parties clara wu tsai latoya ruby frazier sophia cohen

Clara Wu Tsai, owner of the New York Liberty, and CULTURED Arts Editor-at-Large Sophia Cohen hosted an evening at Barclays Center in Brooklyn to honor artist LaToya Ruby Frazier. The event celebrated the debut of Frazier's first outdoor public art commission, "The Liberty Portraits: A Monument to the 2024 Champions," which reimagines the plaza as a tribute to the women's basketball team. Attendees included WNBA players Natasha Cloud and Isabelle Harrison, Brooklyn Nets CEO Sam Zussman, artists Sarah Sze, Joan Jonas, Shaun Leonardo, and Dustin Yellin, gallerist Gavin Brown, public art advocate Susan Freedman, and curators Eric Shiner, Tina Kukielski, Drew Sawyer, and Jennifer Blessing. Wu Tsai also announced upcoming public art commissions from Sarah Sze and Rashid Johnson for Barclays Center.

art young photographer hero bean stevenson

Hero Bean Stevenson, a New York-based photographer, is featured in Cultured's "29" series, nominated by Brigitte Lacombe. Stevenson has shot for clients like Maison d’Etto and Carven, co-founded the Los Angeles gallery Raum, and developed a spare black-and-white photographic style. The article includes Stevenson's reflections on portraiture, citing influences such as Peter Hujar, Robert Mapplethorpe, and a memorable 2023 portrait session with filmmaker Werner Herzog.

food mina stone artists favorite food

CULTURED's food editor Mina Stone asked over two dozen artists to name their essential foods, from comfort dishes to simple staples. Responses range from Aya Brown's rice (rooted in her Black American and Japanese heritage) to Rob Pruitt's Caesar salad, Kaws's cheese, and Armando Nin's Dominican breakfast Mangú, with many artists citing coffee, eggs, and nostalgic family meals.

The Phillies Owner and His Wife Collect Art’s Heavy Hitters

John Middleton, the majority owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, and his wife Leigh have publicly debuted their private collection of blue-chip American art. The couple has lent a significant selection of works for a dual-venue exhibition in Philadelphia, coinciding with the city's preparations for the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Sarah Rowe Will Light Up Native Neon Residency in Kingston, NY

A new residency program for Indigenous artists working with neon for the first time has been launched through a collaboration between the Walker Youngbird Foundation and Lite Brite Neon Studio in Kingston, New York. Sarah Rowe, a painter and installation artist from Omaha, Nebraska, was selected as the first recipient from over one hundred applicants. She plans to create a work inspired by the heyoka, a trickster figure from Lakota tradition, and will receive a $10,000 stipend plus fully funded fabrication, materials, studio time, and technical instruction valued at around $50,000. The resulting artwork will be publicly presented, and Rowe will retain full intellectual property rights and ownership.

This Day in History: Van Gogh paintings shown in first retrospective exhibit

On March 15, 1901, the Bernheim-Jeune gallery in Paris opened the first major retrospective exhibition of Vincent van Gogh's work, featuring 71 paintings. Organized by gallery owners Joseph and Gaston Bernheim-Jeune, the exhibition marked a pivotal turning point in Van Gogh's posthumous recognition, transforming him from an obscure artist who sold only one painting in his lifetime into a globally celebrated master. The article details Van Gogh's life and career, from his early dark works like 'The Potato Eaters' to his vibrant Post-Impressionist period in Arles, where he painted masterpieces like his 'Bedroom' series and 'Sunflowers'. It notes his struggles with mental health, his death in 1890, and emphasizes that the 1901 retrospective was the crucial event that cemented his fame, long after the gallery itself closed in 2019.

Gallery of Art 850 hosts ‘The Color Blue’ art exhibit

The Gallery of Art 850 in Panama City, Florida, hosted an opening reception for 'The Color Blue' art exhibit on Thursday evening. This is the second in a series of themed exhibitions, following last year's 'The Color Red' held in conjunction with the RedFish Film Festival. The show features 75 works in all media, from paintings to sculptures, all incorporating shades of blue, up from 63 entries last year.

