trump administration violated law withholding institute of museum and library services funds

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a decision on Monday finding that the Trump administration violated the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 by withholding congressionally appropriated funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). In March, President Trump signed an executive order calling for the elimination of the IMLS, and in April the agency was gutted by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), placing its entire 75-person staff on leave. The GAO determined that the IMLS ceased performing its legal duties and withheld funds intended for museums and libraries, and that the administration could not justify the withholding.

video ai alison nguyen historys strange

Alison Nguyen, a Vietnamese American artist based in New York’s Chinatown, discusses her multidisciplinary practice spanning video, installation, performance, and sculpture. Her works explore American mythologies, visual culture, and digital labor, drawing from low and high culture. Notable pieces include *History as Hypnosis* (2023), which follows three Vietnamese women through a desert and downtown Los Angeles, and *My Favorite Software Is Being Here* (2021), featuring an AI assistant named Andra8. Nguyen’s upcoming works *Change Order* (2024) and *Aisle 9* are inspired by her family’s Taiwanese hosiery business archives. She is featured in ARTnews’ 2025 “New Talent” issue.

looted antiquities sold facebook marketplace palmyra syria

Thieves in Syria are looting ancient artifacts from archaeological sites like Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage city dating back to the 3rd century BCE, and selling them on Facebook Marketplace. The looting has surged since the overthrow of former president Bashar al-Assad in December, with traffickers listing funerary gold, statues, and mosaics alongside ordinary secondhand goods. The Antiquities Trafficking and Heritage Anthropology Research (ATHAR) Project reports that nearly one-third of its 1,500 Syrian cases occurred in December alone, and sales are happening faster than ever—mosaics that once took a year to sell now move in two weeks.

tod lippy trump voters portraits independent

Artist and editor Tod Lippy, stunned by Donald Trump's 2024 presidential election win, embarked on an obsessive two-day search for voters who had publicly supported Trump. Finding 50 individuals through op-eds and news interviews, Lippy—who had never painted before—created a series of portraits titled *My Fellow Americans*. The works debut as a site-specific installation at Independent New York. Over several months, Lippy painted nearly one portrait a day using acrylic gouache, immersing himself in the process and studying each subject's face in detail.

literature darkology rhae lynn barnes blackface minstrelsy

Rhae Lynn Barnes, a scholar at Princeton, has published a new book titled "Darkology: Blackface and the American Way of Entertainment," which examines the pervasive history of amateur minstrelsy in American life from the 19th through 20th centuries. Drawing on two decades of archival research, Barnes reveals how blackface performances were not confined to professional theaters but were common in living rooms, schools, USO shows, fraternal lodges, and even Japanese internment camps, involving figures like Shirley Temple, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby.

art eloise hess young artist

Eloise Hess, a 30-year-old artist based in Los Angeles and a 2024 Yale Painting/Printmaking MFA graduate, has developed a unique image-making process that blurs the line between photography and painting. Her technique involves transferring photographs wet onto absorbent paper, embedding the print in an encaustic surface, and then painting, carving, and manipulating the image to create records of landscapes, shadows, gestures, and time. She discusses her work "Early Morning Tomorrow," a screenprint of photographs taken with her father, and reflects on themes of time, resonance, and capacity.

art chicago mca queer artists

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has organized a summer exhibition titled 'To Share a Garden,' bringing together over 30 artists in a decade-spanning review of queer art and activism. The show draws its theme from Chicago's historic motto 'urbs in horto' (city in a garden) and features works from the 1980s to the present, including pieces by Brendan Fernandes, Nick Cave, Mary Patten, and Doug Ischar. The exhibition acts as a visual archive of queer artistic expression, spanning from the AIDS crisis protests to contemporary movements.

anna weyant tiffany and co hardwear

Tiffany & Co. celebrated its Hardwear Collection with an event at its Landmark flagship on Fifth Avenue, featuring painter Anna Weyant as the new face of the campaign alongside actors Greta Lee and Mikey Madison. The gathering included guests such as Phoebe Gates, Laura Harrier, Chase Sui Wonders, artists Chase Hall and Sasha Gordon, and chef Daniel Boulud, with music by Ruby Aldridge and Ruinart champagne.

