Call for entries for 77th Grand Detour Arts Festival underway

The Grand Detour Arts Festival committee is now accepting applications from artists for its 77th annual event, scheduled for September 13 at the John Deere Historic Site. The juried show is open to all artists and artisans working in original media, including painting, sculpture, jewelry, and crafts, and features cash awards and a Best of Show prize with no sales commission charged. Applications for a separate student art exhibit are also being accepted, with submissions due by August 22.

Unpacking the Venice Biennale controversies and highlights

The 2026 Venice Art Biennale is proceeding with a posthumous main exhibition, "In Minor Keys," curated by the late Cameroonian-born artistic director Koyo Kouoh, who died in May 2025. The event features 100 national participations, including seven first-time countries, and has reinstated Russia's pavilion after its voluntary withdrawal following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Agnes Gryczkowska Discusses Curating Marina Abramović’s New Berlin Mega Show

Marina Abramović has opened a major solo exhibition, "Balkan Erotic Epic. The Exhibition," at Berlin's Gropius Bau, marking her first solo show in the city since the 1990s. The expansive presentation features historical and recent works across film, installation, sculpture, and live performance, focusing on themes of ritual, eroticism, death, and the body as a site of political and spiritual intensity. The opening included a live performance by Svetlana Spajić and a video work, Tito’s Funeral (2025).

Martha Invitational x MarfaMUST

The Martha Invitational and MarfaMUST are collaborating on a two-day arts weekend in Marfa, Texas, from May 29-30, 2026. The event, themed 'Home Coming,' features a pop-up opening at Rule Gallery for the Martha Invitational, a closing event for MarfaMUST, and open studios throughout the town, all free to the public. It reunites the founding organizers of the Martha Invitational and incorporates new participants, celebrating the local artist community across generations.

Diane Keaton’s Iconic Wardrobe and Art Collection Head to Auction

Bonhams auction house, in collaboration with the Fine Art Group, is organizing a four-part, 550-lot sale of Diane Keaton's personal belongings. The sales, taking place online and in New York from late May to mid-June, will include her iconic wardrobe, Hollywood memorabilia, home furnishings, and a significant portion of her art collection, featuring works by artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Ed Ruscha, as well as her own mixed-media collages.

CISCO MEREL: LA CHANTIN

CISCO MEREL: LA CHANTIN

Kunsthalle Lissabon in Lisbon, Portugal, is presenting 'La Chantin,' the first solo exhibition in the country by Panamanian artist Cisco Merel. The exhibition features a site-specific installation exploring the house as an open, collective, and evolving system, inspired by the mobile, wooden 'shanty' structures built by the Afro-Caribbean diaspora during the construction of the Panama Canal.

The art of seeing differently

An exhibition titled ArtAbility in Mumbai showcases the work of neurodivergent artists, challenging conventional perceptions of art and artistry. The show features artists with autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, and dyslexia, presenting their work in a sophisticated gallery setting that emphasizes their unique perspectives and visual clarity.

MAA opens ‘Variations’ national art exhibit

The Marblehead Arts Association (MAA) launched its fourth annual 'Variations' national art exhibition, drawing over 400 attendees. The show features 190 selected works from nearly 800 submissions across fine art, photography, and 3D categories, judged by artists Christina Grace Mastrangelo, Lou Jones, and Simon Kogan. Prizes were awarded in each category, and curator Paul McMahan arranged the galleries thematically to emphasize the exhibition's focus on diverse interpretations.

Finlandia Art Gallery to present ‘Liminal Sanctuaries’ exhibit

The Finlandia Art Gallery in Hancock, Michigan, will open a new exhibition titled 'Liminal Sanctuaries,' featuring the work of artist Bonnie Loukus. The show consists of oil paintings depicting wildlife and natural settings, including a notable piece of a sandhill crane, each intended to convey a story about solitude and connection with nature.

Austin’s Blanton Museum uses coding, data, and AI to explore what it means to create art

The Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin has opened a new exhibition titled 'Coded: Art Enters the Computer Age, 1952–1982.' The show features over 100 works by 75 artists who used computers, algorithms, and data as creative tools, exploring the intersection of art and technology during a pivotal three-decade period.

