The Anadu Art Gallery is launching a pop-up exhibition titled 'Roots: Celebrating Heritage' at The Empty Space in Salford's MediaCity. The one-day event on February 28 features a blend of local and international artists, aiming to showcase diverse cultural traditions and personal histories through visual art.
The Los Angeles art scene is navigating a complex recovery as it prepares for Frieze Los Angeles 2026. The city is grappling with the lingering trauma of devastating wildfires that destroyed significant private collections, alongside economic instability caused by massive layoffs in the entertainment industry and recent political unrest. This combination of environmental and financial crises has led to a notable market downturn, resulting in the closure of several high-profile galleries including Blum, Tanya Bonakdar, and Sean Kelly.
The gallery Anthony Meier in San Francisco is hosting "Barbara Stauffacher Solomon: Garden = Grid = City," the first exhibition of the late artist’s work since her estate began being co-represented by the gallery and von Bartha. The show highlights Solomon’s diverse eight-decade career, moving beyond her famous "supergraphics" to showcase rarely seen paintings and drawings from the 1980s that explore the intersection of city grids and landscape architecture.
Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang have donated 150 works by Native American artists to the New-York Historical Society to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. The collection features significant pieces by artists such as Fritz Scholder, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, and T.C. Cannon, intended to bridge historical and contemporary indigenous narratives. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has named Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos as honorary chairs for the upcoming Met Gala, a move that follows their previous roles as major sponsors.
Frieze Los Angeles 2026 has sparked a city-wide surge of artistic activity, characterized by large-scale artist-led group shows and the creative reclamation of non-traditional spaces. Key highlights include the transformation of a massive abandoned 99 Cents Only store into a chaotic exhibition featuring over 120 artists, a sprawling video art installation across six floors of a historic vaudeville theater, and major collection surveys focusing on influential women and artists of color.
The CONTACT Photography Festival has announced its inaugural fundraising gala and auction, titled PICTURE THIS, to be held on February 24, 2026, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (MOCA). The event celebrates the festival's 30th anniversary and features a high-profile auction of works by renowned artists including Edward Burtynsky, Carrie Mae Weems, and Suzy Lake. Led by auctioneer Stephen Ranger, the evening aims to secure the financial future of North America’s largest photography festival.
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This week’s art industry roundup highlights major shifts across the global market, including Art Basel’s announcement of 290 galleries for its flagship Swiss fair and Sotheby’s adjustment of its buyer’s premium rates. Significant personnel moves include Devyani Saltzman’s abrupt departure from the Barbican, which sparked an open letter from over 170 cultural figures, and Anne-Claire Legendre becoming the first woman to lead Paris’s Arab World Institute.
The former owners of The Art Newspaper and L’Officiel are embroiled in legal disputes with the Hong Kong-based AMTD Group, alleging they have not received full payment for the sale of their publications. Russian publisher Inna Bazhenova, who sold The Art Newspaper for an estimated $16–17 million, and the Jalou family, former owners of L’Officiel, claim that AMTD owes significant buyout funds despite the media brands being used to anchor high-profile IPOs on the New York and London stock exchanges. Bazhenova specifically alleges that shares provided as part of the payment have been 'parked and frozen' by a brokerage linked to AMTD, preventing her from accessing her capital.
American artist Charles Magistro will host a public artist talk at the Petersburg Area Art League (PAAL) on February 28. The event offers a rare opportunity for the community to engage directly with the artist as he discusses his creative process and a new series of works that span abstract painting, sculpture, and imagined landscapes.
South Korean artist Kim Hankyul has unveiled a major immersive installation titled 'Shore' at MUNCH in Oslo. The exhibition, which serves as the fifth edition of the museum’s SOLO OSLO series, features a subaquatic landscape constructed from motorized sculptures, holograms, and Foley-inspired soundscapes. Hankyul’s work draws on the personal testimonies of North Korean defectors, female free divers, and rescue teams to explore the ocean as a site of both survival and memory for those marginalized by land-based social structures.
