MAD's lucas museum of narrative art in los angeles prepares for september 2026 opening

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles's Exposition Park has announced its public opening for September 22, 2026. Designed by MAD (Ma Yansong), the futuristic building features a sculptural canopy with over 1,500 fiberglass-reinforced polymer panels, a 56-meter central archway, and a four-story elliptical oculus. Co-founded by filmmaker George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the museum will house 9,290 square meters of galleries drawing from a collection of more than 40,000 works spanning classic illustration, muralism, comic art, science fiction imagery, and cinematic artifacts. Landscape architect Mia Lehrer is transforming surrounding parking lots into a shaded public oasis with over 200 trees. Sandra Jackson-Dumont, the former CEO, left her post in April 2025 as the museum restructured, splitting the roles of director and CEO, with Lucas steering artistic content.

Studio Sessions closing event; Oct. 1, 2025 in Space 204

Studio Sessions, a group exhibition featuring works from Vanderbilt Studio Arts and the Engine for Art, Democracy & Justice (EADJ) faculty and staff, concludes its run on September 30, 2025, in Space 204. A closing reception will be held on October 1, 2025, from 3pm to 5pm, offering a final chance to view the works, alongside a live performance by musician and composer Reza Filsoofi, a master of traditional Iranian music and instruments. The exhibition brought together 15 studio art faculty and several staff members, who typically work in their own studios and exhibit elsewhere.

‘Unicorn’ collection, expected to fetch $180m, comes to Christie's

The Weis family, secretive mega-collectors behind the supermarket chain Weis Markets, are selling 80 artworks from their private collection at Christie's in November. The collection, assembled over nearly seven decades by the late Robert F. Weis and his wife Patricia G. Ross, includes major works by Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, Max Ernst, and Henri Matisse, and is expected to fetch over $180 million. Christie's secured the sale by offering an advance of nearly $200 million, reflecting strong confidence in the trove.

Chihuly glass art exhibition fuels SA economy with record visitor turnout

The "Chihuly in the Botanic Garden" exhibition at Adelaide Botanic Garden concluded after seven months, drawing 1.4 million visitors and generating $55.7 million in economic benefits for South Australia. The show featured Seattle-based artist Dale Chihuly's glass sculptures, including ticketed experiences like "In Full Colour: Dale Chihuly" and "Chihuly Nights," which attracted over 200,000 attendees. Key artworks, including the Glacier Ice and Lapis Chandelier and the Jet and Crimson Fiori, will remain as permanent fixtures thanks to donations from local philanthropists.

Acne Studios and Artist Jonathan Lyndon Chase Expand on their Partnership

Philadelphia-based artist Jonathan Lyndon Chase has expanded his collaboration with fashion brand Acne Studios, beginning with set design for the Spring/Summer 2025 womenswear show during Paris Fashion Week. The partnership has evolved into a capsule collection and exhibition timed to Frieze New York 2025, featuring Chase's expressive illustrations on clothing and homeware, alongside an exhibition at Acne Studios Greene Street from 7 to 11 May 2025.

See Jonathan Lyndon Chase’s Acne Studios takeover in New York

Acne Studios has collaborated with Philadelphia-based artist Jonathan Lyndon Chase for a second time, following their initial partnership for the brand's S/S 2025 runway presentation in Paris. For Frieze Week in New York, Chase has taken over Acne Studios' SoHo flagship with an immersive installation featuring approximately 60 sculptures, furnishings, and paintings. The works, created in Chase's Kensington studio, draw on personal memories, queer identity, and the artist's Philadelphia roots, including soft figurative cloth sculptures, a stuffed cat, bedazzled busts, and vintage furniture covered in doodles. A capsule collection of trousers, T-shirts, a pillow, and a blanket is also available exclusively at the store.

Winterthur’s ‘Almost Unknown’ offers immersive look at Black history and art

Winterthur Museum in Delaware has opened a new exhibition titled "Almost Unknown: The Afric-American Picture Gallery," which brings to life a fictional gallery imagined in 1859 by Black writer and schoolteacher William J. Wilson, writing under the pseudonym Ethiop. In a series of columns for the magazine "The Anglo-American," Wilson described an imaginary museum of Black history and art, featuring works like a depiction of a slave ship, a bust of poet Phillis Wheatley, and images of Crispus Attucks and Haitian Revolution heroes. Curator Jonathan Square has transformed Wilson's fantasy into an immersive, haunted-attraction-style exhibition using objects from Winterthur's collection, with dark lighting, sound effects, and false walls that evoke a carnival ride inspired by Jordan Peele films and "The Shining."

