Professors share art, science, culture via Smithsonian exhibits

Two East Carolina University professors have contributed to Smithsonian museum exhibits this summer. Photography professor Daniel Kariko from the School of Art and Design has a photograph titled "Last Camp on Isle Dernieres" (2017) on display in the Art x Climate exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The image documents a recreational fishing camp in South Louisiana that was completely gone by 2019, part of Kariko's ongoing 25-year project "Impermanence" capturing landscape changes in the Barataria-Terrebonne region. Additionally, Dr. Aleia Brown from the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences curated a collection of quilts by Black artists at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Vancouver Art Gallery show celebrates Emily Carr's affinity with nature

The Vancouver Art Gallery is opening a major exhibition titled 'That Green Ideal: Emily Carr and the Idea of Nature,' featuring a comprehensive survey of the Canadian Modernist's landscapes drawn primarily from the museum's own extensive collection. The show will highlight Carr's distinctive post-Impressionist and Fauvist-inspired style, her deep engagement with the British Columbia landscape, and her spiritual quest for communion with nature.

Ittai Gradel, gems expert who uncovered British Museum thefts, dies aged 61

Ittai Gradel, a Danish classical gems specialist, has died at age 61. His investigations revealed that hundreds of objects had been stolen from the British Museum, leading to the resignation of director Hartwig Fischer in 2023. Gradel first alerted the museum in 2021 after finding proof that precious objects were being sold on eBay, naming senior curator Peter Higgs as the suspected seller. After initial concerns were ignored, Gradel wrote again in 2022, eventually prompting a police investigation. Higgs was dismissed in July 2023, and Fischer resigned the following month. Of the 2,000 items affected, 626 have been recovered, many bought in good faith by Gradel and returned. Earlier this month, Gradel received a special British Museum award from current director Nicholas Cullinan.

Behind the Scenes of ‘The Sopranos’: A New Exhibition Revisits TV’s Favorite Mob Drama

The Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in New York has opened a new exhibition titled 'Stories and Set Designs for The Sopranos.' The show delves into the creation of the landmark HBO series, featuring original research materials, concept art, ground plans, and scripts that reveal the intense preparatory work by creator David Chase and his team. It reconstructs key locations like the Soprano home, the Bada Bing strip club, and Dr. Melfi's office to illustrate the show's transition from pilot to full series production.

Yoshida Chizuko

The Portland Art Museum is hosting the first major museum retrospective of Yoshida Chizuko (1924–2017), a pioneering Japanese modernist painter and printmaker. The exhibition features over 100 works, including early oil paintings, monotypes, woodblock prints, lithographs, and mixed media pieces, many never before exhibited. It traces her career from avant-garde abstraction in the 1940s and 1950s through op art and photoetchings in the 1960s and 1970s to nature-inspired late works, and includes a planned major acquisition from the Yoshida family estate.

Announcement

Announcement

The Contemporary Art Daily has released the full digital archive of artist SoiL Thornton's solo exhibitions. The comprehensive collection, published in their Contemporary Art Quarterly, documents Thornton's work dating back to 2017, providing centralized access to years of the artist's major projects and installations.

Monet Paintings Hidden for 100 Years Resurface at an Auction in Paris

Two paintings by Claude Monet, hidden from public view for over a century, have resurfaced and been sold at Sotheby’s Paris. The works—*Les Îles de Port-Villez* (1883) and *Vétheuil, effet du matin* (1901)—represent distinct phases of Monet’s career, with the latter setting a record for a Monet sold at auction in France, fetching more than $12 million.

Artist relationship between Helen Frankenthaler and Anthony Caro examined

Yares Art in New York is hosting "SIMILITUDES: Color, Form, Friendship," a landmark exhibition exploring the creative dialogue between American painter Helen Frankenthaler and British sculptor Anthony Caro. Spanning nearly five decades of friendship that began in 1959, the show juxtaposes Frankenthaler’s soak-stained canvases with Caro’s steel armatures. The presentation includes archival letters and photographs that highlight their mutual influence, including a 1972 proposal from Frankenthaler to collaborate on a sculpture.

