Alex Katz - Theater and Dance across stage and canvas
Published on 08/20/2026 at 12:35 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Alex Katz has built one of the most consistent painterly vocabularies of the late 20th and early 21st century, from pared-down portraits to expansive landscapes. His long engagement with performance, especially the touring exhibition Alex Katz: Theater and Dance, underlines how deeply his painting is entangled with stage and movement as institutions such as the Colby College Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego emphasize.
The exhibition path of Theater and Dance
The exhibition Alex Katz: Theater and Dance, organized by the Colby College Museum of Art and the American Federation of Arts, surveys more than six decades of Katz's work for theater and dance, from set designs to large-scale paintings.
At the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla, the show ran from August 21, 2025 to January 4, 2026, presenting nearly 90 archival materials, sets, paintings and sketches from over two dozen productions, including around fifteen collaborations with choreographer Paul Taylor.
Drawings, trees and black roses
The Colby College Museum of Art in Waterville, Maine focuses on the artist's drawings in the exhibition Alex Katz | Out of Sight, which brings together more than 80 works on paper from across his career and runs from May 21 to October 11, 2026.
Parallel to this institutional attention, commercial galleries present new bodies of work: Timothy Taylor in London shows the intimate landscape exhibition Various Trees from March 5 to April 11, 2026, while Thaddaeus Ropac's Salzburg space highlights recent flower paintings in Black Roses.
All news and background on Alex Katz
For further context on Alex Katz's exhibitions, market presence and institutional projects, the AD HOC NEWS archive offers additional reports and analyses.
The work core across media
Alex Katz is best known for large, flat portraits and landscapes that compress figure and ground into clear, crisp planes of color, often painted at life scale or larger.
Alongside these oils on canvas, he has built substantial bodies of prints, drawings and stage designs, moving between studio painting and scenographic commissions without treating them as separate worlds.
Where the artist stands now
Alex Katz remains active in his late nineties, with major museums and galleries in Europe and North America presenting recent drawings, landscapes and flower paintings through 2026.
Alex Katz in key facts
- Artist: Alex Katz
- Medium / Genre: Painting and drawing (portrait and landscape)
- Born: 1927, New York, United States
- Place(s) of practice: New York and Maine
- Active since: 1950s
- Key work groups: Theater and Dance, Various Trees, Black Roses, Out of Sight (drawings)
- Current/last exhibition: Alex Katz | Out of Sight, Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, May 21, 2026 - October 11, 2026
- Major collections: Museum of Modern Art (New York), Whitney Museum of American Art (New York), Tate (London), Centre Pompidou (Paris)
- Awards: Guggenheim Fellowship (painting, 1972)
- Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Alex Katz
Where can I see Alex Katz in 2026?
In 2026, Alex Katz is featured in the drawing exhibition Alex Katz | Out of Sight at the Colby College Museum of Art in Waterville, on view from May 21 to October 11.
What is the focus of Alex Katz: Theater and Dance?
The touring exhibition Alex Katz: Theater and Dance concentrates on six decades of Katz's collaborations with choreographers and theater makers, presenting sets, paintings, sketches and archival material from more than two dozen productions.
Which recent gallery shows highlight his new work?
In 2026, Timothy Taylor in London presents the landscape-focused Various Trees, while Thaddaeus Ropac in Salzburg shows new flower paintings in Black Roses, both emphasizing how Katz continues to refine long-standing motifs.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
