The US struggles with history, Stephen Friedman Gallery closes, Tudor Heart pendant acquired by the British Museum—podcast

The United States is experiencing significant cultural and political disputes as it approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in July 2026. A recent flashpoint involved the Trump administration removing the rainbow Pride flag from the Stonewall Monument in New York, highlighting deep societal divisions over history and representation. Concurrently, various cultural initiatives are being planned to mark the semiquincentennial.

high line art commissions 2026 1234773239

High Line Art has announced its 2026 season of public art commissions for New York's elevated park. The program includes a billboard work by Katherine Bernhardt and three major installations by Patricia Ayres, Ximena Garrido-Lecca, and Derek Fordjour, alongside video works for the High Line Channel by Saba Khan and a film grouping by Marianna Simnett, Filip Kostic, and Ana Hušman.

Art of Contemporary Africa Opens in San Francisco with Inaugural Exhibition ‘Afropop’

Art of Contemporary Africa (AOCA), described as San Francisco's first Pan-African contemporary art gallery, has opened a permanent space at the Minnesota Street Project. Founded by gallerist Craig Mark and photographer Clint Strydom, it operates as a sister space to The Melrose Gallery in Johannesburg and represents a broad roster of artists from across Africa and its diasporas, including the internationally recognized Dr Esther Mahlangu.

bonhams new hq opens lubaina himi wins pamm prize 1234773106

Auction house Bonhams has opened a new 42,000-square-foot flagship headquarters in New York's Steinway Hall, launching a month of exhibitions and sales. The Philadelphia Museum of Art appointed Katherine Anne Paul as its new curator of Indian and Himalayan Art, while the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) awarded its Fund for Black Art Acquisition Prize to Turner Prize-winning artist Lubaina Himid, acquiring her painting "Horn Seller." Several galleries announced new artist representations, including Bortolami with Nathlie Provosty and Deborah Schamoni with Mariann Metsis, and auction house Freeman's appointed two senior executives.

THE BENTON MUSEUM OF ART AT POMONA COLLEGE PRESENTS FIRST SURVEY EXHIBITION OF JOHN SPARAGANA | Pomona Museum

The Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College is presenting "Interference Patterns," the first survey exhibition of artist John Sparagana's work. The show, running from February 21 to June 28, 2026, features nearly 100 works that trace his unique collage practice, which involves meticulously manipulating magazine pages, comic books, and other mass media sources to reveal the vulnerability of images.

Artist Gerard Byrne opens exciting new exhibition space

Artist Gerard Byrne has opened a new gallery named the Gerard Byrne Gallery at 13 Trinity Street in Dublin's city centre. This marks a homecoming for the Dublin-born artist, who returns after a successful period in the United States that included a debut at the 2025 Hamptons Fine Art Fair and a solo show at Slattery Gallery in Southampton.

LACMA announces April 19 opening for new galleries

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) will open its new David Geffen Galleries building on April 19. Designed by architect Peter Zumthor, the 900-foot-long structure spans Wilshire Boulevard and will house the museum's permanent collection, featuring a non-hierarchical, single-level display of approximately 2,500-3,000 objects. The opening will be marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony and two weeks of priority access for members.

67 galleries will once again take over the Shed for Frieze New York

The Frieze New York art fair will return to the Shed in Manhattan for its sixth edition this May, featuring 67 galleries. This marks the first edition since the fair's parent company was acquired by Ari Emanuel's Mari. The event will coincide with several other New York art fairs and major spring auctions, creating a competitive landscape for collectors' attention as it follows closely on the heels of the 2026 Venice Biennale opening.

Unbridled Imagination, Welcoming the New Year on Horseback — The 2026 Horse Zodiac Art Exhibition

天马行空·马上迎新——2026马·生肖艺术大展

The 2026 'Horse' Zodiac Art Exhibition opened at the Shanghai Library East Branch on January 28th. This annual event, now in its fourth year, showcases over 200 selected works from more than 7,000 global submissions, featuring diverse mediums like traditional Chinese painting, oil painting, sculpture, installation, and digital art. The exhibition is structured into four sections: a special invitation section with works by renowned Shanghai artists, a three-dimensional works section, a traditional art section, and a digital art section.