McKee Student Art Show celebrates its 95th year

The Haggin Museum in Stockton is hosting its 95th annual Robert T. McKee Student Art Exhibition, featuring approximately 1,700 works—paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures—submitted by K-12 students from across the county. The exhibition opens on January 29, with an artist reception on February 7, and runs through March 15. Works by younger students (kindergarten through 4th grade) are displayed in the West Gallery, while those by older students (5th through 12th grade) are shown upstairs in the Tuleberg Gallery.

Maine College of Art & Design Presents the 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition

Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D), in collaboration with the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at MECA&D, presents the 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition, showcasing the culminating work of nine graduate candidates in the Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art program. The exhibition features artists Abigail G. Cloutier, Harley Ngai Grieco, Molly Knobloch, Stephen Medeiros, Darby Miller, Dylan Ouellette, Caitlin Perrigo, Jonathan Spath, and Isaac L. Stern, working across ceramics, drawings, photography, prints, sculpture, sound, and video installations. The show runs from May 7–16, 2026, at the ICA in Portland, Maine.

Fashion Loves Art: All of the Exhibitions to See at the 2026 Venice Biennale

The article, published by L'Officiel Art, provides a guide to fashion-brand-sponsored exhibitions at the 2026 Venice Biennale. It highlights projects by luxury houses including Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton, Zegna, and Bvlgari, framing them as unmissable cultural events within the broader Biennale program.

Explore the projects of the 2024 and 2025 graduating classes of Ésad

Explorez les projets des promotions 2024 et 2025 de l’Ésad

The Ésad Saint-Étienne is presenting "recto verso," an exhibition running from April 29 to October 4, 2026, featuring projects by 84 young artists and designers who earned their DNSEP in June 2024 and June 2025. The show is designed as a non-linear, interactive space where objects, performances, and activations encourage visitors to explore both finished works and the preparatory stages behind them, including sketches, models, and archival materials. The exhibition is curated by the collective ppdesigner and Éric Jourdan, with production by the Cité du design.

art blunk house mariah nielson collector

Mariah Nielson, director of the JB Blunk Estate, reflects on growing up in the Blunk House—a home built by her father, artist JB Blunk, in the 1950s from salvaged materials in Point Reyes Station, California. She describes the house as a living sculpture where art, craft, and daily life merge. Today, she runs Blunk Space, the estate's gallery, and currently presents the exhibition “100 Candleholders,” featuring works by artists connected to the Blunk legacy. Nielson shares how her father's philosophy of functional, un-precious art shapes her collecting and curatorial practice.

design david webster anthony ross costanzo new york

Architect David Webster's preserved High-Tech design home and office in New York, completed in 1981, has been purchased by countertenor and Opera Philadelphia general director Anthony Roth Costanzo. The apartment, located near the Chelsea Hotel, features an industrial, off-the-shelf aesthetic with repurposed vanity lightstrips, custom iron windows, and a sliding door. Webster and Costanzo discuss the home's history, design details, and the legacy of gatherings that once included writer and AIDS activist Larry Kramer.

parties cultured china magazine launch

Cultured magazine hosted a launch party for its new Chinese edition, CULTURED China, at The Blond in SoHo, New York. The event brought together fashion, art, and design insiders including designers Prabal Gurung and Bach Mai, gallery directors Lucy Liu and Rachel Uffner, artists Wes Aderhold and Jonathan Gardenhire, and cultural commentator Wesley Breed. A musical performance by Zhang Xiaoqing entertained guests, who received complimentary copies of the September issue.

pride penthouse moss stonewall inn manhattan

Social club Moss hosted its inaugural Pride celebration in partnership with the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative at its temporary Moss Studio in Midtown Manhattan. The event brought together a mix of artists, tastemakers, and fashion figures, including Luar designer Raul Lopez, artist Roberto Maria Lino, gallerist Cierra Britton, and art advisor Jonathan Gardenhire, for an evening of cocktails, dancing, and community celebration ahead of Moss's official opening this fall at 520 Fifth Avenue.

