The New Museum in New York has announced a major $80 million capital campaign to double its physical footprint on the Bowery. The expansion will utilize an adjacent building already owned by the institution, increasing the total space from 58,000 to over 100,000 square feet. The museum has already secured $43 million of its goal, bolstered by a record-breaking undisclosed donation from longtime supporter Toby Devan Lewis.
Over 200 cultural figures, including musician Brian Eno and writer Laleh Khalili, have signed an open letter condemning the British Museum for allegedly removing the word "Palestine" from labels in its Ancient Levant gallery. The letter, published in March, accuses the museum of historical revisionism and links the action to pressure from the advocacy group UK Lawyers for Israel, while also criticizing the museum's broader ties to Israel.
The Princeton University Art Museum is presenting "Willem de Kooning: The Breakthrough Years," an exhibition revisiting the pivotal period from 1945-1950 that led to the artist's first solo show and established his reputation. The show features 18 paintings, including key works like *Black Friday* and *Dark Pond*, highlighting his intense exploration between figuration and abstraction with a restricted palette.
A new exhibition, "Collaborating in Conflict: The Yeats Family and the Public Arts," at the McMullen Museum of Art, spotlights the revolutionary contributions of sisters Susan Mary (Lily) and Elizabeth Corbet (Lolly) Yeats. Long overshadowed by their famous brothers, the sisters co-founded the Dun Emer Industries cooperative, which included a press and a textile guild, and produced embroidered banners of Irish saints for St. Brendan's Cathedral, playing a pivotal role in the Irish Arts and Crafts movement.
Galerie Francesca Pia, a fixture of the Swiss art scene for 35 years, has announced it will close its doors at the end of October. Founded in Bern in 1990 before moving to Zurich's prestigious Löwenbräukunst-Areal district, the gallery will conclude its operations following a final exhibition with American artist Wade Guyton. The closure marks the end of a significant tenure for a dealership that was a regular participant at Art Basel for over two decades.
rosalia apologizes picasso comments tiktok
Spanish pop star Rosalía issued a public apology on TikTok after facing backlash for comments regarding Pablo Picasso. During a podcast interview with writer Mariana Enriquez, the singer initially stated she did not care to differentiate Picasso’s art from his personal life; however, she later retracted those statements, admitting she was unaware of the artist's well-documented history of physical and emotional abuse toward women.
Artist Meg Webster has collaborated with the Dia Art Foundation and Japanese fashion house Comme des Garçons to release her first signature perfume. The fragrance, inspired by Webster’s sensory earthworks made of soil and salt, features woodsy and petrichor notes housed in a silver tetrahedral box that mirrors her sculptural vocabulary. To celebrate the launch, a 2017 sculpture by Webster will be installed at the Comme des Garçons boutique in Chelsea, Manhattan.
Lost John Constable Painting Rediscovered in Texas Bound for Auction
A long-lost, large-scale oil study by John Constable for his famous painting *The Cornfield* has been rediscovered and authenticated after decades in a rural Texas museum. Scientific analysis, including pigment tests and infrared reflectography, confirmed the materials and techniques match Constable's own, leading experts to declare it the largest known study for the 1826 masterpiece. The work, which had been mistakenly cataloged as a copy, will now be auctioned by Heritage Auctions in Dallas this June.
Brooklyn-based photographer Keisha Scarville has been named the 2026 winner of the Brooklyn Museum’s Uovo Prize. The award includes a $25,000 cash prize, a solo exhibition at the museum, and a public art commission featured on the facade of Uovo’s Bushwick facility. Her upcoming presentation, titled "Where Salt Meets Black Water," will debut in May 2026 and features vinyl reproductions from her "Mama’s Clothes" series, which explores Guyanese heritage and maternal legacy through textiles.
