three different cities or attend every gallery opening to make the most of October. Sometimes, all it takes is one exhibition that stays with you long after you have left, one artist whose work introduces you to a new perspective, or an afternoon spent exploring a gallery you have never visited before. If you are an artist, take this as an opportunity to step outside your usual routine, discover new work, connect with the wider art community, and perhaps find a little inspiration for your own practice.
October has plenty to offer, from major museum exhibitions and international art fairs to smaller shows and creative opportunities for artists. You could put an open-call deadline in your calendar, follow an exhibition happening on the other side of the world, or simply spend some time learning about an artist whose work catches your eye. You do not need to experience everything or be everywhere at once. The idea is to find what interests you and make a little room for it in your month.
So, save the dates that speak to you, plan a gallery visit, or set aside some time to explore something new. Whether you are an artist looking for opportunities, a collector discovering new work, or simply someone who loves being around art, let October be a chance to slow down, look a little closer, and reconnect with the things that make art meaningful to you. You never know what you might discover when you give yourself the time to look.
