san francisco art institute closed 2148604

The San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI), a historic art school founded in 1871, permanently closed on July 15 after the University of San Francisco (USF) withdrew from a proposed acquisition deal. USF cited financial risks, low enrollment projections, and deferred maintenance as reasons for backing out. SFAI will continue as a small nonprofit to protect its archives and legacy, but the fate of its prized Diego Rivera fresco, valued at up to $50 million, remains uncertain.

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Citigroup is selling its Mexican retail banking operation, Citibanamex, along with a collection of approximately 2,000 Mexican artworks dating from the 18th century to the present. The collection includes works by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, Leonora Carrington, and Remedios Varo, and is considered the most important private painting collection in Mexico. Citibanamex has stated the collection is an integral and indivisible part of the sale and will not be sold separately.

Manhattan’s New Museum to collaborate with Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo on artist commissions

The New Museum in Manhattan is partnering with Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, founded by Italian patron Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, to launch the New Futures Production Fund. This initiative will support the production and exhibition of new works by international artists, with Italian-born Diego Marcon as the first commissioned artist. Marcon's new work will debut in a solo exhibition at the New Museum next year before traveling to the foundation in Turin. The collaboration coincides with the New Museum's expansion, a seven-story addition designed by Rem Koolhaas and OMA's Shohei Shigematsu, which will double its exhibition space.

Valerie Mercer and the Long Work of Putting African American Art Where It Belongs

Valerie Mercer, the lead curator of African American art at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), has spent over two decades building a collection that now includes more than 700 works. Last fall, the museum unveiled a major reinstallation titled "Reimagine African American Art," moving African American art from scattered locations to the heart of the institution, near Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry Murals. The rehang traces a lineage from 19th-century painters like Robert S. Duncanson to modern innovators like Sam Gilliam, covering key cultural movements such as the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement.

5 New Art Pieces to See in NYC This Spring

New York City's spring art season is marked by a series of high-profile exhibitions across major institutions, focusing on themes of vulnerability, technological evolution, and personal identity. Notable highlights include the New Museum's exploration of the human body in the digital age and MoMA's deep dive into the tumultuous relationship and individual resilience of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.

New MCASD exhibit of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys' personal collection showcases Black art

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) has launched "Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys," a major traveling exhibition showcasing the couple's extensive collection of Black diasporic art. The show features monumental works from 37 artists, including a 164-foot painting by Meleko Mokgosi and an 8,000-pound sculpture by Arthur Jafa that required structural reinforcement of the museum floor. To create a more inclusive atmosphere, the exhibition replaces traditional white gallery walls with bold colors and includes a curated musical playlist by Swizz Beatz.

Valuable Art Collection Featuring Frida Kahlo Set To Leave Mexico Sparks Concern in Art Community

The Mexican art community is voicing alarm over the relocation of the prestigious Gelman Collection to Spain, where it is slated to become the centerpiece of the new Foro Santander cultural center. Managed by Santander Bank and previously acquired by the Zambrano family, the collection includes 160 works by modern masters such as Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, including 18 rare paintings by Frida Kahlo. Critics and academics have signed an open letter demanding transparency from the Mexican government regarding the legality of this long-term export, given that many of these works are designated as national artistic monuments.

The Giants Have Arrived: Inside Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz’s MCASD Exhibition

Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz have opened a major exhibition of their personal art collection at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD). Titled "Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys," the show features over 100 works by prominent Black artists, including Kehinde Wiley, Amy Sherald, Barkley L. Hendricks, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

A look behind the scenes of the travelling exhibition on Berthe Weill

The traveling exhibition "Make Way for Berthe Weill: Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-Garde" explores the legacy of the pioneering gallerist who first championed artists like Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, and Diego Rivera. The show originated at New York University’s Grey Art Museum before traveling to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and finally to the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris. Curators highlight the logistical complexities of such a tour, including the necessity of international partnerships to secure high-profile loans and the role of registrars and conservators in transporting delicate works.

The many faces and identities of Frida Kahlo are explored in exhibition catalogue

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has released a comprehensive exhibition catalogue for 'Frida: The Making of an Icon,' which investigates the posthumous transformation of Frida Kahlo from a niche painter into a global cultural phenomenon. The publication features eleven scholarly essays that deconstruct the various identities attributed to Kahlo—from the political activist and feminist martyr to the disabled artist—while debunking common myths regarding her relationship with Surrealism and her husband, Diego Rivera.

'If a work is meant to be mine, there’s always time': Mashonda Tifrere on the art she collects and why

Mashonda Tifrere, a former singer turned curator and art advisor, discusses her journey from the music industry to becoming a prominent figure in the visual arts. Through her organizations ArtLeadHER and Art Genesis, she has curated over 40 exhibitions focusing on women and underrepresented artists, including a recent Faith Ringgold show at the University of California, San Diego.