Christie’s to Offer $35 M. Renoir Painting Owned by Whitney Family For Nearly a Century

Christie's will auction Pierre-Auguste Renoir's 1876-77 painting 'La femme aux lilas (Portrait de Nini Lopez)' in its 20th Century Evening Sale on May 18, with an estimate of $25 million to $35 million. The work has been owned by the Whitney Payson family since 1929 and is being sold from the collection of the late Lorinda Payson de Roulet, daughter of the original buyers, Joan Whitney Payson and Charles Payson.

BAMM launches a suite of exhibits April 24

The BANK Art Museum Moree (BAMM) is launching a suite of six new exhibitions on April 24, featuring works by artists Jo Norton, Penny Evans, Joan Ross, Melissa Spratt, Aaron Butt, and Pip Stalley. The shows, running until May 30, also include the Bleakley Collection, a group of First Nations objects curated by Robert Bleakley in the 1970s.

Diego Rivera’s grandson donates more than 150,000 objects to Mexico City’s Museo Anahuacalli

Juan Rafael Coronel Rivera, grandson of Diego Rivera, has donated his private collection of 157,300 objects to Mexico City's Museo Anahuacalli. The vast donation spans ceramics, textiles, prints, photographs, archives, and a research library, with works dating from the 16th century to the present. It will be transferred in stages and is expected to be fully integrated by the end of the year.

A Work Gifted to David Drake’s Descendants Is the Star of Theaster Gates’s Powerful Gagosian Show

Artist Theaster Gates has gifted a 19th-century vessel by enslaved potter David Drake to Drake's descendants and made this act of restitution the centerpiece of his solo exhibition at Gagosian in New York. The show, titled "Dave: All My Relations," features Gates's own artworks responding to Drake's legacy and the recently transferred pot, highlighting Gates's decades-long engagement with Drake as a foundational figure for his own practice.

Thirteen Monumental Sculptures in Stockholm. Italian Artist Davide Rivalta Redesigns Urban Space

Tredici sculture monumentali a Stoccolma. L’artista italiano Davide Rivalta ridisegna lo spazio urbano

Italian artist Davide Rivalta has installed thirteen monumental bronze sculptures of animals—including lions, rhinoceroses, and buffalo—across iconic public spaces in Stockholm. The project, titled 'Blowing Figures into Space,' places the life-sized, pedestal-free figures directly on the ground, allowing them to blend into and subtly disrupt the urban landscape.

An L.A. Artist Devoted to the Process of Paint

Los Angeles-based artist Sandy Rodriguez is profiled for her multifaceted practice that extends far beyond traditional painting. Her work involves deep research into art history, botany, and indigenous materials, positioning her as a scientist, historian, and alchemist as much as a painter.

The Next Frontier in Design? The Humble Birdhouse.

Artists and architects are increasingly designing and creating elaborate, artistic birdhouses, elevating a common backyard object into a subject of creative expression and public art. This movement reflects a broader trend of engaging with nature and public space, blurring the lines between functional design, sculpture, and environmental commentary.

Graduating Seniors, LSAA Artists' Works on Display

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum is hosting two concurrent exhibitions. The first is the NMU School of Art & Design Senior Exhibition, featuring capstone projects from graduating seniors across various media, with a closing ceremony on May 1. The second is "Celebrating Legacy: Lake Superior Art Association in the Permanent Collection," a group show marking the LSAA's 75th anniversary by displaying works by past and present members from the museum's holdings.

Jean Shin’s Living Memorial to the Trees of Green-Wood Cemetery

Artist Jean Shin unveiled a new site-specific earthwork titled "Offering" (2026) at Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery on April 18. The installation, situated in a meadow facing the cemetery's gates, consists of a long, oval-shaped mound of soil covering two felled oak trees. The work was inspired by traditional Korean tumulus burial mounds and involved a community ritual led by a Korean shaman, with volunteers planting wildflowers and shrubs on the mound.

