Theaster Gates to create giant frieze for Obama Presidential Center

The Obama Presidential Center has announced a new commission by Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates, who will create a large frieze made of photo-printed aluminum using images from the Johnson Publishing Company archives—the publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines—and the work of photographer Howard Simmons. The installation, set to open in 2026, honors the dignity of Black life and the vibrancy of Black culture throughout the 20th century. Gates has been working with 20,000 photographs from the archive since 2016, and the frieze will be visible from Stony Island Avenue, near his own Stony Island Arts Bank. Other high-profile commissions for the center include works by Julie Mehretu, Maya Lin, Lindsay Adams, Nick Cave, Aliza Nisenbaum, Jenny Holzer, and Idris Khan.

Peep the Wildest Costumes of This Year’s Easter Bonnet Parade

New York City’s Fifth Avenue was transformed into a vibrant public gallery on April 5, 2026, for the annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival. Participants gathered outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral to showcase elaborate, hand-crafted headpieces ranging from Eduardo Escobar’s rotating 'Trip to the Moon' hat to Shayna Strype’s hot-air balloon ensemble. The event featured a diverse array of creators, including climate-conscious artist Cristian Pietrapiana and mixed-media sculptor Gail Trunick, who utilized the street as a stage for avant-garde millinery and performance art.

‘Bándearg’ exhibition to bring bold colourful art to Mayo

The contemporary art exhibition “Bándearg” is set to open at the Books At One gallery in Louisburgh, County Mayo, featuring the work of five Ireland-based female artists. Running from April 18 to May 13, the show brings together Olivia Jones, Tina Poole, Anna Marie Savage, Nickie Harrington, and Maria Mollohan to explore the multifaceted nature of the color pink through diverse styles ranging from geometric precision to nature-inspired abstraction.

Gallery Jupiter presents "The Immersive Landscape" - works by Christie Scheele

Gallery Jupiter in Little Silver, New Jersey, presents "The Immersive Landscape," a solo exhibition of paintings by artist Christie Scheele, running from April 30 through June 11, 2026. The show features Scheele's open vista landscape paintings and her new Place Series assemblages, which incorporate foraged natural materials like stones, bark, and seaweed. An opening reception is scheduled for April 30. In conjunction with Earth Day, Scheele also collaborated with artist Kathleen Sweeney and designer Dominick Santise on EcoAction Cards, a set of activity cards aimed at inspiring environmental action.

A haunting portrait of the Everglades appears in Miami

Artist Isabelle Brourman, known for courtroom sketches of high-profile figures like Donald Trump and Johnny Depp, has unveiled a new painting titled "No Rest for the Wicked" (2025). The work synthesizes her observations from documenting the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in courtrooms across the country, incorporating imagery from the Everglades and the detention facility nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz in southwest Florida. The painting is featured in the exhibition "The Body is the Body," curated by Simon Brewer and Nathalie Martin at the Rice Hotel, a renovated former hotel in downtown Miami now used as an art studio and exhibition space.

Bagus Pandega Maps Material Flows In Singapore Art Museum Exhibition

Indonesian artist Bagus Pandega has unveiled a site-specific installation at the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) that explores the complex movement of global commodities. The exhibition features kinetic sculptures and electronic components that track the flow of materials like nickel and rubber, transforming industrial data into a multi-sensory experience of light and sound.

Kickernick Gallery Celebrates the Legacy of WARM’s Pioneering Women Artists

Kickernick Gallery in Minneapolis is launching a landmark exhibition titled "LEGACY: The Women of WARM Gallery" to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Women’s Art Registry of Minnesota. Founded in 1976 as a feminist cooperative and slide registry, WARM grew into the largest women’s art collective in the United States, providing a vital platform for female artists who were historically excluded from mainstream institutions. The upcoming showcase features works by 73 groundbreaking artists who were instrumental in shaping the region's artistic and feminist landscape.

Hadassah-Brandeis Institute spotlights Holocaust survivors‘ art in Kniznick Gallery

The Kniznick Gallery at Brandeis University has opened "Who Will Draw Our History? Women’s Graphic Narratives of the Holocaust, 1944-1949," an exhibition curated by Rachel E. Perry. The show features the work of ten female survivors who utilized visual storytelling—including handmade albums, pictorial diaries, and wordless novels—to document their experiences in concentration camps like Auschwitz-Birkenau and Ravensbrück. These "graphic narratives" serve as early visual testimonies, often created as a "call to duty" immediately following the liberation.

