The Met Reopens Newly Reimagined Galleries Dedicated to the Arts of Africa, the Ancient Americas, and Oceania, Following a Multiyear Transformation of The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has reopened its newly reimagined galleries dedicated to the arts of Africa, the Ancient Americas, and Oceania, following a multiyear transformation of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. The renovated spaces present a refreshed installation of the museum's extensive collection, highlighting cross-cultural connections and updated interpretive approaches.

The Met to Reopen Its Arts of Africa Galleries on May 31, Following a Multiyear Renovation

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will reopen its Arts of Africa galleries on May 31, 2025, after a multiyear renovation that began in summer 2021. The redesigned Michael C. Rockefeller Wing features some 500 works spanning from the medieval period to the present, including a 12th-century fired clay figure from Mali and Abdoulaye Konaté's 'Bleu no. 1' (2014). A quarter of the works are recent acquisitions or gifts, displayed for the first time. The project was led by Kulapat Yantrasast of WHY Architecture with Beyer, Blinder, Belle Architects LLP and the Met's Design Department, and involved a network of international scholars and digital partnerships with the World Monuments Fund and filmmaker Sosena Solomon.

Extended from one volume to three, the new ‘Taste and the Antique’ expands on four centuries of interactions with sculpture

A new, expanded edition of the seminal art-historical reference work 'Taste and the Antique' has been released, growing from one volume to three. Originally published in 1981 by Francis Haskell and Nicholas Penny, the book traced the reception history of ancient Greek and Roman statues from 1500 to 1900. This updated version features full-color photography of all 95 canonical works, including multiple angles and detail shots, overcoming the original edition's criticized monochrome images. A third volume illustrates copies, prints, casts, and reproductions of the statues across media and centuries, from Renaissance drawings to modern advertisements and photographs.

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Islamic Futurism Here and Now

Hyperallergic's daily newsletter highlights several key art world stories, including a protest by nearly 200 artists, curators, and staff at the 61st Venice Biennale calling for Israel's exclusion from the event. It also features a guide to New York's spring art fairs, a new exhibition on Frida Kahlo, a campaign against a Palestinian artist in Germany, and a profile on artists advancing Islamic Futurism through calligraphy and installation.

parties ifpda christies annual benefit

The IFPDA Foundation held its annual benefit at Christie's, celebrating printmaking with an evening of conversation and the second annual Studio Visit initiative. The event featured a discussion between artist Ana Benaroya and Leslie-Lohman Museum Associate Director Judy Giera on printmaking and queer contributions to the medium, with attendees including artists, curators, and collectors. The Studio Visit sale, offering access to artists' studios, runs through October 24.

May You Live in Interesting Times — The IFPDA Print Fair Asks, Do Bad Times Really Inspire Great Art?

The 2026 IFPDA Print Fair, featuring over 80 exhibitors at New York's Park Avenue Armory, explores the provocative theme of whether societal crises and 'bad times' inspire great art. The fair presents a historical survey of printmaking as a medium for dissent and therapy, showcasing works from Francisco Goya's anti-war etchings to Kara Walker's critiques of racial injustice, German Expressionist responses to post-WWI turmoil, and contemporary pieces addressing ongoing conflicts.

Los Angeles’s Getty Center will close for renovations ahead of the 2028 Olympics.

The Getty Center in Los Angeles has announced a temporary closure beginning March 15, 2027, to undergo its most extensive renovation since opening in 1997. The modernization project aims to enhance the visitor experience across the campus through a series of facility upgrades and reimagined spaces.

Berlin Museum of Prints and Drawings Wins Award in New York

Berliner Kupferstichkabinett gewinnt Auszeichnung in New York

The Kupferstichkabinett (Museum of Prints and Drawings) in Berlin has acquired two new works from the IFPDA Fine Art Print Fair in New York. The purchases were funded by the museum winning the Richard Hamilton Acquisition Prize, which provided a $10,000 grant specifically for acquisitions at the fair. The new additions are a 2005 paper work titled "Europa" by German-American artist Kiki Smith and a 2001 lithograph titled "Pregnant Caryatid" by Louise Bourgeois.

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A new mural by artist Adam Cvijanovic, titled *What’s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding*, was unveiled at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York on September 17, 2025. Spanning 1,920 square feet across 12 panels, the work is the largest permanent artwork commissioned for the cathedral in its 146-year history. It reimagines the 1879 Apparition at Knock, Ireland, as a backdrop to immigrant life in New York, featuring figures such as St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Dorothy Day, and Pierre Toussaint among contemporary immigrants. The project was facilitated by art adviser Suzanne Geiss and funded by benefactors Kevin and Dee Conway, with installation handled by UOVO.

philadelphia museum of art rebrands philadelphia art museum 1234756332

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has rebranded itself as the Philadelphia Art Museum, a change announced on Wednesday. The museum worked with branding studio Gretel, known for clients like the Museum of Modern Art and Crystal Bridges Museum, to develop a new name, logo, custom typography, website, and visual identity. Director and CEO Sasha Suda stated the rebrand aims to place Philadelphia front and center and make the institution more collaborative and future-focused.