The Many Sheddings of Valie Export

Die vielen Häutungen der Valie Export

Valie Export, the Austrian media and performance artist known for using her body as a site of social critique, has died at age 85 in Vienna. Her final works include a black-and-white photo series of her forearm resting on a stone snake sculpture at the University of Vienna, exploring themes of skin, transformation, and mimesis. From the 1970s onward, she created iconic "Body Configurations" in which she placed her body on streets and against buildings along Vienna's Ringstrasse, tracing architectural forms to expose institutional power and patriarchal authority.

Nicht mal Engel sind frei von der Gewalt

Janiva Ellis presents a multifaceted exhibition at Kunsthalle Basel, exploring the history of violence in modernity through paintings that blend history painting, cartoon, and abstraction. Her works, including "Glint" and "Une nuit agitée," feature angels, hybrid creatures, and dystopian landscapes, questioning the origins and functions of violence in art history and society.

A Struggle Between Artist and Machine

Ein Ringen zwischen Künstler und Maschine

Mario Klingemann, a pioneer of AI art, presents "Conflict of Interest," a pop-up exhibition at Sleek Art Space in Berlin during Gallery Weekend. Curated by Anika Meier and produced in collaboration with Art on Tezos, the show features works that challenge the flood of AI-generated imagery. Klingemann displays mundane landscape photographs from private slides, a series called "Weapons of Mass Distraction" where he disrupts an AI algorithm's image generation, and a haunting 2020 video in which AI-generated faces morph to music. The exhibition makes visible the struggle between human control and machine logic.

Changes at Manifesta as Hedwig Fijen steps down

Hedwig Fijen, founding director of Manifesta, the European Nomadic Biennial, will step down on October 5. Emilia van Lynden and Catherine Nichols will succeed her as general director and artistic director respectively, as announced by the supervisory board of the International Foundation Manifesta. Fijen, who was commissioned by the Netherlands Office for Fine Arts in 1991 to develop a pan-European platform, has led Manifesta through editions in Palermo, Pristina, Barcelona, and the upcoming 2026 edition in the Ruhr region. Van Lynden has served as deputy director since 2019, while Nichols, a Berlin-based curator, contributed as creative mediator for the 2022 edition and artistic board member for 2026. The new leadership will begin with Manifesta 17 in Coimbra, Portugal, in 2028.

Michael Fullerton: The Politics of Portraiture

Glasgow-based painter Michael Fullerton is presenting a two-part exhibition that critically examines the politics of portraiture. The first section features 11 oil portraits of male asylum seekers he lived alongside while working as live-in staff at the Hilltop Hotel in Carlisle. These works, painted in a traditional style, depict the men with care against ambiguous landscapes, deliberately restricting personal information to names and origins, highlighting their status within systems of power.

For the 50th anniversary of his death, the controversial photographer Pierre Molinier at the heart of an important biography

Pour le cinquantenaire de sa mort, le sulfureux photographe Pierre Molinier au cœur d’une importante biographie

A new biography of the provocative French photographer and painter Pierre Molinier (1900–1976) has been published to mark the 50th anniversary of his death. Co-published by Mollat and L'Arbre vengeur, the book "Molinier. Une vie d'enfer" is an updated and expanded version of Pierre Petit's 1992 text, incorporating newly surfaced documents and reflecting Molinier's growing international recognition.

Sarah Rowe Will Light Up Native Neon Residency in Kingston, NY

A new residency program for Indigenous artists working with neon for the first time has been launched through a collaboration between the Walker Youngbird Foundation and Lite Brite Neon Studio in Kingston, New York. Sarah Rowe, a painter and installation artist from Omaha, Nebraska, was selected as the first recipient from over one hundred applicants. She plans to create a work inspired by the heyoka, a trickster figure from Lakota tradition, and will receive a $10,000 stipend plus fully funded fabrication, materials, studio time, and technical instruction valued at around $50,000. The resulting artwork will be publicly presented, and Rowe will retain full intellectual property rights and ownership.