Two Exhibitions in Paris Galleries

Deux expositions dans les galeries parisiennes

Two notable drawing exhibitions are currently on view in Paris galleries. The first, organized by dealer Nicolas Schwed on Rue Saint-Honoré, features a strong selection of old and modern master drawings, with a surprising emphasis on 18th-century French works alongside Italian pieces. Highlights include a preparatory study by Federico Zuccaro for a Roman fresco and a rare drawing of the Trinity by Cornelis Schut, which is linked to a lost altarpiece from Cologne.

archimedes palimpsest manuscript rediscovered

A missing page from the Archimedes Palimpsest, the oldest surviving copy of the Greek mathematician’s writings, has been rediscovered at the Museum of Fine Arts in Blois, France. The 10th-century parchment, which had been missing for 120 years, contains portions of the treatise 'On the Sphere and the Cylinder' hidden beneath 20th-century illumination. The page was identified by a researcher from the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) after being unaccounted for since 1906.

walters art museum chief collections curatorial affairs officer

The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore has appointed Katherine Larson as its chief collections and curatorial affairs officer, a newly created senior role. Larson will also serve as senior curator of Ancient Art, overseeing curatorial operations, collections, conservation, research, the exhibition calendar, and fundraising, beginning March 30.

cats medieval manuscripts walters art museum

The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore has opened an exhibition titled "Paws on Parchment," exploring the depiction of cats in medieval manuscripts from Europe, Asia, and the Islamic world. The show was inspired by a 15th-century Flemish manuscript that still bears the inky paw prints of a cat that walked across the pages while they were drying. Curator Lynley Anne Herbert assembled the exhibition after discovering the manuscript in the museum's collection, researching medieval poetry, bestiaries, and encyclopedic works to understand historical attitudes toward cats. The exhibition runs through February 22, 2026, and is the first of three shows dedicated to animals in art.

tefaf managing director out dominique savelkoul

The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) and its managing director Dominique Savelkoul have parted ways after just over a year, making her the fourth managing director in six years (counting an interim). Savelkoul, a Belgian arts administrator who took up the post in September 2024, had never run an art fair before. TEFAF cited “differing views on the organisation’s future strategic direction” in a statement. Savelkoul succeeded Bart Drenth, who resigned in May 2023 after controversial social media posts. She previously held roles at the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Gallery in London, and Mu.Zee in Ostend.

newly established uc irvine langson orange county museum of art names kathryn kanjo as first director

The newly formed UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art has appointed Kathryn Kanjo as its first director. Kanjo, who currently leads the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD), will assume the role in February 2026, also overseeing the UC Irvine Jack & Shanaz Langson Institute of California Art. The appointment follows the amicable merger of the University of California, Irvine, and the Orange County Museum of Art, finalized this fall, which created a new entity uniting three major California art collections—the Irvine, Buck, and OCMA collections—totaling some 9,000 works housed in a 53,000-square-foot facility at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

estruscan exhibition legion honor san francisco

San Francisco's Legion of Honor museum will present "The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy" in May 2026, the first major U.S. exhibition on Etruscan civilization since 2009. The show features 180 antiquities from 30 international museums, many never before seen in the United States, and culminates a decade of research led by curator Reneé Dreyfus. Highlights include objects from the Regolini-Galassi tomb, a recently unearthed bronze sculpture from San Casciano dei Bagni, and the longest known Etruscan inscription making its U.S. debut.

norwich castle reopens restoration

Norwich Castle in Norfolk, England, has reopened after a five-year, $37 million restoration led by architectural firm Feilden + Mawson. For the first time, visitors can explore all five floors of the 900-year-old fortress, including reconstructed Medieval chambers and over 900 artifacts. The restoration reestablished the original Medieval layout with era-appropriate furnishings in the kitchen, chapel, king's chamber, and Great Hall. A new exhibition, "Gallery of Medieval Life," co-organized with the British Museum, features objects from daily life and nobility spanning the Norman Conquest through the reign of Henry VIII. The project was funded by a £13 million grant from the National Lottery Players and £12 million from Norfolk County Council.

