A brush with... Lisa Yuskavage—podcast

This episode of 'A brush with...' podcast features artist Lisa Yuskavage, who discusses her painting practice, influences, and career. Yuskavage, born in Philadelphia in 1962 and based in New York, creates stylized, often eroticized female figures in invented interiors and landscapes, drawing from art history, pop culture, and soft-porn magazines. She reflects on the 'emotional formalism' of her work, transformative visits to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Italy, the impact of Giovanni Bellini and Marcel Duchamp's Étant Donnés, and her admiration for artists like Agnes Martin, Philip Guston, and Laura Owens. The podcast is sponsored by Bloomberg Connects, which highlights museums where Yuskavage has had solo exhibitions, including the Morgan Library and Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art, Aspen Art Museum, and Contemporary Art Museum (CAM), St. Louis.

‘I make casts of their feet!’ Rachel Whiteread, Michael Armitage and more on how they get their kids into art

Five artist parents—Rachel Whiteread, Michael Armitage, Chantal Joffe, and Rachel Maclean—share their personal approaches to introducing young children to art. Whiteread describes letting her boys play in her studio and casting their hands and feet for fun; Armitage lets his daughter lead, using his materials in unexpected ways; Joffe emphasizes good materials and allowing mess; Maclean prefers making art at home over museum visits. The article includes practical tips and photographs of children interacting with artworks.

We Asked Artists, Dealers, Lawyers, and Advisers What Gallery Representation Means Today—And It’s Surprisingly Complicated

ARTnews explores the evolving and often ambiguous nature of gallery representation through interviews with artists, dealers, lawyers, and advisers. The article traces British painter Nigel Cooke's journey from his first representation by Stuart Shave/Modern Art in 2002 to his current gallery Pace, and his recent exhibition "Bad Habits" at Fondazione Querini Stampalia in Venice. It highlights the gap between the romantic ideal of a dealer discovering and nurturing an artist's career and the commercial reality of contracts, commissions, and termination clauses.

Jamie Nares’s Enduring Romance With the Brushstroke

Hyperallergic interviews Jamie Nares, a New York-based painter and filmmaker, about her artistic journey and enduring focus on the brushstroke. Nares, who came out as transgender in 2019 and changed her artist name in 2024, discusses her move from London to New York in the mid-1970s, her involvement in the No Wave movement, and her recent decision to relocate permanently to Upstate New York. She explains how she reduced her practice to the single brushstroke, finding endless variation in that gesture, and describes her process as a search for the essences of things, stripping away what is superfluous.

As the Country Turns 250, Why Won’t Its Museums Meet the Moment?

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, the official America 250 (A250) commission has been taken over by a MAGA-aligned events company that previously produced Trump rallies, including the January 6 insurrection. The new contractors have received over $26 million in no-bid federal contracts and have rolled out commemorative programming that critics say whitewashes history, including a video projection on the Washington Monument that celebrates Christopher Columbus and skips over slavery, Indigenous peoples, and women. Meanwhile, the National Park Service plans to exhibit a statue of Caesar Rodney, a slaveholding signer of the Declaration of Independence, on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Saidiya Hartman on Teaming Up with All-Star Artists to Imagine the End of White Supremacy

Saidiya Hartman, a Columbia professor known for her "critical fabulation" method of writing history, has created her first artwork: a performance titled "Minor Music at the End of the World." Debuted in October, the three-part work imagines the end of white supremacy and features cinematic elements by Arthur Jafa, sculptures by Precious Okoyomon, sounds by Peter Born, and performances by André Holland and Okwui Okpokwasili. Cameron Rowland serves as "Attendant of the Archive." The piece recently had a run in Venice, echoing the Biennale's main show "In Minor Keys." Hartman's essay "The End of White Supremacy," which responds to W. E. B. Du Bois's "The Comet," inspired the performance.

Nayland Blake Doesn’t Believe in Fixed Selves

Nayland Blake, a nonbinary and pansexual artist known for their cerebral, kinky, and humorous work, is featured in Hyperallergic’s 2026 Pride Month series. The interview covers their coming out, their artistic process of making work to understand identity, and their belief that identity is unfixed and continually remade. Blake discusses their early inspirations from theater and literature, and how they interrogate their own creations to explore who they are. They are a co-director of the Studio Art program at Bard College and have exhibited at major institutions including SFMOMA and the Whitney Museum.

