Art Movements: Meet The Met's New Photography Curator

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has appointed Oluremi C. Onabanjo as its new curator of photographs, bringing her expertise in African and Black diasporic histories from MoMA. This announcement leads a series of industry shifts, including Melissa Chiu’s move from the Hirshhorn to direct the Guggenheim, and the relocation of the influential gallery 47 Canal to Chelsea. Additionally, the New York Foundation for the Arts distributed nearly $500,000 in grants to 129 artists and organizations in Queens.

The Met Hires Star Photography Curator for the Museum’s New Wing

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has appointed Oluremi C. Onabanjo as a curator in the Department of Photographs, poaching her from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Onabanjo, formerly the Peter Schub Curator at MoMA, will be tasked with managing the landmark gift of over 6,500 photographs from the Walther Family Foundation and curating exhibitions with a focus on twentieth-century media.

Dealer Scott Nichols on His Lasting Love for Iconic California Photographers

Veteran art dealer Scott Nichols reflects on his long-standing career and the evolution of his eponymous gallery, which specialized in 20th-century California photography for nearly three decades in San Francisco before relocating to Sonoma in 2019. The gallery is renowned for its deep expertise in Group f.64, maintaining one of the largest private collections of Brett Weston’s work alongside masterpieces by Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, and Imogen Cunningham.

Artist Shana Moulton to speak at Humanities Decanted

Artist Shana Moulton is set to discuss her multidisciplinary practice at the "Humanities Decanted" event on April 21. The talk will focus on her long-running 'Whispering Pines' series and her recent site-specific installation at MoMA’s Kravis Studio, which features her iconic alter ego, Cynthia. Developed in collaboration with composer Nick Hallett, the project utilizes performance and video to explore a multi-chapter narrative centered on themes of wellness and consumerism.

2026 Guggenheim Fellowships Go to Sonya Clark, John Miller, and American Artist

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has announced its 101st class of fellows, awarding 223 scholars and artists across 55 disciplines for 2026. Selected from a pool of nearly 5,000 applicants, the new cohort includes prominent visual artists such as Sonya Clark, John Miller, American Artist, and Kota Ezawa. The fellowships provide significant financial grants to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts.

WALTER OTERO A TROPICAL GALLERIST IN AMERICA S ECOSYSTEM

A new book titled "Walter Otero: un galerista tropical" is being published this March. It features an interview by curator Omar-Pascual Castillo with Puerto Rican gallerist Walter Otero, chronicling his journey from personal assistant to painter Arnaldo Roche Rabell to founding his influential San Juan gallery, Walter Otero Contemporary Art (WOCA). The book details the gallery's history, its roster of artists, and Otero's adaptation to the digital age and crises like Hurricane Maria.

The Met Appoints Oluremi C. Onabanjo as Curator of Photographs

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has appointed Oluremi C. Onabanjo as Curator in its Department of Photographs following an international search. Onabanjo, who joins from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), will oversee exhibitions, acquisitions, and research for 20th-century and contemporary photography, with a specific emphasis on international practices in Africa and Asia. Her role includes the stewardship of the Walther Collection, a massive gift of over 6,500 works, and the preparation of a major exhibition scheduled for 2028.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Appoints Oluremi C. Onabanjo as Curator in the Department of Photographs

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has appointed Oluremi C. Onabanjo as a Curator in the Department of Photographs. Joining from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Onabanjo will focus on 20th-century and contemporary photography with a specific emphasis on international practices from Africa and Asia. Her responsibilities include overseeing the stewardship of the recently acquired Walther Collection and developing a major exhibition for 2028.

Market Maker

Amrita Jhaveri, a Brown University alumna, has transitioned from a pioneering role at Christie’s to becoming a central figure in the global promotion of South Asian art. After launching Christie’s Mumbai office in the 1990s—a time when modern Indian masterpieces sold for a fraction of their current multi-million dollar values—she co-founded Jhaveri Contemporary with her sister Priya. The gallery has gained international prestige by placing works by overlooked, female, and queer South Asian artists into the permanent collections of major institutions like the Tate Modern, the Met, and MoMA.

Did Andrea Fraser’s Career Bloom Because Her Mother’s Career Died?

A New York Times article examines the complex relationship between artist Andrea Fraser's career and her mother's unfulfilled artistic ambitions. It details how Fraser's mother, a talented painter, largely abandoned her own practice to support her daughter's education and early career, a sacrifice that Fraser has grappled with both personally and within her institutional critique-focused artwork.

In Medias Res. Sofia Defino Leiby by Gabriela Acha

Berlin-based artist Sofia Defino Leiby is currently transitioning her practice between her Alt-Treptow studio and a residency at Defet House in Nürnberg. Her multidisciplinary approach integrates painting, collage, and performance, drawing heavily from a 'running narrative' of personal notes, found ephemera, and high-end materials like Schmincke paints. The work often features visceral, layered compositions that utilize everything from vintage packaging to Swiss Aura-Soma bottle imagery.

