Syracuse-born artist Peter McGough hand-painted Anne Hathaway’s Met Gala dress

Syracuse-born artist Peter McGough hand-painted a custom Michael Kors gown worn by Anne Hathaway to the 2026 Met Gala. The dress, a strapless black Mikado silk ball gown with a plunging neckline and high-leg slit, features intricate Grecian patterns inspired by the Met's urns and statues, including a goddess with a dove on the back. McGough, a former classmate of Michael Kors at the Fashion Institute of Technology, painted directly on the silk and wool gown over a week using three layers of fabric paint. The design aligns with the gala's 'Fashion Is Art' dress code and references John Keats' poem 'Ode on a Grecian Urn,' also tying into Hathaway's upcoming film 'The Odyssey.'

Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art announces $100m expansion

The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art in Pennsylvania has announced a $100 million expansion project to transform its 15-acre campus. The plan includes a new 40,000-square-foot museum building designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates—the firm's first museum in the U.S.—along with renovations to the original mid-19th century grist mill building, and the creation of a 325-acre publicly accessible preserve and garden with 10 miles of trails. Construction is set to begin in spring 2027, with completion expected in autumn 2029.

Akron Art Museum transforms church’s stained glass windows into exhibit

The Akron Art Museum is presenting "Transfiguration: Rachel Libeskind and the Tiffany Window," an exhibition centered on a 137-square-foot stained glass window crafted by Frederick Wilson of Tiffany Studios in 1917. The window, originally installed at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, was rescued after a 2018 fire destroyed the church. Developer Tony Troppe purchased the property in 2022, and Whitney Stained Glass Studio restored the panels. New York-based artist Rachel Libeskind created accompanying works that reframe the window as art rather than a devotional object, with the show running through July 5.

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.

Trace the making of Fermata: Hong Kong in Venice through complete artwork reveals and installation photography

The article details the making of 'Fermata: Hong Kong in Venice,' a collateral event at the 61st Venice Biennale curated by the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA). The exhibition features two Hong Kong-based artists—established media artist Ng and emerging artist Angel Hui—whose works explore the poetic rhythms of everyday life in Hong Kong, engaging with the Biennale's theme 'In Minor Keys' by Koyo Kouoh. The selection process involved nominations from local tertiary institutions and professional art organizations, with over 200 artists considered before Ng and Hui were chosen.

FYI Calendar: Arkansas Living Treasure Longhua Xu’s exhibit at Fort Smith RAM continues through June 21

The article is a calendar of arts and community events in the Fort Smith, Arkansas area, compiled by features writer Dustin Staggs. It lists dance and theater performances, plant swaps, life drawing classes, historical society events, and multiple art exhibitions. Among the visual art highlights are "Soul Taking Shape," an exhibition by Arkansas Living Treasure Longhua Xu at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum (RAM) running through June 21, along with other shows at RAM and Arts On Main featuring works by local artists and student artists.

Unsung modernist artist's work back in Christchurch after 45 years

A major exhibition of works by pioneering New Zealand modernist painter Edith Collier has opened at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, marking the first time in 45 years that Christchurch audiences can see a wide range of her work. The show, titled 'Edith Collier: Early New Zealand Modernist,' features over 60 pieces including studies, sketches, watercolours, prints, and archival material, drawn from the permanent collection of Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui. Collier, born in 1885, developed a bold post-impressionist style during a nine-year stay in London alongside artist Frances Hodgkins, but faced harsh criticism upon returning to conservative New Zealand, leading her father to destroy some of her paintings.

New exhibition charts motherhood from the 15th century to today

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has opened a new exhibition titled 'Mother,' curated almost entirely from its existing collection. The show traces the experience of motherhood from the 15th century to the present, beginning with a juxtaposition of Giovanni Toscani's Madonna and Child and a 1998 birth mat by Elizabeth Birritjama Ngalandjarri. Co-curators Sophie Gerhard and Katharina Prugger organized the exhibition around the 'life cycle' of a mother, covering themes from matrescence to loss. It features works by artists including Kate Just, Kyra Mancktelow, Destiny Deacon, and Hannah Brontë, with a strong emphasis on First Nations perspectives and fiber arts.