Renowned Mexican art collection to be managed by Spanish bank

Banco Santander announced on 21 January that it will manage 160 works from the Gelman Collection of 20th-century Mexican art, following a long-term agreement with the Zambrano family, which acquired the collection in 2023. The newly branded Gelman Santander Collection will debut this summer at Faro Santander, the bank's new venue in Cantabria, Spain. The collection, started by Russian-born film producer Jacques Gelman and his wife Natasha, includes major works by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, and others, but has been largely out of public view since 2008 amid inheritance disputes. The agreement is complicated by Mexican law, which designates many works as National Artistic Monuments, restricting their permanent export and requiring oversight by the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL).

San Diego Museum of Art celebrates 100 years with new exhibitions

The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a series of special exhibitions and a public birthday party. The centennial exhibition "SDMA 100 Years" opens January 24, 2026, featuring photographs, memorabilia, and film footage of key moments in the museum's history. Other exhibitions include "Local Visions: Reimagining the Façade" (through July 26), "Cafes and Cabarets: The Spectacular Art of Toulouse-Lautrec" (April 4–September 20), and "Forging a Legacy: 15 Years of Landmark Acquisitions" (May 16–September 7). The museum will offer free admission and extended hours on February 28 for its birthday fest with live music, art-making, and cake tasting.

The road to ‘Fridamania’: how Frida Kahlo became a global phenomenon

A major exhibition titled "Frida: The Making of an Icon" opens at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, tracing how Frida Kahlo evolved from a little-known artist in Diego Rivera's shadow into a global phenomenon and brand. Curated by Mari Carmen Ramírez, the show examines Kahlo's posthumous rise to fame from the 1970s through influential biographies, Chicano and feminist reinterpretations, and her complex relationship with race, ethnicity, gender, and politics. It features 35 Kahlo works including "The Broken Column" (1944), alongside pieces by 80 artists influenced by her, and explores "Fridamania" through 200 objects. The exhibition will travel to Tate Modern in London this summer.

McNay Art Museum’s new exhibition celebrates parks, plazas and the joy of being together

The McNay Art Museum in San Antonio has opened a new exhibition titled “Ferias, Parques y Plazas: A Celebration of Public Space,” running from January 8 to April 12, 2026. Featuring over 15 works, the show highlights how parks, plazas, and markets bring people together through art and culture, with pieces by Diego Rivera, Elizabeth Catlett, Howard Cook, and local San Antonio artist Adriana M. Garcia.

Del Mar Fairgrounds to host Banksy-themed art exhibition

“The Art of Banksy: Without Limits,” a touring exhibition dedicated to the anonymous British street artist Banksy, will open January 30 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego. Featuring 200 pieces including certified originals from private collectors and replicas, the show presents prints, photographs, sculptures, murals, and video-mapping installations, along with an infinity room, a hologram installation, and a room focused on Banksy’s Ukraine-related works. The exhibition, which debuted in Istanbul in 2016, is not officially sanctioned by Banksy but serves as a tribute to his provocative, satirical art.

Detroit Institute of Arts' new African American galleries open Saturday

The Detroit Institute of Arts opens its new African American art galleries, titled “Reimagine African American Art,” to the public on Saturday. The installation features 50 works displayed across four galleries in a central location adjacent to Rivera Court, organized by the museum’s Center for African American Art. The galleries present a chronological narrative of African American history from 1840 to 1986, covering key periods and themes such as the Harlem Renaissance, Social Realism, the Civil Rights era, and the Black Arts Movement.

Cara and Diego Romero: Tales of Futures Past Comes to Albuquerque Museum

The Albuquerque Museum will present "Cara and Diego Romero: Tales of Futures Past" from November 1, 2025, through February 8, 2026. This is the first national traveling exhibition to bring together the work of acclaimed contemporary artists Cara Romero (Chemehuevi) and Diego Romero (Cochiti), featuring 40 works including Diego’s pottery and lithographs and Cara’s photographs from her Indigenous Futurism series. The exhibition, organized by the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa, includes the debut of Cara Romero’s large-scale photographs "Four Horsewomen I and II" and a documentary by Kaela Waldstein. Public events include an opening panel moderated by artist and scholar Deborah Jojola.

Top Art Exhibits at Chicago Museums | 2025 Guide

Chicago museums are presenting a diverse slate of fall 2025 exhibitions, including a major Yoko Ono retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the National Museum of Mexican Art's 39th annual Día de Muertos exhibit, a landmark Elizabeth Catlett retrospective at the Art Institute of Chicago, a Marvel's Spider-Man interactive show at the Griffin Museum of Science & Industry, and Italian artist Diego Marcon's U.S. debut at The Renaissance Society.

Hispanic art tour winds down in Texas

The Hispanic Society Museum and Library's traveling exhibition, "Spirit & Splendour: El Greco, Velázquez and the Hispanic Baroque," has reached its final stop at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas. The show features 57 works from the Hispanic Society's permanent collection, including all three of its Diego Velázquez paintings, and runs from August 24. The Blanton iteration adds key pieces from its own collection, such as El Greco's 1570s Pietà and a sculpture by Luisa Roldán, to contextualize the Spanish and Latin American masterpieces.

football city, art united transforms manchester's aviva studios into a pitch for creativity

Manchester International Festival 2025 presents "Football City, Art United" at Aviva Studios, a group exhibition co-curated by former footballer Juan Mata, curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, and Josh Willdigg. The show pairs eleven international footballers with artists across media—including Ryan Gander with Eric Cantona, Keiken with Ella Toone, and Suzanne Lacy with Vivianne Miedema and Ali Riley—to explore intersections of sport and contemporary art. Works range from a holographic tribute to Diego Maradona by Jill Mulleady to an interactive installation by Stefano Boeri Architetti with Sandro Mazzola. The exhibition runs through August 24, 2025.

