From sketching at MIA to leading its design, Bobby Rogers returns to shape museum experience

Bobby Rogers, a graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, has been appointed as the head of design and editorial at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). In this role, he oversees the museum's visual identity, exhibition design, and marketing, aiming to make MIA a more engaging and innovative space for visitors. Rogers previously worked as head photographer at the Walker Art Center and as a senior art director at Target.

Philana Oliphant: Everything is Everything

K Space Contemporary in Corpus Christi, Texas, will present a solo exhibition titled "Everything is Everything" featuring new work by artist Philana Oliphant from May 1 to June 25, 2026. The show opens during the downtown Corpus Christi ArtWalk and includes a closing reception, showcasing Oliphant's intricate drawings, sculptures, installations, and prints that explore themes of time, memory, and environmental change.

Size 2 who? Starry Met costume show features pregnant people, plus size models and dwarves for first time

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's upcoming Costume Institute exhibition, 'Costume Art,' will feature mannequins representing a diverse range of body types, including pregnant, disabled, and plus-size figures, instead of the traditional sample size 2. The mannequins were created using photogrammetry scans of real people, such as artist Michaela Stark and disability activist Sinéad Burke, and have reflective steel faces intended to allow visitors to see themselves in the display.

NI artist, Robyn Ward Announces New Global Exhibition ‘Shards of Dawn’

Northern Irish artist Robyn Ward has announced a major global exhibition titled 'Shards of Dawn,' set to premiere in 2026. The exhibition will debut at Mana Contemporary in New Jersey before traveling to Mana Contemporary Miami during Art Basel and concluding at the Modern Art Museum Shanghai in 2027. Curated by Shai Baitel, the body of work incorporates industrial fragments and discarded materials, marking the second installment of a trilogy that explores themes of memory, fracture, and resilience.

EPCC holds annual gallery hosting juried student art exhibition

El Paso Community College (EPCC) hosted the grand opening of its 49th Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition at the Transmountain campus Gallery of Fine Art. The event featured a wide range of visual art created by students across various disciplines and levels within the college district. Highlighting the evening was an awards ceremony judged by Michael Reyes, an EPCC alumnus and Senior Curator at the El Paso Museum of Art, who recognized top works including Camila Galindo’s "Medieval Sadness," which took home the Best of Show honors.

Art from Northwest Himalayas at Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art has unveiled "Epic of the Northwest Himalayas: Pahari Paintings from the ‘Shangri’ Ramayana," an exhibition reuniting a widely dispersed 18th-century pictorial series. The show features 40 physical paintings alongside digital animations that reconstruct the original episodic sequences of the Hindu epic. This presentation is part of a larger collaborative initiative involving the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art to study and display works from the Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Ralph Benkaim Collection.

Why is contemporary art afraid of the present?

Warum fürchtet sich die Gegenwartskunst vor der Gegenwart?

The article critiques the 2024 Whitney Biennial, which emphasizes themes of compassion, vulnerability, and community. It argues that the exhibition feels like a capitulation to reality, failing to confront the rise of contemporary fascism and the political urgency of the present moment.

What the renovation of the Pergamon Museum costs

Was die Sanierung des Pergamonmuseums kostet

The Pergamon Museum in Berlin is undergoing a major renovation with a total budget of €1.5 billion for both construction phases, including cost risks. The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR) has announced that current projections indicate the overall costs will not be exceeded. Phase A, which includes the hall housing the famous Pergamon Altar, is expected to open on June 4, 2027, with a potential cost increase of up to 5% over the originally approved €489 million. Phase B, covering the Ishtar Gate and Babylonian Processional Way, has seen its cost forecast reduced by €27 million to €722.4 million, with an additional €295.6 million set aside for risks and price increases. The museum will fully reopen only in 2037.

Berlin Institutions Join Together to Form Museum Quarter

Berliner Institutionen schließen sich zu Museumsquartier zusammen

Several museums in Berlin are joining forces to form a new "MuseumsMeileMitte" (Museum Mile Mitte) district. The participating institutions are the Museum für Naturkunde, the Hamburger Bahnhof, the Futurium, and the Medizinhistorisches Museum der Charité. The initiative will launch on June 13 with a neighborhood festival offering free admission to all four venues, which are located within a 10-15 minute walk of each other near the Hauptbahnhof.

Erster Teil des Pergamonmuseum öffnet im Juni 2027

The first section of Berlin's Pergamon Museum will reopen to the public on June 4, 2027, after years of renovation. The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK) announced the date, ending months of uncertainty. The museum has been completely closed since autumn 2023 for comprehensive refurbishment, and the reopening will finally make the famous Pergamon Altar accessible again. However, the south wing, housing the Ishtar Gate and Babylonian Processional Way, will remain closed until 2037, with full museum access expected that year.

