Award-winning photographer Tom Jenkins captures the high-stakes atmosphere of the 2026 Grand National meeting at Aintree. The photo essay documents the dramatic physical feats of the horses, including falls at the notorious 'Chair' fence, alongside the vibrant social culture of the spectators, from the high-fashion 'Style Awards' on Ladies’ Day to the rain-soaked crowds of the final day.
Underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio and his Institut Européen d’Archéologie Sous-Marine (IEASM) team have discovered the remains of a 35-meter-long ancient Egyptian pleasure boat, known as a thalamagos, in the submerged Portus Magnus off Alexandria’s harbor. The 28-meter preserved timbers, found seven meters underwater and buried under sediment, represent the first physical evidence of such vessels, previously known only from ancient texts like Strabo's Geography and the Nile mosaic at Palestrina. The ship, built in Alexandria and propelled by oars, features a central pavilion and Greek graffiti from the 1st century C.E., and may have sunk around 50 C.E. during the destruction of the temple of Isis on Antirhodos Island.
An oil painting of Dr. John Beale Davidge, co-founder of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, was discovered at a shuttered Baltimore restaurant called Bertha's Mussels. The portrait, believed to date to 1844, was found by Carolyn Brownley while clearing the space for a foreclosure auction. It was purchased by Meg Fielding, director of the History of Maryland Medicine at MedChi, and donated to the Medical Alumni Association. The painting now hangs in Davidge Hall, the historic medical school building named after Davidge, which is currently under renovation until late 2026.
Art advisor Rob Teeters opens his 1950s Sagaponack home to CULTURED magazine, revealing how he curates his personal collection alongside his husband, ceramicist Bruce M. Sherman. The home features a mix of ancient artifacts, such as a third-century Roman marble head, and contemporary works by Wade Guyton, Sherrie Levine, and Matias Faldbakken, alongside Sherman's own polychrome ceramics. Teeters, who founded Front Desk Apparatus in 2006 and leads the Dallas nonprofit art space the Power Station, discusses the nuanced process of living with art and how arrangement, lighting, and even the texture of a room affect the experience.
Tony Chrenka's studio in the Gowanus neighborhood of New York City is the subject of this article, which explores his artistic practice centered on salvaged materials and industrial processes. Chrenka works with PET plastic (Mylar) and polyester fabrics, creating collages and sculptures that investigate the gap between use-value and exchange-value. His upcoming exhibition at Toby78 in Brooklyn will feature new works made from pleated polyester textiles, inspired by Issey Miyake's Pleats Please clothing line.
Photographer Joseph Ford collaborates with street artists like Antonyo Marest, Alex Senna, and MadC on his 'Impossible Street Art' series. The artists create trompe-l'œil interventions on Ford's photographs of massive infrastructure sites, which he then documents on an easel placed in front of the actual location, creating the illusion of monumental, site-specific street art.
The Middle East Institute (MEI) in Washington, D.C., is presenting an exhibition titled "Arab Pop Art: Between East and West," featuring works by Arab artists who remix global Pop Art with local voices and political commentary. The exhibition includes a closing celebration with a live performance by Syrian-American rapper and poet Omar Offendum, an artist talk with participating artist Marwan Chamaa and co-curators Lyne Sneige and Laila Abdul-Hadi Jadallah, and a film screening of "A Thousand and One Berber Nights" (2023) with director Hisham Aidi. The show is part of MEI's broader programming and has been highlighted in multiple media outlets including YUNG Magazine, Hyperallergic, Vogue Arabia, and Washington City Paper.
The article lists January 2026 art exhibitions across multiple venues in Charlottesville, Virginia, including Ruffin Gallery at the University of Virginia, Crozet Artisan Depot, The Fralin Museum of Art, The Gallery at Studio IX, IX Art Park, Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, and Jefferson School African American Heritage Center. Highlights include the Ruffin Distinguished Artist-in-Residence exhibition “We Dream of Life” by Paula Wilson and iris yirei hu, featuring a monumental 56-foot textile; “Haiti’s Time” at The Fralin Museum; and “In the Beginning” at Kluge-Ruhe showcasing Spinifex Arts Project artists. Other shows include “INSTRUMENTAL” by Rich Tarbell, “The Looking Glass” immersive space, and “Finally Remembered: The Black Patriots of Central Virginia” at the Heritage Center.
