what to know about the smithsonian

President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” targeting the Smithsonian Institution. The order tasks Vice President J.D. Vance with removing “improper ideology” from Smithsonian museums, supported by Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and advisor Lindsey Halligan. Critics, including historian Raymond Arsenault, have described the move as totalitarian. The Smithsonian, a public-private partnership founded in 1846 with 21 museums and the National Zoo, faces potential loss of federal funding if it does not comply, echoing pressure applied to other institutions like Columbia University.

lumin wakoa painter dead

Lumin Wakoa, a rising painter known for her hazy, memory-based works that blurred abstraction and figuration, has died at 43 after battling brain cancer. Her death was announced by her gallery, Harper’s, on Monday. Wakoa had solo shows last year at Various Small Fires in Seoul and Harper’s in New York, and her work was featured at Frieze art fair. She studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts, the University of Florida, and earned an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design.

fashion yana peel chanel art

Yana Peel, president of arts, culture, and heritage at Chanel, is profiled in Cultured's 2026 CULT100 honorees feature. The article, accompanied by a photograph by Jason Schmidt, highlights her leadership in elevating Chanel's commitment to the visual arts, including supporting China's first public contemporary art library, transforming Gabrielle Chanel's French Riviera home into a creative retreat, and launching the Next Prize for emerging artists. Peel answers a series of personal and professional questions, discussing her influences, career highlights such as building pavilions with architects Frida Escobedo, Francis Kéré, and Liu Jiakun during her tenure as CEO of the Serpentine, and her ongoing work with Christo's final project in London.

art artists and mothers nonprofit organization

Since 2024, the nonprofit organization Artists & Mothers has been addressing a critical gap in the art world by offering grants for nine months of childcare to New York-based artists with children under three. The organization was founded by Julia Trotta and Maria De Victoria, with board members including Camille Henrot, Bridget Donahue, Maia Ruth Lee, Sarah Goulet, and Elizabeth Karp-Evans. In a Q&A format, the group discusses their motivations, influences, and hopes for a more equitable art world, highlighting works such as Lea Lublin's 1968 performance "Mon fils" and anticipating Ei Arakawa-Nash's Japanese Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

art collector questionnaire dallas art fair 2026

Cultured magazine interviewed five Dallas collectors ahead of the 18th edition of the Dallas Art Fair, which runs April 17–19 at the Fashion Industry Gallery. The article features collectors Rachel and Adam Green, who discuss the city's collaborative art scene, their 20-year collection journey, and how local collectors grow alongside artists. Adam Green, who founded the Green Family Art Foundation and Adam Green Art Advisory, and Rachel Green, founder of L'Epoque Parfums, highlight works by Dana Schutz, Nicole Eisenman, Ilana Savdie, and Lynda Benglis, among others.

parties studio museum gala usher spike lee

On Monday, more than 750 artists, patrons, and friends gathered at the riverside Glasshouse in New York to celebrate the Studio Museum in Harlem's upcoming reopening after seven years of renovations. The event, hosted by director and chief curator Thelma Golden, featured performances by the Hudson Horns, honored five longtime trustees, and awarded the Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize to Kenturah Davis. Notable attendees included Spike Lee, Usher, Colson Whitehead, and numerous artists such as Nina Chanel Abney, Derrick Adams, and Carrie Mae Weems.

parties ruba katrib lawrence kumpf hosting

Blank Forms celebrated its ninth anniversary with performances by Dez Andrés, Douglas Sherman, and 7038634357 at the Ukrainian National Home in the East Village. The article, written by Ruba Katrib and Lawrence Kumpf, offers a personal glimpse into their New York apartment, filled with books, records, art from friends, and a curated sound system, alongside recipes and anecdotes about hosting artists, musicians, and curators for dinners and listening sessions.

dustin yellin pioneer works birthday party

Pioneer Works founder Dustin Yellin celebrated his 50th birthday with a fundraiser called Village Fête, raising $1.4 million for the nonprofit arts and sciences center he founded 13 years ago. The event featured a cocktail hour, seated dinner, performances by Annie & the Caldwells and David Byrne, and an afterparty co-hosted by CULTURED, with attendees including Claire Danes, Moses Sumney, Maggie Rogers, and Darren Aronofsky. Speakers included lead sponsor Gabriela Hearst, artist Nate Lewis, artist Azikiwe Mohammed, and founding team members Gabriel Florenz and Janna Levin, who highlighted the institution's impact on over 450 artists.