Photos: Opening reception kicks off QCC Art Gallery’s 2026 Juried Student art exhibit

Queensborough Community College Art Gallery held an opening reception for its 2026 Juried Student art exhibit on April 21. The annual show, which began in 2011, features between 87 and 100 works selected as the "best of the best" from students in the Art and Design Department, with the pieces remaining on view through May 29.

Fort Smith museum unveils two new art exhibitions on May 15

The Fort Smith Museum of History will open two new exhibitions on May 15. 'The Art of the Brick' features large-scale sculptures by contemporary artist Nathan Sawaya, built entirely from LEGO bricks, while 'The Art of Native American Basketry' showcases a collection of woven baskets from regional tribes.

Arts & Science Center hosting artwork by instructor at University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas is hosting the exhibition 'Blaque' by University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff art instructor Jonathan Rashad Wright as a highlight of its 2026 Black History Month programming. The exhibition, on display through July 3, explores themes of identity, heritage, grief, and resilience within the African diaspora through Wright's innovative blend of traditional printmaking and modern technology, using black ink on black paper to create layered, introspective works.

Fabian Perez Gallery Showcases 20 Artists in Neo-Emotionalism Exhibition

Fabian Perez Gallery in Los Angeles is hosting the Neo-Emotionalism Group Exhibition, featuring 20 artists working in painting, photography, and sculpture. The show, running through May 23, centers on feeling and memory, with artists like Shaylen Nelson, Awadé Wade, James Smith, and Martinos Aristidou presenting works that explore personal and cultural narratives. Nelson, an Afrocentric Realism painter, uses Black figures and music to place culture within traditional painting, while Wade’s piece "Abstract Love" draws on a Prince song and uses a tree as a symbol of life and transition.

"Dispossessions in the Americas" Confronts the Colonialism That Invades All Territory

The article reviews "Dispossessions in the Americas," a group exhibition at Wrightwood 659 in Chicago curated by Jonathan D. Katz and Eduardo Carrera. Featuring works from 1960 to 2025, the show examines colonial legacies in the Americas, focusing on the forced dispossession of land, culture, and language from indigenous, Afro-descendant, queer, and trans communities. The review critically questions how a polished, architecturally prestigious venue can coherently display art about socially voiceless communities without falling into voyeurism or fetishization of pain.

‘Breeders’ is a collaborative Lawrence art show on parenthood that took a village

A group of 17 Lawrence-based artists with children have collaborated on a new exhibition titled 'Breeders' at Cider Gallery, opening April 24. Organized by local artist and teacher John Sebelius, the show explores the joys and challenges of parenthood through diverse media, including paintings, collages, and ceramics. A sister show, 'Offspring,' featuring works by the artists' children, will open simultaneously at Seedco Studios. Participating artists include Mona Cliff, Stan Herd, Angie Pickman, Kevin Willmott, Megan Embers, and Katie Winter, among others.

Homecoming exhibition for famed Teignmouth artist

Ian Nathan, a British artist from Teignmouth, will hold a homecoming exhibition at Teignmouth Arts Action Group (TAAG) from July 19 to August 1. The show features 35 new paintings spanning wildlife, local scenes, and semi-abstract seascapes, marking his return to the town where he once ran a gallery in the early 2000s.

Deep space photography on view at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) is opening a pop-up exhibition titled "Beautiful Universe" featuring deep space astrophotography. The exhibit, a collaboration between the MAH and UC Santa Cruz's Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, showcases celestial images captured by astrophotographer Steve Mandel and collaborator Bob Fera using remotely operated telescopes in the Sierra Nevada mountains and Chile. The photos, printed on large metal sheets, depict galaxies, nebulae, and supernova remnants using color filters similar to those on the Hubble Telescope.

