Independent Art Fair Trades Downtown for the World

The Independent Art Fair has moved to Pier 36 on the Lower East Side waterfront for its 17th edition, running through May 17. The fair features 76 booths with a more spacious, warehouse-like layout, and a noticeably older, glossier crowd compared to previous years. Exhibitors include Los Angeles-based ATLA and Diane Rosenstein galleries, as well as international participants like Bogotá's SGR Gallery, showcasing solo presentations by artists such as Yoshikazu Tanaka, Kuniko Kinoto, and Johan Samboní. The fair has also announced partnerships with Sotheby's for its 20th-century edition and with the nonprofit Henry Street Settlement, signaling a tension between upscale ambitions and local community ties.

Memory, Migration, Materiality: 12 Artists to Watch During Alserkal Art Month

Alserkal Art Month (April 18–May 18, 2026) in Dubai features a district-wide initiative of exhibitions and events, anchored by the group show "Déjà Vu" at Concrete, Alserkal Avenue (April 25–May 8). Curated by Kevin Jones, Nada Raza, and Zaina Zaarour, the exhibition brings together over 50 artists from 20 UAE-based galleries, centering on themes of memory, displacement, and cultural inheritance. The article profiles 12 standout artists, including Shahpour Pouyan and Juma Al Haj, whose works translate these tensions into materially inventive and conceptually rigorous practices.

Exhibitions marking 250th anniversary of the US open in New York

Several New York museums have opened exhibitions marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, which falls on 4 July 2026. The New-York Historical Society presents "Old Masters, New Amsterdam," drawn from the Leiden Collection, focusing on the lives of Dutch colonists. The Hispanic Society Museum & Library offers "Goya and the Age of Revolution," linking the American Revolution to European upheavals and Goya's depictions of war. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has installed "Revolution!" in its American Wing, reexamining the nation's founding through art. A rare copy of the Declaration of Independence handwritten by Thomas Jefferson will also be on view at the New York Public Library.

Our pick of the best pavilions at the 61st Venice Biennale

The article highlights standout national pavilions at the 61st Venice Biennale. The Belarus Pavilion features a powerful installation by the Belarus Free Theatre, including a wheat field built by former political prisoners, straw spiders made from prison bars, and a confession booth that runs facial recognition. The Brazil Pavilion presents a joint exhibition by Rosana Paulino and Adriana Varejão, focusing on colonial wounds and trauma through works like Paulino's 'Aracnes' and Varejão's 'Still Life amid Ruin'. The Bosnian Pavilion by Mladen Bundalo invites tactile engagement with themes of diaspora and migration, while the Austrian Pavilion by Florentina Holzinger draws attention with nude performers in water-filled pools.

Sketches of Spain at arms: Sim, the anarchist illustrator who drew the civil war from the frontline

The Guardian reports on José Luis Rey Vila, known as Sim, an anarchist illustrator who documented the Spanish Civil War from the frontlines in Catalonia. His bold, colorful sketches captured street battles, militias, nurses, and milicianas, and were widely reproduced in booklets and exhibitions, raising international awareness before Picasso's Guernica. After the war, Sim fell into obscurity and died in near-anonymity in 1983. Now, on the 90th anniversary of the conflict, Barcelona's Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) is exhibiting 40 recently acquired Sim illustrations, highlighting his role as a key visual chronicler of the conflict.

La grande fiera TEFAF si tiene a New York da 10 anni. Come sarà l’edizione 2026?