Woman whose botched Jesus fresco became a viral sensation dies, aged 94

Cecilia Giménez Zueco, the Spanish woman whose botched 2012 restoration of a 19th-century fresco of Jesus Christ became a global internet sensation, has died at age 94. The fresco, *Ecce Homo* by Elias Garcia Martinez, was housed in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza. Giménez's amateur repainting, which made the figure's head resemble a hairy monkey, earned the nickname "Monkey Christ" and spawned viral memes, including a Twitter account. Initially distraught by the backlash, she later saw the town of Borja benefit from a surge in tourism.

Artists protest Alligator Alcatraz at Scope Art Show

At the Scope Art Show in Miami, Amnesty International has presented an installation titled "Cruelty Is Their Point—But Another World is Possible" featuring works by artists Agua Dulce Gloriosa and Clarence James. The project protests the notorious migrant-detention facility in the Everglades nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz, which opened in July 2025 and is operated by Florida’s Division of Emergency Management in partnership with the US Department of Homeland Security. The installation includes an altar-like piece by Dulce Gloriosa and a collage by James, and invites fairgoers to sign a petition demanding the facility's closure.

SIU’s Sharp Museum to open exhibition featuring sculptor Preston Jackson

Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Sharp Museum will open “Here We Are,” an exhibition of recent bronze sculptures and paintings by nationally acclaimed sculptor and SIU alumnus Preston Jackson, on December 5, 2025. The show, running through June 26, 2026, features 17 paintings and nine sculptures, including works from Jackson’s public commissions. A separate closing reception on December 12 will highlight local artists Sue Gindlesparger and Nicki Rathert from the Oak Street Art Collective.

Louisiana Art and Science Museum presenting exhibition by professor Nick Bustamante

The Louisiana Art and Science Museum (LASM) has announced a new solo exhibition titled "Then, and Now, and Always: The Art of Nick Bustamante," featuring works by the Louisiana Tech University professor. Opening March 21 in the Soupçon Gallery, the collection explores themes of family, loss, and legacy through a body of work created specifically for this show over the last two years.

Want a sneak peek at Springfield Art Museum's progress? Take a tour

The Springfield Art Museum, closed for over a year for renovations and expansion, is offering guided hard hat tours starting April 25, 2026. Led by Museum Director Nick Nelson and Foundation Executive Director Kate Francis, the free tours require advance registration and safety gear, and will run on select Saturdays through August and Tuesdays through September. The project includes a new special exhibition gallery, collection study room, and a naturalized creek and trail, with a second phase pending city funding.

Three student artists awarded with monetary prizes at gallery opening

Three student artists from Wichita State University were awarded cash prizes totaling $2,500 during the 8th annual Emerging Artists reception at ShiftSpace Gallery. Juror and New York-based artist Ann Resnick selected Aly Horn, JaiDe Brown, and Savanna Nichols for the honors, which were sponsored by local businesses and the Art and Design Advocates. The exhibition, featuring work from the winners and twelve other students, showcases a range of disciplines including ceramics, photolithography, and MFA-level conceptual projects.

Artists celebrate ‘overlooked beauty’ of Severnside town

An art exhibition titled 'overLOOKed' opens tomorrow at Luggs Farm in Sharpness, Gloucestershire, featuring works by eight artists inspired by the Sharpness Dock area. Curated by mixed media artist Lynda Knott, the show runs from Thursday until Bank Holiday Monday and is part of the Severn Vale Art Trail, supported by the Canal and River Trust. Artists include Angela Williams, Clare Stephens, Grant Sonnex, Lynda Knott, Nick Quirke, Martin Clarke, Shirley Sharp, and Zachary Knott, with a guided 'Mindful Photography' walk scheduled for May 2nd.

7 Artists Discuss the Power and Urgency of Textiles

Louisiana Channel has released a new film titled "7 Artists on Soft Sculptures," featuring artists Sheila Hicks, Nick Cave, Shoplifter, and Kaarina Kaikkonen, among others. The film explores the tactile and emotional power of textiles in contemporary art, with each artist discussing their unique approach—from Hicks's call for softness in a hard world to Cave's use of found objects in identity-masking suits, Shoplifter's vibrant synthetic hair installations, and Kaikkonen's deeply personal incorporation of her late father's clothing.

