san francisco art institute casa arts center

The historic San Francisco Art Institute campus, which shuttered in 2023 following bankruptcy, is being revitalized as the California Academy of Studio Arts (CASA). Founded by billionaire philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, the new center will offer a free, unaccredited, year-long studio program for up to 30 emerging visual artists. The initiative aims to foster an experimental environment inspired by Black Mountain College, providing mentorship, workshops, and public engagement platforms.

brooklyn museum removing overpainting erotic gauguin relief panel

The Brooklyn Museum is preparing to investigate the restoration of Paul Gauguin’s relief panel, *Te Fare Amu*, which was recently gifted to the institution by the Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation. The artwork features a crouching nude figure whose genitals were painted over with green pigment by the collector Henry Pearlman in 1954 to bypass U.S. Customs indecency laws. While a 2017 conservation assessment at the Art Institute of Chicago deemed the overpainting too risky to remove, Brooklyn Museum conservators plan to re-evaluate the piece when it arrives for exhibition this fall.

2026 Whitney Biennial Lineup Announced

2026 whitney biennial line up

The Whitney Museum of American Art has announced the artist lineup for the 82nd edition of its prestigious biennial, scheduled to open on March 8, 2026. Curated by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, the exhibition will feature 56 artists, duos, and collectives selected after more than 300 studio visits. The upcoming edition is currently untitled and focuses on the theme of "relationships," exploring everything from family ties and technology to geopolitical entanglements and interspecies connections.

mysterious art installation turns up on nycs north brother island

A mysterious art installation featuring an outdoor living room has been discovered on the shores of North Brother Island, an abandoned site in New York City’s East River. The arrangement, which includes a vintage wood-paneled television and a leather armchair perched on a concrete block, was spotted by a local kayaker. The island, once home to a quarantine hospital and the site of the General Slocum maritime disaster, has been closed to the public since 1963.

buckminster fuller dome sculpture damaged blizzard

Buckminster Fuller’s iconic 'Fly’s Eye Dome' (1976) sculpture at LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton has collapsed after a severe blizzard. The fiberglass structure, one of only five existing prototypes of its kind, buckled under the weight of heavy snow, leaving its custom-made modular components crumpled and in need of extensive restoration.

venice biennale 2026 artist list koyo kouoh

The Venice Biennale has released the artist list for its 61st edition, titled "In Minor Keys," featuring 111 participants. This edition is historically unique as its curator, Koyo Kouoh, passed away in May 2025 during the exhibition's development, leaving a team of advisors including Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, Marie Helene Pereira, and Rasha Salti to realize her vision. The exhibition focuses on understated, poetic sensibilities and living artists, a departure from the larger, historically-focused surveys of recent years.

Tino Sehgal at Museo de Arte de Zapopan

tino sehgal

Renowned performance artist Tino Sehgal has launched a major self-titled exhibition at the Museo de Arte de Zapopan (MAZ) in Guadalajara, Mexico. The show’s centerpiece is 'Andador 20 de Noviembre,' a site-specific adaptation of his acclaimed 2012 work 'These Associations.' Staged on a historic pedestrian thoroughfare, the performance involves a 'hive mind' of participants who transition from slow-motion movements to jogging and engaging the public with intimate personal vignettes, creating an immersive experience that blurs the line between audience and performer.

rauschenberg dance

The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is hosting a revival of the postmodern dance masterpiece "Set and Reset" as part of the ongoing Robert Rauschenberg Centenary celebrations. This landmark 1983 collaboration features choreography by Trisha Brown, a synth-driven score by Laurie Anderson, and extensive visual design by Rauschenberg, including a sculptural projection structure and silkscreened costumes. The program, titled "Dancing with Bob," also includes a rare performance of the 1977 work "Travelogue," a collaboration between Rauschenberg and Merce Cunningham that has not been staged by a professional company in over four decades.

Trump Arts Impact 2025

trump arts impact

The Trump administration has initiated a sweeping overhaul of the American cultural landscape, marked by aggressive oversight of the Smithsonian Institution and the termination of numerous National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants. Key actions include the disbanding of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the removal of leadership at the National Portrait Gallery, and the implementation of content audits to remove references to Trump's impeachments and information regarding slavery from federal sites. These moves are part of a broader effort to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and enforce 'American values' in cultural programming ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.