Russia’s Venice Pavilion Will Be Closed to Public for Duration of Biennale

Russia's pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale will be closed to the public for the duration of the exhibition, from May 9 to November 22, following escalating controversy over the country's participation. The group show, titled “The tree is rooted in the sky,” will only be open to press and industry insiders during the preview days (May 5–8). The move comes after the International Criminal Court accused Russia of crimes against humanity, leading the Biennale to bar Russia and Israel from competing for awards. Italian culture minister Alessandro Giuli has also boycotted the preview and opening ceremony in protest.

Faig Ahmed Weaves Mysticism, Science, Technology, and Craft into ‘The Attention’

Faig Ahmed, the Baku-based artist known for transforming traditional Azerbaijani carpets into melting, glitching textile sculptures, has opened a solo presentation at the 61st Venice Biennale, where he represents Azerbaijan. Titled 'The Attention,' the sprawling, maze-like installation curated by Gwendolyn Collaço explores science, alchemy, spirituality, and self-perception, weaving together digital processes with handcrafted techniques. Works include monumental machine-woven carpets like 'I Can Contain Both Worlds But I Do Not Fit Into This One,' a handwoven piece called 'Ancestors' that glows under black light, and 'Entropy Altar,' which uses a quantum random number generator to respond to visitors. The exhibition bridges 15th-century Hurufi mysticism with modern information theory, reflecting Ahmed's interest in consciousness, quantum physics, and the dialectic between measurable science and subjective experience.

Maxwell Mustardo Sculpts Ancient Ornamentation in Brilliant Glazed Forms

Maxwell Mustardo creates ceramic vessels that blend ancient Greek forms like amphorae, kraters, and kylix with organic, fungal-like surface textures in fluorescent oranges, pinks, and greens. Based in New Jersey, he works as studio manager at the former residence of artist Toshiko Takaezu, and his practice focuses on pushing classical ornamentation—such as gadrooning—back into its natural origins, blurring the line between cultural artifact and living growth.

Artemis II Captures Spectacular Images of ‘Earthset’ from Deep Space

NASA’s Artemis II mission has released a series of stunning high-definition images captured during its 10-day journey around the Moon, marking the first crewed lunar mission in over half a century. Among the most striking visuals is a photograph of an 'Earthset,' showing our home planet descending behind the lunar horizon. The mission is currently underway and is expected to conclude with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10.

Banksy’s Bethlehem hotel, closed following 7 October attacks, reopens as ‘cultural platform that carries the narrative of Palestine’

Banksy's Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, which closed after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Israel-Hamas war, has reopened. The hotel, originally launched in 2017, faces the West Bank barrier and was designed to bring tourism to the area while exposing guests to life under the wall. Manager Wisam Salsaa says the hotel now serves as a cultural platform amplifying Palestinian voices, with over 20 original Banksy works still on display. Room prices range from $70 for a bunkbed to $495 for the presidential suite.

Artist Arunava Mondal’s solo show at Tejas Art Gallery, Kolkata delves between light and shadow

Artist Arunava Mondal's solo exhibition "Ambient Landscapes" is currently on view at Tejas Art Gallery in Kolkata. The show explores the liminal spaces between light and shadow, memory and sensation, featuring abstract works that evoke atmospheres rather than specific topographies. Mondal builds his surfaces in translucent layers, using surreal colors and impossible geometries to create environments where observed reality merges with dreamlike logic. The exhibition includes a conversation with the artist about his inspirations, his travels through India, and his approach to nature as his ultimate muse.

Simon Silva urges a return to creativity at IVC gallery opening

Simon Silva, a renowned artist and author, delivered a passionate call for a return to creativity during the opening of his exhibition at the Imperial Valley College (IVC) gallery. The event showcased his vibrant works, which draw heavily on his Mexican-American heritage and the agricultural landscapes of the Imperial Valley, and drew a large crowd of students, faculty, and community members.

Innovative London drawing fair with no stands stages its second edition

Tracing Time, a London drawing fair organized by Trois Crayons, returns for its second edition from 26 June to 5 July at No. 9 Cork Street. The selling exhibition features drawings spanning 500 years, with 35 participating galleries—double the number from its debut—including works by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, Gustav Klimt, and Françoise Gilot. Unlike traditional fairs, it operates without stands: dealers pay a flat fee for logistics, retain 100% of sales, and the space functions as a social hub without booths or dealers present.

