ifpda print fair 2026 sales attendance drawings expansion 1234781135

The 2026 IFPDA Print Fair concluded at the Park Avenue Armory with record-breaking attendance of over 21,000 visitors and robust sales across various price points. This edition marked a significant pivot for the fair following its formal expansion to include drawings dealers, rebranding as the International Fine Prints and Drawings Association. Notable sales included a sold-out edition of Cecily Brown etchings at Two Palms and six-figure works by David Hockney and Rashid Johnson at Galerie Maximillian.

Shoptalk: New Guggenheim Director Melissa Chiu on How She Got the Job

Melissa Chiu has been appointed as the new director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, transitioning from her long-standing leadership at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. The appointment was the result of a confidential search led by Mariët Westermann, the Guggenheim’s overall director and CEO, who determined that the expanding global "constellation" of museums required a dedicated leader for the New York flagship. Chiu will officially assume the role in September, just ahead of the highly anticipated opening of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in 2025.

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.

LA’s The Box Gallery to Close After 19 Years

The Box, a prominent Los Angeles gallery, announced it will close after 19 years, with its final exhibition—a two-venue collaboration with Parker Gallery for late California artist Wally Hedrick—ending April 4. The closure will be marked by a fashion show for Johanna Went on June 6. Founder Mara McCarthy cited a combination of factors, including changing economics around support for her father Paul McCarthy's work and the loss of her family's homes in the January 2025 Eaton fire, as making continued operation impossible.

James Hayward, West Coast Painter with a Cult Following, Dies at 82

James Hayward, a West Coast painter known for his thickly applied monochrome abstractions, died on April 16 at the age of 82. His work, which developed a dedicated following among fellow artists, was characterized by a deliberate, eccentric process that set it apart from other minimalist painting of his era.

SP-Arte underscores Latin America’s resilient rise amid global market recalibration

The 22nd edition of SP-Arte has opened at São Paulo’s Oscar Niemeyer-designed pavilion, featuring over 180 galleries and design studios. While global art markets face a period of recalibration, the Latin American sector—and Brazil in particular—is reporting significant growth, including a 21% year-on-year increase in sales for Brazilian dealers according to the latest Art Basel and UBS report.

The Philosopher Who Predicted Our Post-Literate Art Moment

Art critic Martha Schwendener has released a new book titled 'The Society of the Screen: Vilém Flusser’s Radical Prescience,' exploring the prophetic theories of the late philosopher Vilém Flusser. Flusser, a Prague-born thinker who lived in Brazil and Europe, argued in the 1980s that society was transitioning from a text-based culture to one dominated by 'technical images,' a shift he believed would fundamentally alter human consciousness and the function of the 'apparatus' in daily life.

Siteless Athens Arts Institution NEON Closing After 14 Years

The Athens-based cultural institution NEON, founded by prominent art collector Dimitris Daskalopoulos in 2012, is closing after 14 years. Operating without a permanent building, NEON organized 44 exhibitions across unconventional spaces, including ancient archaeological sites, commissioning works by artists such as Marina Abramović, Anastasia Douka, and Danh Vo. Its final project is a trilogy by artist Michael Rakowitz titled "Michael Rakowitz & Ancient Cultures," which began at the Old Acropolis Museum and will conclude later this year.

The Box Shutters in Los Angeles After Nearly Two Decades

The Box, a pioneering Los Angeles gallery known for its nonprofit-style support of experimental and performance art, has announced its closure after nearly two decades. Founded in 2007 by Mara McCarthy, the gallery’s final exhibition featured late California painter Wally Hedrick, and a closing event will include a fashion show by Johanna Went. Mara McCarthy cited the shifting market for her father Paul McCarthy’s work and the loss of family homes in the Eaton Fire as factors behind the decision.

Saudis Renege on Met Opera Financial Aid, Berlin’s Culture Senator Resigns, and More: Morning Links for April 24, 2026

The Metropolitan Opera has announced that Saudi Arabia reneged on a noncommittal memorandum of understanding that would have provided up to $200 million over eight years to the cash-strapped New York institution. Met general manager Peter Gelb said the Saudis blamed the war in Iran and the blocked Strait of Hormuz, but funding had already failed to materialize before the conflict, prompting preemptive layoffs in January. Separately, Berlin culture senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson resigned after a state audit found she illegally authorized €2.6 million for 13 projects meant to combat antisemitism, violating budget regulations. Other news includes President Trump's plan to renovate the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, Ontario increasing support for the Art Gallery of Ontario and Royal Ontario Museum, Rome's new photography museum, and the appointment of Thiago de Paula Souza as curator of the eighth Athens Biennale.

Museums have a duty to inspire the creatives of the future. At V&A East, I’ve made that my mission | Gus Casely-Hayford

Gus Casely-Hayford, the director of V&A East, outlines his vision for the new museum as a collaborative space designed specifically to re-engage young audiences. Highlighting a new commission by Cuban artist Tania Bruguera created with local youth, Casely-Hayford argues that museums must move beyond Victorian-era paternalism toward a model of co-creation. The institution has consulted over 30,000 young people to ensure its galleries, such as the "Why We Make" space, reflect contemporary concerns and community needs.

Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Estate Sold to Florida Resort

The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation has sold the late artist’s twenty-two-acre estate on Captiva Island, Florida, to the neighboring South Seas resort for $45 million. The sale includes ten buildings, most notably Rauschenberg’s custom-built 8,000-square-foot studio and his historic "Beach House." While the resort plans to integrate the property into its operations and host art-related programming, the foundation cited escalating maintenance costs and environmental risks from climate change as the primary reasons for the divestment.

Inside ‘Prince of Prints’ Jordan Schnitzer’s Sprawling Collection

Jordan Schnitzer, the Portland-based philanthropist often called the 'Prince of Prints,' recently provided a rare tour of his massive 50,000-square-foot art warehouse. The facility utilizes a sophisticated 'floating bin' logistics system, similar to those used by major retailers, to manage over 22,000 works, including extensive holdings by Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys, and Richard Prince. Schnitzer’s foundation operates as a lending library, frequently shipping works to museums and hosting educational tours for students from districts where arts funding has been eliminated.

The US Pavilion Is Taking Online Donations

The American Arts Conservancy (AAC), the nonprofit tasked with executing Alma Allen's 2026 US Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, is soliciting online donations from the public after receiving no corporate or foundation funding. Unlike previous pavilions backed by major foundations like Ford and Mellon, AAC's fundraising relies on private citizens, with a minimum $100 donation requested via its website. The State Department provided $375,000 but requires additional funding, and AAC's Executive Director Jenni Parido, a former pet food store owner, declined to name specific donors, though Instagram posts suggest wealthy Trump allies attended benefit events. Perrotin Gallery, which represents Allen, is providing operational support but not funding.

The Box LA, Beloved Risk-Taking Art Space, Closes After 19 Years

The Box LA, a pioneering experimental art space in Los Angeles known for its fearless support of unconventional and performance art, is closing after 19 years. Founded in 2007 by Mara McCarthy in Chinatown (later moving to the Arts District), the gallery operated as a commercial space but with a nonprofit ethos, championing underrecognized artists from her father Paul McCarthy's generation alongside emerging talents. Its final exhibition, a retrospective of Wally Hedrick presented with Parker Gallery, ended April 4, with a closing celebration planned for June 6 featuring a fashion show by Johanna Went. The closure is attributed to financial struggles, exacerbated by the Eaton Fire that destroyed McCarthy's home and her family's, and a shift in support from McCarthy Studios.

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.

Art as Experimental Setup

Kunst als Versuchsanordnung

The influential Berlin-based artist and professor Thomas Zipp has passed away unexpectedly. Known for his immersive installations that blurred the lines between art, science, and madness, Zipp created complex "experimental setups" involving painting, sculpture, and performance. His work often explored dark parallel worlds, notably evidenced in his haunting 2013 Venice Biennale project that transformed a palazzo into a derelict psychiatric ward.

Affaire Indiana : un éditeur d’art condamné à 102 millions de dollars

A federal jury in Manhattan has ordered Michael McKenzie and his company American Image Art to pay $102 million (€95 million) to the Morgan Art Foundation for unauthorized exploitation of works by artist Robert Indiana (1928-2018), including his iconic LOVE image. The case, filed in May 2018 just before Indiana's death, alleged that McKenzie—a former agent of the artist—produced and sold unauthorized editions, sculptures, and merchandise under Indiana's name, violating exclusive reproduction and commercialization rights granted to the foundation in the 1990s. The jury found McKenzie guilty of trademark infringement, copyright violation, and contractual interference, with $6.2 million specifically tied to 44 LOVE works. The defense, weakened by sanctions for hiding evidence and refusing to cooperate, plans to appeal.

The Great Lone Wolf of Art

Der große Einzelgänger der Kunst

Georg Baselitz, the German painter known for his radical, figurative works and iconic upside-down motifs, has died at age 88. Born Hans-Georg Kern in 1938 in Deutschbaselitz, Saxony, he fled East Germany for West Berlin in 1957 after being expelled from art school for "socio-political immaturity." Baselitz rose to international fame with his expressive, fractured depictions of the human figure, famously inverting his compositions starting with "Der Wald auf dem Kopf" (1969). He also worked as a stage and costume designer for operas by Harrison Birtwistle, György Ligeti, and Richard Wagner.

Zurich’s Galerie Philipp Zollinger Closes After 7 years

Galerie Philipp Zollinger in Zurich is closing after seven years, as announced by founder Philipp Zollinger on Instagram. Citing continued global instability and a lack of conditions necessary to sustain the gallery, Zollinger explained that despite his willingness to invest further, the market no longer supports growth. The gallery focused on Swiss and Scandinavian artists working in three-dimensional media, along with artists from Southeast Asia and the United States. Its final exhibition, a dual presentation of Renée Levi and Theo Eble, closed on April 18 at Galerie Mueller in Basel. The closure follows a previous move from a nomadic operation to a physical space on Rämistrasse, which shut in fall 2025 due to an unstable art market and shifting collecting trends.