AI Model Reveals New Information About Authorship of 17th-Century El Greco Altarpiece

A team of scientists from Case Western Reserve University has developed a new AI model named PATCH that analyzes tiny sections of paintings to identify the number of artists involved in their creation. The model was applied to two works by El Greco, suggesting that 'The Baptism of Christ,' long thought to be a collaborative workshop piece, may have been painted primarily by the master himself.

Mexico to Divert Train Route After Cave Art Discovery

Archaeologists in Mexico discovered 16 pre-Hispanic paintings and petroglyphs along the planned route of a high-speed passenger train connecting Mexico City to Querétaro. The discovery, made in the state of Hidalgo, includes rock art dating from 4,000 years ago to the Postclassic period (900-1521 CE), with imagery linked to Aztec deities and the Toltec city of Tula. In response, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the $8 billion train project will be rerouted to preserve the ancient site.

Jule Korneffel Finds Meaning at the End of Light

Artist Jule Korneffel's solo exhibition 'In Search of Lost Light' is on view at Spencer Brownstone Gallery through May 2. The show features seven paintings from 2023 to the present, including a site-specific wall work, that explore themes of fading light, memory, and melancholia through a nuanced palette of grays and blues.

Art-loving couple enjoys the island life

Michael and Bernadette Monroe, an elderly couple with deep roots in the art world, have moved into the Island House senior living community on Mercer Island. They describe the community as positive and stimulating, enjoying local amenities and trips to places like the Frye Art Museum.

Leonardo Madriz’s Monuments to the Precarity of Now

Artist Leonardo Madriz presents his solo exhibition 'Do Not Be Afraid' at Parent Company, featuring five totemic sculptures constructed from rope, resin, and found objects. These works, which Madriz calls 'sentinels,' use materials like rebar, barbed wire, a fake Rolex, and a fragment of a US flag made in Vietnam to create anthropomorphic forms that appear weary and burdened.

Student art and design work showcased in annual Julio Fine Arts Gallery exhibition

The Julio Fine Arts Gallery at Loyola University will host its 2026 Annual Student Exhibition from April 13 to May 4, featuring work nominated by faculty from art and design classes. A reception and awards ceremony on April 23 will include prizes for studio art and photography, judged by artist-in-residence Jaz Erenberg.

Muskegon Museum of Art hosting tasting event featuring local breweries, food vendors

The Muskegon Museum of Art is hosting its annual On Tap & Uncorked event, a 21+ evening that combines gallery viewing with tastings from thirteen local beverage vendors and seven food vendors. Tickets are priced between $40 and $60, with proceeds supporting the museum's programming.

James Hayward, West Coast Painter with a Cult Following, Dies at 82

James Hayward, a West Coast painter known for his thickly applied monochrome abstractions, died on April 16 at the age of 82. His work, which developed a dedicated following among fellow artists, was characterized by a deliberate, eccentric process that set it apart from other minimalist painting of his era.

'Parallel Route 01' at Alzueta Gallery, Séneca, Barcelona, Spain on 2–30 Jun 2026

Alzueta Gallery in Barcelona is presenting the exhibition 'Parallel Route 01' from June 2 to 30, 2026. The gallery, founded by Miquel Alzueta, operates from five locations and runs a program of exhibitions, art fairs, and artist residencies.

V&A East Launches With a Fresh Lens on a 2.8 Million-Object Collection

The Victoria & Albert Museum has opened V&A East, a new $180 million outpost in east London designed by architects O'Donnell + Tuomey. Its mission is to engage young and local audiences by presenting over 500 objects from its 2.8 million-strong collection in thematic, non-chronological displays that connect historical artifacts to contemporary issues like identity, social justice, and environmental responsibility.

Jinsun Kim: C.O.C.O.O.N.: HEALING

Interdisciplinary artist Jinsun Kim presents a solo exhibition titled 'C.O.C.O.O.N.: HEALING' at K Space Contemporary in Corpus Christi, Texas. The exhibition features mixed-media sculptures that create immersive, cocoon-like environments exploring themes of healing, survival, and transformation. The works are informed by Kim's childhood memories of her mother's illness and recovery, translating personal experience into universal spatial narratives.