Local art gallery to open new music venue in Oshkosh

Jambalaya Arts Inc., a non-profit art gallery in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, is expanding by opening a dedicated music venue called The Jamb on High Avenue. The new space, set for a soft opening at the end of March, will host live music events, allowing the gallery to stop the labor-intensive process of converting its existing Main Street gallery for performances.

haiti winter olympics 2743597

Olympic officials blocked Haiti's plan to feature a painting of revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture on its team uniforms for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, citing a rule against political propaganda. Designer Stella Jean, with a team of artisans in Rome, hand-painted a redesigned version that removed Louverture and the snake but kept the horse and landscape, delivering the uniforms just two days before the opening ceremony.

Telfair Academy unveils restored gallery dedicated to African American art history

Telfair Academy in Savannah has unveiled the Walter and Linda Evans Gallery of African American Art, a permanent gallery dedicated to late 19th and early 20th-century African American artworks. The gallery is named for collectors Walter and Linda Evans, who donated 28 works from their collection in 2023. The space, originally the Dining Room, underwent a full restoration and opens to the public on February 6, 2025, after a sold-out reception. The exhibition highlights the challenges and successes of African American artists and the emergence of cultural centers in the Midwest and Northeast, while also reflecting on Telfair's historical relationships with local African American artists.

Art Basel Qatar, Dürer portrait debate, Paula Modersohn-Becker and Edvard Munch—podcast

The Art Newspaper's podcast covers the inaugural Art Basel Qatar art fair in Doha, discussing its impact on Qatar and the Middle East art scene. It also examines a debate over a Dürer portrait in London's National Gallery, long considered a copy but now argued to be an autograph work by a new catalogue raisonné author. The episode features a double-header exhibition at the Albertinum in Dresden pairing Paula Modersohn-Becker and Edvard Munch, with co-curator Andreas Dehmer discussing key works.

Van Gogh’s ‘triple painting’ revealed by discoveries beneath the surface

Conservators at Rotterdam's Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum have discovered that Vincent van Gogh's painting *Poplars near Nuenen* (1885) conceals two earlier compositions: a moonlit view of a church tower and graveyard from July 1884, and a subsequent reworking in Paris in late 1886 that brightened the autumnal landscape. X-ray imaging revealed the original church scene, which Van Gogh painted over after his father's death. The final version, now restored after four years of conservation, goes on display on 7 February.

Moudy Art Gallery presents Marcy Davis: "Understory" opening reception

Moudy Art Gallery at Texas Christian University (TCU) is presenting "Understory," a thesis exhibition by MFA candidate Marcy Davis. The show explores the intersection of body, landscape, and architecture, examining how flesh becomes terrain and structures breathe like living forms. The exhibition runs through March 3, with free admission at the Moudy Art Gallery in Fort Worth, Texas.

georg wilsons pilar corrias 2740689

London artist Georg Wilson opens "Against Nature," her second solo exhibition with Pilar Corrias, exploring the hidden world of poisonous plants in the English countryside. The show features paintings of henbane, thorn apple, and nightshade, depicting them as rebellious agents that thrive in abandoned, uncultivated land. Wilson's work coincides with her institutional debut at Jupiter Artland in Edinburgh, titled "The Earth Exhales." Her research began by collecting second-hand botanical books, which led her to notice toxic flora growing unnoticed around London, including a towering thorn apple near her studio.

New Exhibitions at NEHMA Bring Other Facets of the West to Life

The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art (NEHMA) is opening two new exhibitions, 'Meet the Fletchers' and 'Jim Mangan: The Crick,' on February 21. The first exhibition explores the artistic legacy of Calvin Fletcher, his wife Irene, and son Dale, highlighting their role in founding Utah State University's art department and establishing Logan as a center for modern art in Utah. The second exhibition features photographer Jim Mangan's portraits of a secluded community of young men in the American West, known as the Lost Boys, capturing their vulnerability and connection to the landscape.

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.

Sussex Emmaus showcases local artist Monica Long in special art exhibition

Homelessness charity Sussex Emmaus is hosting a two-week exhibition titled "Local Life: A Retrospective" at its community in Portslade, Brighton, featuring the work of local artist Monica Long. The exhibition includes 29 paintings donated by Long's daughter Jacqueline, a friend of the charity, and showcases Long's contemporary observational style capturing everyday life, landscapes, and animals.

New art gallery opens in one of Barcelona’s most famous buildings

A new contemporary art gallery, Casa Batlló Contemporary, has opened on the previously closed second floor of Antoni Gaudí's iconic Casa Batlló building in Barcelona. The inaugural exhibition, "Beyond the Facade," is by the London-based art practice United Visual Artists, founded by Matt Clark, and runs until May 17.