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.

A Monument to Chocolate Is Wrapped in Layers of Mexican History

The article reports on the opening of the Museum of Cacao & Chocolate in Mexico City, which combines a colonial-era house with a contemporary architectural addition. The museum is built on a site that was once an Aztec monument, adding layers of historical significance to the institution dedicated to the history and culture of cacao.

Branchport Galleries presents "The New Botanical"

Branchport Galleries in Long Branch, New Jersey, presents "The New Botanical," an exhibition curated by Ellen Martin that reimagines traditional botanical art through contemporary works by Suzan Globus, Kevin Hinkle/Ellen Martin, Daniel Sroka, and Gao Yuan. The show, on view from May 14 to June 30, 2026, features techniques such as flower-pounding, extreme close-up photography, and photo-based wall sculptures, moving away from classical precision toward essence and abstraction. An opening reception and artist talk are scheduled.

At Joy Machine, ‘Feel Free’ Plumbs the Tension Between Chaos and Control

Joy Machine presents 'Feel Free', a group exhibition featuring new works by Rachel Hayden, Paulina Ho, Hanna Lee Joshi, and Jeremy Miranda. The show opens with a reception on May 15, 2026, and runs through June 27, 2026. Each artist explores the tension between chaos and control, using diverse media—from acrylic and gouache to Japanese indigo on thrifted textiles—to capture moments of impermanence and unexpected harmony.

New exhibition to celebrate Birmingham pop art pioneer Peter Phillips

A free outdoor exhibition titled 'Pop Goes Brum!' will honor Birmingham-born Pop artist Peter Phillips at Snow Hill Square from June 9 to June 30, 2026. Curated by art historian Ruth Millington and organized by Birmingham Colmore, the showcase features Phillips' striking artworks and photographs, alongside contemporary works by current Birmingham School of Art students. Phillips, who studied and later taught at the Birmingham School of Art, was a key figure in the international Pop art movement alongside David Hockney, Pauline Boty, Peter Blake, Andy Warhol, and Roy Lichtenstein. He passed away in June 2025 at age 86.

Why artists’ love for opera will never die

This article explores the enduring fascination that visual artists have with opera, tracing a historical lineage from figures like Oskar Kokoschka and David Hockney to contemporary practitioners such as William Kentridge and Tacita Dean. It examines how opera's fusion of music, drama, and visual spectacle has inspired artists to create set designs, costumes, and even direct productions, often blurring the boundaries between fine art and performance.

Color them talented: Teen artists offered big scholarship money

Two Illinois high school seniors, Dashiell Speir and Hazel Anderson, received substantial art-school scholarship offers after participating in the Illinois High School Art Exhibition's northern regional show. Speir, a student at Downers Grove North High School, was offered $524,000 in scholarships, while Anderson, from Central High School in Burlington, received $372,000 in offers. Speir plans to attend the College of DuPage before transferring to a four-year school, and Anderson intends to enroll at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Gary Baseman fills iconic L.A. coffee shop with charming drawings on real restaurant menus

Artist Gary Baseman has opened his first hometown solo show in over a decade, titled “Off the Menu,” inside the long-shuttered Johnie’s Coffee Shop on Wilshire and Fairfax in Los Angeles. The exhibition features about 40 colored pencil drawings, mostly executed on real menus from iconic L.A. restaurants such as Musso & Frank, Canter’s Deli, and Genghis Cohen, as well as newer spots like Jon & Vinny’s. The whimsical show, which launched in conjunction with the opening of the Wilshire and Fairfax subway station, runs through June 14 and celebrates the dining culture and community of the Fairfax neighborhood.

