NEXT in the Gallery: October arts are all about play

October arts in Pittsburgh focus on play and legacy, with several gallery openings and retrospectives. GalleriE CHIZ hosts "Celebrating the Art and Life of Ellen Chisdes Neuberg" on Oct. 3, showcasing the late artist and gallery owner's bold Abstract Expressionist works. The Pittsburgh Glass Center presents "Idea Furnace Retrospective" (Oct. 3, 2025–Jan. 19, 2026), featuring alumni like Renee Cox and Alisha Wormsley. James Wodarek's "Industria Nova" at Atithi Studios reimagines industrial forms, while the Cooley Gallery pairs "Felt-Occurrence" with "Continuing a Legacy of Classical Painting," linking three generations of American landscape artists from Frank DuMond to James Sulkowski.

Fall Arts Preview

The article previews the Fall 2025-26 arts and entertainment season in Richmond, Virginia, highlighting cultural venues and events across the city and surrounding counties. Key highlights include the new Foyer Gallery, which opens with a solo exhibition by Patrick Berran titled "Burn Blue," and the Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront, which closes its inaugural season with performances by James Taylor, Leon Bridges, Steve Martin and Martin Short, and Tedeschi Trucks Band. Other venues mentioned include The National, The Valentine, and Hanover Tavern, along with events like "InLight" at Abner Clay Park and a concert by Jason Mraz.

‘Fearless exploration’: visionary Australian artist Janet Dawson gets her first retrospective aged 90

The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) has opened 'Janet Dawson: Far Away, So Close,' the first-ever retrospective for Australian artist Janet Dawson, now aged 90. The exhibition spans over six decades of her career, from her teenage years at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School—where she was the only child student accepted by realist painter H. Septimus Power—through her abstract period in Europe, her defiant practice in conservative 1960s Melbourne, and her later retreat to rural NSW. The show includes major works, photos, and ephemera, arranged chronologically across four rooms, highlighting Dawson's evolution from tonal realism to abstraction and her 1973 Archibald Prize win for a portrait of her husband, theatre director Michael Boddy.

Artist Eric Smith won 3 Archibalds, then vanished. A new show reveals his unseen works

A new exhibition at Macquarie University Art Gallery reveals unseen works by Eric Smith (1919-2017), a celebrated Australian artist who won three Archibald Prizes and six Blake Prizes before unexpectedly vanishing from public life. Despite his early fame—including a role in launching Australian abstract expressionism with the group show Direction 1—Smith's career stalled after the death of his gallerist Rudy Komon in 1982, leaving him without a connection to the art world. He continued painting prolifically for four more decades, working daily in his studio, but destroyed more than half his output and had no major gallery shows after 1989.

Leader of Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum to depart after a decade at the helm

Josh Basseches, director and CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), announced on June 5 that he will step down at the end of 2025 after a decade in the role. Under his leadership, the museum underwent three renovations and one expansion, including the reopening of the Weston Entrance, the creation of the Willner Madge Gallery Dawn of Life, and the launch of the C$130m OpenROM renovation project. Notable exhibitions during his tenure included Christian Dior, Kent Monkman: Being Legendary, and Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.

Artist in Focus: Louis Pohl Koseda. Constructing the City as Memory.

British artist Louis Pohl Koseda is gaining attention for his intricate works that blend drawing, painting, and architectural theory to explore the city as a psychological structure. His practice, which he terms 'metafictionism,' utilizes fine-line drawing to create layered compositions where figures navigate unstable, theatrical urban environments. Influenced by his upbringing in an East London Hare Krishna community, Koseda’s work focuses on how belief systems and social fabrics are mapped onto the physical and imagined spaces of the city.

Keeping It Simple

On Valentine's Day, the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art in Manhattan, Kansas, opened the inaugural "Kansas Triennial 25/26" exhibition, featuring works by four Kansas-based visual artists: Mona Cliff, Mark Cowardin, Poppy DeltaDawn, and Ann Resnick. The museum engaged young visitors by handing out paper hearts and inviting them to place their heart in front of the artwork they loved best, creating a reflective and participatory experience.