35 rembrandt etchings discovered family home netherlands

Charlotte Meyer discovered a folder containing 35 original Rembrandt etchings while organizing her family home in Zutphen, Netherlands, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inherited from her grandfather, who purchased them for a nominal sum in the early 20th century, the works were authenticated by the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam after being stored in a drawer for decades.

prediction markets

The era of high-stakes art speculation that defined the 2010s has largely cooled, but the impulse for financial gambling has migrated to digital prediction markets like Polymarket. While art collectors once treated waitlists and auction rooms as speculative arenas, the public now wagers billions on binary outcomes ranging from election results to celebrity behavior.

the venice biennale list

The 61st Venice Biennale has announced the 111 participating artists for its main exhibition, titled “In Minor Keys.” Curated by a team of collaborators following the vision of the late Koyo Kouoh, the exhibition includes 105 individual artists and collectives, alongside six artist-led organizations. The show is structured around conceptual motifs such as "shrines," "rest," "procession," and "schools," featuring major installations by artists like Alvaro Barrington, Nick Cave, and Wangechi Mutu, with special tributes to Issa Samb and Beverly Buchanan.

lee krasner jackson exhibition met

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced a landmark exhibition titled "Krasner and Pollock: Past Continuous," scheduled to open in October 2025. This major survey will feature approximately 120 works, including paintings and ephemera, marking the first time the institution has presented a joint retrospective of the famously married Abstract Expressionists. The show aims to present Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock as artistic equals, tracing their individual trajectories and their mutual influence through loans from over 80 global lenders.

get up stand up artists jamaica los angeles auction

CORE and TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary are launching "Get Up Stand Up: Artists for Jamaica and Los Angeles," a high-profile benefit auction scheduled for February 26 during L.A. Art Week. The event features over 20 works by major contemporary artists including Henry Taylor, Hank Willis Thomas, and Nari Ward, with a live sale led by auctioneer Simon de Pury. Proceeds will fund long-term recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and recent wildfires in Los Angeles, as well as CORE’s ongoing emergency response work.

sothebys de gunzburg collection rothko lalanne sale 2026

Sotheby’s has announced the sale of the Jean and Terry de Gunzburg collection, a two-part auction series scheduled for April and May 2024 with a total estimate of $67 million to $99 million. The offering begins with a dedicated design sale featuring a historic ensemble of 15 Claude Lalanne mirrors commissioned for Yves Saint Laurent, followed by a selection of blue-chip modern and contemporary artworks.

henrike naumann obituary

German installation artist Henrike Naumann has passed away at the age of 41 following a battle with cancer. At the time of her death, Naumann was preparing for the pinnacle of her career: representing Germany at the upcoming 61st Venice Biennale. The German pavilion organizers have confirmed that they will work closely with her studio team to realize her finalized artistic vision for the exhibition as planned this May.

south africa venice pavilion court

South Africa will not participate in the 61st Venice Biennale following a High Court ruling that dismissed an urgent application by artist Gabrielle Goliath. The dispute began in January when Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie canceled the planned exhibition, "Elegy," citing concerns over its references to Gaza and the killing of Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada. The court's decision, delivered just hours before the biennial's submission deadline, effectively leaves the South African pavilion empty for the 2024 edition.

collectibles digest febuary 2026

The Raab Collection has listed a rare, enigmatic manuscript fragment by George Washington for $10,000, featuring the unique phrase "Fathers of the Senate!" The snippet was likely excised from a larger document in the 19th century by biographer Jared Sparks to satisfy autograph seekers. This sale joins a wave of high-value Americana hitting the market, including Jack Kerouac’s original 'On the Road' scroll at Christie's and a collection of vintage film posters at Propstore.

trump kennedy center closure

President Donald Trump has initiated a controversial overhaul of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., renaming it the 'Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts' and appointing himself chairman. Following the dismissal of long-time president Deborah Rutter and the installation of a board led by Richard Grenell, the institution has pivoted toward conservative programming, leading to a 93% to 57% drop in ticket sales and high-profile boycotts from artists like Philip Glass. The center is now slated for a two-year closure starting after July 4 for major renovations, a move that has sparked alarm among preservationists and political figures.

epstein gave 30000 to new york art school for scholarships got portraits in return

