New York’s arts scene kicks off the year with Molière, Ana Mendieta, and jazz

NEW YORK — New York City’s theaters and art spaces are kicking off 2026 with a diverse slate of cultural programming, featuring everything from 17th-century satire to restored silent cinema.

Molière’s classic play "Tartuffe" is currently headlining the city’s theater scene in two distinct formats. The New York Theatre Workshop is staging a new adaptation of the work, while the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is screening a restored version of the 1925 silent film.

MoMA is also highlighting early cinema history with a series of restored short films by director D.W. Griffith.

In the gallery circuit, the Marian Goodman Gallery is hosting an exhibition of Cuban-American artist Ana Mendieta. The showcase focuses on her "Silueta" series from the 1970s and seeks to reaffirm her artistic legacy.

Brooklyn’s music scene remains centered on the Bushwick neighborhood, where the jazz club Ornithology continues to serve as a premier venue. The club features frequent performances by the city’s top jazz ensembles.

The scheduled events and exhibitions are set to run primarily through January and the beginning of February 2026.

New York’s cultural landscape in early 2026 is being defined by a strategic pivot toward the recontextualization of classical canons. This shift is most visible in the dual resurgence of Molière’s Tartuffe, appearing simultaneously as a modern stage production and a restored silent film. This is no mere coincidence of programming; it represents a cross-platform effort to leverage enduring narratives for contemporary audiences, demonstrating that classical intellectual property remains a versatile asset across different media environments.

A similar thematic realignment is evident in the "Back to the Source" exhibition dedicated to Ana Mendieta. This retrospective marks a deliberate institutional attempt to shift the public narrative away from the artist’s personal tragedy and toward her formalistic legacy. By prioritizing the "Silueta" series, the exhibition reinforces Mendieta’s position as a pioneer of eco-spatial art, re-establishing her work as a vital visual language connecting the human form to the natural world.

Even within the city’s jazz circuit, the "Bird lives" ethos at Ornithology functions as more than a tribute to Charlie Parker; it serves as a statement on the genre's continued viability. It frames jazz as a dynamic, evolving discipline rather than a static archival relic. Collectively, these developments underscore New York’s enduring role as a primary hub for cultural renewal, where historical legacies are systematically updated to maintain their relevance in a modern global discourse.

For Vietnamese Americans in New York and the surrounding Tri-State area, these events highlight an increasingly diverse range of cultural and leisure pursuits. Rather than being confined to traditional community gatherings, the diaspora is now engaging with world-class theater, contemporary art, and jazz. This shift reflects the successful integration and evolving tastes of multiple generations—from the families who built the foundations of Little Saigon and the nail salon industry to the newer arrivals on H-1B or F2B visas. It is a testament to a community that remains rooted in its heritage while fully embracing the breadth of the American cultural landscape.