The Bennett Prize Opens Fifth Call for Entries

The Bennett Prize has launched its fifth call for entries, inviting women figurative realist painters to compete for a newly increased grand prize of $75,000. The award, established by collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt, includes a two-year stipend and a traveling solo exhibition that debuts at the Muskegon Museum of Art. Applications are open through September 19, 2026, with a jury featuring prominent figures like curator Miranda Lash and artist Julie Heffernan.

rare 19th century image major daguerreotype sale

Christie's is hosting a 200-lot auction of the Maillet Daguerreotype Collection from June 10 to 26, featuring rare 19th-century daguerreotypes. The collection includes early works by pioneers like Samuel Morse and John William Draper, as well as images of American monuments and everyday life, such as Henry Fitz Jr.'s Washington Monument and Platt Babbitt's Niagara Falls view. The auction highlights the dawn of photography in America, with many images being unique due to the daguerreotype's lack of negatives.

IRL/url Celebration

Art21, in partnership with the CHANEL Culture Fund, launched its new "IRL/url" documentary series with a celebratory event at New York's Roxy Cinema. The series profiles eight contemporary artists—including Neïl Beloufa, Jacky Connolly, and Sara Cwynar—who navigate the blended realms of physical and digital creation. Art21's executive director emphasized the urgency of capturing this moment, as artists grapple with rapid technological advances, particularly in AI.

Khaled Sabsabi: Splintered Worlds

Khaled Sabsabi, a Lebanese Australian artist, explores the intersection of spirituality and perception through video and mixed-media installations rooted in Sufism. His work, such as the 18-minute video *Lefke Morning* (2012–18), captures the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order's dawn meditations, using blurred imagery and soundscapes to challenge Islamophobic media tropes and evoke a sense of unity. Sabsabi's practice also draws on hip-hop, which he performed as "Peacefender" in the 1980s, using music to address social issues and support marginalized communities in Western Sydney.

Summer Exhibitions Coming to Venues in East & South Texas

Summer exhibitions are opening across East and South Texas at venues including the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, the Beeville Art Museum, the Longview Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of East Texas in Lufkin, and the Rockport Center for the Arts. Highlights include Janavi Mahimtura Folmsbee's 'Magic Water' at the Rockport Center for the Arts, a 2026 FotoFest Biennial Participating Space; Jennifer Arnold's 'A Layered Space: Coming Up For Air (v.6)'; Elena Rodz's 'Byways' as part of the Past Master Artists | Rockport Legends exhibition; Bill Pangburn's 'Printed Traces – A Neches River Journal' at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas; and Woody Gwyn's 'Skylight On Water, Trees, Rock and Road' at the Art Museum of South Texas.

Curator Conversation: Inside The Stars We Do Not See

The Denver Art Museum is presenting "The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art," an exhibition organized by the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, in association with the Denver Art Museum, the Portland Art Museum, and the Peabody Essex Museum. The show features works from the National Gallery of Victoria's collection, including paintings by Indigenous Australian artists such as Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori, Thunduyingathi Bijarrb May Moodoonuthi, and others, with Bank of America serving as the North America Tour Sponsor.

Two New Orleans Artists Selected for the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia

New Orleans artists Dawn DeDeaux and Big Chief Demond Melancon have been selected to participate in the 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys." This marks the first time since 2015 that artists from New Orleans have been included in the prestigious international exhibition, and they are the only representatives from the American Gulf South selected for this edition. DeDeaux is recognized for her pioneering multidisciplinary work, while Melancon is celebrated for his intricate beadwork and craftsmanship rooted in the Black Masking Indian tradition.

TWO NEW ORLEANS ARTISTS SELECTED FOR THE 61ST INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION OF LA BIENNALE DI VENEZI

New Orleans artists Dawn DeDeaux and Big Chief Demond Melancon have been selected to participate in the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, titled "In Minor Keys." Curated by Koyo Kouoh, the exhibition marks the first time since 2015 that artists from New Orleans have been featured in the main international section. DeDeaux is recognized for her pioneering multidisciplinary work, while Melancon represents the Black Masking culture of the Young Seminole Hunters, showcasing the city's intersection of contemporary innovation and ancestral tradition.

