When it comes to Spring Break, there is an underlying common consensus that it is an art fair that puts the artist and the work first. Spring Break isn’t afraid to take risks and it isn’t afraid to learn when taking those risks don’t exactly work in their favor. This is what makes Spring Break human. It is this growth process that makes it a living, breathing art fair worth witnessing every year resulting in it being one of the highlights of Armory Week in New York City.
This year Spring Break truly delivered with a well curated roster of artists with works that blend wonderfully with the space. Because it is a nomadic mainstay that occasionally changes venues, where it is held can often make or break the fair. No pun intended. Some of us remember the glorious haunted post office days while many of us want to forget the year when it was held in that dreaded corporate building near Times Square.
The 2026 edition was staged at CBS’s old 60 Minutes studios. However, Spring Break embraced its corporate journalistic surroundings, almost making it feel like home. The energy in the building was warm and the layout was exceptionally easygoing. Although the space was sprawling, there wasn’t any pressure to see everything, everywhere and all at once. It felt like you were welcome to take your time. The work was diverse and the artists were all smiles.
Now, we know we’re late to the party with our coverage but there was a bad flu bug going around and a few of us on the Quiet Lunch staff found itself sick and bed-ridden. Now healthier than ever and back on our feet, we took the opportunity to look back on the beloved fair and create a list of standouts that caught our collective eye!
These standouts are handpicked by our Editor in Chief, Akeem K. Duncan and our new Director of Media, Tessa John-Connor. Both of whom constructed this list with much love and thought; and went the extra mile to get insightful quotes from most of the artists and curators themselves!
STILL WORKING ON IT. | Luke Ivy Price. + Curated by Ryan Bock.
A key element when showing at Spring Break is the build-out. Presentation is everything and Luke Ivy Price, a dedicated artist and skilled craftsman, overstood the assignment with Still Working On It. There is a warm, hand wrought energy when stepping into the worker bee themed booth. Price even invited fair goers to add to the installation by drawing their own bees via stencils already provided by Price himself. A nice touch! Nonetheless, under the guise of a humble blue collared approach and meaningful engagement, there is a stinging commentary wrapped in the visceral cinema of social realism. Price actually wags his paintbrush at the longstanding neglect of the working class and the paper tigers who choose to gatekeep and ultimately keep out those who deserve to explore and live in the art world.
Here’s more from Luke Ive Price himself on his work and participating in Spring Break:
“There’s a presumed dichotomy of choices when putting artworks on display in any capacity: gallery shows, open studios, art fairs, etc. On one hand, you could assume a corporate posture and do your best impression of a blue chip gallery. On the other, you could do your worst punk performance with a dirty floor and a bathroom “ironically” out of service. The Spring Break team has cleverly landed on a third option. Their approach is less pretentious and more honest. They have created an unconventional environment that encourages ingenuity and rewards grit. It mirrors my own experiences in the New York Art World: real and raw, but welcoming. I wear a suit every day, but it’s a Dickies work set, and it’s stained. So, Spring Break is a perfect environment for my work. I want to make the arts welcoming for blue collar folks, to be a place they can enter and have conversations. If you’ve got the skills, message, and gumption to participate, you deserve the opportunity to prove yourself. I believe in that, and the team at Spring Break Art Fair demonstrates it every year.” – Luke Ivy Price.
B6. | HIDE.AND | Ruth Borgenicht, Tzirel Kaminetzky, and Marie Anine Møller.
B7. | ON THE FENCE. | Heather Abshire + Ryann Woods Ham + Brian Napier + Maíra Senise + Leonard Yang. | Curated by Marie Anine Møller.
This pick is a very unique one because it featured a combination of two conjoined booths that both shared the same artist, but in different capacities. Marie Annie Møller has been on our radar for a while now and Quiet Lunch has even produced one of her past solos, but that is not why HIDE.AND and ON THE FENCE is helping to kick off this list. Artists are often multipotentialites and in play the role of artist in booth and curator in another, Møller proves creativity has layers. The overarching narrative of this dual presentation held weight as both booths addressed the ever existing shelter of familiarity and the inner desire to escape that very shelter of familiarity and find something new.