London's Southbank Centre to receive £10m government funding boost

The UK government has announced a £10 million funding boost for London’s Southbank Centre as part of a broader £128 million investment package for 130 cultural venues nationwide. Administered by Arts Council England, the grant is earmarked for urgent infrastructure repairs, including fixing leaking roofs and modernizing rigging systems, coinciding with the center's 75th anniversary. Other major beneficiaries of the Creative Foundations Fund include the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and Firstsite gallery.

Judd Foundation Taps Copper Hewitt Curator as New Director of Design

The Judd Foundation has appointed Alexandra Cunningham Cameron as its first director of design, a new role overseeing Donald Judd Furniture LLC. Cameron, currently a curator of contemporary design at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, will start on April 27, guiding product development, operations, and strategic growth for the foundation's furniture line, which produces over 70 designs based on Donald Judd's original specifications.

Closure of DePaul Art Museum leaves collection in limbo

DePaul University has announced the permanent closure of the DePaul Art Museum (DPAM) effective June 30, citing a projected $27.4m budget deficit for 2026. Despite an open letter signed by over 3,000 students and faculty, the administration is moving forward with the shutdown of the $7.8m facility that has served as a cultural anchor since 2011. Director Laura-Caroline de Lara had successfully raised funds to keep the museum operational through the current season, but the university's leadership remains committed to the closure as part of a broader cost-cutting initiative.

Remembering Agosto Machado, Keeper of Queer Histories

Agosto Machado, a seminal performer, archivist, and fixture of New York’s downtown queer arts scene, has passed away. Known as a "keeper of secrets" and a vital connector within the avant-garde community, Machado was a muse to filmmaker Jack Smith and a lifelong friend to Warhol superstar Mario Montez. His life spanned the height of the East Village performance era, where he transitioned from a quiet observer to an essential participant in the preservation of underground history.

Art and Springtime in Upstate NY

This regional update highlights a diverse array of developments, ranging from the seasonal art circuit in Upstate New York to significant human rights actions. Lebanese artist Ali Cherri, a former Venice Biennale Silver Lion winner, has filed a formal war crimes complaint against Israel following a strike in Beirut that killed his parents. Simultaneously, a new report reveals systemic staffing crises within POC-led arts organizations in the Northeast, where over a third of institutions operate without a single full-time employee.

Refik Anadol’s Dataland Museum Sets an Opening Date

Refik Anadol's Dataland, billed as the world's first A.I. art museum, will open on June 20 in Los Angeles after more than two and a half years of planning. Founded by Anadol and his partner Efsun Erkiliç, the museum is housed inside the Frank Gehry-designed Grand L.A. complex and features five galleries. Its debut exhibition, "Machine Dreams: Rainforest," uses ecological data processed through Anadol's Large Nature Model to create digital sculptures simulating possible rainforests. The museum, designed by Gensler, dedicates nearly a third of its 35,000 square feet to operational hardware and runs on 87 percent carbon-free energy.

American Rousseaus Return to Paris

Les Rousseau américains de retour à Paris

The Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris is hosting a landmark exhibition titled "Henri Rousseau, l’ambition de la peinture," featuring 50 works by the self-taught master. The show is distinguished by a historic loan from the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, which has sent nine paintings to France for the first time since they were acquired a century ago by Albert Barnes. A highlight of the exhibition is the rare gathering of three "manifesto paintings"—The Sleeping Gypsy, Unpleasant Surprise, and The Snake Charmer—displayed together in a dedicated gallery.

The National Gallery expands with Kengo Kuma

La National Gallery s'agrandit avec Kengo Kuma

The National Gallery in London has commissioned renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma to lead a significant expansion and redesign project. The initiative aims to modernize the museum's infrastructure and create more fluid, accessible spaces for its world-class collection of European paintings.

Auctioneer Kimberly Pirtle Leaves Sotheby’s to Launch Hybrid Art-Philanthropy Advisory

Kimberly Pirtle, a fast-rising auctioneer at Sotheby’s, has left the company to launch Gabriel Advisory Group, a hybrid art advisory and cultural philanthropy firm. The new practice works across primary and secondary markets, advising collectors on acquisitions while also guiding philanthropic strategy and institutional engagement, drawing on Pirtle’s experience in Sotheby’s collectors group and her work with benefit auctions for organizations including the Pratt Institute, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Queens Museum, and the Gordon Parks Foundation. Pirtle is also maintaining a role as a VIP consultant with Frieze.

Sonic investigations non-profit to be artist-in-residence at London's Gasworks

The non-profit organization Earshot, founded by artist Lawrence Abu Hamdan, has been awarded a three-year studio bursary at London's Gasworks. The bursary, backed by Spanish patron Mercedes Vilardell, provides an annual stipend and covers monthly rent for a studio space at the south London exhibition and residency space. Earshot uses sound in the defense of human and environmental rights, and the residency gives it a platform to operate independently after an incubation period with Forensic Architecture. Abu Hamdan and Earshot will also take over the Barbican Centre this autumn for an event titled Repercussions, featuring installations, performances, screenings, and live music.