Hampshire College, Whose Alumni List Includes Many Well-Known Artists, to Close After 51 Years

Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, has announced it will officially close following the fall 2026 semester, ending 51 years of operation. The decision follows a period of significant financial instability, including a reported $20 million debt and a failure to meet enrollment targets. The college has established agreements with regional institutions, such as Smith College and Bennington College, to allow current students to complete their degrees elsewhere.

Weekly News Roundup: April 16, 2026

The art landscape in Asia is undergoing significant shifts with Art Basel renewing its five-year commitment to Hong Kong and the Centre Pompidou announcing a June opening for its new Seoul branch. Meanwhile, the Ayala Foundation unveiled designs by architect Kulapat Yantrasast for Kontempo, a major new contemporary art center in Manila slated for 2028, and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale appointed Jitish Kallat as president following the resignation of cofounder Bose Krishnamachari.

Staff at Goldsmiths art college plan industrial action ahead of redundancies

Staff at Goldsmiths, University of London, have voted to take industrial action in response to a massive restructuring plan aimed at saving £22 million by 2027. The University and College Union (UCU) reports that the 'Future Goldsmiths' initiative will lead to significant redundancies for both professional services and academic staff. Tensions have escalated following revelations that the institution spent over £14 million on private consultants and legal fees related to previous restructuring efforts while simultaneously cutting jobs.

Artists, clowns, runaways: a stay at the Chelsea Hotel – in pictures

Photographer Albert Scopin has released a new book through Kerber Verlag documenting his residency at New York’s iconic Chelsea Hotel between 1969 and 1971. The collection features rare, intimate portraits of the hotel's legendary inhabitants, including a young Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe before their rise to global fame, alongside long-time manager Stanley Bard and avant-garde figures like Vali Myers and Holly Woodlawn. Scopin’s lens captures the 'creative chaos' of the era, from the art-filled lobby to the eccentric private quarters of residents like composer George Kleinsinger.

The True Story of César's Forger Currently Featured in a Canal+ Documentary Series

L’histoire vraie du faussaire de César actuellement dans une série documentaire sur Canal+

The French documentary series on Canal+ explores the life of Éric Piedoie Le Tiec, a prolific art forger who flooded the market with thousands of fake works. Based in the French Riviera, Le Tiec specialized in creating pieces "in the style of" modern masters like Raoul Dufy and César Baldaccini. Following César's death in 1998, Le Tiec partnered with Jean-Charles Villa to mass-produce fake "compressions" using industrial car crushers, exploiting the artist's rising market value and lack of a definitive catalogue raisonné.

Imitations of a Mediocre Teenager on Tranquilizers

"Nachahmungen eines mittelmäßigen Teenagers auf Tranquilizern"

The Victoria & Albert Museum has reportedly censored exhibition catalogs following pressure from Chinese printing firms, removing images and maps related to sensitive topics like Tibet and Tiananmen Square. This editorial roundup also highlights artist Molly Crabapple’s sharp critique of generative AI as a massive intellectual property theft and a profile of Rirkrit Tiravanija’s communal home in Thailand, which functions as a social sculpture.

The Art World This Week: Smithsonian Leader to Run Guggenheim, LACMA’s New Building to Open, Vatican's Sound-Based Venice Pavilion, and More

Melissa Chiu has been appointed as the new director of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, departing her long-standing role at the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum. Additionally, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has announced that its highly anticipated, $724 million David Geffen Galleries will finally open to the public on May 4, while the Vatican revealed plans for a sound-based pavilion at the Venice Biennale dedicated to Saint Hildegard of Bingen.

Versailles Restores Royal Bedroom to Its 1789 Splendor

The Palace of Versailles has completed a multi-decade restoration of the King’s Private Bedroom, meticulously recreating the space as it appeared on October 6, 1789, the day the royal family fled the French Revolution. The project involved an intergenerational team of curators and master craftspeople who utilized archival descriptions and surviving fabric scraps to reconstruct the room's ornate Rocaille embellishments, silk tapestries from Lyon, and a central gilded bed carved from linden wood.

Walker Art Center Restaurant Cuts Front-of-House Staff as QR Codes Take Over

Cardamom, the in-house restaurant at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, is laying off sixteen front-of-house staff members as it transitions to a QR-code-based ordering system. The restaurant’s operator, DDP Restaurant Group, cited fluctuating museum traffic and rising operational costs as the primary drivers for the shift to a counter-service model. While kitchen staff and bartenders will remain, the move effectively replaces traditional table service with digital automation.

