Vilcek Foundation to Award $200,000 in Grants to Nonprofits Uplifting Immigrant Contributions

The Vilcek Foundation is accepting applications for its 2026 grant cycle, offering up to $20,000 per grant to nonprofit organizations that highlight immigrant contributions in the arts, sciences, and culture. The total funding pool is $200,000, with a deadline of April 30, 2026. This initiative marks the second year of this specific grant program, expanding the foundation's long-standing mission as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Uzbek Artist Saodat Ismailova Makes Her U.S. Museum Debut at the Smithsonian

Uzbek artist Saodat Ismailova is making her U.S. museum debut at the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibition introduces her multimedia works, which often explore Central Asian history, spirituality, and female identity, to an American audience for the first time.

Show White: Academy of Visual Arts, University of the Arts Sharjah exhibition

The Academy of Visual Arts at the University of the Arts Sharjah is presenting a faculty exhibition titled 'Show White,' curated by Tor Seidel and assisted by Maryam AlQassimi. The show, first hosted at Rawaq Gallery (April 8–23) and currently at XVA Gallery in Al Fahidi (April 25–May 21), explores the multifaceted concept of 'white' through diverse mediums and techniques. Participating faculty artists include Georgina Abood, Dr. Mohammed Yousif Alhammadi, Muatasim Alkubaisy, Alina Erimia, Muhammad Asad Iqbal, Thaier Helal, Dr. Iman Ibrahim, and Andreea Lonhardt-Muresan, each presenting works that engage with white as a symbol of minimalism, purity, emptiness, or cultural memory.

Michener Art Museum's retired founding director returns with new exhibition

Bruce Katsiff, the founding director of the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, has returned to the institution with his first-ever exhibition at the museum, titled 'Pieces of a Life.' The retrospective showcases six decades of Katsiff's photography, including series such as 'Face Maps,' 'River Town Portraits,' and 'Nature Morte,' as well as collaborative works never before exhibited. Katsiff, who led the museum from 1989 to 2012, transformed it from an arts center into a full-fledged museum, building a collection focused on regional artists from Bucks County and overseeing the installation of iconic spaces like the Nakashima Room.

The Met Makes a Statement With 9 New Mannequin Bodies

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has introduced nine new mannequin bodies for its costume displays, replacing older models to better showcase fashion exhibitions. The new mannequins feature more diverse and realistic body shapes, including different skin tones and poses, aiming to modernize the museum's presentation of historical and contemporary garments.

National Carpet Museum opens exhibition titled 'Images Imprinted in Memory' [PHOTOS]

The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum has launched "Images Imprinted in Memory," a solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Madina Gasimova. Supported by the .ART domain, the showcase features 28 works produced over the last five years, including five new carpets woven using the museum's traditional techniques based on the artist's contemporary sketches. The exhibition highlights the fluidity of artistic motifs as they transition across various media, including painting, stained glass, mosaic, and digital formats, accompanied by a sound installation of the carpet-weaving process.

Legendary Arts Administrator Returns To Bucks With Pieces Of A Life

The Michener Art Museum is hosting "Pieces of a Life," a retrospective exhibition dedicated to the 60-year photography career of Bruce Katsiff. Running from April 11 to August 12, the show features 60 works including his 1970s "River Town Portraits," the "Nature Morte" series exploring mortality through animal remains, and his recent digital "Face Maps." The exhibition is guest-curated by art historian Dorothy Fisher and highlights Katsiff's technical mastery ranging from platinum prints to modern digital composites.

Silverman Gallery showcases “Jean Childs Buzgo: Dreamscapes & Discoveries”

The Silverman Gallery of Bucks County Impressionist Art is hosting a solo exhibition titled “Jean Childs Buzgo: Dreamscapes & Discoveries,” running from April 11 through May 3. The showcase features a diverse collection of the artist's newest paintings, including large-scale florals, local Bucks County landscapes, and works inspired by her travels to Scotland and Ireland. Many of the pieces originated during the pandemic in 2020 and have been recently revisited and resolved using a mix of oil, acrylic, wax crayon, and collage.