Newly released Department of Justice documents reveal that the New York Academy of Art (NYAA) actively courted Jeffrey Epstein for funding years after he was a known sex offender. In 2013, board chair Eileen Guggenheim invited Epstein to sponsor a scholarship program where he personally selected student recipients in exchange for commissioned portraits. One such commission resulted in a painting of the sons of billionaire Leon Black, further illustrating the interconnected web between Epstein and high-profile art world figures.

the met agrees to repatriate artifacts to cambodia as douglas latchford fallout continues

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has agreed to repatriate 14 artifacts to Cambodia and two to Thailand following an investigation into the late antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford. Latchford, who was indicted in 2019 for trafficking looted Khmer Empire relics, died in 2020 before trial, but federal authorities have continued to track works sold through his network. The returned items include significant sandstone statues and bronze deities dating back as far as the 7th century.

carolyn bessette kennedy fashion auctioneer wardrobe sale

Signature items from Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's personal wardrobe are being sold at auction by the Fashion Auctioneer. The sale includes four key pieces gifted to her friend Rosemarie Terenzio, such as three cherished Prada coats and a Yohji Yamamoto dress, with estimates reaching up to $30,000. The auction is supplemented by dozens of vintage items from a private collector, some of which were used as wardrobe for the new FX television series 'Love Story,' which dramatizes the couple's relationship.

wifredo lam surrealism moma

The Museum of Modern Art in New York is presenting the exhibition "Wifredo Lam: When I Don't Sleep, I Dream," featuring the iconic Cuban Surrealist painter. The show includes his seminal work *The Jungle*, acquired by MoMA in 1946, and explores his complex artistic identity.

artist trevor paglen steven spielberg disclosure day

Artist Trevor Paglen has publicly noted a striking visual and conceptual overlap between his recent gallery exhibitions titled "Cardinals"—which explore UFO photography and lore—and the imagery in the trailer for Steven Spielberg's upcoming film *Disclosure Day*. Paglen suggests the film's use of cardinals as harbingers of alien life likely originated from his work, specifically a 2023 video installation profiling a former Air Force officer who claimed "Cardinals" was an internal code name for UFOs.

cvad unt canceled exhibition criticizing ice

The College of Visual Arts and Design Galleries at the University of North Texas abruptly canceled the solo exhibition "Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá (Not From Here, Not From There)" by artist Victor "Marka27" Quiñonez after it had been fully installed. The show, which includes works from his "I.C.E. Scream" series critically rebranding Immigration and Customs Enforcement as "Inhumane and Cruelty Enforcement," was removed without explanation, and gallery staff ceased communication with the artist.

antonello da messina ecce homo

The Italian Ministry of Culture has acquired a rare double-sided Renaissance painting by Antonello da Messina, 'Ecce Homo; Saint Jerome in Penitence,' for $14.9 million in a private sale with Sotheby's New York. The work was withdrawn from a planned public auction, and its final institutional home is now the subject of a heated debate among major Italian museums and the artist's hometown.

year ahead fire horse

Artnet Pro's Asia Pivot newsletter consulted feng shui masters and artists versed in Chinese metaphysics to forecast trends for the 2026 Year of the Fire Horse. Predictions include high volatility in financial markets and the art sector, a potential slowdown in traditional Western markets like Europe and North America, and continued growth in emerging regions such as Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Gulf. A 'big disruption' from the Global South is anticipated in the first half of the year, followed by market growth in the latter half.

peter campus phillips collection video art

Peter Campus, a pioneering video artist, has a new exhibition at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. The show features his early work, including the intense 1978 video 'Head of a Man with Death on His Mind,' alongside his recent 'philips quartet' (2023–24), a series of four landscape videos from his home on Long Island. The exhibition highlights his career-long themes of self-reflection, time, and mortality.

louvre denon wing leak painting damaged

A water leak occurred in the Denon Wing of the Louvre Museum in Paris, damaging an early 19th-century painting. The leak, labeled an emergency, forced the closure of several rooms and caused two micro-tears and paint layer lifting on Charles Meynier's 1820 work 'Triumph of French Painting: Apotheosis of Poussin, Le Sueur and Le Brun'.

untangling the myths behind henri rousseau eccentric masterpiece

The article examines the history and critical reception of Henri Rousseau's 1897 painting *The Sleeping Gypsy*. It details the painting's creation, its initial exhibition at the Société des Artistes Indépendants, and its subsequent journey through the art market—from being lost and rediscovered at a coal dealer's to being sold by dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler and collected by John Quinn, before ultimately entering the collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York.