Contributed by Sharon Butler / Make today a day you, like me, refrain from doomscrolling in despair or listening to pundits vainly in search of packaged optimism. Cued by this guide, you might instead opt for art feeds on Instagram and ultimately the shows themselves because nothing is more hopeful than art in the fall in New York. We kick off the first week with the art fairs and then turn our attention to gallery exhibitions, hopping from neighborhood to neighborhood, absorbing new work by artists we’ve known for years and others we’ve never met. For a good time, this is the place to scroll.

Contributed by Sharon Butler / June, academics’ favorite month, is here. I’m looking forward to checking out Smack Mellon’s“Remains to be seen,” a group show that brings together nine emerging artists whose practices find meaning in waste. Artist Austin Eddy has curated a star-studded exhibition called “A Movable Feast” at Halsey Mckay’s Greenpoint outpost. Abbey Lloyd has a solo at Ptolemy, a newish gallery in Queens. I’m looking forward to seeing some aggressive abstraction, with Iva Gueorguieva’s solo at Derek Eller and…

Contributed by Sharon Butler / May is Art Fair Week in New York, but don’t forget to visit the galleries. A few have closed since our last guide—Dinner, Spanierman, and Pocket Utopia are all taking a break. Nathalie Karg is on hiatus. On a brighter note (literally), be sure to see “LFG” at The Hole, a group exhibition featuring blinking LED lights, painting, sculpture, and installation informed by video game aesthetics. McBride/Dillman, the newest…

From my perspective, April has become a prime month for exhibitions in NYC, sandwiched between March’s print and photo fairs and the May Madness of the big spring fairs. The city’s brick-and-mortar art galleries take center stage, and there’s no shortage of engaging exhibitions. I’m looking forward to Rick Briggs’s offbeat abstraction at Satchel Projects in Chelsea, Carolyn Case’s “wild domestic” paintings in Asya Geisberg’s temporary Cortlandt Alley space in Tribeca, and Dustin Hodges’ new work at 15 Orient, also in Tribeca. Artist-writer Mira Dayal has what tracks as an austere, smart solo at Spencer Brownstone. On the opposite side of the emotional spectrum, “Love Poems,” a big, heartfelt group show curated by Chris Martin, is on view at Anton Kern. With due respect to Eliot, April has become one of my favorite months. I’ll see you out there.

After several years during which galleries have focused relentlessly on narrative and figurative work, I feel a vibe shift in the air. Is it wishful thinking or is abstract painting roaring back? I recommend checking out RJ Messineo’s show at CANADA, James Miller at Nichelle Beauchene, Nicolas Bermeo at King’s Leap, and Franklin Evans, who has moved from site-specific wall installations onto canvas in his show at Miles McEnery. I’m looking forward to Moira Dryer’s solo show at Magenta Plains, too. Known for a witty strain of post-minimal abstraction in the 1990s, she was a hero to painters of my generation who were then living in the long shadow of video, photography, and installation work.

Contributed by Sharon Butler / It’s February, we’re two weeks into the first hundred days, and your head, like mine, may be spinning. Take your mind off the world for a minute. Be grateful for the good things in your life, maybe figure out how to help where help is needed. A little light could emerge from the February shows. “La Banda” gets back together at Tappeto Volante Projects. Platform Project Space reopens from their winter break with a big group show called “New Life,” curated by Alexi Worth and Danica Lundy. Rumor is that it involves paintings of babies. Maybe it’s time to see a show at Halsey McKay Gallery HMGP in Greenpoint, where Timothy Bergstrom’s work is on view. Then let’s all go buy a canister of pepper spray and sign up for a self-defense class.

This month, as many in the art world head to Miami for the fairs, most galleries have extended their exhibitions into December. If you missed a show you were hoping to catch, there’s good news—it’s likely still on view. But before you scroll down to see what’s in the galleries

Contributed by Sharon Butler / This month, Marian Goodman has opened her new space in Tribeca—a thoughtfully renovated building at 385 Broadway. Just nearby, at 394 Broadway on the third floor, Pierogi Gallery, a longtime staple in Williamsburg, is marking its 30th anniversary with a pop-up exhibition. The show features works by numerous represented artists, along with selections…