Two Renoir exhibitions at Musée d’Orsay explore the joy of human connection
The Musée d’Orsay in Paris is opening two concurrent exhibitions dedicated to Pierre-Auguste Renoir, titled 'Renoir and Love: A Joyful Modernity (1865-85)' and 'Renoir Drawings'. The shows focus on the first two decades of his career, featuring major works like 'Luncheon of the Boating Party' and rarely seen pieces from private collections, such as 'Confidence'. The exhibitions will later travel to the National Gallery in London and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Garth Greenan Gallery has announced it will relocate from Chelsea to SoHo in September, marking the gallery's 15th anniversary. The move involves opening two distinct spaces across from each other at 10 and 25 Greene Street, nearly tripling the gallery's current footprint to over 3,500 square feet of exhibition space. The new locations, situated in landmarked cast-iron buildings, will debut with solo exhibitions by Rosalyn Drexler and Cannupa Hanska Luger.
italy acquires caravaggio barberini
The Italian Ministry of Culture has acquired a rare Caravaggio portrait of Maffeo Barberini, the future Pope Urban VIII, for €30 million ($35 million). The late 16th-century masterpiece, which had been hidden in a private collection for decades, will now reside permanently at Rome’s Palazzo Barberini. The acquisition follows a successful short-term loan and extensive technical analysis that confirmed the work's authenticity.
Leeds Castle has launched an interactive AI avatar of Eleanor of Castile as the centerpiece of its new exhibition, "Pilgrimage of Love: Eleanor of Castile." Developed in collaboration with SKC Studios, the digital queen is housed in a screen shaped like a lancet window and is programmed to recognize visitors and answer questions about her life, from her 13th-century architectural projects to her marriage to Edward I. The exhibition traces her transformation of the castle from a Norman stronghold into a royal residence with Moorish-inspired gardens.
Laura Phipps has been appointed as the director of the Gochman Family Collection, a significant private collection primarily focused on contemporary Indigenous art. Phipps joins the organization following a distinguished 15-year tenure at the Whitney Museum of American Art, where she most recently served as an associate curator. In her new role, she succeeds Zach Feuer and will oversee a collection of over 750 works while managing the development of a new 10,000-square-foot public-facing exhibition space in Katonah, New York.
The fifth edition of the Every Woman Biennial, titled "I Will Always Love You," concludes its run at La MaMa Galleria in New York. Featuring over 200 female and non-binary artists, the salon-style exhibition showcases a diverse range of media including neon sculpture, textiles, and video, alongside a series of high-energy performances. Notable participants include Michele Pred, Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot, and Swoon, with the event maintaining its tradition of honoring the legacy of Whitney Houston while providing an inclusive platform for contemporary creators.
ancient egyptian papyrus white out fluid
Researchers at the Fitzwilliam Museum have discovered evidence of 3,300-year-old "white-out" used to correct an artistic error on an ancient Egyptian papyrus. While preparing for an upcoming exhibition, curators identified a modification on a copy of the Book of the Dead belonging to the royal scribe Ramose, where a mixture of calcite and huntite was applied to slim down the figure of a jackal deity.
A newly discovered 1877 chalk portrait of the poet Christina Rossetti by her brother, the Pre-Raphaelite master Dante Gabriel Rossetti, has been unveiled at Wightwick Manor. The drawing, recently acquired by the National Trust, serves as the centerpiece for the exhibition "The Rossettis – Siblings and Spouses." Created during a period of shared family mourning following the death of their sister Maria, the work departs from Rossetti’s typical idealized style to offer a somber, realistic depiction of grief and resilience.
venice biennale russia pavilion return controversy
The Venice Biennale is facing intense backlash following the announcement that Russia will return with a national pavilion for the 2026 edition, marking its first official participation since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and various international activists have called for Russia's exclusion, arguing that the platform is being used to whitewash war crimes and exert political influence. In response, the Biennale leadership has maintained a policy of non-exclusion, stating that any country recognized by Italy has an autonomous right to participate.
The Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) in Ghent has launched "Unforgettable," a landmark exhibition recovering the histories of over 40 women artists who were active in Belgium and the Netherlands between 1600 and 1750. The show highlights the professional success of figures like Princess Louise Hollandine and Maria Schalcken, while also acknowledging the anonymous working-class women who fueled the luxury economy through lacemaking. It challenges the long-held myth that female artists were rare exceptions during the Flemish Golden Age.
The 2026 Whitney Biennial marks a shift in contemporary art from literal messaging toward atmospheric 'mood.' This edition is characterized by an immersive aural landscape of drones and whispers, moving away from the overt identity politics of previous years in favor of a 'sincerity first' credo. Key works include Emilie Louise Gosslaux’s emotional tribute to her guide dog, Mo Costello’s community-focused binders, and Nour Mobarak’s intimate recordings of internal bodily sounds.