5 Books on Steffani Jemison’s Shelf

Artist Steffani Jemison, whose work appears in the New Museum's "New Humans" exhibition, shares five books from her shelf in an interview with ARTnews. She discusses John Keene's "Counternarratives" and Kevin Quashie's "Black Aliveness," among others, explaining how these texts inform her practice, which moves between writing and visual art and explores alternative literacies, historical gaps, and Black world-making.

The Art World’s Quiet Embrace of A.I. Is Not Gender Neutral

Artnet News, in partnership with the Association of Women in the Arts (AWITA), published a series examining gender equity in the art world, including a second annual Hardwiring Change survey. The article reports that 62 percent of over 2,000 arts workers surveyed already use AI tools at work, with ChatGPT the most common entry point. However, research shows AI-driven automation disproportionately threatens women, who are more likely to hold jobs vulnerable to disruption and less likely to be early adopters. The piece highlights how commercial AI startups, like Caroline Taylor's Appraisal Bureau, are entering the art market, but warns that AI models trained on historically biased data risk perpetuating gender discrimination—for example, male artists' works are appraised at 45 percent higher values than female artists'.

Sur Arte, un documentaire lève le voile sur l’occulte Hilma af Klint

A new documentary titled "La Double Vie d'Hilma af Klint – Peintre et pionnière de l'art abstrait," directed by Manuelle Blanc, is now available on Arte's website. It explores the life and work of Swedish artist Hilma af Klint (1862–1944), who created abstract paintings years before Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Malevich, but kept them secret per her will until 20 years after her death. The film sheds light on her mystical practice, her dual existence as an academic painter and a spiritual medium, and the cosmic, geometric works that challenge conventional art history.

What Drives the Enduring Popularity of Nancy Holt?

ArtReview publishes an essay by Jenny Wu examining Nancy Holt's Land art masterpiece *Sun Tunnels* (1973–76) in Utah's Great Basin Desert. The piece contrasts the work's intended framing of the landscape with its real-world context: bullet scars from local target practice, a nearby bar displaying a Trump 2024 banner, and the voices of 'Pineys' in Holt's film *Pine Barrens* (1975). Wu argues that Holt's framing devices both focus and exclude, revealing tensions between curated experience and the disorder of wider society.

Artist Danielle Mckinney Explains the Story Behind Her Painting on CULTURED’s Cover

Artist Danielle Mckinney discusses her painting *Recess* (2026), featured on the cover of CULTURED magazine's Indulgence issue. The work depicts a woman reclining on a couch under a glowing light, wearing a face mask, and is part of Mckinney's ongoing exploration of private, restorative moments. The article includes Mckinney's reflections on motherhood, emotional labor, and the act of painting as a space for unorganized feeling. It also notes that her exhibitions "Forest for the Trees" is on view at Marianne Boesky Gallery in New York through June 13, and "Shelter" is on view at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach through October 4.

What Makes a Good Gallery Weekend?

During a panel discussion at Frieze’s No. 9 Cork Street space, dealer Thaddaeus Ropac argued that London needs lobbying to help its galleries navigate a shifting market, as the sixth edition of London Gallery Weekend launched with over 120 participating galleries. The event runs through Sunday, but faces challenges from Brexit, a cost of living crisis, dwindling arts funding, and political instability, while rival cities like Paris and Milan benefit from chic foundations and friendlier tax regimes.

Georgia O’Keeffe Ignored Advice to Mimic Great European Masters. Her Goal Instead Was to Be a Great American Painter

Georgia O’Keeffe, one of America’s most celebrated painters, is the subject of a Smithsonian Magazine feature that traces her artistic journey from a frustrated art student in New York to a visionary who rejected European influences in favor of a distinctly American style. The article recounts how a male classmate painted over her work to demonstrate Impressionist techniques, an experience that solidified her resolve to paint only as she saw. It follows her career through early charcoal exhibitions, her iconic flower paintings, and her eventual move to New Mexico, where the desert landscape and its bones became central to her work. The piece includes photographs of her Ghost Ranch studio and home, as well as a portrait by her husband Alfred Stieglitz.

The secret to enjoying an art gallery? Less is more | Letters

A series of reader letters respond to Isabel Brooks's essay about feeling overwhelmed by too much art in galleries. Correspondents share personal strategies for enjoying museums without fatigue: focusing on a single painting, using a "five paintings" method, asking staff for recommendations, or simply accepting that it's okay to skip most works. Examples include a grandfather who showed his granddaughter just Rembrandt's *Girl at a Window* at Dulwich Picture Gallery, and a visitor who abandoned the catalog at the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition.