“This year’s Spring/Break Art Show did a remarkable job of bringing together current artistic voices—something that feels more important than ever given the political landscape we are living through.
I was proud to participate with two exhibitions, which brought together a diverse groups of artists, myself included.
In their own ways, both exhibitions explored the symbolic divisions that are increasingly reinforced by today’s political climate, while also emphasizing connection, collaboration, and a sense of joy.
For me, participating was an attempt to affirm that we all have a voice. Even in difficult and uncertain times, coming together, creating, and expressing ourselves is a powerful form of resistance and connection. It reminds us that despite the divisions around us, we can still find common ground—and that coming together and making our voices heard wins the day.
Every time.” – Marie Annie Møller
A19. | PATTERNS IN PASSAGE. | Kiran Joan. + Aminah Alkanderi.
One word: Eye-catching. Well, technically that is two words put together to make one word but we’re sure you get the gist. This booth, in all its minimalism, is hard to miss. From the vibrant colors to the pattern potent Indian ceramic sculptures and Kuwaiti textiles, this collaboration between Kiran Joan and Aminah Alkanderi was a privilege to see in person. In no way are we trying to create a bad case of FOMO because these are two young artists who have a long and bright future ahead of them.
D6. STEPPING OUT. | Camilla Ridgers. + Curated by James Ostrer.
Curated by James Ostrer, these works by Camilla Ridgers highlighted the undersung glue of the art world. Yes, we are referring to the gallery assistant. We often saunter past them as we enter our favorite galleries. After all, we are there to see the art. However, Stepping Out urges us to take the time to appreciate the folks who help hold these spaces together. There is a very endearing element to these series of portraits. Gallerina, a term coined by Ridgers herself, is an insightful project that reveals yet another world inside of a world; the world of the front desk.
D7. | FRAGMENTS OF NOW. | Cesar Santos.
This booth was a colorful clash of old master technique and contemporary commentary. Cesar Santos‘ Fragments of Now is subtle in its execution but packs quite a punch upon impact. Much like the fair itself, the works are approachable but eventually hold a mirror up to what we have become as a society–figuratively and literally. Santos avoids being judgmental but he isn’t afraid to make a statement. Pieces like “Drawn Together” and “Land of Plenty” delivered both a visual and conceptual juxtaposition that immediately establishes a presence.
“My work begins with a simple question: if someone encountered our civilization through its everyday rituals, what would they understand about us? At SPRING/BREAK, I presented paintings that observe the small rituals that shape contemporary life. I’m interested in treating these ordinary moments as fragments of evidence from our time. Using the language and permanence of painting allows me to slow them down and give significance to behaviors that might otherwise disappear unnoticed.” – Cesar Santos
D8. | SOMEWHERE OUT OF SIGHT. | Angel Duran.
These works by Angel Duran gave us Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawk” vibes. As odd as it sounds, Somewhere Out of Sight‘s isolated aesthetic stood out the most amongst the beautiful noise. Duran has a way of capturing what at first looks desolated and ghostly and filtering it through a painterly lens of love and life.
When we first made our late rounds through the fair, Santos had left for the day and his helpful assistant informed us that we barely missed. Nonetheless, this work resonated with us and we made sure to double back and speak to the artist himself:
“My work begins with a simple question: if someone encountered our civilization through its everyday rituals, what would they understand about us? At SPRING/BREAK, I presented paintings that observe the small rituals that shape contemporary life. I’m interested in treating these ordinary moments as fragments of evidence from our time. Using the language and permanence of painting allows me to slow them down and give significance to behaviors that might otherwise disappear unnoticed.” – Cesar Santos
D13. | ON MOONLIGHT RIVER. | Lily Honglei.