Art Around Town

A comprehensive listing of current and upcoming visual art exhibitions, events, and installations in Athens, Georgia, is provided. The guide includes shows at venues ranging from the Georgia Museum of Art and the Lamar Dodd School of Art galleries to local breweries, coffee shops, and community centers. Featured exhibitions highlight work by students, local members, and established artists like Beverly Buchanan and Julie Green, alongside new murals and public art projects.

The Enviable Life of a 1970s Soho Gallerist

Paula Cooper opened her pioneering gallery in Soho in 1968, betting on the then-desolate industrial neighborhood as artists began moving into its lofts. She cultivated deep, personal relationships with the artists she represented, such as Lynda Benglis and Joel Shapiro, as well as with other major figures like Jasper Johns, fostering a slower, more humane art world pace. Her success helped transform Soho into a major gallery district, attracting institutions like Sonnabend and Castelli.

‘Be really great. No alternative’: what Mary Boone has learned from a half-century in the art world

Mary Boone, the legendary New York art dealer, has returned to the gallery world with a new curatorial project titled 'Downtown/Uptown: New York in the Eighties' at Lévy Gorvy Dayan on the Upper East Side. The exhibition, co-curated with Brett Gorvy, features over 60 works by iconic artists of the 1980s including Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, Julian Schnabel, Cindy Sherman, Keith Haring, Richard Prince, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It marks Boone's first major project in more than five years, following the closure of her namesake gallery and her 2019 tax-evasion conviction, for which she served 13 months in prison.

Lévy Gorvy Dayan Recreates the Dazzle of 1980s New York

Lévy Gorvy Dayan has opened "Downtown/Uptown: New York in the Eighties," a sweeping survey staged at its Beaux-Arts townhouse on East 64th Street. Organized in collaboration with legendary dealer Mary Boone, the exhibition brings together a stellar roster of artists whose careers defined the decade, including neo-expressionists like Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Julian Schnabel, as well as appropriation and conceptual artists such as Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger, Andy Warhol, and Jeff Koons. The show explores the era's dual currents—raw painterly energy versus critical media interrogation—while acknowledging the AIDS epidemic, Reagan-era excess, and the rise of the art star. Immersive staging, a custom disco soundtrack, and works spanning multiple floors evoke the decade's theatricality and volatility.

Art Lovers Movie Club: Elisabeth Brun, ‘Big Tech Blues’, 2025

ArtReview's Art Lovers Movie Club presents Elisabeth Brun's film 'Big Tech Blues' (2025), an auto-documentary that follows a small village in northern Norway as it resists the installation of a SpaceX Starlink 'Gateway' transmission site. The film blends personal essay, documentary footage, and interviews with residents who protest the hub over concerns about noise pollution, radiation, and environmental impact on the rural coastline. Brun contrasts slick Starlink promotional material with slow, intimate scenes of the landscape and community organizing on Facebook, highlighting the irony of using digital tools to fight digital infrastructure.

Centenary of Elizabeth II: Two colossal statues of the queen to be erected in London's St James's Park

Centenaire d’Elizabeth II : deux statues colossales de la reine seront érigées à Londres, dans St James’s Park

London has unveiled the final design and models for a colossal memorial to Queen Elizabeth II in St James's Park, to be completed by 2028. The centerpiece is a seven-meter bronze statue of the queen at age 28, inspired by a Pietro Annigoni portrait and created by sculptor Martin Jennings. It will be accompanied by a statue of Prince Philip by Jennings and a second, more intimate statue of the queen in old age by Karen Newman. The project marks the centenary of Elizabeth II's birth (1926–2022) and is designed by Foster + Partners. Models are on display at the British Museum until June 21.

Art in America’s Summer “New Talent” Issue Names 20 Artists to Watch

Art in America, the sister publication of ARTnews, has announced its Summer 2026 "New Talent" issue, featuring 20 emerging artists selected by the magazine's editors. The list includes international artists working across various mediums, such as Joeun Kim Aatchim, Jenny Calivas, Kiah Celeste, Malo Chapuy, Mitchell Charbonneau, Isaiah Davis, Elizabeth Glaessner, Juliana Halpert, Craig Jun Li, Kinlaw, Koyoltzintli, Kyung-Me, Chyrum Lambert, Terran Last Gun, Satchel Lee, Claudia Pagès Rabal, Ren Light Pan, Emma Safir, Frank Wang Yefeng, and Alexa West. Profiles of each artist appear in the print edition and will be published online in the coming weeks.