Photos: Art Gallery "2.16 Contemporary" Grand Opening

On January 21, 2026, the 2.16 Contemporary art gallery opened at 325 Constitución Street in Puerto Vallarta's Zona Romántica with a gala event featuring the exhibition “Liberatio” by Guadalajara-based artist Victor Haro, celebrating his 40-year career. The ribbon-cutting ceremony included owners and gallerists Orlando Santamaría and Abrajam Romero, Culture Councilwoman Laurel Carrillo, and Haro himself, with the show presenting hyperrealistic works in acrylic paste and airbrushing that explore human liberation.

New gallery celebrating craftmanship and art opens

The historic Hopton Hall Estate has opened a new gallery in Ashbourne, England, called the Hopton Hall Gallery. The gallery, housed in an 18th-century building that previously served as a butcher's, clockmaker's, and draper's shop, is the creation of estate owners Chris and Andi Harvey. Its inaugural exhibition, 'Brushed Light: Atmospheric Watercolours,' features works by local artists, and the gallery will host a rotating program of exhibitions and events through at least May 2027.

Gallery of Art 850 hosts ‘The Color Blue’ art exhibit

Gallery of Art 850 in Panama City, Florida, hosted the opening reception for 'The Color Blue' art exhibit on Thursday evening. The show is the second in a series of themed exhibits, following last year's 'The Color Red' which coincided with the RedFish Film Festival. Artists were invited to create works featuring shades of blue, and the exhibit includes 75 entries spanning paintings and sculptures, up from 63 last year.

Masure Gallery Brings a Focused Lens to Local Fine Art Photography in Fort Worth

Masure Gallery of Photography has opened in Fort Worth, Texas, as the city's only gallery dedicated exclusively to fine art photography. Founded through a partnership between gallery manager Simone Fischer and the co-owners of Fort Worth Camera, Jeff and CJ Masure, the space transforms a former event room into a white-walled exhibition venue with gallery-quality lighting. The gallery launched with "RED – A Bold Photography Exhibition," selected from nearly 200 open-call submissions requiring the color red, and now represents six local photographers: Walt Burns, Brooks Burris, Caroline Hanson, Chris Ireland, Felix Schilling, and K.P. Wilska. The first solo show, "Modern Exposure" by Walt Burns, opens June 4.

A new home for Asian contemporary art opens in landmarked building in Manhattan's Chinatown

The Wang Contemporary has officially opened its doors in a landmarked Beaux Arts building at 58 Bowery in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Founded by fashion designer Alexander Wang and his mother, Ying Wang, the cultural organization debuted with a site-specific installation by the Brooklyn-based conceptual collective MSCHF titled '20,000 Variations On A Paper Plane In Flight.' The performance featured red and gold paper planes launched from the building's central oculus, blending traditional Lunar New Year symbolism with conceptual art in a space that formerly served as a bank.

murujuga rock art australia receives unesco world heritage status

UNESCO has granted World Heritage status to Murujuga, an ancient Aboriginal rock art site in Western Australia's Pilbara region, despite concerns about its vulnerability to emissions from nearby gas and fertilizer plants. The site contains over 1 million petroglyphs, including the oldest known depiction of a human face, dating back up to 50,000 years. Indigenous groups campaigned for two decades for protection, and the Australian government nominated the site in 2023. However, the Karratha Gas Plant, operated by Woodside Energy, sits on the nominated land, and ICOMOS had warned that emissions pose a risk to the rock art. The UNESCO designation was unanimous, but an amendment was added requiring Australia to continue monitoring industrial impact.

No ‘I can do that’ here: William Baczek Fine Arts gallery celebrates 30 years in Northampton

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.

Hyderabad galleries host long-duration exhibitions this summer

Two Hyderabad galleries are hosting long-duration summer exhibitions this year, breaking from the city's traditional lean season. Kalakriti Art Gallery in Banjara Hills opened "Prakriti: A Quiet Continuum," a group show of contemporary artists including Lal Bahadur Singh and Sumanto Chowdhury, alongside "Living Lineages," featuring folk and indigenous artists such as Bhuri Bai and Venkat Raman Shyam. Meanwhile, Srishti Art Gallery in Jubilee Hills is presenting the fifth edition of its annual exhibition "Triloka," with works by Moumita Basak, Nayanjyoti Barman, and Nirmal Mondal that explore everyday materials and social change.