the authors guild sues neh doge

A class action lawsuit was filed Monday by the Authors Guild, independent scholars, and writers against the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and officials within the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for terminating millions in committed grants from Congressional funds. The lawsuit argues these actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act, the separation of powers, and freedom of expression, exceeding agencies' congressionally granted authority. It seeks to stop mass grant terminations, restore funds, and require the NEH to operate according to Congress's intent to preserve multicultural artistic heritage and support new ideas. The grants were canceled following extreme cuts by DOGE under the Trump administration, affecting recipients under programs like the Public Scholar and Fellowship initiatives.

neh dismantling lawsuit acls mla aha

Three humanities-focused organizations—the American Historical Association, the Modern Language Association, and the American Council of Learned Societies—have filed a lawsuit against the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) over the dismantling of the NEH. Filed on May 1 in the Southern District of New York, the suit seeks to reverse cuts made in April by the Trump administration, which slashed $65 million from the NEH's $210 million budget and fired approximately 65 percent of its staff. The plaintiffs argue the NEH has been reduced to a shell of its former self, and they name as defendants NEH acting chairman Michael McDonald, DOGE acting administrator Amy Gleason, and DOGE employees Nate Cavanaugh and Justin Fox, who allegedly demanded lists of open grants and terminated most of them without legal authority.

Double Take: Recurrent Dialogues in the Art of Herbert Bayer

The Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies in Aspen, Colorado, is opening a new exhibition titled "Double Take: Recurrent Dialogues in the Art of Herbert Bayer" on June 12, 2026. The show features over 70 works by Bayer, many rarely seen, on loan from the Denver Art Museum, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and the George Eastman Museum. The exhibition pairs and clusters Bayer's works to explore the interdependency of mediums across his career, from 1930s surrealist photomontages to 1970s geometric abstractions.

Opening Conversation: International Surrealism from Tate

The Frist Art Museum in Nashville will host "Opening Conversation: International Surrealism from Tate" on May 21, 2026, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. The event features a discussion with Dr. Matthew Gale, exhibition curator; Michael J. Ewing, Frist Art Museum associate curator; and Caroline Yates, Susan H. Edwards Curatorial Fellow, focusing on the exhibition "International Surrealism from Tate: Fifty Years of Dreams." The exhibition, drawn from the Tate's collection in the United Kingdom, presents a broad selection of paintings, photographs, sculptures, publications, and archival material that traces the long trajectory and global reach of surrealism. A live musical performance in the Grand Lobby precedes the conversation from 5:15 to 6:15 PM, and the museum remains open until 9:00 PM for gallery visits.

Women in the American Glass Studio at Corning Museum of Glass

The Corning Museum of Glass will open a new exhibition titled "Tough Stuff: Women in the American Glass Studio" on May 16, 2026, as part of its 75th anniversary celebration. This is the first survey exhibition focused on women artists working in glass during the American Studio Glass Movement from the 1960s through the late 1970s, featuring over 200 objects by artists including Claire Falkenstein, Audrey Handler, Margie Jervis, Susie Krasnican, Kathleen Mulcahy, Ginny Ruffner, Ruth Tamura, and Toots Zynsky.

Sex, desire and intimacy explored in Singapore art exhibition for over-18s

National Gallery Singapore (NGS) is presenting "Passion is Volcanic: Desire in Southeast Asian Art," an exhibition for over-18s that explores eroticism and desire through more than 70 works spanning 800 years. The show is structured into three chapters—"Asian Mythos and Rituals," "Conventions of the Erotic," and "Public Arenas/Private Interiors"—and includes pieces such as a 14th-15th century Tantric Buddhist sculpture and Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook's video work "I’m Living" (2002). Senior curator Adele Tan, a co-curator, says she wanted to use the lens of eroticism to uncover overlooked narratives in the museum's collection.

2 Cincinnati museums to feature Charley and Edie Harper's works this fall

Two Cincinnati museums will present simultaneous exhibitions dedicated to artists Charley and Edie Harper this fall. The Taft Museum of Art will host the first solo museum exhibition of Edie Harper's work, featuring over 100 pieces spanning her entire career. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Art Museum will mount the first full-scale retrospective of Charley Harper's paintings, with about 150 works on display, covering his career from early pieces to near his death. Both exhibitions open in October 2026, with the Taft's running through January and the Cincinnati Art Museum's through March.