May Book Bag: from a guide on entering the art world to a publication about artists influenced by Ovid’s Metamorphoses

The May Book Bag article from The Art Newspaper reviews four new art-related publications. It covers "Metamorphoses: Ovid and the Arts," edited by Francesca Cappelletti and Frits Scholten, which examines Ovid's influence on Western art through works by artists like Titian, Caravaggio, and Louise Bourgeois. Other featured books include Hettie Judah's "How to Enter the Art World," a practical guide for emerging artists; "Derrick Adams: Prints," showcasing the artist's printmaking from 2019-2025; and "Whistler's Legacy" by Daniel Sutherland, which explores the legacy of James Abbott McNeill Whistler through his close associates.

Klimt, Modigliani, and Freud Lead $200M Lewis Collection at Sotheby’s London

Sotheby’s London will auction a collection of 50 masterpieces from billionaire Joe Lewis and his daughter Vivienne in June 2025, expected to exceed $200 million. Highlights include Gustav Klimt’s 1902 portrait of Gertha Felsőványi (estimate £20–30 million), Lucian Freud’s never-auctioned *Woman in a Grey Sweater* (1988), and Amedeo Modigliani’s *Homme à la Pipe* (1918), making its auction debut after 45 years unseen. The sale follows a successful March auction of School of London works from the same collection, which brought $47.7 million.

$25 Million Modigliani Goes to Jewish Heir in Landmark Restitution Case

A New York Supreme Court judge has ruled that the estate of Jewish art dealer Oscar Stettiner is the rightful owner of Amedeo Modigliani’s 1918 painting "Seated Man With a Cane." The decision concludes an 11-year legal battle led by Stettiner’s grandson, Philippe Maestracci, against billionaire art dealer David Nahmad. The court found that the painting was unlawfully seized by the Nazis after Stettiner fled Paris in 1939 and that subsequent sales, including the 1996 purchase by Nahmad at Christie’s, did not extinguish the original owner's rights.

Fair Warning Expands With Saara Pritchard, Doubling Down on ‘Conviction’ in a Crowded Art Market

Loïc Gouzer’s boutique auction app, Fair Warning, is expanding its leadership by appointing Saara Pritchard, a veteran specialist from Christie’s and Sotheby’s, as a partner. Since its 2020 launch, the platform has carved out a niche by rejecting the high-volume model of traditional auction houses in favor of a highly curated, "one work at a time" approach. This strategy has proven lucrative, recently achieving a record $16.7 million for an Andy Warhol portrait and a $4.07 million record for Elizabeth Peyton.

fine art auction sales 2025

Global fine-art auction sales reached $11.7 billion in 2025, marking a 13.3 percent increase over the previous year and the first market growth since 2021. While the first half of the year was hampered by inflation and geopolitical tensions, a surge in the second half—particularly during New York’s November marquee sales—pushed the market upward. This recovery was led by a renewed appetite for "trophy works," highlighted by the record-breaking $236.4 million sale of Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer at Sotheby’s.

Bank of America ArtTactic Art Market Report 2026 Trends

b of a arttactic art market report 2026 trends

The US art market experienced a 23 percent increase in auction sales in 2025, reaching approximately $3.17 billion according to a joint report by Bank of America and ArtTactic. This growth was not fueled by a rise in general demand but was instead driven by high-value estate consignments, a return to established historical artists, and a heavy reliance on financial guarantees. The data indicates a shift away from the speculative flipping of 'wet paint' contemporary works, which saw negative returns for pieces held for less than five years.

art market report 2025 growth high end sales

The global art market returned to growth in 2025, reaching $59.6 billion in sales according to the latest Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report. This 4 percent increase ended a two-year decline, driven primarily by a 9 percent surge in public auction sales and a significant revival in high-value transactions for works priced over $10 million. While the United States maintained its dominant 44 percent market share, the recovery was uneven, with the Impressionist and Old Masters sectors seeing major gains while Postwar and Contemporary art continued to cool.