Gallery 50 hosts opening reception for “Here Comes the Sun” art show on May 8

Gallery 50 in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, will host an opening reception for its new exhibition “Here Comes the Sun” on Friday, May 8, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The show features 11 local artists—Jonathan Frazier, Robyn Jacobs, Sarah Maclay, Pat McCleary, Mary Moores, Judy Pyle, Jayne Shord, Anne St. John, Lindsay Tozier-School, Anita Williams, and Marti Yeager (also the gallery’s curator)—with works in oil, acrylic, pastel, photography, watercolor, and enamel on copper. The evening includes free refreshments, live music from Sons of Pitches, and the unveiling of a new mural by California-based artist Nigel Sussman, whose large-scale, hand-drawn murals feature fantasy architecture and imaginary machines.

'Artistic Gems from the Past' exhibit coming to Friedman Art Gallery

Penn State Wilkes-Barre's Friedman Art Gallery will open a new exhibit titled "Artistic Gems from the Past" on May 1, featuring artwork by current and former students, including pieces created over 25 years ago. The exhibit includes works from two courses taught by Jonathan Pineno—Art History 112 and Integrative Arts 001—where students created art using recycled materials and techniques inspired by Bob Ross. Unattributed works from the 1990s are also on display, and the gallery is asking the public to help identify the original student artists.

Art of the Brick: LEGO Exhibition opens in Downtown Cincinnati

The globally acclaimed exhibition "Art of the Brick" has officially opened in downtown Cincinnati, showcasing over 100 sculptures crafted by artist Nathan Sawaya. The display features millions of LEGO bricks transformed into large-scale original works, including a 20-foot T-Rex, alongside brick-built interpretations of iconic masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and The Starry Night. Visitors can also engage with a hands-on building zone designed to foster creativity.

Gallery 50 hosts opening reception for new art exhibition on February 6

Gallery 50 in downtown Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, will host an opening reception for its new exhibition “Faces and Places” on Friday, February 6, 2026, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The event features free refreshments and live music from Reckless Mo & the Backseat Drivers. Ten local artists—Joan Carroll, Jonathan Frazier, Paul Gallo, Katrina Hoopes, Eric Hyne, Penny Knobel-Besa, Melissa Libertini, Laurie McKelvie, Paula Saneaux, and Steve Wetzel—contribute works in oil, colored pencil, acrylic, pastel, and photography, depicting people, animals, and landscapes. The gallery, operated by the Arts Alliance of Greater Waynesboro, also offers fine art and crafts such as pottery, wood carvings, jewelry, and stained glass. The exhibition runs through April 18, 2026, and will be available for online purchase.

Unprecedented Exhibition ‘Echoes of Gen X: The Art of the Fillmore (1980s–2000s)’ Will Open at LA’s Gabba Gallery on February 21

The Gabba Gallery in Los Angeles will open a major exhibition titled 'Echoes of Gen X: The Art of the Fillmore (1980s–2000s)' on February 21. The show will feature a vast collection of deadstock gig posters and ephemera from the iconic San Francisco music venue, representing over 1,000 concerts from the late 1980s through early 2000s, with works by poster artists like Chuck Sperry, Frank Kozik, and Rex Ray.

7 must-see Kansas City art exhibits to kick off your 2026

Kansas City's winter offers a perfect opportunity to explore seven local art exhibitions, as highlighted in KCUR's Adventure newsletter. Notable shows include "Speeding" at 100,000,000 Space, featuring works by Annie Woodfill, Charlie Crowell, Mario Cuellar Ocaña, and Shaza Umran that capture urgency and motion; "One Bedroom Apartment: The Second Installment" at Gallery Bogart, showcasing bite-sized artworks by artists like Napoleón Aguilera, Monica Figueroa, and Madeline Brice to encourage accessible art collecting; and "What Work Is" at Vulpes Bastille, curated by Adams Puryear and Nina Littrell, where over 40 local artists transform factory coveralls to explore art and labor.

‘Heart of WeHo’ Art Exhibition Celebrates the City of West Hollywood at 40

The City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division will host an artist reception on October 24 for 'Heart of WeHo,' a new group exhibition celebrating the city’s 40th anniversary. Featuring 27 local artists, the show presents paintings, photography, sculpture, and mixed media that depict West Hollywood’s landmarks, history, and everyday spaces—from iconic nightlife and architecture to quieter corners and imagined futures. The exhibition is on view at the West Hollywood Library through May 2026.