Fast-Rising Painter Li Hei Di Smashes Auction Record at Sotheby’s Hong Kong

A new auction record for fast-rising Chinese-born painter Li Hei Di was set at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on Sunday evening, with the work *There Was One Summer Returning Over and Over; There Was One Dawn I Grew Old Watching* (2023) selling for HK$2.67 million ($342,824). The price represents a 91-percent increase from the artist’s previous high, set just six months ago, and more than doubled its presale high estimate after a five-minute bidding battle. Li, born in Shenyang in 1997 and based in London, opened their first solo exhibition with Pace in Hong Kong this summer and is the youngest artist on the international gallery’s roster.

“State Fairs: Growing American Craft” at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery Explores the Stories of Craft Artists at the Fairgrounds

The Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery will present 'State Fairs: Growing American Craft,' the first exhibition dedicated to artists' contributions to U.S. state fairs, from Aug. 22 to Sept. 7, 2026. Featuring over 240 artworks dating from the mid-19th century to the present, the show includes spectacles such as Big Tex's size 96 boots, a life-size butter cow by Iowa State Fair sculptor Sarah Pratt, and a pyramid of preserved fruits by canning champion Rod Zeitler. The exhibition is the result of five years of research involving visits to 15 state fairs, collaborations with artists in five states, and contributions from 43 states and tribal nations.

Seeing God in nature: US National Gallery exhibition celebrates art from the dawn of European natural history

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, is presenting "Little Beasts: Art, Wonder and the Natural World," an exhibition of 16th- and 17th-century European paintings and prints by artists including Jan van Kessel, Joris Hoefnagel, and Teodoro Filippo di Liagno. The works, drawn from the dawn of European natural history, depict insects, animals, and natural specimens with extraordinary detail, reflecting the era's expanding trade routes and fascination with the natural world.

Martha Stewart’s Art Auction Is a Who’s Who of Contemporary Cool

Martha Stewart has curated her first-ever art auction with Joopiter, Pharrell Williams' auction platform, titled "The Contemporary Take." The sale features nearly 50 works by leading contemporary artists including Andy Warhol, Amy Sherald, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Damien Hirst, and Ai Weiwei, running from April 28 through May 6. Highlights include Yiadom-Boakye's "Bark Scraper" (estimated $900,000–$1.2 million), Hirst's pillcase "Up at Dawn" ($500,000–$700,000), and works by George Condo, Esther Mahlangu, and Hank Willis Thomas.

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.

What is the international exhibition of the Venice Biennale like? Review of "In minor keys" by Koyo Kouoh

Com’è la mostra internazionale della Biennale di Venezia? Recensione di “In minor keys” di Koyo Kouoh

The 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "In minor keys" and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, opens to the public on May 9 amid controversies including the absence of the president's name in the colophon at the Arsenale entrance. The exhibition, organized by Kouoh's team (Rory Tsapayi, Siddharta Mitter, Marie Helene Pereira, Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, and Rasha Salty), unfolds across the Giardini and the Arsenale's Corderie, featuring works that balance strength and beauty with a harmonious mix of voices and themes. The Giardini section is particularly compelling, with a non-linear, polycentric layout that feels like a living organism, while the Arsenale offers further depth.

9 artists break auction records at Sotheby’s South Asian sale.

Nine artists broke auction records at Sotheby’s modern and contemporary South Asian sale in New York on March 17, 2025. The sale totaled $16.8 million, more than tripling its low estimate of $4.9 million. The top lot was Jagdish Swaminathan’s triptych *Homage to Solzhenitsyn* (1973), which sold for $4.68 million, far exceeding its estimate. Jehangir Sabavala’s *The Journey of the Magi* (1963) followed at $2.73 million. Other record-breakers included Ganesh Pyne, Madhvi Parekh, Nelly Sethna, Sheikh Mohammed Sultan, Mohan Sharma, and M. Sain.

Here's what's at Southwest Florida art centers in August

Southwest Florida's art centers are hosting 29 exhibitions in August, spanning venues from Sarasota to Marco Island. Highlights include Art Center Sarasota's juried show 'Vice and Virtue' exploring morality, Jacob Z. Wan's LGBTQ+ intimacy-themed mixed media installation 'Me, Myself and I, Vol. 3', a youth exhibition 'INK: Quilt of Identity' by ALSO Youth, and Dorothea (D') Calvert's ceramic series 'Praxis'.