Dispatch: Beijing

The article reports on a series of significant shifts in Beijing's art world since 2024. UCCA Center for Contemporary Art faced financial troubles; its director and CEO Philip Tinari ended his 14-year tenure to lead Hong Kong's Tai Kwun. Taikang Art Museum also disclosed leadership changes. Smaller venues like DRC NO. 12 and fRUITYSPACE closed due to lease issues. Independent publishing faces sharp restrictions, and art book fairs are being replaced by cultural-lifestyle merchandise events. Official figures show Beijing lost over a million young residents since 2020 due to soaring living costs and tightening regulations.

Poly Auction Hong Kong Spring Auctions 2026 concluded on a high note

Poly Auction Hong Kong's Spring 2026 season concluded with a total of HKD 255 million in sales, representing a 23% increase over the previous autumn cycle. The auction was headlined by Liu Wei’s 1995 painting "You Like Pork?", which fetched HKD 27.6 million, followed by a Ming Dynasty 'Grapes' foliate-rim dish that sold for HKD 24.6 million. The event saw participation from collectors across 17 countries, with significant growth in the Modern and Contemporary Art and Jewels and Watches sectors.

New York City’s first Trans Art Fest showcases, connects and empowers trans artists

New York City is hosting its inaugural Trans Art Fest, a grassroots, community-driven festival featuring the work of over 120 transgender artists. Founded by curator and textile artist Carter Shocket, the two-month program includes 12 all-trans exhibitions and more than 20 events ranging from glassblowing workshops to cinema screenings. Major highlights include the exhibitions "Alchemists" and "A Tender Touch," the latter of which focuses exclusively on the work of Black trans artists.

Ron Nagle in Milan: at Gió Marconi the first Italian solo exhibition 'Phantom Banter'

Gió Marconi Gallery in Milan will host 'Phantom Banter', the first Italian solo exhibition of American sculptor Ron Nagle, from May 29 to July 24, 2026. The show features eleven ceramic sculptures created between 2024 and 2026, along with a selection of recent drawings, highlighting Nagle's process-oriented practice focused on material, surface, and language. Nagle, born in San Francisco in 1939, is a key figure in the California Clay Movement, having apprenticed with Peter Voulkos in the 1960s and influenced by Ken Price. His small-scale works, rarely exceeding 15 centimeters, explore reduction of scale and surface construction through cast and fired ceramics combined with resins and synthetic materials.

Local artists take over two SF neighborhoods

The San Francisco neighborhoods of the Marina and West Portal are set to host "The Art of Place," a three-month exhibition featuring 24 local artists. Organized by Ingleside Gallery founder Shrey Purohit in partnership with the BarbCo real estate group, the fair will showcase cityscapes, sculptures, and photography across two commercial offices starting April 17. The initiative aims to integrate art into everyday community spaces, featuring works by artists like Sarah Horowitz and Rhonel Roberts that capture the unique geometry and secret views of the city.

New Pioneer Square art gallery focuses on immigrant art

Saina Heshmati and Amir Amini have opened ANTiPODE Art Gallery in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, a new space dedicated to showcasing the work of immigrant artists. Located in a basement shared with the Seattle Jazz Fellowship, the gallery functions as a multi-modal hub for cultural exchange, hosting art exhibitions alongside film screenings, tea ceremonies, and experimental music. The founders, both Tehran natives, aim to bridge the gap between Seattle and distant global cities through diverse programming that emphasizes the intersection of different artistic disciplines.

SCH exhibit celebrates Black artistic legacy in Philadelphia

Megan Monaghan, director of arts at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (SCH), organized an exhibition at the school's Barbara Crawford Gallery titled "Echoes of Our Future: 250 Years of Black Artistic Legacy in Philadelphia" to honor the city's Black artistic heritage ahead of America's semiquincentennial. Collaborating with Claudia Volpe, director and curator of the Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African American Art, Monaghan selected over 30 works by 27 artists—including Barbara Bullock, Eustace Mamba, Tim McFarlane, Dox Thrash, and Henry Ossawa Tanner—organized into three themes: faces and community, music and movement, and environment. The exhibition runs from Jan. 15 to March 12 and is accompanied by The Next 250, an educational project connecting students through workshops, mentorship, and visual storytelling.