For us, Lily Honglei is a grand example of an artist who syncs perfectly with this year’s theme of Spring Break. On Moonlight River features an overlapping usage of visual symbology and cultural iconography with an underlying moving narrative on working class immigrancy that is embedded throughout each layer. A creative duo, Lily Honglei did a proper of job of creating space and establishing representation.
“Our recent work highlights working-class immigrants, a marginalized group that is underrepresented in contemporary art. As a Chinese immigrant artist duo based in Flushing, Queens, we strive to reflect real-life stories of our community and the splendor of Eastern cultural heritage, depicting the challenges and contributions of immigrant workers.” – Lily Honglei.
On participating in Spring Break:
“It was truly heartwarming and encouraging to receive support and feedback from so many viewers, the media, and the Spring Break Art Show team! We felt incredibly honored and lucky to connect with many great artists and curators. With many highly experimental and socially meaningful art projects, the exhibition is even more inspiring than expected. Looking forward to seeing it next year!” – Lily Honglei.
A21. | CACHE-CACHE. | Bianca Abdi-Boragi.
A perrenial favorite of ours, Bianca Abdi-Boragi has consistently given us memorable exhibitions at Spring Break. Having long mastered the art of hide ‘n seek, Abdi-Boragi’s work had its day in the sun under this year’s theme and which allowed Cache-Cache to be one of the booths that shined the brightest in our eyes. The booth featured a selection of series that managed stage an orchestra of narratives that was music to our ears.
“I’m interested in revealing what we hide inside, I love glass because you can see through it. It’s translucent and almost phosphorescent like looking into someone’s soul. They take different shape, object, ghost and even onions. I’m interested in questioning who counts as a person, who belongs and the shift and imbalance they are going through.” – Bianca Abdi-Boragi.
D10. | NO SHOW. | Pual Maloney. + Curated by Kasey Karinen.
Sometimes an art fair is anchored by a booth that lightens the mood. Artist Paul Maloney does this in their own way by presenting a spunky selection of finely fired ceramics that strongly resembles the color palette of the graffiti cladded streets of New York City. No Show had a rebellious tone. However, wasn’t there to start trouble but add a bit precociousness to Spring Break.
“This year I was fortunate to have Kasey Karinen curate my work. Text and writing have long been a part of my vessels, but now I’m focusing on having the writing become more of the foreground/focus of my painted compositions on ceramic. I’ve been writing and playing music since I was 12, so this is converging with my traditional pottery background that I’ve been steeped in since 2008. Two separate creative outlets becoming one! – Paul Maloney.
On Spring Break 2026:
“The spring break Art fair is such an amazing whirlwind. I’m lucky enough to have participated in a few iterations now, and it’s incredible how there’s always a new venue, new curveballs, new logistics / but everything is balanced with exciting opportunity, open room for play and a chance to not only show ones work but reinvent one’s own ideas into something fresh. I have a deep love and soft spot for this fair, and have met some of my favorite creatives both showing and curating, so any opportunity I have to work with them, I’ll take it.” – Paul Maloney.
D16. | PANHANDLE PARABLES. | Jonathan Yubi.
Sometimes two booths will see eye-to-eye and this case Johnathan Yubi, also swimming in the familiar vein of social realism as Luke Ivy Price’s booth, the showcased works in Panhandle Parables not only conveyed a message, it beamed with pride. There is life in the work. You can see the reflections of the real world. More importantly you can see the reflections of Yubi’s world. A first generation Ecuadorian-American born in The Bronx, there was an authenticity and candor in Yubi’s voice. His visual lingo was that of a True Yorker who is proud to be the son of immigrants.
“I paint laborers. The work responds to the political present but begins where history and imagination overlap. I am a product of laborers: my parents were immigrants, low-wage workers navigating American life without access to the historical frameworks that shaped it. These paintings question what Americanism means and where working-class bodies fit within that story.” – Jonathan Yubi
C19. | EMOTIONAL MAPS. | Toni Doilney.