Thompsons to exhibit together at Stover Mill Gallery

Artists Emily and George Thompson are set to debut a joint exhibition titled “Double Feature: A Two-Person Show” at the historic Stover Mill Gallery in Erwinna, Pennsylvania. The exhibition juxtaposes Emily’s contemporary urban landscapes and architectural forms with George’s traditional landscape paintings, showcasing the creative dialogue between the couple who share a studio.

Evanston History Center exhibit highlights local female artists

The Evanston History Center has launched "Unveiling Evanston Women Artists," a new exhibition dedicated to the historical contributions of female creators in the Illinois city. The show was sparked by a recent donation of works by the late artist Blanche Gildin, who rarely exhibited during her lifetime, and features approximately a dozen local artists including Lucile Roebuck Keeler and Rosemary Zwick. Spanning the early 20th century through the 1970s, the collection includes paintings, sculptures, and commercial illustrations that reflect the creative shifts of the civil rights era.

Sculpture of John Rhoden opens at Memorial Art Gallery

The Memorial Art Gallery has officially opened a major exhibition dedicated to the work of the late American sculptor John Rhoden. The opening reception, held on March 28, 2026, welcomed patrons and community members to explore a collection that highlights Rhoden’s unique ability to blend modernist sculpture with rhythmic, global influences.

La Jolla museum to showcase art from Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz’s private collection

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) in La Jolla is set to host "Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz." This major exhibition features a selection of world-class works from the private holdings of the musical power couple, highlighting their significant contributions as patrons of contemporary art.

Louvre closes again due to staff strikes

Staff at the Louvre museum in Paris staged another strike on Monday, January 19, the ninth such action in a month, forcing the museum to close completely for the third time since mid-December. The strike, voted unanimously by 350 employees, concerns pay, working conditions, and infrastructure, with unions demanding salary alignment with other national museums and monuments, and calling for the €666m new entrance project to be dropped in favor of basic maintenance. The closure costs the museum about €400,000 per day, and negotiations with France's culture ministry are scheduled for January 29.

More than 150 US arts organisations pledge to resist political pressure

More than 150 US arts organizations and over 320 artists and cultural workers have signed a public statement affirming their commitment to resisting political pressure. Organized by the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) and the Vera List Center for Art and Politics (VLC) at the New School, the statement does not explicitly name President Donald Trump or his administration's actions, but was precipitated by Trump's pressure campaigns against the Smithsonian Institution and the Kennedy Center, as well as deep cuts to the NEA, NEH, and IMLS. Signatories include institutions from both Democratic- and Republican-controlled states, such as the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts in New York and Diverseworks in Houston, Texas.

Bad Bunny’s residency gives local artists the chance to tell Puerto Rico’s real history

Bad Bunny's months-long concert residency in Puerto Rico, titled "No me quiero ir de aquí," has inspired a free art exhibition called "De Aquí Nadie Nos Saca" in the Santurce barrio of San Juan. Organized by the Latinx advocacy group Mijente and the art collective AgitArte, the exhibition features local Puerto Rican artists and organizations and serves as a spiritual companion to Bad Bunny's album "Debí Tirar Más Fotos." It highlights the island's everyday societal struggles, resistance movements, and cultural preservation amid colonialism and gentrification, with contributions from the theater collective Papel Machete, which created a giant puppet featured in Bad Bunny's music video for "La Mudanza."

Art Basel Miami Beach to welcome 41 new exhibitors

Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB) will return from December 5 to 7, 2025, with 285 galleries, including 41 first-time exhibitors—a significant increase from previous years. The fair will emphasize Latinx, Indigenous, and diasporic artistic currents, and will feature galleries from 44 countries, with over two-thirds operating in the Americas. New participants include New York galleries such as David Peter Francis, Candice Madey, and Margot Samel, as well as Erin Cluley Gallery from Dallas, Miami’s Nina Johnson, and Voloshyn Gallery, the first Ukrainian exhibitor at the fair. Returning mega-galleries include Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, David Zwirner, Pace Gallery, and White Cube. The fair will also debut the Art Basel Awards, with gold medalists announced on December 4.

