New residency in upstate New York will give Indigenous artists access to neon fabrication studio

Lite Brite Neon Studio in Kingston, New York, has partnered with the Walker Youngbird Foundation to launch Native Neon, a residency program providing Indigenous artists with access to neon fabrication. The inaugural recipient is Sarah Rowe, an enrolled member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and of Lakota descent, who receives $50,000, a $10,000 stipend, and a week-long residency to create an immersive neon environment. The studio, known for collaborations with artists like Glenn Ligon and Jeffrey Gibson, aims to lower the technical and financial barriers to working with neon.

Six Artists Vie to Design Billie Holiday Monument in New York

Six artists have been selected as finalists to design a public monument honoring jazz singer Billie Holiday in Queens, New York, outside the Jamaica Performing Arts Center. The finalists—La Vaughn Belle, Nikesha Breeze, Nekisha Durrett, Tanda Francis, Thomas J. Price, and Tavares Strachan—submitted proposals after an open call in late 2025, site visits, and discussions with Holiday scholars and family. The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs released the designs on May 19 for public feedback through the end of May, with a final selection expected later this year. Proposals range from abstract silhouettes and bronze beans to more representational figures, reflecting Holiday's legacy and her connection to Queens.

A $1B Evening With Nicole Kidman

Hyperallergic's newsletter reports on a record-setting $1 billion evening sale at Christie's on May 18, which included works by Jackson Pollock and Constantin Brancusi alongside Hollywood star Nicole Kidman. Other stories cover an exhibition at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center celebrating Black American artists in Paris, a painted book cover trend analyzed by Tara Anne Dalbow, a Gaza Square sculpture unveiling in Paterson, New Jersey, and a performance event by Bahar Behbahani on Governors Island.

Le CMN perd le Mont-Saint-Michel

The article reports on several developments in the art world: the Centre des Monuments Nationaux (CMN) loses management of Mont-Saint-Michel; the Venice Biennale opens amid controversy; a law on the restitution of cultural property looted during colonization is definitively adopted; the V&A East museum targets younger audiences; in Giverny, the Monet legacy does not benefit everyone; and the market for the Nabis artists is becoming more structured.

Thomas J. Price and Tavares Strachan Make Shortlist for Billie Holiday Monument Designs

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs has announced a shortlist of six finalists for a public monument honoring jazz singer Billie Holiday, to be installed outside the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Queens. Among the top contenders are British sculptor Thomas J. Price and Bahamian conceptual artist Tavares Strachan, whose proposals include abstract bronze forms and a mirrored column, respectively. Other finalists are La Vaughn Belle, Nikesha Breeze, Nekisha Durrett, and Tanda Francis, all of whom consulted with Holiday scholars and family members to develop their designs.

Maine Institutions Dissect the American Semiquincentennial

Boston Art Review (BAR) has published an article examining how Maine-based cultural institutions are approaching the American Semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. The piece explores the programming, exhibitions, and institutional strategies being developed by museums and art centers across Maine to mark this milestone, focusing on how they interpret American history and identity through contemporary art.

Who Should Design NYC’s New Billie Holiday Monument?

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) has revealed six commission proposals for a monument honoring legendary jazz vocalist Billie Holiday, to be installed outside the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Queens through the Percent for the Art program. The artists in the running are Thomas J Price, Tanda Francis, Nekisha Durrett, La Vaughn Belle, Tavares Strachan, and Nikesha Breeze, and the public is invited to share input on the conceptual designs before the final selection. The monument emerged from the 2018 She Built NYC initiative, which aimed to address the lack of historical monuments dedicated to influential women in the city, and was revitalized in 2024 after delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ukrainian Museums and Cultural Sites Damaged in Massive Russian Attack

In the early hours of Sunday, May 24, 2026, Russia launched a massive attack on Kyiv and its surrounding region, firing 90 missiles and 600 drones. The strike killed four people and injured about 100, while damaging civilian infrastructure including supermarkets, universities, and cultural sites. Among the hardest-hit institutions were the National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU) and the Ukrainian National Chernobyl Museum, both recently renovated. The Ukrainian National Chernobyl Museum was "effectively destroyed," with its historic building and 1,350-piece collection sustaining significant damage, though crews rescued about 40 percent of the collection. NAMU's 130-year-old building also suffered critical blows, though its collection of over 40,000 artworks remained safe. Other damaged sites include the Zhytnii Market, Hinaus Gallery, Ukrainian House exhibition hall, Taras Shevchenko Institute of Literature, and two opera houses.

Open Letter in Support of the Artist Asel Kadyrkhanova

An open letter initiated by members of the Kazakhstani and international art community protests the removal of artist Asel Kadyrkhanova's work *Machine* (2013) from the Kazakhstan pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The mixed-media installation, which addresses Stalinist repression through a vintage typewriter, arrest warrants, and red threads, was dismantled on May 5, 2026, reportedly by order of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Culture and Information, just before the pavilion's opening. The artist and curator were allegedly pressured to alter the work beforehand, and the ministry initially cited restrictions from the Italian side, but the Italian Ministry of Defense denied involvement.