Another booth that simply had too much aura was Toni Doilney‘s Emotional Maps. Presented by Mishin Gallery, this booth felt immersive despite its beautifully bare curation. It felt like you were walking into another dimension. Abstract art is often up for interpretation and through interpretation the viewer has an opportunity to explore and discover their own inner pathos, ethos and logos.
C8.B | VISUAL PUZZLE FOR WHICH TO SOLVE. | Peter Gynd.
Peter Gynd‘s booth was also a splash of fun. Both the work and the helter-skelter display was engaging. It read like a steady stream of consciousness. It truly was a lively visual mapping of Gynd’s neural and creative pathways. Even Gynd himself added to the whimsy, greeting fair goers with an existential effervescence that easily cured any art fatigue that may have set in at any point.
WE WERE YOUNG. | Curated by Natalie White + Paige Beeber.
As we live life, your inner child can be buried more or less beneath the sands of time. For artists, that inner child can be an existential ancestor from which many versions of that has spawned and taken root. Curated by Natalie White and Paige Beeber, We Were Young brings together drawings, paintings, and objects preserved by artists, families, and those close to them. Some anticipate later practices; others reveal experiments and interests that took different paths. Together, they invite viewers to encounter familiar names through unfamiliar works, without treating childhood as a rehearsal for a career. We can confidently say that this was one of the most endearing booths that we encountered at Spring Break.
“It was a soul enhancing experience to do “We Were Young” at Spring Break. It was exactly the right moment to do it. Much of the conversation around the art world lately has centered on market anxieties and closures, but this exhibition was to remind everyone why we do this. Because we were all once kids who had an impulse to create. I loved it.” – Natalie White
B14. | MAKE OF ME SOMETHING WHOLLY. | Sarah Knight Davis.
Sarah Knight Davis’ work is nothing short of striking. It literally stops you in your tracks. As obvious as that may sound, the work really does resonate with the eyes. Of course, we are aware that this the effect that good art has on the senses; but there is much more here. There is also an emotional language that Knight Davis is keen on speaking; a language that you can hear just by looking at her work. Even in its surrealism, the work addresses the quotidian curves of the mortal coil. It invites independent interpretation and through that interpretation, the viewer has the opportunity to reflect on themselves.
“I found out I was in the show just two weeks before it opened, so getting everything together in time was a bit of a logistical feat. But it was absolutely worth it, and ended up being one of the best experiences of my art career. It was my first time showing in NYC and my first time presenting a larger body of work rather than a single piece. My paintings explore themes of girlhood, motherhood, womanhood, and the expectations that come along with them , often through surreal figures and symbolic motifs. I often think they are inviting at first and then become more unsettling as you sit with them, so I was not sure how they would be perceived.
Having so many of the paintings together in one space gave me a chance to see how they related to one another, and to hear how other people interpreted them, which was a real eyeopener; it was a constant intake of feedback, and from such a varied crowd as the one that attends SPRING/BREAK, so I got to see the pieces in a whole new light with every person I talked to.
More than anything, I loved getting to know the other artists and spending time with everyone throughout the show. Ambre and Andrew have created a really unique opportunity for emerging artists, and I feel very fortunate to have been included.” – Sarah Knight Davis
B19. | DRESS CODE. | Tara Lewis.
Sleek, posh and slightly disheveled in the most sophisticated manner possible, Dress Code is an ideal showcase of an artist who knows what they bring to the table. Commentary on femininity and patriarchy are packaged in a contemporary glam that isn’t afraid to confront the issues. We also must point out that Tara Lewis is a longtime favorite of ours who never disappoints when it comes to marrying aesthetic, technique and substance. Lewis is keen on thumbing her at existing societal constructs with every brushstrokes and we are here for it.
B31. | SOFT BRUISE. | Christopher Chan + Lindaluz Carillo.