gossip crit group

On a frigid December evening, eleven women artists gathered in the lobby of 125 Maiden Lane in downtown Manhattan to view and discuss Langdon Graves's exhibition "Mental Model," produced by Art in Buildings. The group, called Gossip, is a long-running artist crit collective founded in 2009 by Cranbrook Academy of Art graduates including Jessica Stoller and Kelli Miller, originally named "Get Out" before being renamed by member Virginia Wagner after Silvia Federici's writings on gossip. The group now has about 20 members, including Jenna Gribbon, Erin M. Riley, and Julie Curtiss, and meets regularly in studios and galleries for critical feedback and creative exchange.

art market minute jan 12

Artnet's Price Database reveals signs of recovery at the top end of the art market in 2025, following three years of contraction. The article highlights gains in high-value sales, exemplified by Gustav Klimt's "Bildnis Elisabeth Lederer" pictured at Sotheby's Marquee Sales Series in New York. It also notes a growing trend of small and emerging galleries working with artists' estates, and reports that roughly half of art-backed loans by non-bank businesses defaulted in 2024.

10 top lots auction 2025

Gustav Klimt's portrait of Elisabeth Lederer topped the list of the most expensive artworks sold at auction in 2025, achieving $236.3 million at Sotheby's New York on November 18—far exceeding its $150 million estimate and setting a new record for the artist. The painting came from the collection of the late Leonard Lauder, who died in June at age 92. Other top lots included two more Klimts from Lauder's collection, a newly offered Basquiat, and a record-setting Frida Kahlo work, alongside notable sales by van Gogh, Rothko, Mondrian, Monet, and Picasso, with many of the highest prices achieved during the blockbuster November auctions at Sotheby's and Christie's.

the round up 2025s highs lows and wtfs

In this year-end roundup episode of The Art Angle, co-hosts Kate Brown and Ben Davis, joined by Artnet Pro editor and art critic Andrew Russeth, review the defining trends, themes, and stories of 2025. They cover the art market's slump and subsequent rebound in New York's fall auctions and Art Basel Miami Beach, the political impact of Trump 2.0 on arts funding and museum governance, the question of a 'post-woke' art world, the return of digital art, and the ongoing power of red chip art. The episode also highlights the multi-front crisis facing institutions due to changing public expectations, rising costs, and political shifts, alongside lighter, unusual stories from the art world.

tudor portrait auction record

A 16th-century portrait of Thomas Howard, the 4th Duke of Norfolk, by Hans Eworth sold for £3.2 million ($4.2 million) at Sotheby’s Old Masters sale in London on December 4, setting a record as the most expensive Elizabethan portrait ever sold. The painting was purchased by the art advisory Clore Wyndham on behalf of the Duke of Norfolk and the trustees of Arundel Castle, where it will be displayed. The work, painted in 1562, depicts Norfolk at the height of his political power, dressed in opulent Tudor fashion, and is one of only two known portraits of him.

pan african flags queen elizabeth portrait larry achiampong

British Ghanaian artist Larry Achiampong responded to controversy after two of his pan-African flags from the "Relic Traveller: Phase 1" series replaced a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in the UK Foreign Office. The flags, titled "Pan African Flag For The Relic Travellers’ Alliance (Motion)" and "Pan African Flag For The Relic Travellers’ Alliance (Community)", were hung by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy. Conservative MP Lee Anderson criticized the move, while Achiampong dismissed the outrage as "deeply problematic" in an interview with the Guardian.

barbra streisand regrets selling gustav klimt

Barbra Streisand posted on Instagram expressing regret over selling Gustav Klimt's "Ria Munk on her Deathbed" (1912), which she owned for 30 years. The post came three days after another Klimt portrait set a record at auction. Streisand bought the painting in 1969 for $17,000 and sold it in 1999, explaining she had shifted her interest to Frank Lloyd Wright and the Arts & Crafts movement.

sothebys london lifts lid on its old master and 19th century evening sale with half of works unseen for a century

Sotheby's London has announced the full lineup for its Old Master and 19th century evening sale on December 3, featuring 31 works defined by exceptional scholarly significance and rare discoveries. Half of the lots have been hidden from public view for over a century, and 12 have not appeared on the secondary market in 40 years. Top lots include Hans Eworth's portrait of Thomas Howard (estimate £3 million), Pieter Brueghel the Younger's The Census at Bethlehem (£5 million), a rediscovered Peter Paul Rubens oil sketch (£3 million), and a Rembrandt portrait of Saint John on Patmos (£7 million). The sale also includes works from the collection of Dr Hinrich Bischoff, such as Lucas van Valckenborch's Autumn: Landscape with Archduke Matthias of Austria (£800,000).