Lucid Perturbations: The Sewn Drawings and Books of China Marks

Zane Bennett Contemporary Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, presents "Lucid Perturbations: The Sewn Drawings and Books of China Marks," the first major solo exhibition dedicated to the artist's sewn works. Featuring over 200 pieces from the last 23 years of Marks's practice, the show runs from May 15 to July 11 and includes pieces like "At the Winter Palace" (2018) and "Above and Below" (2022). Marks, who pivoted from painting to sewing at age 59 in 2000, creates fabric-based narrative tableaux that blend personal and political themes.

TUNGA S YO VOS Y LA LUNA MAKES ITS EUROPEAN DEBUT

Collegium has presented the installation *Yo, vos y la luna* by Brazilian artist Tunga (1952–2016) for the first time in Europe. The work, part of the Sarina Tang collection, was previously shown at MALBA in Buenos Aires and MAM in São Paulo. It is now installed in the Iglesia de San Miguel de Arévalo in Ávila, Spain, where it will be on view until 18 October 2026. The piece incorporates stones, mirrors, glass, plaster, resin, suspended structures, and a fossilized tree trunk, with sensory elements including dripping amber essence and bronze finger fragments.

Kazakhstan's creative industry accelerates. A new foundation supporting the art scene emerges

L’industria creativa del Kazakhstan accelera. Spunta una nuova fondazione che sostiene la scena artistica

A new private foundation called TOVA Foundation, based in Geneva, has been established to promote contemporary art from Central Asia, specifically focusing on Kazakhstan's art scene. The foundation debuted at the Venice Biennale with an exhibition titled "Trading Treasures" featuring Kazakh artists Saule Suleimenova and Sayan Baigaliyev at Casa dei Tre Oci. The initiative is backed by Togzhan Wertheimer, a Kazakh-born entrepreneur and philanthropist connected to the fashion industry through her husband David Wertheimer, and includes a board with figures like Tatiana de Pahlen and art consultant Jean-Olivier Despres. The foundation's curator is Vladislav Sludskiy, who previously worked at Ethan Cohen Gallery and co-founded the ARTBAT FEST and Eurasian Cultural Alliance.

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.

Art Problems: WTF Is an A-Corp?

The article explains the concept of an Artist Corporation (A-Corp), a new business structure for artists introduced in a bill before the Colorado state legislature, originally proposed by entrepreneur Yancey Strickler. It allows artists to form a legally recognized business entity without hiring a lawyer, simply by filling out a form, and provides liability protection by separating personal assets from business assets. The bill is expected to reach the governor's desk by mid-May and be enacted within six months, with five or six other states, including New York, expressing interest.

Para verte mejor, en todo tiempo

The Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney is presenting "Para verte mejor, en todo tiempo" (To see you better, at all times), a solo exhibition by Venezuelan-born artist Nadia Hernández. The show features an immersive textile collage, mural, and soundscape that draws on Venezuelan protest songs, musical traditions, and the artist's own diasporic experiences to explore memory, displacement, and resistance. It includes recent works such as "En todo tiempo (at all times)" 2024 and "El segundo verso (the second verse)" 2025, and is part of the gallery's Contemporary Projects series highlighting artists from New South Wales and wider Australia.

Dive deep into creativity at AMSET’s Free Family Arts Day celebration Saturday

The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will host a Free Family Arts Day titled "The Art of H2O" on Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Beaumont, Texas. The event features hands-on art activities inspired by the museum's current exhibitions, "Julius Stockfleth: Dawn of a Century" and "Bill Pangburn: Printed Traces - A Neches River Journal," both celebrating water. Visitors can explore galleries, create art, and enjoy live entertainment from Sonny “The Birdman” Carlin, with treats from the IScream Ice Cream Truck available for purchase.