National Museum of Asian Art Presents Paintings From India’s Himalayan Kingdoms in New Exhibition

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, DC, has announced a new exhibition titled “Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms,” running from April 18 to July 26, 2026. The show features 48 paintings and colored drawings, including canonical masterpieces and never-before-seen works, drawn largely from the museum’s 2017–2018 acquisitions of the Ralph Benkaim and Catherine Glynn Benkaim collection. The exhibition explores three key periods from 1620 to 1830, highlighting the collaborative creativity of artists in the small Hindu kingdoms of the Himalayan region.

'Tough Stuff' Women in the American Glass Studio opens May 16 at CMoG

The Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG) will open 'Tough Stuff: Women in the American Glass Studio' on May 16, 2026, running through January 10, 2027. This is the first survey exhibition dedicated to women artists working in glass during the 1960s and 1970s, featuring over 200 objects from artists including Claire Falkenstein, Audrey Handler, Margie Jervis, Susie Krasnican, Kathleen Mulcahy, Ginny Ruffner, Ruth Tamura, and Toots Zynsky. Curated by Tami Landis, the show draws from CMoG's permanent collection, the Rakow Research Library, and notable loans, presenting works that have never been displayed before.

Exhibition brings together Art Nouveau and Art Deco through a century of chairs

The Horta Museum in Saint-Gilles is set to launch a new exhibition titled 'Art Nouveau versus Art Deco? 1850-1950: A Century in 32 Chairs,' running from June 25 to January 11, 2027. The showcase utilizes 32 chairs designed by prominent architects and designers alongside archival documents to trace the stylistic and ideological evolution of Western design. A unique collaborative element features students from La Cambre, who will present chair designs in Victor Horta’s workshop for a public vote.

Review: “Boris Lurie: Nothing To Do But To Try” at the Holocaust Museum Houston

The Holocaust Museum Houston is currently hosting "Boris Lurie: Nothing To Do But To Try," an exhibition focusing on the early works of the Holocaust survivor and NO!art movement founder. Organized by the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the show highlights Lurie’s "War Series," featuring paintings, drawings, and never-before-seen ephemera created as a means of processing the trauma of his imprisonment in camps like Buchenwald. The works, ranging from the immediate post-war period to decades later, serve as a visceral record of memory and loss, including tributes to his family members murdered in the Rumbula Forest massacre.

Raphael Exhibition at the Met Offers Rare Glimpse Into Renaissance Master's Genius

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has launched a major retrospective titled 'Raphael: Sublime Poetry,' featuring over 230 works sourced from more than 60 international institutions and private collections. The exhibition provides a chronological survey of the Renaissance master’s career, spanning his early years in Urbino to his definitive period at the papal court in Rome, and includes iconic paintings such as the 'Alba Madonna' alongside rare preparatory sketches and immersive projections of his Vatican frescoes.

Denver Art Museum Announces Royce K. Young Wolf, Ph.D., as Associate Curator of Native Arts

The Denver Art Museum (DAM) has appointed Royce K. Young Wolf, Ph.D., as its new Associate Curator of Native Arts. A member of the Eastern Shoshone, Hidatsa, and Mandan nations, Young Wolf brings a multidisciplinary background as a language activist, photographer, and scholar. She previously held prestigious fellowships at Yale University and worked on major exhibitions for the MHA Nation Interpretive Center. In her new role, she will oversee strategic initiatives, acquisitions, and community-based curatorial projects for one of the nation's most significant Indigenous art collections.

Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation Releases First Posthumous Artist's CV

The Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation has released the first comprehensive posthumous CV for the pioneering American sculptor Richard Hunt. Drawing from digital archives and research, the document reveals a career far more expansive than previously recorded, documenting 193 solo exhibitions and over 350 group shows across seven decades. This release follows the 2022 acquisition of Hunt’s massive physical archive by the Getty Research Institute, which continues to process over 1,000 linear feet of historical material.