chicago history museum union retaliation

The union for Chicago History Museum workers, formed in February with AFSCME Council 31, has accused museum management of retaliation against employees for organizing. In a letter to the board of trustees, the union alleges that four members were fired, five others threatened, and that on April 16, the senior HR director verbally accosted two visitor services employees with profanities and job threats in front of staff and visitors. The union represents nearly 70 employees including curators, librarians, and designers.

Design Museum Stages First-Ever Retrospective For Streetwear Pioneer Nigo

London's Design Museum is opening "NIGO: From Japan with Love," the first UK retrospective dedicated to Japanese designer Nigo, founder of streetwear brand A Bathing Ape (BAPE) and current artistic director of Kenzo. The exhibition, featuring over 700 objects including rare archival garments, a recreation of Nigo's teenage bedroom, and ceramics inside a life-size glass tea house, traces his career from 1980s Tokyo street culture to global fashion influence.

Reception Held for NBMAA Exhibit "The Museum of the Old Colony" by Pablo Delano

The New Britain Museum of American Art (NBMAA) recently hosted a community reception for Pablo Delano’s exhibition, "The Museum of the Old Colony." This conceptual, site-specific installation utilizes archival imagery and objects to examine the enduring impact of U.S. colonial rule in Puerto Rico since 1898. The event was attended by local dignitaries, including Mayor Bobby Sanchez, marking a significant moment for the museum's engagement with the local Puerto Rican community.

Museum: Art, Collections, and Exhibits

Museum - Art, Collections, Exhibits

This comprehensive overview traces the historical evolution of the museum from its origins as private royal collections and 'cabinets of curiosities' to the modern public institutions of the 21st century. It details the emergence of landmark spaces like the Ashmolean, the British Museum, and the Louvre, while examining how the 'museum boom' of the 20th century expanded these institutions globally across the United States, Asia, and Africa.

White House presses Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery for new Trump portrait and display

The White House has suggested that the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery create a dedicated section to display multiple images of President Donald Trump, including a new painted portrait, during his current term. This proposal came during a December visit by State Department and White House officials, who noted the president receives much artwork from supporters that could be curated for display.

A taster of the British Museum's Hawaii show in three objects

The British Museum in London is opening a major exhibition titled 'Hawai‘i: a Kingdom Crossing Oceans' (15 January–25 May), accompanied by a catalogue featuring over 150 works from ancient Hawaiian treasures to contemporary pieces. The show explores the historical and cultural ties between Hawaii and the UK, highlighting objects such as an 18th-century feather cloak gifted to a British captain, portraits of King Kamehameha II and Queen Kamāmalu from their 1824 London visit, and a crested helmet. The catalogue includes an inventory of the entire Native Hawaiian collection at the British Museum, the largest outside Hawaii.

Jerrell Gibbs: From NFL Dreams To His First Solo Museum Exhibition

Jerrell Gibbs, a former college football player and two-time college dropout, is now the subject of his first solo museum exhibition, "No Solace in the Shade," at the Brandywine Museum of Art. The article traces his unlikely journey from working double shifts in direct care to rediscovering his passion for drawing after seeing a photo of his wife and daughter, eventually earning a spot at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and building a career as a painter.

Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Christopher Knight is retiring

Christopher Knight, the Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic for the Los Angeles Times, is retiring after more than 40 years in the field, with his final day set for November 28. Knight spent 36 of those years at the Los Angeles Times, becoming one of the last full-time art critics at a major U.S. daily newspaper. He won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 2020 for his incisive coverage of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's proposed overhaul, and received a $50,000 Lifetime Achievement Award for Art Journalism from the Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation the same year. Knight also authored two books and appeared on programs like 60 Minutes and PBS NewsHour.

Korean National Treasures: 2,000 Years of Art

The Art Institute of Chicago will present "Korean National Treasures: 2,000 Years of Art" from March 7 to July 5, 2026, featuring 140 artworks spanning from 6th-century Buddhist sculpture to contemporary paintings. The exhibition includes 22 objects officially recognized as National Treasures or Treasures by the Korean government, all drawn from a landmark 2021 donation of over 23,000 works by the family of late Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-Hee. Highlights include Joseon dynasty ceramics, Buddhist paintings, and works by modern artists such as Kim Whanki and Park Rehyun.