The Palace of Versailles has announced a major retrospective dedicated to Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film, Marie Antoinette, to mark the movie's 20th anniversary. Set to open in September 2026, the exhibition will be staged within the Petit Trianon, the Queen’s private estate where Coppola was famously granted unprecedented filming access. The show will feature Academy Award-winning costumes by Milena Canonero, alongside never-before-seen storyboards, scripts, and set photography.
Zanele Muholi has been named the winner of the 2026 Hasselblad Award, widely considered the world’s most prestigious photography prize. The South African photographer and "visual activist" will receive approximately $218,000, a solo exhibition at the Hasselblad Center in Gothenburg opening in October 2026, and a dedicated publication. Muholi’s work is celebrated for its monumental grayscale portraiture that documents and honors the Black LGBTQIA+ community, challenging historical omissions and systemic oppression.
President Donald Trump has launched the 'Freedom Truck' fleet, a series of six mobile exhibitions traveling across the United States ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Funded by a $14.1 million grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the project features interactive displays, AI-powered historical figures, and artifacts provided by Glenn Beck’s American Journey Experience. The tour, organized by conservative groups like PragerU and Hillsdale College, focuses on a patriotic narrative of American independence and sovereignty.
The historic San Francisco Art Institute campus, which shuttered in 2023 following bankruptcy, is being revitalized as the California Academy of Studio Arts (CASA). Founded by billionaire philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, the new center will offer a free, unaccredited, year-long studio program for up to 30 emerging visual artists. The initiative aims to foster an experimental environment inspired by Black Mountain College, providing mentorship, workshops, and public engagement platforms.
Unionized staff at the Guggenheim Museum staged a rally outside the institution during a VIP preview for artist Carol Bove, demanding a more robust second contract. Members of UAW Local 2110, including conservators, archivists, and educators, are protesting recent layoffs that cut 7% of the workforce and left remaining employees with unsustainable workloads. The union is currently negotiating for higher wages, lower healthcare benefit costs, and improved job security following a grievance filed against the museum in February 2025.
The Brooklyn Museum is preparing to investigate the restoration of Paul Gauguin’s relief panel, *Te Fare Amu*, which was recently gifted to the institution by the Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation. The artwork features a crouching nude figure whose genitals were painted over with green pigment by the collector Henry Pearlman in 1954 to bypass U.S. Customs indecency laws. While a 2017 conservation assessment at the Art Institute of Chicago deemed the overpainting too risky to remove, Brooklyn Museum conservators plan to re-evaluate the piece when it arrives for exhibition this fall.
paterei prison could become museum
Estonia’s Minister of Justice, Urmas Reinsalu, has proposed transforming the historic Patarei Prison in Tallinn into an international museum and research center dedicated to the crimes of communism. The sprawling 10-acre seaside complex, which served as a site of political incarceration under Soviet rule until 2002, remains largely unrestored, containing haunting remnants such as surgical tools and tattered bunk beds. The proposal has gained significant diplomatic traction, receiving formal support from representatives of eight EU member states during a recent meeting in the Estonian capital.
The exiled Belarus Free Theatre will stage a major exhibition titled "Official. Unofficial. Belarus." as an official collateral event at the 61st Venice Biennale. In the absence of a formal national pavilion, the group show will occupy the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista, featuring works by artists like Sergey Grinevich and Vladimir Tsesler that utilize religious iconography and prison materials to critique state surveillance and political repression.
2026 whitney biennial line up
The Whitney Museum of American Art has announced the artist lineup for the 82nd edition of its prestigious biennial, scheduled to open on March 8, 2026. Curated by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, the exhibition will feature 56 artists, duos, and collectives selected after more than 300 studio visits. The upcoming edition is currently untitled and focuses on the theme of "relationships," exploring everything from family ties and technology to geopolitical entanglements and interspecies connections.
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has officially authenticated a long-lost painting, 'Vision of Zacharias in the Temple' (1633), as a genuine work by Rembrandt van Rijn. The painting had been dismissed by scholars in the 1960s and remained in a private collection for over six decades until the owner approached the museum for a technical analysis. Using advanced imaging and material studies similar to those used on 'The Night Watch', experts confirmed that the pigments, signature, and date align perfectly with Rembrandt’s early Amsterdam period.