The inaugural Gregorian Art Exhibition opened at Jubilee Hall, St. Gregory’s College, Ikoyi, Lagos, honoring renowned artist Bruce Onobrakpeya. Organized by the St. Gregory’s College Old Boys Association, the three-day event runs from April 25 to April 27, 2026, under the theme “Celebrating Legacy, Excellence and Continuity.” It features an intergenerational mix of artists including Victor Uwaifo, David Dale, Mike Omoighe, and others, and attracted Nigeria’s cultural, political, and religious figures. Speeches by Dr. Michael Omolayole and Francis Oluwole Kudayah highlighted the exhibition as a cultural tradition and platform for mentorship, with plans for an annual art clinic and a digital “Gregorian Art Mart” to support alumni welfare and the college endowment fund.
Interior designers Tony Walker and Max Jones have established Jones Walker of Taos, a gallery on Bent Street that emphasizes a welcoming, domestic atmosphere. After relocating from Dallas in 2018, the duo transitioned from award-winning interior design careers to gallerists, curating a diverse collection of local talent that includes descendants of Taos Pueblo and Spanish carving families. The gallery showcases a mix of modern and traditional paintings, carvings, pottery, and weaving, focusing on authentic regional craftsmanship that appeals to both local residents and international collectors.
Ten miniature paintings by young artists aged 14 to 19 from Kent Talents Art Studio in Broadstairs have been accepted into the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Annual Exhibition. Additionally, eight miniature artworks and two large paintings by the studio's tutor, award-winning artist Lana Arkhi, were also selected. The 100% acceptance rate for the students' entries, alongside the tutor's multiple successes, marks a historic achievement for the studio.
English farmer Nicholas Wood, known as the "Great Eater of Kent," was famed in the 17th century for consuming staggering quantities of food, including a mutton shoulder—bones and all. The article highlights other historic eating feats, from Nathan's Famous first hot dog contest in 1972 to extravagant 19th-century "Fat Men's Clubs" and a massive ice cream sundae competition in 1976.
William Baczek Fine Arts in Northampton, Massachusetts, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with an exhibition running through June 6, featuring 25 artists who have collaborated with the gallery over the years. Owner William Baczek, who started his career as a bartender after studying clay sculpture and photography, opened the gallery in 1996 and moved to its current location at 36 Main Street in 2003. The show highlights longtime collaborators and newcomers, reflecting Baczek's deep personal connections with clients and artists.
Nine participants in the Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB), which opened on September 19, have withdrawn in protest over exhibition sponsor Crown Family Philanthropies' investment in General Dynamics, a military contractor supplying weapons to the Israeli military. A letter signed by 22 individuals, collectives, and firms—nearly half of whom also withdrew—argues that the sponsorship contradicts the biennial's mission of addressing architecture's role in shaping a collective future. The biennial's sixth edition, titled SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change, is led by artistic director Florencia Rodriguez. Participants had raised concerns last month, and organizers clarified that Crown Family funds support education programming, not the exhibition itself, which the letter calls "even more painful" given the destruction of schools in Gaza.
The Hall Art Foundation is reopening its Vermont campus for the 2026 season with three major exhibitions running through November 29. The centerpiece, "A Farewell to the Western World," is a group show of roughly 70 works exploring global power shifts and political instability, featuring artists such as Ai Weiwei, Aleksandra Mir, and Philip Guston. Also on view are Christian Marclay's video installation "Made To Be Destroyed," which compiles film scenes of artworks being damaged or destroyed, and Piotr Uklański's photographic installation "The Nazis," examining how film and popular culture have shaped representations of the Third Reich. The campus, set on a former dairy farm in Reading, includes converted gallery buildings and outdoor sculptures by Olafur Eliasson, Antony Gormley, Richard Long, and Marc Quinn.