What We Throw Away Does Not Disappear

Was wir wegwerfen, verschwindet nicht

The Museum Ostwall at the Dortmunder U in Dortmund has opened a new exhibition titled "Müll – die globalen Wege des Abfalls" ("Waste – The Global Paths of Garbage"), curated by Christina Danick and Michael Griff. Featuring around 50 international artworks from the 20th and 21st centuries, including two newly commissioned pieces, the show uses art to explore waste as material, motif, and aesthetic strategy. Key works include Kader Attia's "Los de Arriba y Los de Abajo," which addresses power imbalances through the lens of garbage in Hebron, and historical pieces by César Baldaccini, Arman, and HA Schult. The exhibition also highlights contemporary issues such as e-waste, global waste trafficking, and the environmental impact of industrial nations on the Global South.

Surrey Heights Dementia Care Centre Partners with Local School For Dementia Friendly Art Exhibition Visit

Residents of Surrey Heights Dementia Care Centre, part of CHD Living, visited a dementia-friendly art exhibition and sculpture trail hosted by King Edward School, Witley, in partnership with appART. Wellbeing Coordinator Karen accompanied residents on short walks to the school, where they engaged with artworks including Beatles-themed pieces and a tiger sculpture. One resident, Nick, was encouraged to apply to exhibit his own work at next year's event, while another resident, Karen, who had previously declined outings, participated calmly and enthusiastically.

Smithsonian American Art Museum Debuts Monumental New Commission by Nick Cave in February 2026

The Smithsonian American Art Museum will debut "Nick Cave: Mammoth," a monumental new commission by artist Nick Cave, in February 2026. This marks Cave's first solo exhibition in Washington, D.C., and represents the museum's largest-ever commission by a single artist. The installation combines sculpture, video, and found objects, drawing on Cave's childhood in Chariton County, Missouri, and exploring themes of family history, landscapes, and craft traditions. The exhibition will be on view from February 13, 2026, through January 3, 2027, and is organized by curator Sarah Newman.

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The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago has announced nine new commissions by ten artists for its 19.3-acre campus, set to open next spring. The commissioned works include a text-based sculpture spelling 'HOPE' by Jack Pierson, a bronze sculpture by Kiki Smith, a digital mural by Jules Julien, a textile-and-sound installation by Nick Cave and Marie Watt, paintings by Jenny Holzer and Idris Khan, a sculpture by Nekisha Durrett, a mural by Aliza Nisenbaum, and an outdoor bronze by Alison Saar. These join five previously announced commissions, with plans for over 25 site-specific works total.

Exploring environment, humanity at core of new art exhibition opening in Flint

A new art exhibition titled “This Bitter Earth: Living in Harmony with Nature” opens on September 12 at MW Gallery in downtown Flint, Michigan. The show features artworks from the Mott-Warsh Collection by artists including Ron Adams, Bisa Butler, Nick Cave, Maren Hassinger, Pope.L, and Howardena Pindell, exploring humanity's complex relationship with the natural world and the four classical elements. A featured video installation, “Zion” by South African artist Mohau Modisakeng, addresses themes of displacement and belonging. The exhibition runs through January 24, 2026, with free admission.

On Loss and Absence: Textiles of Mourning and Survival

The Art Institute of Chicago presents 'On Loss and Absence: Textiles of Mourning and Survival,' an exhibition running from September 6, 2025, to March 15, 2026. Featuring over 100 objects from antiquity to the present, the show draws primarily from the museum's own collection and is organized into four thematic sections: Death and Mourning, Transition of Realms, Care and Repair, and Resistance and Survival. Works include funeral hangings, burial cloths, mourning samplers, Indonesian ship cloths, a Taoist priest's robe, and contemporary pieces by artists such as Nick Cave, Carina Yepez, the Noqanchis collective, and Diné weaver Barbara Teller Ornelas. The exhibition is curated by four artist-educators from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Fiber and Material Studies department: Isaac Facio, Nneka Kai, L Vinebaum, and Anne Wilson, with senior museum advisor Melinda Watt.

Global Icons, Local Spotlight: Contemporary Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer

The Portland Art Museum (PAM) will open "Global Icons, Local Spotlight: Contemporary Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer" in September 2025, featuring over 75 works from the collections of Oregon collector Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation. The exhibition includes pieces by major 20th-century artists like Jasper Johns, Helen Frankenthaler, and Robert Rauschenberg, as well as contemporary figures such as Nick Cave, Mickalene Thomas, and Jeffrey Gibson, many shown publicly for the first time. Highlights include Christopher Myers' installation "Let the Mermaids Flirt with Me," debuting at PAM after its 2022 Art Basel Miami premiere.