Tate chair floats selling Turbine Hall naming rights for ‘a minimum of £50m’

Tate chair of trustees Roland Rudd has suggested that naming rights for the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern could cost a minimum of £50 million. The proposal, reported by The Telegraph, is tied to the institution's new Tate Future Fund, launched last week with a goal of reaching £150 million by 2030. Rudd stated that endowing curators, directors, or naming the iconic space are all potential options for donors, though a Tate spokesperson emphasized the comments were hypothetical and the fundraising campaign is just beginning.

LACMA Opens the Doors to Its New Building

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has opened its new building, designed by architect Peter Zumthor, marking a major milestone in the museum's long-awaited expansion and renovation. The new structure replaces four outdated buildings and aims to modernize the campus while improving visitor experience and exhibition space.

Uovo planning second, larger art storage facility in Brooklyn

Uovo, an art logistics and storage company, is planning to build a second, larger facility in Brooklyn. The proposed 240,000-square-foot building at 74 Bogart Street in Bushwick would complement its existing 150,000-square-foot space nearby, offering climate-controlled storage for art, wine, and fashion, along with private viewing galleries and project spaces. The company is seeking municipal approval to upzone a parking lot for the development and has received support from the local community board, though some residents oppose the project, citing concerns about housing shortages and rising rental costs.

Chinese museum visitors accuse artist Heman Chong of ‘cyber harassment’

A group of Chinese museum visitors has filed a formal complaint against Singapore-based artist Heman Chong, accusing him of cyber harassment. The visitors allege that Chong reposted their selfies from his exhibition "The Endless Summer" at UCCA Dune on his Instagram account with captions that mocked them for narcissism and appropriating his work. The complaint cites China's portrait rights law, which prohibits using recognizable images of individuals without consent, and also accuses Chong of gender-based targeting for only reposting images of women. The visitors demand a formal apology from Chong and joint action from UCCA Dune and the Aranya resort.

‘It’s much more extreme’: US institutions and artists enter a new culture war

Since President Donald Trump took office, his administration has rapidly dismantled parts of the U.S. cultural infrastructure through executive orders and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk. Key federal funding bodies—the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)—have faced staff cuts, grant cancellations, and threats of further reductions. Trump has also replaced leadership at the Kennedy Center and signaled similar moves against the Smithsonian Institution, while DOGE visited the National Gallery of Art to discuss its legal status. Arts organizations and advocates are scrambling to assess the damage and find alternative funding.

Royal exhibition to recount 40 years of Charles on tour in 70 artworks | King Charles III

Buckingham Palace will host a special exhibition titled "The King’s Tour Artists," showcasing 70 artworks created by 42 artists who accompanied King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) on official tours over the past 40 years. The tradition began in 1985 when Charles invited artist John Ward to join a visit to Italy, and has since spanned 95 countries across 69 tours, with many works being displayed to the public for the first time. The exhibition includes pieces by artists such as Susannah Fiennes, Mary Anne Aytoun Ellis, Richard Foster, and Phillip Butah, capturing moments from tours to Hong Kong, Guyana, the Galápagos, and beyond.

Who Owns These Artworks? Musée d’Orsay Hopes Visitors Can Help Find Out.

The Musée d’Orsay in Paris has opened a new room in its permanent display featuring 13 artworks recovered from Germany and Austria after World War II, whose provenance remains unknown. The museum is inviting visitors to help identify the original owners of these pieces, which were looted or displaced during the war and later restituted to France.

Wexner Center for the Arts Workers Call for Institution to Be Renamed Over Top Funder’s Epstein Ties

Unionized workers at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio, have demanded that the institution remove the name of top funder Les Wexner from its moniker, citing his close ties to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. In a letter to Ohio State University leadership, Wexner Workers United (WWU) argued that Wexner’s name on the building harms the center’s mission and community trust. Wexner, a billionaire retail magnate and art collector, donated $25 million to the center’s construction in the 1980s and has been mentioned over a thousand times in the Epstein Files; Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre named Wexner as among those she was trafficked to, though Wexner denies the allegations.

Seattle Art Museum Workers Announce Unionization

More than one hundred employees at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) announced their intent to unionize on May 13, delivering a letter to museum director and CEO Scott Stulen. Organizing as Seattle Art Museum Workers United (SAMWU) under the Washington Federation of State Employees/AFSCME Council 28, the staff—spanning over twenty departments—cited unsustainable wages, subpar health benefits, and top-down decision-making as key issues. They filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board but will withdraw the petition if the museum voluntarily recognizes the union by May 27. Stulen acknowledged receipt of the letter and committed to good-faith negotiations.