New Voices Help Museums Tell New (or Forgotten) Stories

Museums across the United States are increasingly turning to guest curators, community advisors, and outside scholars to reinterpret their collections, often highlighting marginalized or overlooked histories. The New York Times article profiles several institutions, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Brooklyn Museum, that have invited new voices to rehang permanent collections or organize temporary exhibitions that challenge traditional narratives, such as centering Indigenous perspectives or recovering stories of enslaved people.

The British Museum bets on 'total immersion' to display the Bayeux Tapestry, which will be presented flat

Le British Museum mise sur « l’immersion totale » pour exposer la tapisserie de Bayeux qui sera présentée à plat

The British Museum has announced plans for an exceptional exhibition of the Bayeux Tapestry, which will be displayed flat for the first time in its history, rather than hung vertically as it has been for decades in Bayeux. The 70-meter-long 11th-century embroidery depicting the Norman conquest of England will be shown in London from September 10, 2026, to July 11, 2027, with tickets priced between £25 and £33. The museum promises an 'immersive' experience featuring raking light, digital devices, and loaned objects to contextualize the 58 scenes and 626 characters.

Kaatsbaan Cultural Park Will Open 6th Annual Visual Arts Exhibition

Kaatsbaan Cultural Park will open its 6th Annual Visual Arts Exhibition, as announced by BroadwayWorld. The exhibition continues the park's tradition of showcasing visual art in a cultural setting.

Amy Sherald is branching out. But don’t worry. She’s still painting.

Amy Sherald, the acclaimed portraitist known for her official portrait of Michelle Obama, is expanding her practice beyond painting. The article reports that she is branching out into new creative territories, though she reassures audiences that painting remains central to her work. Details of her new projects or media are not specified in the provided text, but the headline signals a shift in her artistic output.

Teresa Vall Palou's chromatic experimentation seduces the south of Madrid

The Tomás y Valiente Art Center (CEART) in Fuenlabrada is hosting a major exhibition of Catalan artist Teresa Vall Palou titled "Chromatic Atmospheres." Featuring over sixty large-format works produced over the last decade, the show highlights Vall Palou’s experimentation with color, form, and "conscious unconsciousness" through expansive canvases and diluted glazes. Despite a sixty-year career largely spent in "opacity," this exhibition marks a significant moment of public recognition for the artist, whose abstract style draws comparisons to Pollock and Rothko.

Auctions of the week: Art, design, jewelry and comics

Auctions of the week: Art, design, jewelry and comics

The global auction calendar for the week of March 19–25, 2026, features a dense schedule of sales across major hubs including Milan, Rome, Paris, Hong Kong, and New York. Italian houses like Il Ponte, Wannenes, and Finarte are leading with diverse offerings in Modern and Contemporary art, design, and niche collectibles like European comics and militaria. Simultaneously, international giants Christie’s and Sotheby’s are hosting major sessions ranging from Modern British art in London to luxury spirits and private sales in Asia and the United States.

EU threatens to pull funding from Venice Biennale over return of Russian pavilion

The European Union has threatened to withdraw a €2m grant from the Venice Biennale following the foundation's decision to allow Russia to reopen its national pavilion for the first time since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. EU commissioners Henna Virkkunen and Glenn Micallef, supported by 22 European culture ministers, argue that the Biennale must not provide a platform for Kremlin propaganda or individuals who justify military aggression. The Russian pavilion's return is reportedly being organized by the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music under the direction of the Russian Ministry of Culture.