Maxwell’s Southport Gates painting named overall winner of National Day art exhibition

Thomas Oliver Maxwell won the Ministry of Culture Award and the overall prize of £1,500 in Gibraltar's 'Our Gibraltar' art competition for his painting of Southport Gates. The annual National Day Art Exhibition, featuring 64 entries from 42 local artists across painting, sculpture, and photography categories, opened at the Fine Arts Gallery in Casemates with Deputy Mayor Nicky Guerrero and Governor Lieutenant General Sir Ben Bathurst in attendance. Nataly Zelak-Victor won first prize in painting for 'Parson’s Lodge Battery,' while Prem Mahtani took first prize in photography for a photograph of Parson’s Lodge. Judges Douglas Morello, Gabriella Martinez, and Stefano Blanca Sciacaluga evaluated the works, noting the variety of media and locally themed subjects.

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New York's Kasmin gallery is closing after 35 years, transitioning into a new venture called Olney Gleason, led by Nick Olney (Kasmin's president since 2020) and Eric Gleason (senior director since 2013). The plan was discussed with founder Paul Kasmin before his death in 2020, and the estate is fully supportive. Olney Gleason will open its first exhibition this fall in Chelsea with a roster of about 25 artists and estates, around 80 percent of whom began working with Kasmin within the last five years.

New York gallery Kasmin will close this autumn as leadership launches new venture, Olney Gleason

The Chelsea gallery Kasmin will close this autumn after 35 years of operation, transitioning into a new venture called Olney Gleason. The new gallery will be led by Kasmin president Nick Olney and senior director Eric Gleason, both longtime employees who say the move aligns with the wishes of the late founder Paul Kasmin. Olney Gleason will continue working with an unspecified number of artists and estates from Kasmin's roster, including François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne, Lee Krasner, and Jackson Pollock's estate, and will open a flagship space in Chelsea with an inaugural show this autumn.

On the Market: Artist Lorna Simpson's Studio, Custom-Designed by David Adjaye in Brooklyn, New York

Lorna Simpson's custom-designed Brooklyn studio, created by architect David Adjaye in 2006, has been listed for sale at $6.5 million. The 3,300-square-foot, four-story property at 208 Vanderbilt Avenue in Fort Greene features a double-height great room, three bedrooms, a rear garden, and was originally built as a live/work space for the artist and her then-husband James Casebere. The listing is handled by Leslie Marshall and Nick Hovsepian of the Corcoran Group. Simpson, whose survey exhibition "Lorna Simpson: Source Notes" is currently on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has moved her primary practice to a larger nearby space, using the Vanderbilt Avenue property for archives and events.

Saatchi Yates raises a glass to London

Saatchi Yates gallery in London has opened an exhibition titled 'London Rules The World,' running until August 17, which celebrates the city's influence on the global art scene. The show features prominent artists such as Jenny Saville, Grayson Perry, Cecily Brown, Peter Doig, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, alongside ancillary events like afternoon tea at the Royal Academy of Arts, a Paula Rego studio tour, and a tea-towel collaboration with interior designer Nicky Haslam. The gallery is also launching a Friends scheme for £80 per month, which includes entry to gallery parties and a case of wine from their Tuscan vineyard.

Yancey Richardson marks 30 years with artist-led anniversary exhibition

Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a group exhibition titled "Celebrating 30 Years," opening July 16. The show is co-curated by the gallery's represented artists and estates, featuring works that span traditional darkroom techniques to experimental and interdisciplinary practices, highlighting the gallery's long-standing focus on photography and lens-based media. The exhibition includes artists such as Hellen van Meene, Guanyu Xu, Kahn & Selesnick, Sandi Haber Fifield, Pello Irazu, Zanele Muholi, Mickalene Thomas, and Mark Steinmetz, with images courtesy of the gallery.

anish kapoor lists 56 leonard street apartment new york 1234748246

Artist Anish Kapoor is selling his New York apartment at 56 Leonard Street in Tribeca for $17.75 million. The 3,576-square-foot unit on the 47th floor features four bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms, private outdoor spaces, and a travertine marble bath. The building, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, houses a smaller version of Kapoor's famous sculpture Cloud Gate at its base. Kapoor purchased the apartment for roughly $14 million in 2016 and previously listed it for about $18 million last year. The listing is held by Serhant's Krista Nickols and Martin Garcia.