The Heard Museum in Phoenix has opened a new exhibition titled "Wisdom from the Future," which pairs artwork by 28 Indigenous artists aged 55 and older with personal letters they wrote to their younger selves. The letters offer reflections on creativity, identity, and lived experience, with participating artists including Kay WalkingStick, Norbert Peshlakai, Preston Singletary, and others. The exhibition was developed in connection with the museum's Creative Aging program, which supports older adults in developing artistic skills.
St. Gregory's College in Lagos, Nigeria, launched its inaugural Gregorian Art Exhibition on April 25, 2026, at Jubilee Hall. Organized by the St. Gregory's College Old Boys Association in honor of legendary artist Bruce Onobrakpeya, the three-day event features established and emerging artists under the theme “Celebrating Legacy, Excellence and Continuity.” Speakers included former association chairman Dr. Michael Omolayole and current president Francis Kudayah, who announced plans for an annual art clinic and a digital platform called the “Gregorian Art Mart.” Onobrakpeya, who could not attend in person, delivered a vote of thanks reflecting on his career and the school's role in his development.
The inaugural Gregorian Art Exhibition opened on April 25, 2026, at St. Gregory's College, Ikoyi, Lagos, organized by the Old Boys Association to honor renowned Nigerian artist Bruce Onobrakpeya. The three-day event, themed “Celebrating Legacy, Excellence and Continuity,” brought together an intergenerational mix of artists, cultural figures, and stakeholders, featuring speeches from alumni leaders Dr. Michael Omolayole and Francis Oluwole Kudayah, who announced plans for a yearly art clinic and a digital platform called the “Gregorian Art Mart.” Onobrakpeya, unable to attend in person, reflected on his decision to remain in Nigeria and credited the school for shaping his artistic identity.
The article titled 'SCULPTURE IN THE GARDEN: THE STORYTELLERS' appears to be about a sculpture exhibition or installation set in a garden context, focusing on narrative-driven works. The text is heavily corrupted and unreadable due to encoding issues, but the title and fragmentary content suggest it covers a group of sculptors or a specific show where artworks function as storytellers within a natural setting.
A wave of new artist-run and apartment galleries is emerging in New York's outer boroughs, driven by artists and organizers seizing unconventional, often temporary, spaces. These include the Gallery in Crown Heights, a massive group show staged in a vacant office loft secured with a two-month free lease, and the more established Iowa Projects, which presents solo exhibitions in a domestic setting.
The Saginaw Art Museum & Gardens has announced the upcoming exhibition "Warhol and the Image Machine," set to open on May 20. The show explores Andy Warhol’s fascination with the manufacturing of icons through repetition and mass production, featuring celebrity portraits and appropriated imagery. The exhibition aims to demonstrate how Warhol’s work predicted a modern era where digital images and recognition serve as a primary form of cultural currency.
Rapper and entrepreneur Jonathan Williams Jr., known as Jabee, is presenting the third annual Fear of the Black Art Show on February 13 at the Plaza Wall Gallery in Oklahoma City. The event, organized under his initiative With Love OKC, will feature over 20 Black artists from across Oklahoma, showcasing diverse works without a strict theme, as part of Black History Month celebrations.
A charity art auction in London is bringing together works by Brian Eno, Antony Gormley, and other prominent artists to raise funds for medical aid in Gaza. The auction, organized by the platform Shortlist, features a range of contemporary pieces donated by artists and collectors to support emergency healthcare for Palestinian medics and civilians affected by the conflict.