7 Art Books You Should Read This Pride Month

Hyperallergic has published a Pride Month reading list featuring seven art books that highlight queer and trans artists, past and present. The selection includes a joint biography of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek, a catalog on Martin Wong's Chinatowns, Catherine Opie's portraiture, and a compendium of queer nightlife photography. Notable titles include 'Cancelled Confessions (Or Disavowals)' by Claude Cahun, 'Vaginal Davis: Magnificent Product' edited by Hendrik Folkerts, and 'The Wonderful World That Almost Was: A Life of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek' by Andrew Durbin. The article also mentions a retrospective of Vaginal Davis at MoMA PS1.

Edward Hopper’s Distinctly American Solitude

An excerpt from Ed Simon's book "American Elegy" analyzes Edward Hopper's iconic painting "Nighthawks" (1942), housed at the Art Institute of Chicago. Simon explores the painting's imagined diner setting, its realist style, and the sense of loneliness it evokes, noting that Hopper claimed inspiration from a Greenwich Village restaurant but likely invented the scene. The text positions Hopper as a painter of American solitude, with figures trapped in their own selfhood.

Video: José González's enchanting concert at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm

En vidéo : l’envoûtant concert de José González au Moderna Museet de Stockholm

The article covers a special concert by Swedish-Argentine folk musician José González at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, part of Arte's "Sounds Like Art" series. The series invites musicians to perform within museum collections, with previous editions featuring Tom Odell at Musée Bourdelle and Sting at the Rijksmuseum. González's intimate set includes songs from his new album "Against The Dying of The Light" (2026) and a walk through the museum's galleries, highlighting works by Carsten Höller and Maya Deren.

The problem with the Venice Biennale stems from the fact that the art world has become the space within which politics acquires its exhibition value

« Le problème de la Biennale de Venise provient du fait que le monde de l’art est devenu l’espace au sein duquel la politique acquiert sa valeur d’exposition »

Just days before the official opening of the Venice Biennale on May 9, the exhibition's jury collectively resigned in protest over the reopening of the Russian national pavilion. This echoes the 2022 resignation of Documenta's committee amid antisemitism accusations tied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The article argues that both incidents reveal a deeper syndrome: the art world has been reduced to a stage for political display. It criticizes the selective outrage that targets Israel's pavilion while ignoring Russian airstrikes on civilians, China's erasure of Tibetan culture, or Senegal's anti-LGBTQ+ laws, and questions why artists are expected to represent their governments rather than themselves.

L’art vu par… Ibrahim Maalouf

Ibrahim Maalouf, a celebrated Franco-Lebanese trumpeter and composer, discusses his deep connection to visual art in an interview with Beaux Arts Magazine. He reflects on his childhood dream of becoming an architect, his inspiration from artists like David Daoud and Etel Adnan, and his favorite museums including the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay. Maalouf draws parallels between music and architecture, describing his albums as 'territories' and his concerts as 'living installations' where the audience completes the work. He also shares his definition of art as 'what remains when everything collapses' and a 'resistance to forgetting.'

Two of the Biggest Names in American Patronage Have Kept Their Homes Private—Until Now

Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman, prominent American philanthropists and art collectors, have opened their private Hamptons home to the public for the first time through a new Phaidon book, *Collecting Contemporaries: The Fuhrman Collection*. The volume reveals their extensive collection of works by artists such as Simone Leigh, Roy Lichtenstein, Jeff Koons, and Amoako Boafo, displayed across their Sagaponack property, which also features outdoor sculptures by Roxy Paine and Elmgreen & Dragset. Glenn Fuhrman, founder of the FLAG Art Foundation and a board member at MoMA and Tate, discusses the discomfort of losing privacy but acknowledges the practical need to eventually sell or donate pieces as he ages.

Gaudí goes viral: TikTok partners with Sagrada Familia to livestream inauguration of finished tower

On 10 June, Pope Leo XIV will bless the Sagrada Familia's newly completed Tower of Jesus Christ at a mass, marking the symbolic completion of the cathedral's tallest central tower. The event coincides with the centennial of architect Antoni Gaudí's death. TikTok has partnered with the Sagrada Familia to livestream the inauguration, offering exclusive content series including live sessions, tours, interviews with architects, and a concert. The livestream will be available on TikTok and the Sagrada Familia website.