DIA's revamped African American art galleries to reopen in heart of museum this fall

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) announced on June 2, 2025, that its newly reimagined African American art galleries will open to the public in October 2025. The galleries are being relocated to a central position within the museum, adjacent to the Diego Rivera murals at Rivera Court, to highlight the contributions of Black artists to Detroit's and history's artistic landscape.

A Milano c’è una mostra di un importante artista australiano in cui si ragiona sul rumore

Marco Fusinato, the Australian artist who represented his country at the 59th Venice Biennale, returns to Italy with a solo exhibition at the Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea (PAC) in Milan. Titled "The only true anarchy is that of Power," the show brings together installations, performances, and sound recordings from recent years, all centered on the concept of noise. Curated by Diego Sileo, the exhibition features three ongoing projects, including the monumental performance-installation DESASTRES, first presented at the Venice Biennale in 2022 and later staged at festivals such as Berlin Atonal and Unsound Krakow. The work combines randomized sound and images, using electric guitars, mass amplification, and intense feedback to create an immersive, hallucinatory experience where chaos and control coexist.

san diego comic con bans ai art 2739389

San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) has banned AI-generated art from its 2026 Comic-Con Art Show, reversing a previous policy that allowed AI art if marked not-for-sale and clearly identified. The change came after artists including Karla Ortiz, a plaintiff in a lawsuit against AI companies, condemned the old policy on social media as a disgrace to human artists. The new guidelines state that material created by AI, either partially or wholly, is not allowed, with the Art Show coordinator serving as the sole judge of acceptability.

NSU Art Museum Presents Major Exhibition of Latin American Works

NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale has announced 'Shared Dreams,' a major exhibition opening September 21, 2025, that celebrates a transformative gift of 88 works of 20th-century Latin American art from collectors Stanley and Pearl Goodman. The exhibition features pieces by Leonora Carrington, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Wifredo Lam, Fernando Botero, Remedios Varo, Joaquín Torres-García, Roberto Matta, and Alice Rahon, among others, and runs through September 13, 2026.

Perna, Cruz-Diez, Otero, Barboza: Venezuelan Focus at ISLAA

PERNA, CRUZ-DIEZ, OTERO, BARBOZA: ENFOQUE VENEZOLANO EN ISLAA

The Institute for Studies on Latin American Art (ISLAA) in New York has launched its 2026 exhibition program with a major focus on Venezuelan modern and contemporary art. The season features a significant solo exhibition of Claudio Perna—his first in New York—alongside a showcase of Carlos Cruz-Diez and digital 'Spotlight' presentations on Diego Barboza and Alejandro Otero. The Perna retrospective, titled 'Idea como arte,' gathers over forty works including photography, photocopies, and conceptual cartography created between the 1960s and 1990s.

Protests in Mexico Against the Transfer of a Rare Collection to Spain

Protestations au Mexique contre le transfert en Espagne d’une rare collection

A coalition of nearly 400 art professionals in Mexico is protesting the planned transfer of the prestigious Gelman Collection to Spain. The collection, which includes iconic works by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, is slated to move to the Faro Santander museum in northern Spain under a five-year management agreement with Banco Santander. Critics describe the move as a "public disaster," citing the opaque 2023 sale of the collection to the Zambrano family and the potential violation of Natasha Gelman’s original will, which stipulated the works remain in Mexico.

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The article examines 'Spanish Style: Fashion Illuminated,' an exhibition at the Hispanic Society Museum in New York curated by Amanda Wunder. It explores how Spanish fashion from the Habsburg dynasty (1516–1700) used luxurious materials like logwood black, gold, silver, silk, and lace to project imperial power and religious austerity. The show features portraits of royalty and nobility, including works by Diego Velázquez and Juan de Pareja, highlighting how clothing served as a uniform of status and belonging rather than individual expression.

YouTube’s first ever video upload acquired by Victoria and Albert Museum in London

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London has acquired and reconstructed the first video ever uploaded to YouTube, titled 'Me at the zoo,' along with an early version of the platform's watch page. The 19-second clip from 2005, featuring YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim at the San Diego Zoo, is now part of the museum's collection and is on display.

San Diego Museum of Art Reflects on 100 Years in New Exhibit

The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) is marking its 100th anniversary with a special exhibition titled 'SDMA: 100 Years.' The show, curated by Lucas Perez, traces the institution's chronological evolution from its origins after the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, through its founding in 1926 as the Fine Arts Gallery, to its present-day identity. It features rediscovered archival materials, including early children's art and photographs documenting periods like its conversion into a naval hospital during World War II.