'100 Candleholders' by Blunk Space is an exhibition to ignite creativity

Blunk Space gallery in Point Reyes Station, California, is presenting '100 Candleholders', an exhibition running from 17 January to 28 March 2026. The show features 100 artists and designers from around the world—including Max Lamb, Bethan Laura Wood, Ido Yoshimoto, and Jonathan Cross—each invited to create a candleholder inspired by the late sculptor JB Blunk, his work, or his self-built home and studio, Blunk House. This is the second installment in the '100' series, following '100 Hooks' in 2023-24, and takes its cue from Blunk's own 1981 exhibition '100 Plates Plus', which explored the artistic potential of everyday objects.

Sotheby’s auction to feature ‘spiritual mother of contemporary Saudi art’

Sotheby’s will hold its second auction in Saudi Arabia next month, featuring works by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Safeya Binzagr, the late artist regarded as the spiritual mother of contemporary Saudi art. The auction, scheduled for January, follows Sotheby’s debut in the kingdom in February, which generated $17.28 million from fine art, designer items, and memorabilia. Unlike the first sale, this auction will focus exclusively on art, responding to stronger demand for Saudi works. Binzagr’s painting *Coffee Shop in Madina Road* (1968) will be a highlight.

Christie's and Sotheby's end 2025 with increased sales, thanks to luxury goods, trophy lots and private deals

Christie's and Sotheby's both reported increased total projected revenue for 2025, reversing two years of market decline. Sotheby's led with $7bn in global sales (up 17%), boosted by a record $236.3m sale of Klimt's *Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer* and strong luxury sales. Christie's posted $6.2bn overall (up 6%), with private sales accounting for 24% of revenue and Old Masters rising 24% year-on-year. Both houses saw significant growth in the second half of 2025 and continued expansion in luxury categories, though Asian art and Asia Pacific buyer spending declined at Christie's.

August Book Bag: from a ‘behind-the-scenes’ studio book to artists joining in with the American Revolution

The article reviews four new art books released in August. It covers 'In the Studio: Jack Whitten' by Yinka Elujoba (Hauser & Wirth Publishers), a compact overview of the US artist's work and his Black Monoliths series; 'Selected Writings, Volume 1, Towards a New African Art Discourse' by the late Okwui Enwezor (Duke University Press), collecting his essays on decolonizing the art world; 'The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution' by Zara Anishanslin (Harvard University Press), examining three artists—Robert Edge Pine, Prince Demah, and Patience Wright—who contributed to the American War of Independence; and 'Beyond Blue and White: The Hidden History of Delftware and the Women Behind the Iconic Ceramic' by Genevieve Wheeler Brown (Pegasus Books), highlighting women like Barbara Rotteveel in the history of Delftware.

Meet the Committee: Fátima González of Campeche

Mexico City gallerist Fátima González, founder of the gallery Campeche, has been selected to join a committee, likely for a major art fair or institutional program. The article presents her perspective on the challenges and realities of operating a gallery in Latin America.

Russia and Israel cannot win any prizes at the next Venice Art Biennale 2026. The jury takes a stand

Russia e Israele non potranno vincere nessun premio alla prossima Biennale Arte di Venezia 2026. La giuria prende posizione

The international jury for the 61st Venice Biennale, led by Solange Farkas, has unanimously declared it will not consider countries whose leaders are currently accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. This means Russia and Israel are excluded from competing for the Golden Lion awards, including Best National Participation and Best Artist. The jury's statement, published on e-Flux Notes, emphasizes the Biennale's historical role as a platform connecting art with contemporary urgencies and acknowledges the complex relationship between artistic practice and state representation.

Commentary: This year's Met Gala proved one thing: The real devil who wears Prada is Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos served as honorary co-chairs and sponsors of this year's Met Gala, sparking widespread protests and calls for boycotts. Guerrilla activist group Everyone Hates Elon plastered New York with anti-Bezos signage, and activists placed 300 bottles filled with fake urine inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art to highlight Amazon workers' bathroom break complaints. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani declined his invitation, and the absence of celebrities like Meryl Streep and Zendaya fueled speculation about a boycott, though representatives denied any coordinated protest. Despite the controversy, the gala proceeded with many attendees and is expected to raise more than last year's $31 million for the Costume Institute.