A world record for Lena Cronqvist and several million-plus sales at Stockholms Auktionsverk’s spring art auctions

Stockholms Auktionsverk's spring auctions, The Modern Art Sale and The Contemporary Art Sale, achieved strong results including a world record for Lena Cronqvist's sculpture "Flicka med flätor och parasoll", which sold for nearly SEK 1.9 million. Other top sales included Andy Warhol's "Queen Elizabeth II" at SEK 2.5 million, Jean-Paul Riopelle's "Arthur" at SEK 1,875,000, and Warhol's triptych "Ingrid Bergman" at SEK 1.25 million. Karin Parrow also set a new personal record with "Kappseglingsdag" selling for SEK 231,250.

‘Year One after Damien Dies’: Hirst announces plans for posthumous works

Damien Hirst has revealed plans for a series of "posthumous drawings" that would allow new works to be created and sold in his name for up to 200 years after his death. In a recent interview with The Times, Hirst described a system where certificates would grant the right to produce a specific sculpture in a given year after his death, with one work released annually. He cited an unrealized 1991 idea for a pig in formaldehyde as an example of a piece that could be made posthumously and dated to its original conception year. The artist also commented on the current art market, noting a "big turn" due to global uncertainty and emphasizing the need to avoid producing unsold work.

List of small Italian museums dedicated to writing. Among diaries, typewriters and memories

Lista dei piccoli musei d’Italia dedicati alla scrittura. Tra diari, macchine da scrivere e memorie

The article highlights the phenomenon of cultural overbooking, where major museums like the Louvre, Vatican Museums, and British Museum attract millions of visitors, turning art appreciation into a physical endurance test. It then pivots to a series of small, specialized museums across Italy dedicated to writing, diaries, and memory, offering a quieter, more intimate alternative. Featured institutions include the Piccolo Museo del Diario in Pieve Santo Stefano, which houses over 10,000 personal diaries and letters, and the Museo della Lettera d’Amore in Torrevecchia Teatina, with 25,000 love letters. Other stops include the Parco Poesia Pascoli in San Mauro Pascoli, dedicated to the poet Giovanni Pascoli.

The Craziest Venice Biennale Ever: One Week Before Opening, the Jury Resigns (The Public Will Decide the Lions!)

La Biennale di Venezia più pazza di sempre: a una settimana dall’apertura si dimette la giuria (I Leoni li deciderà il pubblico!)

The entire international jury of the 61st Venice Biennale has resigned en masse just one week before the opening. The jury, chaired by Solange Oliveira Farkas and including Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi, had publicly announced they would not consider countries whose leaders are accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court—effectively excluding Russia and Israel from the Golden Lion competition. This decision came amid ongoing tensions between Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli and Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco over Russia's participation, as well as controversy surrounding Israel's presence. After a meeting with Buttafuoco, the jury resigned, leaving the Biennale without a key body to award its top prizes.

How UK museums are embracing citizens’ assemblies to help frame their futures

UK museums are increasingly turning to citizens' assemblies to involve the public in shaping institutional policy and direction. The National Gallery in London launched its NG Citizens panel in 2024, following Birmingham Museums Trust's 2024 citizens' jury of 26 local residents. The Imperial War Museum and London's Migration Museum have also announced plans for similar assemblies. The National Gallery's panel, formed through a civic lottery of 15,000 invited households, will meet from November 2025 to March 2026 to develop recommendations on the gallery's purpose, priorities, and public value—though it will not directly select exhibitions or acquisitions.

The archive of the great architect Piero Portaluppi opens to the public: it happens at Villa Necchi in Milan

L’archivio del grande architetto Piero Portaluppi apre al pubblico: succede a Villa Necchi a Milano

The Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI) has opened a new permanent archive space dedicated to the architect and intellectual Piero Portaluppi (1888-1967) inside Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan, the architect's own masterpiece. The archive, acquired by FAI in December 2025 from the closing Fondazione Portaluppi, is housed in three attic rooms and includes thousands of original documents, drawings, photographic prints, sketchbooks, caricatures, postcards, and 16 mm film reels totaling eight hours of footage shot between the 1930s and 1960s. The collection also features Portaluppi's personal library of three thousand volumes and architecture journals, which will be made available for study in collaboration with the Soprintendenza Archivistica e Bibliografica della Lombardia and the Politecnico di Milano.