TEFAF New York returns to the Park Avenue Armory from May 15–19, 2026 (with a collector preview on May 14), marking the fair's tenth anniversary. The 2026 edition will host 88 top international galleries from 15 countries across four continents, offering museum-quality selections of modern and contemporary art, jewelry, antiques, and design. Highlights include Andy Warhol's Mao (1973) at ML Fine Art, Cecily Brown's Functor Hideaway (2008) at Berggruen Gallery, and a 2026 work by Minjung Kim at Voena. The fair also extends into the Armory's historic period rooms, and the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund will support the conservation of a Medici tapestry owned by the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Il mitico artista-ceramista italiano Nanni Valentini torna negli Stati Uniti con una mostra sulla sua storia. Le immagini

The Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York, is hosting "Interspaces," a retrospective exhibition dedicated to Italian artist Nanni Valentini (1932–1985), a pivotal figure in ceramic art. Curated by Garth Johnson of the Everson Museum and Luca Bochicchio of the Museo della Ceramica di Savona, with oversight by art historian Flaminio Gualdoni, the show runs until September 6, 2026. It traces Valentini's evolution from functional pottery to conceptual wall works, featuring pieces like "I segni della terra" (1981) and "Impronta-totem" (1979), on loan from ABC-ARTE gallery. The exhibition marks Valentini's return to the U.S., where he first gained international recognition at the museum's 1958 Ceramic International, introduced by Lucio Fontana.

Rare Early Basquiat Works Return to Brooklyn After HBCU Tour

An intimate collection of early Jean-Michel Basquiat works and ephemera, titled "Our Friend, Jean," is returning to Brooklyn's The Bishop Gallery starting May 16, 2026. The exhibition draws primarily from the archive of Alexis Adler, Basquiat's former roommate and partner from 1979–80, and includes paintings on sweatshirts, postcards, writings, and photographs Adler took of the artist. Originally presented in 2019, the show traveled to six historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) between 2022 and 2024, attracting 10,000 visitors and involving students in the installation process.

Amy Sherald Comes Home: “American Sublime” Opens at the High Museum

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta opens "Amy Sherald: American Sublime" on May 15, a mid-career retrospective featuring over 35 paintings from 2007 to 2024. The exhibition was originally scheduled to conclude at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., but Sherald canceled that stop after a Trump administration executive order directed Smithsonian institutions to remove so-called "un-American content." The High Museum secured the final slot after the Baltimore Museum of Art, following months of coordination with SFMOMA, Sherald's studio, and Hauser & Wirth. The show includes Sherald's portrait of Breonna Taylor and her iconic Michelle Obama portrait, organized into five thematic sections.

Amy Sherald comes home

Amy Sherald, the celebrated painter known for her official portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama, brings her traveling exhibition 'American Sublime' to Atlanta's High Museum of Art, where it will be on view from May 15 to September 27. The show, the largest presentation of her work to date, marks a homecoming for Sherald, who was born in Columbus, Georgia, and graduated from Clark Atlanta University. The exhibition includes paintings that explore themes of identity, the American South, and the Black experience, and features works such as 'A God Blessed Land (Empire of Dirt)' (2022) and 'They Call Me Redbone, but I'd Rather Be Strawberry Shortcake' (2009).

Everything You Need to Know About LACMA’s New David Geffen Galleries

LACMA has opened its new David Geffen Galleries, a single-story building spanning Wilshire Boulevard that houses the museum's permanent collection spanning 6,000 years of art. The galleries feature a revolutionary curatorial approach organized around bodies of water—Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian, and Pacific—creating nonhierarchical displays that mix works across time and geography, such as 17th-century Dutch paintings alongside 20th-century photography. The building also includes 3.5 acres of shaded public space below, outdoor sculptures by artists like Alexander Calder and Jeff Koons, and a 220,000-square-foot pavement artwork by Mariana Castillo Deball.

The Artist Who Turned Kim Kardashian Into a Living Sculpture Has an Exhibition in Paris

The Sceners Gallery in Paris is hosting “Forms and Temptations,” an exhibition of works by British Pop Art pioneer Allen Jones, coinciding with Kim Kardashian wearing a Jones-inspired fiberglass breastplate at the 2026 Met Gala. The show features Jones’s eroticized female mannequins and sculptures, including “Red Refrigerator” and “Cover Story 4/4,” displayed alongside high-end decorative furniture from designers like Carlo Bugatti and Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann. Jones, now 88, collaborated with Kardashian on her Met Gala look, which re-edited a cast from 1967/68.