Five-Minute Tours: Mark Wade at Andrew Durham Gallery, Houston

Andrew Durham Gallery in Houston is presenting "Long Division," a solo exhibition of works by artist Mark Wade, on view from March 28 to May 23, 2026. The show features Wade's mixed-media pieces that explore historical fault lines in the United States, particularly the American Indian Wars, using fragmented and reconstructed materials to question how national narratives are formed and suppressed.

Art Galleries Emanate a Warm Glow in Winter

Winter on Cape Cod presents a challenge for local artists and galleries, as off-season landscapes often go unsold. However, several gallery owners are embracing the season with experimental programming: Liz Carney of Four Eleven Gallery in Provincetown is hosting a group show titled "Long Blue Shadow" and planning artist residencies and a "Knitney Biennial." Gary Marotta Fine Art and Schoolhouse Gallery remain open on weekends, while Susie Nielsen's Farm Projects in Wellfleet features a group exhibition of works on paper. These gallerists find that winter visitors are more engaged, fostering richer conversations and a stronger sense of community.

In historic move, MFA Boston returns works by 19th-century enslaved artist David Drake to his heirs

The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Boston has agreed to return two 1857 ceramic jars by David Drake, an enslaved Black potter, to his living descendants. One vessel will remain on loan to the museum for at least two years, while the other—the "Poem Jar"—has been purchased back by the MFA from the heirs for an undisclosed sum, now carrying a "certificate of ethical ownership." The museum acknowledges that Drake created the works involuntarily and without compensation, marking the first time the MFA has resolved a claim for art wrongfully taken under U.S. slavery.

Elsa James’s exhibition in my home county, Essex, is a potent rejection of the erasure of history

Elsa James's exhibition "It Should Not Be Forgotten" at Firstsite in Colchester, UK, confronts Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade through immersive installations. The show features a floor covered with larger-than-life photographs of the artist, recalling the diagram of enslaved Africans on the slave ship Brooks, accompanied by a cello soundscape by Kirke Gross. Other works give voice to enslaved women Phibbah and Molia, documented in the journals of their 18th-century owner Thomas Thistlewood, subverting historical narratives. The exhibition builds on James's earlier "Black Girl Essex" residency, which challenged the racist and sexist "Essex Girl" stereotype.

This art collector went from running his own marketing firm to opening galleries in Hong Kong and London

Calvin Hui, a Hong Kong native who began collecting art as a student with a print by Joan Miró, has turned his passion into a career. After buying his first 'serious' work—Jar with Horizontal Colour Bars (2005) by Farhad Moshiri—he expanded his collection and eventually opened 3812 Gallery in Hong Kong in 2011, specializing in Chinese contemporary art and ink works. In 2018, he and a co-founder opened a second gallery in London’s Mayfair, which is set to relocate to The Whiteley London. Hui previously ran his own public relations, events, and marketing firm before transitioning to the art world.

MFA Boston to return Benin Bronzes to wealthy donor, close gallery

The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Boston will close its Benin Kingdom Gallery on April 28, and most of the Benin Bronzes displayed there will not be repatriated to Nigeria. Instead, all but five of the 34 objects will be returned to their donor, filmmaker and banking heir Robert Owen Lehman, who rescinded his 2008 gift after stalled negotiations with the museum. The MFA had sought to acquire full ownership of the works to ensure their display, but Lehman asked for them back. The five bronzes the museum does own will remain in its collection and be shown in its Art of Africa Gallery starting in June.

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.

Penarth artist holds first exhibition after a lifetime of painting

Stephen Stokes, a 66-year-old retired kitchen business owner from Penarth, Wales, has staged his first-ever art exhibition after a lifetime of painting. The show, held at Llanover Hall Arts Centre in Cardiff, features works spanning decades, including portraits, still lifes, and scenes painted from life. Stokes, who studied at art college in Liverpool in the 1980s, was inspired by post-Impressionist masters like Matisse, Van Gogh, and Monet. Around 80 people attended the opening, and several visitors expressed interest in purchasing his work, though he had not initially priced the pieces.