Large Emily Carr exhibit opening at Vancouver Art Gallery

The Vancouver Art Gallery is opening a major exhibition titled 'That Green Ideal: Emily Carr and the Idea of Nature' on February 6. This is the most comprehensive show of Carr's work in over two decades, focusing on her evolving vision of nature and drawing primarily from the gallery's own collection of her paintings.

Aladdin artist to feature in Governor's Capitol Art Exhibition

The 2026 Governor's Capitol Art Exhibition will open at the Wyoming Capitol on February 9, featuring local artist Alexandra Hansen of Aladdin among 53 artists selected from 383 entries by 152 artists. The biennial exhibition, part of Wyoming's tribute to America's 250th anniversary, celebrates the state's landscapes, communities, and people. Hansen, a contemporary Western artist known for stylized vintage patina oil paintings, grew up on a South Dakota ranch and studied at Oklahoma State University. Kate Hlavin, Curator of the Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale, served as guest juror. A public reception and awards ceremony will be held on February 26, with a People's Choice Award vote on the Wyoming State Museum Facebook page.

planned saudi contemporary art museum new details announced 1234772293

Saudi Arabia's Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Centre Pompidou have revealed new details about the planned AlUla Contemporary Art Museum, designed by architect Lina Ghotmeh. The announcement was made at the opening of the "Arduna" exhibition, a collaborative preview show featuring over 80 works by regional and international artists.

Contemporary art gallery to open in Stroud

A new permanent contemporary art gallery called Five Valleys Gallery is opening in Stroud this month. Located within the Home of Vintage in the Five Valleys Shopping Centre, it will feature a professionally curated selection of up to 36 artists, primarily from the local Stroud and Five Valleys area, as well as from Bristol, Bath, and London. The gallery's offerings include award-winning landscape painting, ceramics, glass, and sculpture.

India Art Fair strengthens its role as launchpad for South Asian talent

The 17th edition of the India Art Fair (IAF) in New Delhi is set to be its largest yet, featuring 87 galleries and positioning itself as a crucial launchpad for South Asian artists. The fair highlights the region's growing prominence, evidenced by its role in developing artists now featured in major exhibitions like India's national pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

Colorado South Asian artist collective celebrates first anniversary in Evergreen

The Colorado South Asian Artists Group, founded by artist Bala Thiagarajan, is celebrating its first anniversary with its second exhibition, "Grounded," on view at the Center for the Arts Evergreen. The collective, which began with six members, has grown to nearly 50 artists of Indian, Pakistani, Nepali, and Indo-Caribbean descent, aiming to increase the visibility and community of South Asian artists in a region where they have felt excluded.

sayre gomez interview precious moments kids sculpture gritty 1234771581

Artist Sayre Gomez has opened a new solo exhibition titled "Precious Moments" at David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles. The show features paintings of gritty urban landscapes alongside sculptures of his own children, modeled after Precious Moments collectible figurines, dressed in the kids' actual clothes and placed in the gallery's rafters.

M HKA Remains Museum, SMAK Plan Scrapped

m hka remains museum smak 1234771945

The government of Belgium's Flanders region has reversed its controversial plan to close the M HKA contemporary art museum in Antwerp and transfer its collection to the SMAK museum in Ghent. Under a new plan called "M HKA 2.0," the museum will retain its collection, its museum status, and continue its programming, while SMAK will be operated by the regional government.

10 Power Players in Paris

10 power players paris 2195623

The inaugural edition of Paris+ by Art Basel has opened in Paris, marking a significant shift in the city's art fair landscape. The article profiles ten key figures instrumental in shaping the French art market, including fair director Clément Delépine, dealer and committee president Marion Papillon, and institutional leaders like Suzanne Pagé of the Fondation Louis Vuitton and Rebecca Lamarche-Vadel of Lafayette Anticipations.

Local Ballaghaderreen artist’s stunning visual art exhibition

Maria May, an established artist from Ballaghaderreen, has opened her debut solo exhibition, 'Sruthanna Comhcheangailte – The Fluidity of Interconnection,' at the Ballinglen Art Gallery in Ireland. The exhibition, which runs until 15 March 2026, features abstract interpretations of the Major Arcana Tarot cards through mixed media, stitching, poetry, and collage, exploring themes of belonging, reconnection, and healing.