Walker Art Center Severs Ties with Restaurant for Laying Off Workers in Favor of QR Codes

The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis has announced it is severing ties with its on-site restaurant, Cardamom, following the establishment's sudden decision to lay off its front-of-house staff. The restaurant, operated by chef Daniel del Prado, intended to replace 16 servers and hosts with a QR code ordering system to combat financial losses. Museum director Mary Ceruti stated that the move caught the institution by surprise and does not align with the museum's commitment to providing a welcoming, full-service environment for its visitors.

‘Rethinking, Reimagining and Reinstalling’ the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has unveiled a massive $1.5 billion renovation plan titled "Rethinking, Reimagining and Reinstalling," which aims to transform approximately 25 percent of its galleries and public spaces. This ambitious capital project includes the complete overhaul of the Oscar L. and Annette de la Renta Wing for modern and contemporary art, the renovation of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing for the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, and significant updates to the European Paintings galleries.

A drawing by Toulouse-Lautrec for Albi

Un dessin de Toulouse-Lautrec pour Albi

The Musée Toulouse-Lautrec in Albi has acquired a rare drawing by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, depicting the intimate daily lives of women in a Parisian brothel. The work, created during the artist's frequent visits to the establishment on Rue des Moulins, captures a candid, non-judgmental moment of modern life, reflecting the artist's commitment to Baudelairian realism.

From Comics to TV: Quino's Legendary Mafalda Becomes an Animated Series

Dal fumetto alla tv: la mitica Mafalda di Quino diventa una serie animata

Netflix has announced a new animated series based on the iconic comic strip Mafalda, directed by Academy Award-winner Juan José Campanella. Produced by Mundoloco CGI, the project coincides with the 60th anniversary of the character's debut and marks a transition from the traditional black-and-white print medium to a dynamic, colorized digital format. The series aims to preserve the sharp social commentary and rebellious spirit of the original illustrations created by the late Argentine cartoonist Quino.

Three Years, One City: Tulsa’s Transformative Artist Fellowship.

The Tulsa Artist Fellowship has announced an open call for its 2027–2029 award cycle, seeking ten artists and arts workers for a three-year residency in Oklahoma. Selected fellows receive a comprehensive financial package totaling over $150,000 in stipends, plus housing and relocation support, in exchange for committing to live and work in Tulsa. The program, established by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, emphasizes long-term community engagement and the development of ambitious, site-specific projects.

26 Best Museums in the U.S. for Art, Culture, and Unique Experiences

This travel guide highlights 26 of the most significant museums across the United States, ranging from massive encyclopedic institutions to niche cultural centers. The list features major art landmarks like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Getty Center alongside specialized venues such as the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the immersive art experience Meow Wolf.

Insects, Dresses, and Rebellion: Why 'The Law of Lidia Poët' is Different from All Other Costume Dramas

Insetti, abiti e ribellione: perché “La legge di Lidia Poët” è diversa da tutte le altre serie in costume

The third and final season of the Netflix series "The Law of Lidia Poët" concludes the story of Italy's first female lawyer in 1880s Turin. While the narrative follows her legal battles and social defiance, the production distinguishes itself through a rigorous and symbolic approach to costume design led by Stefano Ciammitti. Rather than modernizing the past, the series uses historical aesthetics—specifically gothic literature and naturalistic obsessions—to construct a visual language of rebellion.

lincoln center mural kicks off project improve access damrosch park 1234781277

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts has unveiled a new large-scale mural titled "The Future We Create" by Spanish artist Vanesa Álvarez and local artist Derval Fairweather. Installed on construction fencing along Amsterdam Avenue, the vibrant public artwork was produced in collaboration with the nonprofit ArtBridge. The design was informed by community workshops involving local residents and students, transforming a temporary urban barrier into a celebratory visual narrative.

National Gallery | London, Highlights, History, Collection, & Facts

The National Gallery in London, established in 1824, continues to evolve as the primary repository for Great Britain’s national collection of European paintings. Originally founded with the purchase of 38 works from John Julius Angerstein, the museum now houses over 2,600 masterpieces, including significant Italian Renaissance, Dutch, and French Impressionist works. Recent developments include a 2025 announcement that the institution will expand its remit to collect 20th-century art, supported by a new wing planned for the 2030s.