Being a Street Photographer. Interview with Simone Morelli, the Artist of Slowness

Essere street photographer. Intervista a Simone Morelli, l’artista della lentezza

Simone Morelli, a street photographer born in Rome in 1987, discusses his slow, analog approach to photography in an interview with Artribune. He began after receiving a Praktica film camera as a gift in Sweden in 2012, and was captivated by the process of shooting and printing on film. Morelli describes his method as instinctive yet deliberate, often working on long-term projects that build a coherent visual narrative rather than seeking single 'beautiful' images. He cites Josef Koudelka as a key influence and emphasizes the importance of patience and reflection in an era dominated by fast, digital imagery.

L’arte vibra come un’onda. 7 artisti nell’elegante mostra a Casa Sanlorenzo a Venezia

Casa Sanlorenzo, the artistic division of the luxury yacht brand, has opened a new exhibition titled "Waves" in Venice, coinciding with the Venice Biennale. Curated by Sergio Risaliti and Cristiano Seganfreddo, the show spans 1,000 square meters across two floors plus a 600-square-meter garden, featuring works by seven artists: Alexander Calder, Lucio Fontana, Fausto Melotti, Tony Cragg, Marcello Maloberti, Christine Safa, and Friedrich Andreoni. The exhibition explores the concept of the wave as a metaphor for artistic expression, with a focus on sculpture and sound, including Melotti's poetic sculptures, Andreoni's immersive sound installation, and Calder's mobiles.

Intervista all’artista italiano che ha riempito la città di Stoccolma di sculture-animali

Italian artist Davide Rivalta has installed thirteen monumental bronze sculptures of lions, buffalo, and rhinoceroses across Stockholm, Sweden, in a project titled "Blowing Figures into Space." Organized by the Italian Cultural Institute of Stockholm, the works are placed in strategic locations including Mynttorget, Gamla Stan, Ladugårdsgärdet, and Hagaparken, with installations rolling out from April 2025 through summer 2027. The first sculpture was unveiled near the Swedish Parliament during Stockholm Art Week, and additional animals will appear in public parks on August 29.

At the 2026 Venice Biennale, pavilions shut down for pro-Palestine strike. The map of protests

Alla Biennale di Venezia 2026 serrata dei padiglioni per sciopero pro Palestina. La mappa delle proteste

On May 8, 2026, the third VIP preview day of the 61st Venice Biennale, a massive strike shut down numerous national pavilions and disrupted the exhibition. Led by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (Anga), the protest demands Israel's exclusion from the Biennale over allegations of genocide in Palestine, and also targets poor labor conditions in the cultural sector. Pavilions closed one after another due to staff shortages, and protest posters appeared around artworks at the Giardini and Arsenale. The strike involved the Biennale Foundation itself, along with about twenty contractors managing services and national pavilions, with unions Adl Cobas, USB Lavoro privato, and Cub supporting the action. Tensions rose when the UK Pavilion reportedly replaced striking staff to remain open, and the Foundation issued a statement falsely denying that its employees were covered by the strike.

Monuments & Weapons: How Public Space Prepares Us for War Without Us Even Realizing It

Monumenti&armi. Così lo spazio pubblico ci prepara alla guerra senza che neppure ce ne rendiamo conto

Public squares and urban spaces are densely populated with war-related monuments that condition society to accept conflict as a historical inevitability. A study by Philadelphia’s Monument Lab reveals that nearly 60% of U.S. monuments focus on war themes, outnumbering themes of peace thirteen-fold, while Italy maintains over 12,000 memorials dedicated solely to World War I. These structures often prioritize military hierarchy and territorial conquest over themes of care, gender equality, or social diversity.

City College art faculty showcase their work in the Kondos Gallery

Sacramento City College's Kondos Gallery has opened its spring faculty exhibition, “The Other Half; SCC Art Faculty,” featuring works by five full-time art professors in painting, printmaking, mixed media, ceramics, and sculpture. A reception was held on April 30, 2026, attended by librarian Antonio López and others. The gallery, originally opened in the 1930s, was renamed after noted California artist Gregory Kondos, who served as its director in the mid-1970s until his retirement in 1982.