The Best Art Exhibitions To Visit In Hong Kong This May

This article highlights three art exhibitions in Hong Kong for May 2026. 'Seeds of Wishes' at JPS Gallery features black-and-white and colorful drawings by thirteen-year-old artist Yat Long, created after his diagnosis with a life-threatening disease, with a related CASETiFY phone case collection. 'Dial-A-Poem Hong Kong' at M+ presents an interactive installation based on John Giorno's 1969 project, offering newly recorded poems in Cantonese, English, and Mandarin by thirty local poets. 'Fallen Angels' at Hauser & Wirth showcases Nicole Eisenman's paintings and sculptures exploring middle-class life, departing from her usual crowded scenes.

Exhibition | Daniel Arsham, 'Eroded Horizon' at Baró Galeria, Palma, Spain

Baró Galeria presents 'Eroded Horizon', Daniel Arsham's fifth collaboration with the gallery and his second exhibition at its Mallorca location, as part of Art Palma Summer 2026. The show features recent and previously unseen works across sculpture, drawing, and painting, exploring themes of time, decay, and the intersection of body and landscape. Arsham employs materials like marble, sand, bronze, and charcoal to create forms that blend ancient and futuristic aesthetics, continuing his signature fictional archaeology.

7 D.C. art exhibits to catch this summer before they close

The article highlights seven art exhibitions in Washington, D.C. that are closing at the end of summer 2025, urging visitors to see them before they end. Featured shows include a retrospective of African American artist Alma Thomas at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, a survey of contemporary Indigenous art at the National Museum of the American Indian, and a solo presentation of Yayoi Kusama's infinity rooms at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Other notable exhibits include a photography collection by Gordon Parks at the National Gallery of Art and a showcase of modern Latin American art at the Museum of the Americas.

Georgia State’s Welch School Presents Exhibition Celebrating Legacy of Artist Larry M. Walker

Georgia State University's Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design will present "Where Being Takes Root: Works by Southern Artists From the Larry M. and Gwendolyn E. Walker Collection," a landmark exhibition running from June 4 to October 15 in the Welch School Galleries. The show celebrates the legacy of artist and professor emeritus Larry M. Walker (1935–2023), whose personal collection of over 300 works was donated to the university after his death. Curated by Lauren Jackson Harris, the exhibition features artists including Charles White, Radcliffe Bailey, Kevin Cole, Bethany Collins, Benny Andrews, David Driskell, Steve Prince, and Kara Walker, with a dedicated Walker Family Gallery showcasing works by Larry Walker, his wife Gwen, and their children Dana, Larry Jr., and Kara Walker.

Phillips Collection’s new ‘Miró and the United States’ exhibit focuses on transatlantic cultural exchange rather than conflict

The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., has opened a new exhibition titled 'Miró and the United States,' curated by Elsa Smithgall. The show features 75 works by Joan Miró alongside pieces by more than 30 other artists, including Alexander Calder, Rufino Tamayo, and Arshile Gorky. Rather than framing the relationship as a cultural clash between European modernism and American art, the exhibition emphasizes transatlantic artistic exchange during the mid-20th century, particularly in the shadow of World War II and the Spanish Civil War. Key works include Miró's 'Constellations' series and 'Still Life with Old Shoe' (1937), which are presented in dialogue with American contemporaries who responded to his visual language.

Summer 2026 Midnight Moment Program

Times Square Arts has announced the Summer 2026 Midnight Moment program, featuring three artists: Sonia Boyce (June), Tromarama (July), and Maia Chao (August). Boyce's 'Transform' presents a kaleidoscopic film of Andean ancestral movements, presented with the Queens Museum. Tromarama's 'Turn On #2' examines technology's impact on reality and the environment, presented with The Kitchen. Maia Chao's 'Studies for American Idle' draws from a 2025 site-specific performance in Times Square. The works will be shown nightly from 11:57 pm to midnight on nearly 100 electronic billboards.

