Why Contemporary Artists Are Raiding the Renaissance Toolkit

Three contemporary artists—Alison Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Bühler-Rose, and Nick Doyle—are reviving the Renaissance woodworking techniques of intarsia and marquetry in their current exhibitions. Taylor is showing marquetry hybrid paintings at Jessica Silverman Gallery in San Francisco, Bühler-Rose is presenting a solo booth with Stems Gallery at Independent, and Doyle is also participating in the trend. Their work draws inspiration from the Gubbio Studiolo at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a 15th-century trompe-l'œil room that exemplifies the decorative inlay tradition.

five friends museum brandhorst rauschenberg

The Museum Brandhorst in Munich has opened "Five Friends," a major exhibition exploring the interconnected creative and personal relationships among John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Cy Twombly. Spanning 180 works from the late 1940s through the 1970s, the show includes paintings, sculptures, costumes, musical scores, photographs, and letters, beginning with Cage's silent composition 4'33" and Rauschenberg's White Painting. It is the first exhibition to bring these five figures together, drawing on loans from Cologne's Museum Ludwig and U.S. institutions, and coincides with the centenary of Rauschenberg's birth.

“Nature Morte, 1982–1988” at Ehrlich Steinberg, Los Angeles

“Nature Morte, 1982–1988” at Ehrlich Steinberg, Los Angeles

A new exhibition at Ehrlich Steinberg gallery in Los Angeles presents "Nature Morte, 1982–1988," a focused survey of still-life paintings from a pivotal period in recent art history. The show brings together works from the 1980s by a generation of artists who reinvigorated the traditional genre during a decade defined by explosive art market growth and the rise of Neo-Expressionism.

Genesis P-Orridge’s Subversive Mail Art Goes on View

A focused exhibition at Art Metropole in Toronto presents a selection of mail art submissions by the late transgressive artist Genesis Breyer P-Orridge to the Canadian collective General Idea in the 1970s. Drawn from the National Gallery of Canada's collection, the show features letters, collages, photos, and ephemera that capture P-Orridge's early, boundary-pushing work with collectives like COUM Transmissions and Throbbing Gristle.

‘The original triple threat’: two exhibitions celebrate Marilyn Monroe as creative pioneer

The British Film Institute (BFI) and the National Portrait Gallery have announced two major exhibitions to celebrate the centenary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth. The BFI will host a two-month film season titled 'Marilyn Monroe: Self Made Star,' featuring a comprehensive look at her filmography and a theatrical re-release of her final film, *The Misfits*. Simultaneously, the National Portrait Gallery will present 'Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait,' an exhibition exploring her influence on visual culture through works by artists like Andy Warhol and Richard Avedon, including rare photographs taken just before her death.

craft state fairs white house saam renwick smithsonian

The Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery has opened "State Fairs: Growing American Craft," the first exhibition since the Trump administration's August 2025 audit of all Smithsonian exhibitions, didactics, and collections. The audit, based on an executive order to "restore truth and sanity to American history," condemned discussions of racism, sexism, and oppression as revisionist history. The exhibition features over 250 works from across the United States, spanning the 19th century to the present, arguing that regional state and tribal fairs are essential sites for the development of American craft. It includes spectacular pieces like a 12-foot pair of Lucchese boots, a life-size butter sculpture, and works by artists such as Morgan Hill, Kelly Bohnenkamp, Betty Spindler, Linda Nez, Kaye D. Miller, and Peggie Hartwell.

CXW 2025: Chicago's Bold Art Celebration Returns This Fall

CXW 2025, Chicago's bold art celebration, is set to return this fall. The event showcases contemporary visual art across the city, featuring exhibitions, installations, and programming that highlight both local and international artists. The article announces the upcoming edition and its significance for Chicago's cultural calendar.

robbie williams mono london exhibition opening

British pop star Robbie Williams opened a solo exhibition titled "Radical Honesty" at Moco Museum London on May 1, 2025, drawing hundreds of fans and guests. The show features nearly two dozen canvas works and sculptures exploring modern-day anxiety and emotional vulnerability, inspired by Williams's personal experiences. It is his third collaboration with Moco Museum, which has previously presented his works in Barcelona and Amsterdam. The opening had a pop concert atmosphere, with fans waiting for hours outside the venue. Among the attendees were TV personalities Leigh Francis and Andy Goldstein, and artists Chris Levine and Philip Colbert. Williams addressed criticism of celebrity art-making, while Moco co-founder Lionel Logchines praised the humor and mental health themes in Williams's work, comparing him to Banksy.