Art Museum of Southeast Texas opens two new exhibitions tonight exploring Texas waterways and history

The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) opens two new exhibitions today: "Julius Stockfleth: Dawn of a Century" and "Bill Pangburn: Printed Traces - A Neches River Journal." The Stockfleth exhibition features early Texas artist Julius Stockfleth's paintings of the 1900 Galveston hurricane and Texas coastal history, marking a homecoming as his work was first shown at AMSET in 1987. The Pangburn exhibition presents a new series of large-scale abstract woodcut prints inspired by the Neches River. Both run through July 5, with a free public reception tonight and a musical performance by composer Nathan Felix on May 30.

Jule Korneffel Captures the Weight of the Pre-Dawn Sky at Spencer Brownstone Gallery, NYC

Jule Korneffel's third solo exhibition at Spencer Brownstone Gallery in New York, titled 'In Search of Lost Light,' presents a series of paintings that capture the quiet, liminal moments just before dawn. Using artist-mixed natural pigments, Korneffel shifts from her previous twilight-focused work to explore the anticipation of daylight, with pieces like the titular painting (2025) standing out for its playful, musical composition. The show also includes a mural in the gallery's back patio that blends colors into a grey neutral tone reminiscent of early-morning skies.

Carver Museum Exhibits

The George Washington Carver Museum in Austin has unveiled its 2026 programming, headlined by the exhibition "Who Draws the Maps?" featuring three decades of work by the late artist Steven Bernard Jones. The museum is also debuting "And Still I Speak," a window installation of century-old photographs from Clarksville, one of the first freedman's communities in the United States, alongside a new core exhibition titled "The African American Presence in 19th Century Texas."

With Love OKC spotlights local Black artists at Fear of the Black Art Show

Rapper and entrepreneur Jonathan Williams Jr., known as Jabee, is presenting the third annual Fear of the Black Art Show on February 13 at the Plaza Wall Gallery in Oklahoma City. The event, organized under his initiative With Love OKC, will feature over 20 Black artists from across Oklahoma, showcasing diverse works without a strict theme, as part of Black History Month celebrations.

How Private Art Collectors In Singapore Are Helping To Shape Our Artistic Future

Singapore entrepreneur Chong Huai Seng and his daughter Ning Chong are presenting "Artist's Proof: Singapore at 60," a landmark exhibition at Artspace @ Helutrans running until 17 August 2025. Featuring over 90 artworks from Chong's private collection, the show spans 1940 to 2025 and includes more than 50 artists, mostly Singaporeans, such as Cultural Medallion recipients Cheong Soo Pieng, Chua Mia Tee, and Lee Wen, alongside emerging talents. For the first time, Chong commissioned 11 new artworks and an original musical composition for the exhibition, which he describes as his "love letter to Singapore."

‘Good for the soul’: Local art show opens at Oshawa art gallery tonight

The Oshawa Art Association (OAA) is hosting the opening reception and awards night for its 58th annual juried art exhibition tonight at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, Ontario. The free event runs from 6 to 9 p.m., featuring live music by local singer David Saliba, attendance from local politicians, and a cash bar. The exhibition, which includes over 100 artworks selected from nearly 300 submissions, will remain on display until May 10. Categories include wildlife, people, abstracts, sculptures, and a youth category for artists aged 12 to 18, with $3,000 in total prize money awarded by jurors Hi-Sook Barker and Lucy Manley.

A new Horizon beckons: Stunning Emma Davis art exhibition opens at Studio Two Six One

Scottish landscape artist Emma S. Davis opens a new solo exhibition titled "Horizon: The Journey from Land to Light" at Studio Two Six One in Newton Mearns. The private view takes place on Friday, September 19, 2025, with the public opening on September 20, running through October 11. The show features Davis's expressive, textured paintings that explore the liminal space between earth and sky, dusk and dawn, inviting viewers into quiet, atmospheric moments of transition in the Scottish landscape.