Art, museum exhibits in Kenosha, Racine counties this week

This article highlights a series of art exhibitions and events taking place in Kenosha and Racine counties this week. The Anderson Arts Center in Kenosha is hosting a watercolor exhibition in collaboration with the Watercolor USA Honor Society through May 24. Additionally, the Kenosha Art Association is offering a Tatakizome (hammering plants) Flower Printing class with instructor Jill Montgomery. In Racine, an exhibition titled "Flying Kites in a Windless World" featuring works by Vanessa Filley continues.

Buddy Holly Center to host gallery talk, closing reception for ‘Daybook’ exhibition

The Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock, Texas, will host a closing reception and gallery talk for 'Daybook,' an exhibition of mixed media works by DFW-based artist Ashley Stecenko, on Sunday, May 17, 2026. Stecenko will lead a guided tour discussing her creative process, which combines drawing, printmaking, and quilting techniques to explore domestic spaces and personal memory. The exhibition includes her ongoing 'Little Ditties' series, where small journal-like pieces are sometimes sewn into larger patchwork compositions.

Museum Night 2026: Events in Belarus and Beyond

On May 16, 2026, Museum Night celebrations will take place across Belarus and beyond, with cultural institutions offering extended hours and special programs. Highlights include the National Centre for Contemporary Arts in Minsk hosting lectures, artist talks, and exhibitions such as “Forms and Shadows: Feminine” and “Difficulties of Translation,” while the National Art Museum explores the color blue through its program “Blue of Blue.” Literary museums dedicated to Maksim Bahdanovich, Yakub Kolas, and Yanka Kupala will feature space-themed activities, reenactments, and fashion shows, and the “Sula” History Park will offer an interactive journey called “Hunting the Dragon.”

A new AGWA exhibition will showcase giant 12-metre paintings by a WA street artist

Perth-raised street artist Stormie Mills will present his first-ever solo exhibition at an Australian state gallery, titled *All the secrets are buried between the oceans and the mountains*, at the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) from August 1 to November 8, 2026. The show features works from his four-decade career, including two monumental 12-metre-long paintings inspired by the sea and mountains, exploring themes of connection, isolation, and human vulnerability.

Art Gallery of Burlington opens vibrant spring exhibition you have to experience

The Art Gallery of Burlington (AGB) opens its spring exhibition "A material called Earth, Volume 1: The life of corners" on May 16th, featuring the immersive textile art of Argentinian artist Celina Eceiza. The installation transforms the main gallery with hand-dyed, stitched, and embroidered works, including sculptures ranging from palm-sized to near-monumental, and incorporates ceramics from the AGB's collection. A public opening on May 16th includes a talk and tour with curator Sylvie Fortin and the artist, plus free programming by artist Camila Salcedo and refreshments from local vendors.

St. Mary’s College Professor Of Art Sue Johnson Reveals D.C. Gallery Exhibition

Sue Johnson, professor of art at St. Mary's College, is presenting her second solo exhibition at gallery neptune & brown in Washington, D.C., titled “Blueprint for Happiness.” The show runs from May 16 through June 20, with an opening reception on May 16. Johnson debuts a new series, “My Teenage Years,” which builds on her earlier “Symmetrical Bodies” work and examines the pressures on women to conform to ideals of happiness and perfection in body image and domestic spaces, drawing on 1960s-70s material and commercial culture.

Art Gallery of Swan Hill Opens Three Powerful First Nations Exhibition

The Art Gallery of Swan Hill in Victoria, Australia, will open three significant First Nations exhibitions on 29 May 2026. The shows are: 'JXSH MVIR: Forever I Live', the first major solo retrospective of the late Yorta Yorta, Gunditjmara and Barkindji artist Josh Muir, co-curated by his partner and mother; 'Gulgawarnigu | Thinking of Someone. Something', a touring digital portrait and landscape exhibition by young Indigenous artists from Roebourne, Western Australia, developed through a partnership with NEO-Learning and Big hART; and 'Big Place', a new exhibition drawn from the gallery's permanent collection featuring works from Western Australia, the Northern Territory, the Tiwi Islands and South Australia.