Mei Lanfang Was Famous for His Masterful Performances as Female Leads. In the 1930s, He Introduced American Audiences to the World of Chinese Opera

Mei Lanfang Was Famous for His Masterful Performances as Female Leads. In the 1930s, He Introduced American Audiences to the World of Chinese Opera

Mei Lanfang, one of China's most celebrated Peking opera stars famed for his masterful performances of female *dan* roles, embarked on a groundbreaking seven-month tour of the United States in 1930. His performances, which introduced American audiences to the elaborate art of Chinese opera for the first time, were met with critical acclaim and packed houses, earning him honorary doctorates from American universities and adulation from both Chinese American communities and the wider public.

Wagner Foundation Names Winners of $75,000 2026 Arts Fellowships

The Wagner Foundation has selected artists Tomashi Jackson, Lucy Kim, and Yu-Wen Wu as the recipients of its 2026 Wagner Arts Fellowships. Each artist, based in the Boston area, will receive an unrestricted $75,000 grant, professional development support, and will participate in a group exhibition at the Wagner Gallery in Cambridge from August to December 2026.

ArtReview Podcast | Episode 4: Delaine Le Bas

Artist Delaine Le Bas is the featured guest on the fourth episode of the ArtReview Podcast, where she discusses her practice and influences with senior digital editor Chiara Wilkinson. Le Bas selects three works as lenses for the conversation: her own large-scale mural "Un-Fair-Ground" created at Glastonbury Festival, her installation "Witch House" at the Whitworth, and the 1969 film "The Color of Pomegranates."

The Irresistible Force of Thinking and Acting Together

Guest curator Greg de Cuir Jr. interviews five prominent artist duos—including Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, and OJOBOCA—to explore the mechanics of collaborative practice and shared life. The participants discuss the origins of their partnerships, ranging from the necessity of navigating new environments like Berlin’s analog film scene to the shared political and aesthetic urgency following the Lebanese Civil Wars.

A View From the Easel

Hyperallergic's ongoing series "A View From the Easel" features two artists describing their unconventional studio practices. Georgina Arroyo works in a shared academic space at Purchase College, compartmentalizing her process-intensive mold-making and casting work around her job schedule. Linda Jacobson, based in her Venice, California studio for 17 years, works on multiple pieces simultaneously, currently focusing on a large commissioned painting.

Meet the Woman Who Made Museums More Accessible

Lorena Bradford, the first head of Accessible Programs at the National Gallery of Art, has left the institution after pioneering numerous initiatives to make museums more inclusive. Her work included launching American Sign Language tours, creating programs for individuals with memory loss, and spearheading the Short Description Project to provide detailed online artwork descriptions.

‘Prince laughed like a kid as I painted “Free” on his stomach’: Steve Parke’s best photograph

Photographer Steve Parke recounts the story behind his iconic 1999 photo shoot of Prince for Notorious magazine. The singer rejected the magazine's initial concept of painting "1999" on his stomach, instead insisting on the word "Free" to reflect his ongoing battle for artistic freedom from record labels. Parke, who was Prince's in-house art director, ended up painting the word on the singer's stomach himself with gold paint, causing Prince to laugh like a child from the cold sensation.

oluremi c onabanjo photography curator met museum 1234780698

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has appointed Oluremi C. Onabanjo as a curator in its Department of Photographs, a role she will assume this summer. Onabanjo, who joins from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), will primarily oversee the Walther Collection—a massive gift of over 6,500 photographs spanning diverse global regions—and will lead a major exhibition of the collection in 2028.

uslaf organizational future josh t franco director 1234780457

The U.S. Latinx Art Forum (USLAF) has appointed artist, archivist, and curator Josh T. Franco as its new executive director, succeeding founding director Adriana Zavala. Under Franco’s leadership and alongside newly promoted deputy director Mary Thomas, the organization is shifting its mission toward fostering "convivial spaces" and organic networking. This new phase includes hosting intimate dinners across major cities to connect artists with supporters and planning a major touring exhibition featuring the 75 recipients of the Latinx Artist Fellowship.

Taína Cruz Interview

taina cruz interview 2749742

Taína H. Cruz has emerged as a central figure in the 2024 New York art season, achieving the rare feat of being featured simultaneously in the Whitney Biennial and MoMA PS1’s "Greater New York." A 2023 Yale MFA graduate, Cruz has become the literal face of the Whitney Biennial, with her painting "I Saw the Future and It Smiled Back" displayed on a massive billboard outside the museum. Her work, which often explores Black female identity through a lens of folklore, horror, and celebrity culture, is characterized by a moody and unsettling atmospheric quality.