Putting a loving shiner on the face of Spring Break, Soft Bruise provided a necessary edge to the fair–a welcomed fighting spirit. Lindaluz Carillo and Christopher Chan have wonderful chemistry that is hard to overlook. The booth also made splendid use of the space by refusing to be contained and spilling out into the hall. It almost demanded to be seen and heard.
When asked about the experience, Carillo captured the dynamic perfectly in just a few words:
“There’s a lot of moving pieces when creating a collaborative vision. It’s important to be open to new challenges and perspectives.” – Lindaluz Carillo.
B16. | NOTHING TO SEE HERE. | Adina Andrus + Greg Dzurita. | Curated by Adina Adrus + Jacob Rhodes.
Cleverly titled, there certainly was something to see here. These works by Adina Andrus and Greg Dzurita had a monolithic appeal that grabbed your attention and nonchalantly kept that attention. The installation resembled an abstract city skyline, vividly looming like a kind of dazzling backdrop to Spring Break.
“Spring/Break is one of the few venues that lets artists build a full vision. In our booth we created an architectural environment, somewhere between catacomb and temple, that gave the work a setting it seemed to belong to. Both Greg’s paintings and my ceramic sculptures deal with meaning that hides in form and waits to be found, and the space made that search part of the experience.” – Adina Andrus
A28. | MAN MAKES PLANS. | Michel Jaslow.
There was an obvious sociopolitical charge to this booth. Michel Jaslow’s straightforward surrealism and subtle absurdity made Man Makes Plan memorable. The motif of the booth itself was tongue-in-cheek but also had its moments of unadulterated satire that provided a signature form of comedic relief. With that being said, the quality of the work was nothing short of masterful.
B26. | HOW TO FIND OBLIVION. | Curated by Casey Alstad + Alexis Mabry.
The ominous title was enough to draw us in but the sheer lighting of How To Find Oblivion made the booth highly digestible. That may sound strange at first but considering that it was a group exhibition that featured a notable handful of artists including Steef Crombach, Hayley Labrum, Madeleine Leplae, Alexis Hunter, and An Phung, Alfstad and Mabry did a splendid job of guiding the eye. The booth felt immersive, inclusive and that stuck with us. It felt like you were stepping into a galazy in which you were welcome to gaze the constellation of creatives and their respective pieces.
B34. | UNRULY THREADS. | Orly Cogan. | Curated by Taylor Bittenbender + Madeline Cornell.
Orly Cogan‘s work expresses familiar core sentiments while also flexing the importance of craft and technique. Unruly Threads also really speaks to Spring Break’s theme of neosurrealism. The pieces are playful, plaintive and also–dare we say? Flirty? Apt adjectives aside, Cogan work is a splendid display of skill and intent that was worth taking your time to stop and consume.
D4. | BUILDING BLOCKS. | Pajtim Osmanaj.
We saved this entry for last because we couldn’t quite put a finger on it. Much like Bianca Abdi-Boragi, Pajtim Osmanaj is a Spring Break alum whom we’ve come to grow familiar with. However, that familiarity turned out to be our delightful undoing. At first, we took Building Blocks at face value putting underneath a category of immersive irony and enjoying Osmanaj’s trademark knack for creating an installation that we always look forward to stepping into. Boy, were we wrong!
“It was 2019 when I first got the chance to show my work at Spring Break Art Show, I had an absolute great experience and I always thought to do another show out with them.
This year at Spring Break, I have presented a body of works that I have been making last five years from mediums of painting, sculpture, and sound that together created an immersive installation. Most of this work is an absolute abstraction, but it gets to be recognized as something real and is known to us like a mountain or a brick… But the fact is that we get to recognize the pattern in repetition and it feels like something known to us.
The whole installation together spoke to our seeking something that can’t be found, yet we all go in looking for it.
But at the end the installation was not fixed to one thing or idea so during the week the work got to be seen in many ways and new recognitions happened in that process.” – Pajtim Osmanaj
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