Top Hudson Valley Art Exhibitions to See in January 2026

The article surveys five notable art exhibitions opening in the Hudson Valley region in January 2026, each exploring how artists connect to place, time, and memory. Shows include "Earth Endures, Stars Abide" at Carrie Haddad Gallery, featuring five painters interpreting local landscapes; "Notes from Here" at O+ Exchange, presenting intimate works by 15 O+ artists; "Wish You Were Here" at the Tremaine Art Gallery, pairing Fern Apfel and Colleen McGuire in a meditation on memory and observation; and "Connecting Emergence" at Lace Mill Galleries, showcasing Paul Keskey's layered oil paintings of nature and imagination.

How Tate's Emily Kam Kngwarray show is revealing the fraught market dynamics of Aboriginal art

Tate Modern in London is hosting a major solo exhibition of Emily Kam Kngwarray, the celebrated Aboriginal artist who rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The show, first presented at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, features works from the height of her career, deliberately omitting some of her final paintings due to concerns about the circumstances under which they were created. Curators Kelli Cole and Hetti Perkins highlight how Kngwarray's rapid success attracted dealers and entrepreneurs who exploited the artist and her community, revealing an opaque market system that took advantage of artists' inexperience and poor socio-economic conditions.

Exhibition explores woman who shaped Edinburgh’s fine art collection

The City Art Centre in Edinburgh is hosting a free exhibition titled "Jean F. Watson: An Artistic Legacy" from May 16 to October 4, 2026. It features over 40 historical and contemporary Scottish artworks acquired through the Jean F. Watson Bequest Fund, including pieces by artists such as JD Fergusson, Elizabeth Blackadder, and Alison Watt. The exhibition highlights the impact of Jean Fletcher Watson (1877-1974), an Edinburgh resident whose financial donations in the 1960s and 1970s helped build a nationally recognized collection of Scottish art, now comprising over 1,000 works.

Nature Morte, 1982–1988 at Ehrlich Steinberg

Ehrlich Steinberg gallery in Los Angeles is presenting the group exhibition "Nature Morte, 1982–1988," featuring works by a significant roster of artists including Alan Belcher, Gretchen Bender, Sherrie Levine, Louise Lawler, and Laurie Simmons, among others. The show runs from February 24 to April 18, 2026, and focuses on artworks created within that specific six-year period.

Clark Art Institute to Exhibit Priceless Art Donated by Tavitian Foundation

The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, announced an upcoming exhibition titled “An Exquisite Eye: Introducing the Aso O. Tavitian Collection,” on view from June 13, 2025, through February 21, 2027. The show features approximately 150 works from the Tavitian Collection, a major private collection of European art assembled by the late collector and philanthropist Aso O. Tavitian. Spanning c. 1450–1850, the exhibition includes paintings, sculpture, drawings, and decorative arts by artists such as Jan van Eyck, Jean-Antoine Houdon, and Elizabeth Louise Vigée-Lebrun. The collection, comprising 331 objects, was donated to the Clark and will eventually be housed in a new wing designed by Selldorf Architects, set to open in 2028.

9 new art museum and gallery exhibits opening in Houston this month

Houston is experiencing a significant surge in artistic activity this month, anchored by the 40th anniversary of FotoFest and major new installations at the city's leading institutions. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) is hosting "Buddha/Nature," a dialogue between ancient sculptures and contemporary works, alongside the return of Ernesto Neto’s massive immersive crochet installation, "SunForceOceanLife." Meanwhile, the Menil Collection is showcasing recent gifts, and Artechouse has launched a technology-driven spring celebration featuring AI-assisted sculpting and digital floral environments.

