The Facts
On October 20, 2026, The Frick Collection announced an installation of new paintings by Cree artist Kent Monkman, opening this fall in the museum's Cabinet Gallery. The series of five paintings reimagines Johannes Vermeer's Officer and Laughing Girl (ca. 1657) from an Indigenous perspective, deploying Monkman's alter ego Miss Chief Eagle Testickle to explore centuries of Indigenous and European encounters. The works trace a narrative from the 1600s to the present, incorporating symbols of trade and colonization. The installation will travel to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, New Brunswick, in spring 2027.
The Signal
The exhibition continues the Frick's tradition of inviting contemporary artists to engage with its Old Master holdings, a strategy that positions the institution within current cultural conversations while driving visitor engagement. For collectors, Monkman's sustained institutional momentum—including a 2025 touring survey and works in major public collections—reinforces his standing as a blue-chip contemporary artist whose market has grown alongside his critical acclaim. The Frick's focus on a single Vermeer as a point of departure underscores the museum's commitment to generating fresh scholarship around its collection.
- Artists: Kent Monkman
- People: Kent Monkman, Aimee Ng, Emma Hassencahl-Perley, Gisèle Gordon
- Museums: The Frick Collection, Beaverbrook Art Gallery
- Locations: New York, Fredericton
- Prices: $34.95
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