See exhibition by Erin Jane Nelson, ‘Living and Working,’ at UAB’s AEIVA through Sept. 26

The Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts (AEIVA) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham presents “Living and Working,” a survey exhibition of artist Erin Jane Nelson, running through September 26. This is Nelson’s largest solo exhibition to date and her first survey, spanning a decade of her practice across photography, textiles, and ceramics. The exhibition will travel to the Knoxville Museum of Art in August 2027, and AEIVA is co-publishing an exhibition catalog with Institute 193. The opening reception is May 21, and free community programming includes summer drop-in tours, a pinhole camera workshop, Science Nights in partnership with the Birmingham Zoo, and a chamber music event.

11 Art Shows to See in the Hudson Valley in May 2026

The article surveys 11 art exhibitions opening across the Hudson Valley in May 2026, highlighting a regional preoccupation with structure, materiality, and resistance to singular narratives. Featured shows include "Surface, Structure, String" at Hudson Hall, a textile survey curated by Richard Saja with artists like Portia Munson and Laleh Khoramian; "Jose Picayo: 35 Years in Photographs" at Robin Rice Gallery; "The Linda McCartney Retrospective: From the Light" at the Fenimore Art Museum; "Carol Seitz: Growth in Difficult Places" at Convey/er/or; and "Stephen Olivier: Hazmat" at ASK in Kingston, among others.

Telfair Museums presents Impressionism and Modernity: French and American Painting opening May 15

Telfair Museums will present "Impressionism and Modernity: French and American Painting" at the Jepson Center for the Arts from May 15 through August 16, 2026. Organized for the museum's 140th anniversary, the exhibition brings together Telfair's collection of American Impressionist works with key French Impressionist paintings from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., featuring artists such as Edgar Degas, Alfred Sisley, and Vincent van Gogh. The show explores Impressionism's origins in France, its transatlantic influence, and its impact on American art and identity, with works addressing themes of modern life, leisure, the city, and nostalgia for nature.

New York's Art Week 2026 is underway. A guide to all the fairs to see in the city: Frieze and the others

È in corso l’Art Week di New York del 2026. La guida di tutte le fiere da vedere in città: Frieze e le altre

New York's spring Art Week is underway in mid-May 2026, anchored by two major fairs: Frieze New York (May 13–17) at The Shed, featuring about 70 galleries from over 25 countries, and TEFAF New York (May 15–19) at the Park Avenue Armory, celebrating its tenth edition with 88 galleries. Additional fairs include Independent Art Fair at Pier 36 (May 14–17) with 76 galleries and site-specific installations, and NADA New York at the Starrett-Lehigh Building (May 13–17), promoting emerging artists. The week also involves museums, cultural institutions, and galleries citywide.

In London, you can discover an unpublished Luigi Ghirri in an exhibition made of photographs and words. Review

A Londra si può scoprire un Luigi Ghirri inedito in una mostra fatta di fotografie e parole. Recensione

A new exhibition titled "Felicità" at Thomas Dane Gallery in London presents previously unseen works by Italian photographer Luigi Ghirri (1943–1992). Curated by Alessio Bolzoni and filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, the show features unpublished photographs, fragments of atlases, postcards, posters, and mirrors, exploring Ghirri’s unique vision of everyday life as visual discovery. The exhibition spans two gallery spaces on Duke Street, juxtaposing interior and exterior scenes, and includes works by conceptual artists Félix González-Torres and Giorgio Morandi. A bilingual book, "Luigi Ghirri. Felicità" (MACK), accompanies the show, collecting the exhibited works and three essays by the artist.