National Museum of African Art Announces “Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art”

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art has announced “Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art,” an exhibition opening January 23 through August 23, 2026. Featuring nearly 60 works by LGBTQ+ artists from Africa and its diaspora—including Zanele Muholi, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Leilah Babirye, Jim Chuchu, and Ṣọlá Olúlòde—the show spans painting, photography, sculpture, installation, video, and digital art. Co-curated by Serubiri Moses and Kevin D. Dumouchelle, the exhibition is built on years of dialogue with artists and communities, centering their voices and lived experiences.

New Smithsonian exhibit highlights American fairs, including crop art, butter from Minnesota

A new exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution spotlights the history and artistry of American state and county fairs, featuring unusual exhibits such as crop art and butter sculptures from Minnesota. The show explores how these community events have long served as platforms for creative expression, agricultural pride, and local tradition.

Notte Europea dei Musei 2026: tornano le aperture serali con biglietto a 1 euro. Il programma

The European Night of Museums returns on Saturday, May 23, 2026, with participating museums across Europe opening their doors for special evening hours. In Italy, the Ministry of Culture organizes extraordinary openings from 8 PM to midnight at the symbolic price of 1 euro, alongside events in theater, music, dance, literature, and cinema. Highlights include Rome's Notte dei Musei (16th edition) with civic museums open until 2 AM, Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este in Tivoli offering evening access and contemporary performances, and the Royal Savoy Residences in Piedmont featuring guided tours, exhibitions, and family activities.

Art Basel Miami Beach Diary: a pettable bronze piece, an un-buttoned up party and tarot in a grotto

At Art Basel Miami Beach, the art collective MSCHF invites fairgoers to touch their bronze sculpture *Touch Me Sculpture One More Time* (2024) on Perrotin’s stand, featuring a counter that tracks each pat. The Institute of Contemporary Art Miami hosted a VIP opening night with figures like director Alex Gartenfeld and artist Andreas Schulze, while the Thom Browne club stood out in matching attire. Other highlights include kinetic sculptures by Breakfast (Andrew Zolty) at 1 Hotel South Beach, a tarot-reading grotto by Julie Schenkelberg at Nada fair, and Robbie Williams’s furniture debut with Moooi at Design Miami.

First Look at the Met’s ‘Costume Art’ Where Every Body Matters, Really

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has unveiled its spring exhibition "Costume Art" in the Condé M. Nast Galleries, featuring around 200 pairings of garments and artworks that trace connections across centuries. The show prioritizes fashion over art, displaying dresses, jeans, body stockings, and bustiers to explore the human form through sections like "Naked and Nude Body," "Corpulent Body," and "Disabled Boy." Chief curator Andrew Bolton emphasizes celebrating body diversity amid threats from AI and politics, with nine individuals—including fashion designer Michaela Stark—scanned to create more realistic mannequins.

Emerging Voices at AMA

The Arlington Museum of Art (AMA) presents the Annual Juried UTA Student Exhibition from October 30, 2025, through February 22, 2026, featuring 27 graduate and undergraduate students from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). The exhibition was juried and curated by Clare Milliken, Assistant Curator at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, who selected works across bronze, blown glass, painting, photography, sculpture, and video art. UTA painting faculty Benjamin Terry coordinated the show for the second year, noting a shift toward introspective, material-focused works compared to last year's politically charged selections.

In Florence, an exhibition that tells the story of Beato Angelico

From September 26, 2025 to January 25, 2026, the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and Museo di San Marco in Florence are jointly presenting a major exhibition dedicated to the 15th-century painter Beato Angelico. The show brings together over 140 works—including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and miniatures—from prestigious institutions such as the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery in Washington, the Vatican Museums, and the Rijksmuseum. It explores Angelico’s artistic development, his collaborations with contemporaries like Masaccio, Filippo Lippi, and Lorenzo Ghiberti, and his influence on Renaissance art, with a special focus on his frescoes at the Museo di San Marco, including the iconic Annunciation.