The global landscape of immersive art is being redefined by a new wave of technology-driven attractions that blend mixed reality, digital installations, and interactive environments. From expansive digital museums to secret passageways and sensory playgrounds, these venues are moving beyond traditional gallery formats to offer high-tech, participatory experiences for a broad audience.
Opera Gallery has officially opened its 14th international location in Houston’s River Oaks District, marking a significant expansion of its global footprint. The new space debuted with a high-profile presentation featuring masterworks by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Marc Chagall, alongside contemporary pieces by Yayoi Kusama and Kehinde Wiley. Led by Director Gregory Lahmi and Deputy Director Kara Przybyl McIver, the gallery plans to host several curated exhibitions annually focusing on Modern and Post-War art.
Summerhall Arts in Edinburgh has launched "Catalyst: Art as Activism," a major exhibition featuring four solo shows by artists Eilidh Appletree, Taraneh Dana, Kasia Oleskiewicz, and Molly Wickett. The project utilizes sculpture and installation to confront urgent global issues including the climate crisis, capitalist extraction, disability rights, and the realities of migration. A central component, Eilidh Appletree’s "Net Worthy," uses materials like mycelium, soya wax, and sand to create a submerged seascape that warns of biodiversity loss and the ecological consequences of industrial food production.
Frieze Los Angeles has returned to the Santa Monica Airport for its seventh edition, marking the first iteration since the fair was acquired by Ari Emanuel’s live events venture, Mari. The event features nearly 100 galleries from 22 countries, balancing global powerhouses like Gagosian and Hauser & Wirth with a strong contingent of local Los Angeles mainstays. Fair director Christine Messineo emphasized the fair's role as a central gathering point for the international collecting community within the city's sprawling landscape.
The New York art scene is witnessing a shift in the Tribeca gallery landscape as 1969 Gallery, a fixture known for championing emerging painters, has shuttered its physical space at 39 White Street. Founder Quang Bao confirmed the closure following the building owner's decision to sell the property, noting that he is currently operating from Barcelona with plans to pivot toward collaborations and residencies rather than the traditional gallery model. Meanwhile, the itinerant Ward Gallery continues to gain traction by hosting pop-up symposia at institutions like the International Center for Photography, signaling a broader trend toward real-estate-free dealership.
Local artist Brenda Bryant has unveiled her latest exhibition, "Shadows and Light," at the Bastion Lane Espresso Bar in Uki. The collection features eight oil and pastel paintings inspired by the Gondwana rainforest and the remnants of the Big Scrub in Australia's Northern Rivers region. Bryant’s work utilizes a soft, misty aesthetic to capture the atmospheric tranquility of the forest, occasionally incorporating fantastical elements influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien.
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A marble fragment from the tusk of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s 17th-century 'Elephant and Obelisk' monument was found broken off in Rome’s Piazza della Minerva. Local authorities and the Capitoline Superintendency recovered the four-inch piece, which is believed to be part of a 1977 restoration rather than the original 1667 marble. Police are currently reviewing security footage to determine if the damage resulted from intentional vandalism or natural structural wear.
A group of military veterans and a historical preservationist have filed a lawsuit to block the construction of the proposed 'Independence Arch' in Washington, D.C. The legal challenge, filed by Public Citizen, argues that the 250-foot structure would obstruct the symbolic views from Arlington National Cemetery toward the capital's historic monuments. The plaintiffs contend the Trump administration is attempting to bypass necessary congressional approvals and federal review processes for the project.
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A French parliamentary commission has released a scathing report accusing the Louvre of systemic mismanagement and a 'denial of risks' following the October 2025 theft of the French crown jewels. The investigation suggests the museum operates as an unaccountable 'state within a state,' leading to security failures that enabled the high-profile heist. Meanwhile, veterans have filed a lawsuit to block the construction of the 'Arc de Trump' monument in Washington D.C., and the National Constitution Center faces leadership turmoil amid political pressure.
Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer (TANA), a community art studio in Woodland, California, is celebrating its 16-year legacy as a hub for Chicano printmaking and muralism. Founded as a partnership between UC Davis and the Yolo County Housing Authority, the studio provides free materials and workshops to local residents and students. The space was co-founded by activist artist Malaquias Montoya, a key figure in the Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF) collective, to bring professional-grade screen printing out of academia and into the community.
The Bridge at 909 art exhibit recently held a reception in the lobby of Evanston’s City Hall, featuring a dialogue between the works of established local artist Chris Froeter and emerging Chicago artist Gabi Bozeman. Curated by Juelle Daley, the exhibition juxtaposes Froeter’s large-scale, monochromatic portraits of activists from his “Voices” series with Bozeman’s vibrant, surrealist canvases focused on young Black women. The pilot program aims to transform public municipal spaces into accessible galleries that engage passersby in their daily routines.
Kyoto-based painter Masako Yasuki will serve as the Clifford Iwao Arinaga Visiting Artist at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, featuring an exhibition at The Commons Gallery from March 3 to 10, 2026. The showcase highlights Yasuki’s unique technical approach, which blends traditional East Asian mineral pigments and gold leaf with Western oil and tempera paints, alongside her use of frottage to document urban and natural landscapes.
The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula is launching "Treasure Trove," a special exhibition commemorating the institution's 50th anniversary. The show features local artists, including narrative painter April Werle, who were invited to select historical artifacts from the museum's "Everyday Treasures" gallery and reimagine them through their own contemporary artistic lenses.
Sotheby's has increased its buyer's premiums globally, with the new fee structure taking effect on February 13. The changes mean buyers of lower-value lots will pay higher rates, with the premium for works sold in New York for up to $2 million rising from 27% to 28%. This move follows similar adjustments by rivals Christie's and Phillips, as auction houses seek to bolster revenue during a prolonged art market downturn. Sotheby's also recently raised $900 million through art-backed loans via securitization.
Anonymous floral artist Mr. Flower Fantastic has created this year's Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden, titled "Mr. Flower Fantastic's Concrete Jungle." The exhibition transforms the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory with approximately 7,000 orchids arranged in installations that pay homage to New York City's urban landscape, including a subway station, a pizzeria, a newsstand, a dumpster, and a brownstone.
The Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers will open its 40th Annual All Florida Exhibition on March 6, running through March 28. The juried show features 43 works by 39 artists selected from over 450 submissions, representing a wide range of styles and media from across the state. Concurrently, the venue will host 'Selected Works by Ralph Bigletti' in the Theater Gallery and 'Marilyn Hedlund’s Fine Art Acrylics Students’ Showcase' in the Member Gallery, with a free public opening reception on March 6.
The Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers will open its 40th Annual All Florida Exhibition on March 6, running through March 28. The juried show features 43 works by 39 artists selected from over 450 submissions, representing a wide range of styles and media from across the state. Concurrently, the venue will host 'Selected Works by Ralph Bigletti' in the Theater Gallery and 'Marilyn Hedlund’s Fine Art Acrylics Students’ Showcase' in the Member Gallery, with a free public opening reception on March 6.
Gallery Eleven, a new commercial art space, is holding its grand opening on Friday in the Elk City District of Charleston, West Virginia. The event marks the launch of a dedicated venue for visual art in the city, featuring works by local and regional artists.
The Norton Museum of Art's 2026 annual gala attracted nearly 700 guests and raised nearly $5 million to support the museum's programs. The event featured a live auction hosted by Sotheby's Oliver Barker, selling works by contemporary artists, and honored museum trustee Ronnie Heyman and artist Loie Hollowell. The evening's design was inspired by the concurrent exhibition "Art and Life in Rembrandt's Time: Masterpieces from the Leiden Collection."
Laura Rathe Fine Art, a female-owned gallery with over 25 years in Texas, is opening its first Austin location. The inaugural exhibition, titled "Austin Bound," will showcase a program of international and national artists known for technical mastery, color expression, and narrative vision.