History of soccer exhibition open at Arlington museum ahead of FIFA World Cup

The Arlington Museum of Art has opened "More Than a Match," a large-scale exhibition exploring the history of soccer through World Cup memorabilia, historic jerseys, maps, and contemporary art. The show features items on loan from the National Soccer Hall of Fame, the University of Texas at Arlington's Special Collections, and the National Football Museum in Manchester, England. Highlights include a replica of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Trophy, a jersey worn by Pelé, and artworks by Andy Warhol, Kehinde Wiley, and Darío Escobar, as well as a mural by Dallas-based artist Colton Canava depicting Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham, and Virgil van Dijk as saint-like figures. The exhibition runs through August 2, 2026, and is located near AT&T Stadium, which will host nine World Cup matches.

Landmark Exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum Unites U.S. Bicentennial Photography Surveys for the First Time

The Smithsonian American Art Museum will present "Much Here Is Beautiful: Photography Surveys of the U.S. Bicentennial," a landmark exhibition opening September 18, 2026, that brings together for the first time photography surveys created through a federally funded grant program by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) around the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial. Featuring 225 photographs by more than 70 photographers, the show draws on the museum's holdings and collections nationwide, including previously unseen works, and places them in the context of federal survey photography dating back to the 19th century.

Here Are the Seven Booths We’re Beelining to at NADA’s 2026 New York Edition

The 12th edition of NADA New York is now open through May 17 at the Starrett-Lehigh building in Chelsea, featuring 120 galleries and nonprofit spaces from around the world. The fair emphasizes intimacy and scale, with presentations ranging from wrestling-scene paintings by Ursula Dilley to miniature landscapes stitched onto shirt cuffs by Chang Suyung, alongside collaborations rooted in regional craft traditions and psychedelic excess. Cultured magazine highlights seven must-see booths, including solo shows by Douglas Rieger and Loucia Carlier, and a transatlantic dialogue between Saenger Galería and COHJU.

Upcoming CAM exhibit celebrates Gullah Geechee culture

The Cameron Art Museum (CAM) in Wilmington will open "Rooted in Memory: The Gullah Geechee Vision of Jonathan Green" on June 19, 2025, running through January 24, 2027. The exhibition features vibrant paintings by Jonathan Green, a Gullah Geechee artist trained at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, alongside traditional sweetgrass baskets, quilts, and Adinkra-printed cloth on loan from the Charleston Museum, the Gibbes Museum, and the South Carolina State Museum. A special opening night on June 18 will also include the exhibits "Fresh Air: Inflatable Sculptures" and "Andy Warhol: Silver Clouds," followed by a free community day on June 20.

Amy Sherald: American Sublime to close out national tour at Atlanta’s High Museum of Art

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta will host the final stop of the national tour for 'Amy Sherald: American Sublime,' a retrospective featuring over 35 paintings by the Georgia-born artist, spanning from 2007 to 2024. The exhibition runs from May 15 to September 27, 2026, and includes Sherald's widely recognized portraits as well as lesser-seen works, with timed tickets required for entry.

Isamu Noguchi was never a designer, affirms High Museum of Art, Atlanta

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta presents "Isamu Noguchi: 'I am not a designer'," the first design retrospective of the Japanese-American sculptor in 25 years. Co-curated by Monica Obniski and Marin R. Sullivan, the exhibition features nearly 200 objects, including sculptural models, furniture for Herman Miller and Knoll, Akari light fixtures, and large-scale installations like Martha Graham's stage set for "Seraphic Dialogue" (1955). The show challenges Noguchi's own resistance to categorization by framing his multidisciplinary practice—spanning sculpture, design, architecture, and public art—through a design lens.

PHOTOS: Amy Sherald at the High Museum

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta is presenting an exhibition titled "American Sublime" featuring works by artist Amy Sherald, including her portrait of Breonna Taylor and the painting "She Always Believed the Good about Those She Loved," which used a model who stood in for the late Breonna Taylor. The exhibition opened on Friday, May 15, 2026, and draws visitors to view Sherald's distinctive figurative works.