Inspiring Connections

An exhibition titled "Jean F. Watson: An Artistic Legacy" at the City of Edinburgh showcases over 40 historical and contemporary Scottish artworks acquired through the Jean F. Watson Bequest Fund. Featured artists include Arthur Melville, JD Fergusson, Anne Redpath, Joan Eardley, Eduardo Paolozzi, Elizabeth Blackadder, Alison Watt, and Leena Nammari, among others. Highlights include Fergusson's "The Blue Hat, Closerie des Lilas," Blackadder's "Irises," and a pandemic-inspired installation by Virginia Hutchison. The display spans drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, and sculpture across 250 years.

UM Museum Announces Fall 2025 Exhibitions

The University of Montana's Montana Museum of Art and Culture (MMAC) will present three solo exhibitions by Montana artists this fall: Sara Mast's "Standing in the River" (opening Oct. 16), Manette Rene Bradford's "Unsettled Lands" (opening Nov. 13), and a posthumous show for Rand Robbin (opening Dec. 4). The exhibitions span painting, glass sculpture, collage, drawing, and printmaking, with each artist offering a distinct perspective on landscape, nature, and Montana's artistic traditions.

A free exhibition of Bob Dylan’s paintings is opening in London this week

A free exhibition of Bob Dylan's paintings, titled 'Point Blank', opens at the Halcyon Gallery on Bond Street, London, on May 9, 2025. The show features 97 original paintings on paper created between 2021 and 2022, based on quick sketches that were later painted over. This marks Dylan's latest collaboration with the gallery, following previous exhibitions including 2021's 'Deep Focus'. The 84-year-old Nobel Prize-winning songwriter has been working with Halcyon for nearly two decades and has also exhibited internationally, including a major 2019 retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in Shanghai.

Let him entertain you: Robbie Williams gets honest in latest Moco exhibition

Pop star Robbie Williams opened his new exhibition "Radical Honesty" at the Moco Museum in London on May 2, 2025, featuring his latest sculptures and paintings. The show was attended by celebrities including documentary maker Louis Theroux, artists Chris Levine and Daniel Lismore, and comedian Leigh Francis. Williams's works incorporate his trademark sarcastic and self-deprecating humor, with one painting bearing the text: "To be completely honest I’m not sure if we are friends or we’ve just been in the same room a lot in the last 15 years." This is not Williams's first art venture; in 2022 he presented 14 large-scale works at Sotheby's London co-created with Ed Godrich under the name Williams Godrich, and he is also an art collector with pieces by Banksy, Peter Blake, Christopher Page, and Morris Wade.

Yanran Chen Set to Launch First Solo Exhibition In China At ART FOCUS Beijing

Yanran Chen, a Chinese multidisciplinary artist also known as Chloe Chen, will launch her first large-scale solo exhibition in China at the new ART FOCUS space in Beijing's 798 Art District. The exhibition, titled "Neon Dreamland," runs from 23 May to 6 July 2025 and is curated by actor and "Art Knock" founder Yuan Hong. The show is divided into two thematic zones: one featuring her personal paintings and sculptures, including works like "The Mechanical Lifeform" and "Dinner," and another presenting a collaborative series with anime label WaarWorld inspired by Liu Cixin's novel "The Supernova Era." The exhibition coincides with the launch of ART FOCUS, an immersive art space focused on digital integration and cross-genre collaboration, and is part of the broader Beijing Art Season.

New art exhibition by local neurodivergent artists

A new exhibition titled "Mindscapes" has opened in St Helier, featuring the work of two local neurodivergent artists, Emilie Knight and Chris Addy. Knight explores identity, crisis, and transformation through mixed media paintings following her recent autism diagnosis, while Addy uses etching, woodcut, and acrylic to depict a darker, disorientating inner world. The exhibition is held in a multi-sensory space at the Connect With Art gallery (formerly Studio 18), owned by multidisciplinary artist Yulia Makeyeva, and runs until 2 October.

“Lessons in Expression” Local Teacher Art Show now on display

The Woodlands Arts Council has opened a new exhibition titled “Lessons in Expression,” a teacher art show featuring works by 20 local art educators. The exhibition, curated by artist Annette Palmer, includes a range of media from ceramics to paintings and had its opening reception on August 21, 2025. The show runs from August 12 to October 23, 2025, at the TWAC Exhibition Space in The Woodlands, Texas.