A Blade of Grass Names 2026 “In Fellowship” Cohort

New York-based arts nonprofit A Blade of Grass (ABoG) has announced the three members of its 2026 In Fellowship cohort: Emily Johnson / Catalyst, The Projects/Space, and UNDOC+Collective. Each fellow receives $25,000 in support and a $25,000 honorarium for their socially engaged practices. The fellowship, established in 2025, focuses this year on gathering as a form of movement building and resource distribution.

Lagos curator establishes private art society with focus on cross-disciplinary exchange

Ugoma Chinelo Ebilah, an economist-turned-curator who founded Bloom Art Lagos in 2010 and the Mbari Kola Arts and Culture Foundation in 2019, is opening Mbari Kola, a private art society and members club in Lagos. Located in the affluent Ikoyi district, the 800 sq. m space will include a public gallery, shop, and garden, along with a private lounge, terrace, library, and multifunctional rooms for members. The venue will host exhibitions, residencies, film screenings, concerts, performances, and readings, focusing on pan-African art and culture. A soft launch for founding members is set for Africa Day (25 May), with further phases after summer and during Lagos Art Week in November. The club is part-funded by Ebilah and crowdfunded through around 50 founding patrons and members.

Notre-Dame: The Lie About Respecting Viollet-le-Duc's Light

Notre-Dame : le mensonge sur le respect de la lumière de Viollet-le-Duc

The article criticizes the planned replacement of the stained-glass windows in Notre-Dame Cathedral, designed by Claire Tabouret, arguing that the public establishment behind the project has made false claims about respecting the original light and colors of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc's 19th-century windows. The author compares the existing and proposed windows baie by baie, asserting that the new designs do not match the chromatic balance or light quality, and calls the official justification a lie. It also highlights two additional alleged falsehoods: that the law for Notre-Dame's restoration deliberately omitted the Venice Charter (when the culture minister said it was unnecessary because the charter was already binding), and that the National Commission for Heritage and Architecture had approved the window replacement (which the author claims is contradicted by the commission's own minutes and multiple members).

Biennale’s Kazakh Pavilion Roiled by Controversy after Artwork Fails to Make It on View

Controversy has erupted at the Kazakhstan pavilion of the Venice Biennale after artist Äsel Kadyrhanova's multimedia installation *Machine* (2013), which addresses Stalin-era repression in Kazakhstan, was dismantled before the exhibition opened. An open letter published on e-flux, signed by prominent Kazakhstani art community members, alleges the work was removed on May 5 on orders from the nation's Ministry of Culture or pavilion organizers. The pavilion's curator, Syrlybek Bekbota, claims he personally made the decision to dismantle the work after negotiations with the artist failed, citing contractual restrictions from the venue, the Museo Storico Navale di Venezia, which prohibits "political, ideological," or "propagandistic" content. The venue's management company, D'Uva, denies any role in the removal, while the project's co-commissioner, Danagul Tolepbay, disputes the accuracy of the open letter's claims.

Multimedia arts project wins Sycamore Gap tree commission after public vote

A community arts charity, Helix Arts, and George King Architects have won a public vote to create 'The People's Tree', a multimedia artwork using preserved wood from the illegally felled Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland. The National Trust commission, announced in September 2025, will transform the tree into a 'living archive' featuring participatory storytelling, a national sound archive, seed pods for digital recordings, a soundscape from growth rings, and a sound sculpture near the original site. The project is expected to begin public engagement in summer 2026 and be completed by autumn 2027.

Stonewall Monument Named Among Most Endangered Sites in the US

The Stonewall National Monument in Manhattan has been named one of the most endangered places in the US by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, marking the first time the site has appeared on the annual list. The designation comes amid the Trump administration's efforts to control LGBTQ+ history, including the National Park Service's removal of references to transgender individuals from the monument's official website and the removal of the rainbow pride flag from the site. Activists and the Gilbert Baker Foundation fought back, with the foundation filing a lawsuit that led to a settlement allowing the pride flag to be flown again, though the NPS has not restored the original website text.

Moskaus Angriff auf Kiew beschädigt auch Museen und Gedenkstätten

A massive Russian attack on Kyiv over the weekend targeted historical buildings, museums, and memorial sites, causing widespread damage. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported 87 injuries and at least two deaths, with around 300 objects damaged, mostly residential buildings. Military administrator Tymur Tkachenko described it as the largest attack since the full-scale invasion began, noting that for the first time Russia deliberately struck historical architecture and memorials, including the Foreign Ministry building, the Chernobyl Museum, and the Art Museum. Russia used 600 drones and 90 missiles, including the new Oreshnik intermediate-range missile, in retaliation for a Ukrainian attack on a vocational school in occupied Starobilsk.