Art News, Indeed: NBA Star Victor Wembanyama Prepped For Finals Game By Sketching in Gramercy

NBA star Victor Wembanyama was spotted sketching a statue of Edwin Booth in Gramercy Park, a private park in New York City, hours before a crucial Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals. The San Antonio Spurs player, who is also a visual artist, shared a video of his drawing session on Instagram, and later led his team to a 115-111 victory over the New York Knicks with a standout performance.

When I claim my black Britishness in this age of intolerance, here is the music that goes with it | Hugh Muir

Hugh Muir describes his experience at "The Music is Black" exhibition at the V&A East in London, where visitors wear headphones and move through galleries listening to different clips of Black British music, creating a shared, immersive encounter. The exhibition highlights the centrality of Black music to British culture, featuring reggae, lovers rock, and other genres, and coincides with the death of Kanya King, founder of the MOBO Awards.

‘It’s not about heroes and villains’: the triumphant return of long-lost indie I Shot Andy Warhol

Mary Harron's 1996 directorial debut, *I Shot Andy Warhol*, is returning to cinemas this summer in a new 4K restoration from Janus Films. The film chronicles the life of Valerie Solanas, who shot Andy Warhol in 1968, and has long been out of circulation due to bankrupt distributors, surviving mainly through a battered YouTube upload. Harron notes she had been trying for six or seven years to get the film back into theaters.

What Is The Game of Exquisite Corpse, and Why Do Artists Still Play It?

The article explains the Surrealist game Exquisite Corpse (cadavre exquis), where participants collaboratively draw sections of a human body on folded paper without seeing each other's contributions, resulting in strange, hybrid figures. Originating in 1925 at Marcel Duhamel's Paris home, the game was developed by André Breton, Marcel Duchamp, Jacques Prévert, and Yves Tanguy, taking its name from a phrase generated in an earlier writing game. The Surrealists used it to access automatism and the unconscious, fostering wild experimentation through low-stakes materials.

The Artful Life: 9 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week

Galerie's weekly roundup highlights nine art and design stories, including the launch of the contemporary art project 'Komorebi' at The St. Regis Venice, timed with the 2026 Venice Biennale. The exhibition features works by six artists—Nina Carini, Gaia De Megni, Marco De Sanctis, Joan Jonas, Jure Kastelic, and Marinella Senatore—curated throughout the hotel's rooms alongside bespoke Murano glass pieces created with Berengo Studio. Other stories include Longines introducing new options for its iconic Dolce Vita watch, photographer Alessio Boni's alchemical works shown at Robert Stilin Gallery in Manhattan, and Champalimaud designing new River Cottages at the Hudson Valley retreat Troutbeck.

From erupting volcanoes to Elon Musk’s swaddling satellites: the cosmic, chaotic art of Caragh Thuring

Caragh Thuring, a London-based artist, discusses her chaotic and cosmic paintings in her east London studio. Her works blend medieval and contemporary imagery, from US military airplanes morphing into knights to Elon Musk's Starlink satellites depicted as a celestial map. Thuring, who grew up watching nuclear submarines on Holy Loch, creates without preparatory drawings, allowing her imagination to guide layered, open-ended compositions that explore themes of war, peace, religion, and technology.

How the World’s Great Artist Foundations Stay Solvent

The article examines how major artist-endowed foundations, such as the Keith Haring Foundation and the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, maintain financial solvency decades after their founders' deaths. The Keith Haring Foundation earned $13.2 million in 2024 through licensing, artwork sales, and investment income, distributing $8 million in grants. The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation generates $2.5-3 million annually, primarily from sales of the artist's photographic prints, plus merchandising, licensing, and exhibition fees, funding both photography programs and HIV/AIDS medical research.

What is it like to be a young artist in Milan today? Matteo Montorfano answers

Com’è oggi essere un giovane artista a Milano? Risponde Matteo Montorfano

Matteo Montorfano, a young Italian artist born in 1999, discusses the challenges and opportunities of being an emerging artist in Milan. In an interview with Artribune, he reflects on his decision to study at ISIA in Urbino rather than in Milan, emphasizing the value of gaining perspective outside the city. He describes Milan as a central hub for photography and art but notes the importance of independent, self-organized projects, such as a collective exhibition in a borrowed space. Montorfano also highlights informal venues like Potlatch, Sprint, The Art Chapter, ONOFF, and Spazio Mina that support grassroots artistic research.