Man Can’t Tell if Friend’s Art Show Surrealist or Bad

Local man Brian Jacobs attends a friend's high-profile surrealist art show in New York but cannot determine whether the works are genuinely surrealist or simply poorly executed. He describes a painting of a five-eyed fisherman holding a melting bowling ball as looking like it was painted by a first grader. The artist, Gavin McCloud, interprets Jacobs's bewildered reactions as impressed awe and plans to gift him the melting bowling ball painting. Gallery owner Christine Morgan admits she sometimes hosts derivative work from donors' children in exchange for large checks, and advises artists to claim ambiguity as the real art if questioned.

Haiti goes to Venice: Artist Duval-Carrié selected to represent nation at Biennale expo | PHOTOS

Internationally acclaimed Miami-based artist Edouard Duval-Carrié has been selected to represent Haiti at the 2026 Venice Biennale, the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. Ahead of the May 9 opening, Duval-Carrié hosted a behind-the-scenes preview event at his Little Haiti studio in Miami on April 24, 2026, where he discussed his conceptual approach. His installation draws on themes of history, politics, and spirituality in Haiti and the Caribbean, reflecting evolving perspectives on the nation's past and present. Duval-Carrié collaborated with Vanessa Selk, founding artistic director of the Tout-Monde Art Foundation, to frame Haiti's presence as both a national showcase and a reflection of diasporic influence and Caribbean identity. The exhibition runs through November 22, 2026.

Corazón Cafe’s Chingonas gallery honors ‘badass women’ through art

Corazón Cafe in downtown San Luis Obispo hosts an annual art gallery called "Chingonas" during March and April, celebrating Women's History Month. The gallery, curated by co-owner Sara McGrath, features around 20 participants ranging from ages 5 to 85, displaying works that honor "badass women"—from famous figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Gloria Steinem to everyday family members. The term "Chingonas" is a reclaimed Mexican-Spanish slang for strong, independent women.

Multilevel Anselm Kiefer amphitheatre unveiled at Mona museum in Tasmania

David Walsh, the billionaire owner of the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Tasmania, announced the opening of a major extension housing 'Elektra', a multilevel concrete amphitheatre by German artist Anselm Kiefer. The project, which cost over AUS$100 million, opened on December 19 with a performance featuring dancers Juliet Burnett and Cecilia Martin, bassist Nick Tsiavos, and vocalist Deborah Kayser. Kiefer, Walsh, and Walsh's wife Kirsha Kaechele attended the unveiling. Elektra is Kiefer's second permanent installation at Mona, joining his 2007 work 'Sternenfall/ Shevirath ha Kelim'.

Led by £10.2m cheetah miniature, Aga Khan collection breaks all-time record for South Asian art sale

A single-owner sale of 95 lots from the collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan at Christie's London achieved £45.8m ($61m), shattering the presale estimate of 'in excess of £8m' and setting a new all-time record for any South Asian art sale. The top lot, Basawan's miniature *A Family of Cheetahs in a Rocky Landscape* (circa 1575-80), sold for £10.2m ($13.6m), becoming the most expensive classical Indian or Islamic painting at auction. The sale also featured eight works from the Fraser Album, which together made £6.2m, and a portrait by Dust Muhammad that fetched £2.7m.

Sotheby’s September Sale stars Indian Masters

Sotheby’s is holding a September 2025 auction in London titled 'Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art,' featuring major works by Indian modernists including Francis Newton Souza, M.F. Husain, Sayed Haider Raza, Bikash Bhattacharjee, and K.K. Hebbar. Highlights include Souza's 'Emperor' (1957) from his celebrated mid-1950s period, Husain's 'Chittore Fort' (1964) from the renowned Chester and Davida Herwitz collection, and Bhattacharjee's 'Two Sisters No. 2' (1982), which previously sold in a landmark Herwitz single-owner sale at Sotheby’s in 1995.

Man Ray: When Objects Dream

The article presents an extensive list of artworks by the avant-garde artist Man Ray, spanning from 1914 to the mid-1940s. It includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, and readymades such as "Cadeau (Gift)" (1921), "The Rope Dancer Accompanies Herself with Her Shadows" (1916), and "L’énigme d’Isidore Ducasse" (1920). Many entries are marked "Returned to lender," indicating these works were part of a loan exhibition that has now concluded, with pieces being sent back to their respective owners.