Julien's Auctions has announced a 'STREET ART & CULTURE' auction featuring 70 lots that blend skate culture, street art, and music memorabilia. Highlights include Tony Hawk's personal T-shirt and signed poster from his historic 1999 X Games '900' trick (estimate $6,000-$8,000), a Banksy signed limited-edition 'Sale Ends' screenprint (estimate $20,000-$30,000), and boards from Powell-Peralta such as Steve Caballero's 'Half Cab Dragon'. The sale also includes works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jamie Reid, Shepard Fairey, and memorabilia from Gorillaz, Beastie Boys, and Wu-Tang Clan. The online auction is scheduled for February 4, 2026.
The 34th Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale held its Red Carpet Reception on Thursday night, drawing over 1,000 guests to its new venue on the second floor of The Legacy, the recently completed $100 million headquarters of the National Western Stock Show. The 2026 show features 93 participating artists and 354 works, including wildlife, landscape, sculpture, and plastics, with a sales goal exceeding $1 million to benefit the National Western Scholarship Trust. Featured artist Logan Maxwell Hagege of Ojai, California, presents works such as "Springtime in the Rockies" ($85,000) and "Indigo Stripes" ($18,500), while his piece "Hopeless Dreamer" was purchased for the Stock Show's Permanent Collection.
The Obama Presidential Center has announced a new commission by Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates, who will create a large frieze made of photo-printed aluminum using images from the Johnson Publishing Company archives—the publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines—and the work of photographer Howard Simmons. The installation, set to open in 2026, honors the dignity of Black life and the vibrancy of Black culture throughout the 20th century. Gates has been working with 20,000 photographs from the archive since 2016, and the frieze will be visible from Stony Island Avenue, near his own Stony Island Arts Bank. Other high-profile commissions for the center include works by Julie Mehretu, Maya Lin, Lindsay Adams, Nick Cave, Aliza Nisenbaum, Jenny Holzer, and Idris Khan.
The article profiles praxis ARTSPACE in Adelaide, Australia, which was originally a former brothel and is now a leading arts space celebrating its tenth anniversary. Founded and directed by Patty Chehade, the space offers professional exhibition facilities for emerging and established artists, featuring a mix of one-person and thematic shows. Notable artists exhibited include Liz Butler, Dianne Longley, Olga Sankey, and Margaret Ambridge.
Andrew Lambirth's new book, *The Uglow Papers*, takes an unconventional approach to the monograph on British painter Euan Uglow (1932-2000). Instead of a traditional narrative, Lambirth compiles around 30 personal memoirs, papers, and contributions from friends, students, and colleagues—gathered through interviews, phone calls, emails, and letters. These firsthand accounts, paired with a concise introduction and a glossary of names, offer intimate recollections of Uglow's rigorous studio practice, his teaching methods, and his social life, including details about his Sunday night open houses and shared meals. The book also traces Uglow's artistic development from his studies at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts and the Slade School of Fine Art, through his mentorship under William Coldstream, to his own distinctive geometric and emotionally charged works like *The Diagonal* (1971-77) and *Pyramid* (1993-96).
The Beverly Arts Center in Chicago is hosting "RE-BOP! (Obstructions & Disruptions)," a group exhibition dedicated to the art of collage. Curated by Paloma Trecka and Todd Bartel, the show features nearly 60 artists from Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and across the U.S., including prominent local artist Tony Fitzpatrick, who originally conceived the exhibition. The works range from traditional cut-paper pieces to digital collages, with many exploring themes of improvisation, rhythm, and disruption. The exhibition was organized with help from the Beverly Arts Alliance and the participatory magazine Cut Me Up, which issued an open call that drew 150 submissions.
The Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery at Stony Brook University hosted the opening reception of the ninth annual combined Senior Show and URECA Arts Exhibition on April 29, drawing about 300 attendees including students, faculty, staff, university leaders, and local museum curators. The Senior Show, a nearly 50-year tradition, features works by senior studio art majors and minors, while the URECA exhibition highlights undergraduate research-based art selected by faculty. This year's exhibition is noted for its diversity in subject matter and materials, from chalk painting to digital media, and runs through May 22.