About
The first major retrospective of Teddy Sandoval, a central figure of LA's queer Chicano avant-garde, opens at El Museo del Barrio for its New York run.
Teddy Sandoval worked at the center of LA's queer Chicano avant-garde for decades, and this is the first major retrospective to gather his slyly sensual ceramics, mail art, paintings, and public-art works in one place. After acclaimed West Coast runs, it lands at El Museo del Barrio for its only New York stop. Catch the opening weekend of a show art historians have called long overdue.
What to expect
A focused, revelatory survey rather than a blockbuster sprawl: ceramics, works on paper, mail art, and paintings threaded with coded queer wit and border-crossing style. Give it an hour or two, then keep going — admission covers the rest of El Museo's galleries, and your ticket also grants entry to the Museum of the City of New York.
Good to know
- El Museo is open Thursday–Sunday, 11 AM–5 PM (closed Mon–Wed)
- Admission is pay-what-you-can — suggested $9 adults, $5 students/seniors — and timed-entry reservations are strongly encouraged
- Your admission also grants entry to the Museum of the City of New York
- Take the 6 to 103rd St and walk three blocks west to Fifth Ave, or the M1/M2 bus along Madison
- On view through January 10, 2027 — but opening weekend catches the buzz
Common questions
How much does it cost?
El Museo del Barrio is a pay-what-you-can museum with suggested admission of $9 for adults and $5 for students and seniors; members and children under 12 are free. Reserving a timed-entry ticket in advance is encouraged.
When can I visit?
The museum is open Thursday through Sunday, 11 AM–5 PM. The exhibition opened September 10, 2026 and runs through January 10, 2027.
Who was Teddy Sandoval?
A Los Angeles artist (1949–1995) central to the city's queer Chicano avant-garde, known for ceramics, mail art, and paintings made under his invented imprint, the Butch Gardens School of Art. This is the first major museum retrospective of