Berlin Modern Museum Construction Delayed Until 2030

Museumsbau Berlin Modern verzögert sich bis 2030

The completion of Berlin Modern, a major new museum in Berlin, has been delayed again until 2030 due to moisture damage and microbial infestation found in parts of the raw structure. The Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SPK) announced an estimated eight-month postponement, though no construction stop was required. The museum, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, is being built near Potsdamer Platz to expand the Neue Nationalgalerie's exhibition space. Costs have risen from an initial €200 million to a projected €507 million.

Hamburg Gallerist Jenny Falckenberg Dies Unexpectedly

Hamburger Galeristin Jenny Falckenberg unerwartet gestorben

The Hamburg art world is mourning the sudden passing of gallery owner and art agent Jenny Falckenberg, who died in her sleep at the age of 45. The daughter of the late legendary collector Harald Falckenberg, she had established herself as a significant force in the German contemporary art scene, known for her ability to bridge the gap between established figures and emerging talent.

Kanal-Centre Pompidou sans tête

Yves Goldstein, the general director of the Brussels branch of the Centre Pompidou, has announced his departure just before the scheduled opening of Kanal-Centre Pompidou on November 28. Goldstein stated that his mission is nearly complete and that the museum's daily management phase requires a different leader. A call for applications will be launched by the board of directors, with the selection made by the board of the Fondation Kanal based on profiles proposed by a jury led by president Michèle Sioen. The new director will face immediate challenges, including negotiating a new management contract with the Brussels Region for 2029-2033 and securing an increased annual subsidy, currently set at €10 million, which is deemed insufficient.

Maximilien Durand reconduit au Louvre

Maximilien Durand, aged 50, has been reappointed for a three-year term as head of the Department of Byzantine and Eastern Christian Arts at the Louvre Museum in Paris. He has been preparing the department's opening since 2022. Durand previously served as director of the Musée des Tissus in Lyon and deputy director of collections at Paris Musées. His role includes overseeing collections, acquisitions, loans, and exhibitions, as well as a national expertise mission. Separately, Sophie Jugie moved to the Musées de France service after her non-renewal as head of the Sculptures department.

Un agent du Louvre devant le juge

A Louvre agent appeared before a judge. The article, published in Le Journal des Arts on May 2, 2026, covers multiple art world stories including the Whitney Biennial's perceived neutrality, the increasing complexity of art taxation in 2025, a resized project for Bourges 2028 by Yann Galut, a new contemporary gallery at Angers Cathedral, the abandonment of the Frigos artist site in Paris, and auctioneer Hubert L'Huillier's emergency sales.

Condemned by Francoism, a writer rehabilitated by the Spanish Congress

Condamné par le franquisme, un écrivain réhabilité par le Congrès espagnol

The Spanish Congress has officially rehabilitated Cipriano Salvador (1894-1975), a Republican intellectual wrongly accused by the Franco regime of stealing a Renaissance painting he actually saved. During the Spanish Civil War, Salvador hid Fernando Yáñez's "La Santa Generación" (c. 1525-1532) from destruction. After Franco's victory, a priest sold the work to the Prado Museum for 15,000 pesetas, while Salvador was arrested, sentenced to death (later commuted to 30 years), and spent seven years in prison. He died in 1975 without exoneration. The rehabilitation motion passed with 32 votes in favor, 3 against, and 1 abstention, with only far-right party Vox opposing.

Sécurité dans les musées

This issue of Le Journal des Arts (No. 676, May 2, 2026) covers a range of visual art news: the Whitney Biennial's perceived neutrality, the increasing complexity of art taxation in 2025, an interview with Bourges mayor Yann Galut about scaling back the Bourges 2028 project, the opening of a contemporary gallery at Angers Cathedral, the abandonment of the Frigos artist site in Paris, and a profile of auctioneer Hubert L'Huillier.

L’architecte du Musée Gandur

The article covers several art news items from the May 2, 2026 issue of Le Journal des Arts, including the Whitney Biennial's perceived neutrality, the increasing complexity of art taxation in 2025, an interview with Bourges mayor Yann Galut about the resized Bourges 2028 project, the unveiling of a contemporary gallery at Angers Cathedral, the abandonment of the Frigos artist site in Paris, and a profile of auctioneer Hubert L'Huillier.

Olivia Bourrat revient au Quai Branly

Olivia Bourrat, a 45-year-old chief heritage curator trained at the École du Louvre, the INP, and the Sorbonne, has been appointed director of the heritage and collections department at the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac in Paris. She succeeds Anne-Solène Rolland, and returns to the museum after previous stints there, as well as at France-Muséums, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the French Ministry of Culture, and Paris Musées.

Hervé Barbaret s’éloigne de France-Muséums

Hervé Barbaret, aged 60, will step down as director general of France-Muséums on April 30, returning to the Cour des comptes (Court of Auditors). He had led the organization since 2019. Barbaret, a former student of the École Nationale d'Administration (ENA) and a senior counselor, previously served as general administrator of the Louvre, overseeing the Louvre-Lens project, the Department of Islamic Arts, and Louvre Abu Dhabi. He also directed the Mobilier national and was secretary general of the Ministry of Culture. France-Muséums coordinates French museum expertise internationally, from Louvre Abu Dhabi to a project in New Delhi. His successor has not yet been announced.

Une vétérane pour diriger un des musées du Smithsonian

Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, 75, will become the director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) in Washington, D.C., on September 8, ending a 17-month vacancy. Hartigan, currently the director of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, began her career at SAAM as chief curator, where she developed collections of modern, contemporary, African American, and self-taught art.

Ouverture du Musée des Tissus

The Musée des Tissus (Museum of Fabrics) has opened its doors, marking the return of a specialized textile museum in Paris. The article also covers several other art-world developments: American Rousseau works returning to Paris, the outsourcing of museum reception services as a growing model, the New Museum's expansion, and Art Brussels adapting to contemporary trends.

The New Entrance of the Louvre

La nouvelle entrée du Louvre

The article, titled "La nouvelle entrée du Louvre," reports on the upcoming redesign of the main entrance to the Louvre Museum in Paris. It also covers several other art-world stories: the return of American Rousseau works to Paris, the growing trend of outsourcing museum reception services, the New Museum's expansion, the troubled Musée des Tissus project, and Art Brussels adapting to contemporary trends.

In Venice, the Wagner Museum changes status

À Venise, le Musée Wagner change de statut

The Wagner Museum in Venice, currently a discreet institution housed within the Casino di Venezia in the Ca' Vendramin Calergi palace on the Grand Canal, is set to join the network of the Fondazione dei Musei Civici di Venezia (MUVE) by 2027. An agreement signed in March 2025, after thirty years of discussions, between MUVE, the Casino, and the Richard Wagner Association will make the museum the fourteenth institution under MUVE's management, alongside the Museo Correr, Ca' Pesaro, and the Museo Fortuny. The museum, established in 1995 in the rooms where Richard Wagner stayed and died in 1883, holds significant collections including the Josef Lienhart and Walter Just collections, making it one of the most important private Wagnerian collections outside Bayreuth, Germany.

Authentic Michelangelo

Michel-Ange authentique

Jean-René Gaborit, former head of Sculptures at the Louvre, has published a major new book, "Les Sculptures de Michel-Ange. Le vrai, l'incertain et le faux," which rigorously examines the authenticity of works attributed to Michelangelo. The 500-page volume, based on fifty years of study, categorizes the master's sculptural corpus into works of certain authenticity, lost-and-found pieces that spark debate, sculptures executed by others after his designs, and works mistakenly attributed due to stylistic similarities.

The Situation of the National Museum of Natural History

La situation du Muséum national d’Histoire Naturelle

The New Museum in New York is undergoing a significant physical and institutional expansion, signaling a new chapter for the contemporary art landmark. This 'change of scale' involves architectural developments designed to increase exhibition space and enhance the visitor experience, reflecting the institution's growing influence in the global art scene.

« La Dame à la licorne » : le portrait idéal du divin Raphaël

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is hosting the first-ever exhibition dedicated to Raphael in the United States, running until June 28. The show brings together over 200 works by the celebrated Renaissance master, including the enigmatic portrait *La Dame à la licorne* (1505–1506), which exemplifies Raphael's signature qualities of grace, light, and harmony.

National Gallery receives $116 million donation to send its collection around the U.S.

The National Gallery of Art has received a $116 million endowment from the Mitchell P. Rales Family Foundation to permanently fund its nationwide loan program, 'Across the Nation.' This gift, the largest to endow programming in the institution's history, was made to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.

RTRU* (*Raudive Technoculture Research Unit) at KAJE

The exhibition "RTRU* (*Raudive Technoculture Research Unit)" is on view at KAJE in Brooklyn from April 4 to May 17, 2026. Curated by the Riga Technoculture Research Unit (Zane Onckule and Elizaveta Shneyderman), the show features works by Ka Baird, Scott Benzel, Valdis Celms, Cal Fish, Jason Isolini, Voldemārs Matvejs, Karlīna Mežecka, Adriana Ramić, Konstantīns Raudive, and Ieva Rubeze. The press release and checklist are available, and images of the exhibition are provided courtesy of the artists and the gallery.

All you need to know about world’s highest art biennale 2026 that is set to be hosted in Ladakh

The sā Ladakh Biennale, billed as the world's highest art biennale, returns to Ladakh from August 1-10, 2026, after a previous edition. Held at 3,600 meters above sea level, the event transforms the corridor between Leh and Kargil into an open-air exhibition titled 'Signals from Another Star', curated by Vishal K Dar and Tsering Motup across eight locations including Basgo, Lamayuru, and Kargil. It features 24 artists, including international figures like Jitish Kallat, Anna Jermolaewa, Peter Kogler, and Agnieszka Kurant, alongside local artists such as Tundup Dorjay, Chemat Dorjey, and Stanzin Samphel. Works are created using natural materials like stone, clay, and wool, and are designed to eventually disintegrate, reflecting the fragile ecosystem.