Monet Paintings Hidden for 100 Years Resurface at an Auction in Paris

Two paintings by Claude Monet, hidden from public view for over a century, have resurfaced and been sold at Sotheby’s Paris. The works—*Les Îles de Port-Villez* (1883) and *Vétheuil, effet du matin* (1901)—represent distinct phases of Monet’s career, with the latter setting a record for a Monet sold at auction in France, fetching more than $12 million.

No money, more problems: 85% of US museums in urgent need of building repairs

A recent survey by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that approximately 85% of US museums face a costly backlog of maintenance or building repairs, with 77% having at least one structural issue that puts their collections at risk. Based on a survey of around 300 museums and 17 site visits, the report reveals that institutions across the country struggle to keep buildings updated and safe due to a lack of funding, with challenges especially pronounced in rural and remote locations where shipping materials and finding skilled workers is prohibitively expensive. Many museums are housed in historic homes or sites that are part of their collections, adding further complexity, and smaller museums often lack the budget to address major problems like new roofs or HVAC systems.

The L.A. Museums Getting a Glow-Up Before the Olympic Games

The Getty Center and the George C. Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits have announced major renovation projects and temporary closures in preparation for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The Getty Center will undergo its first significant overhaul since opening 30 years ago, focusing on structural updates, gallery revitalizations, and infrastructure improvements like the tram system. Meanwhile, the Page Museum will embark on a $240 million campus-wide transformation designed by Weiss/Manfredi, which includes a new research center, immersive theater, and modernized exhibition spaces.

LA’s Getty Center to Close for Renovations Beginning in 2027

The Getty Center in Los Angeles has announced a year-long closure for extensive renovations, scheduled to begin in March 2027. This marks the first major modernization of the Richard Meier-designed campus since its opening in 1997. The project will focus on updating the galleries, the Welcome Hall, and the tram system, while also introducing new artist commissions and improving infrastructure like HVAC systems and digital connectivity.

Exhibition Tour—Arts of the Ancient Americas | Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

The Metropolitan Museum of Art celebrated the renovation and reopening of the Arts of the Ancient Americas galleries in the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing with a special exhibition tour. Curators Joanne Pillsbury and Laura Filloy Nadal, along with museum director Max Hollein and special guest Alejandro de Avila, led the event, highlighting new scholarship on the Mesoamerican ballgame, the roles of women of power, and Moche metalworking technology.

Holbein drawings go back on show at Kunstmuseum Basel after almost 20 years

The Kunstmuseum Basel has reinstalled a collection of extremely fragile Hans Holbein drawings in a dedicated gallery as part of a major rehang of its 14th- to 19th-century galleries. The works, mostly preparatory studies by the Northern Renaissance painter, have not been publicly displayed for nearly 20 years and are so light-sensitive that the gallery's lighting system activates only when visitors enter. The museum's director, Elena Filipovic, notes that the drawings entered the collection in 1661 and have been kept undercover since the 1980s, last appearing in a major Holbein exhibition in 2006.

‘Rethinking, Reimagining and Reinstalling’ the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has unveiled a massive $1.5 billion renovation plan titled "Rethinking, Reimagining and Reinstalling," which aims to transform approximately 25 percent of its galleries and public spaces. This ambitious capital project includes the complete overhaul of the Oscar L. and Annette de la Renta Wing for modern and contemporary art, the renovation of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing for the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, and significant updates to the European Paintings galleries.

UK Government AI Copyright Rules Decision

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The UK government is currently navigating a contentious legal overhaul of intellectual property laws regarding artificial intelligence and copyright. A controversial proposal that would allow AI firms like OpenAI to train models on copyrighted material without creator consent has sparked fierce backlash from artists, MPs, and the House of Lords. While a formal update is expected in mid-March, reports suggest the government may delay a final decision for another year to gather further evidence.

the art marketplace private sales 2738131

A new digital platform called the Art Marketplace, founded in mid-2025 by Elliot Safra and a group of partners, aims to streamline private art sales by addressing common frustrations in the secondary market. Unlike traditional auction houses or gallery sales, the platform lists artworks without images, revealing only key details like artist name, description, price, and last update. Requests for images or condition reports are vetted to ensure qualified interest, prioritizing confidentiality and avoiding public exposure that could harm a work's market value. Sellers can list works in minutes, bypassing intermediaries like advisors or dealers, while buyers gain access to previously obscure off-market inventory.

wetransfer changes terms licensing rights ai 1234747368

WeTransfer, the cloud-based file transfer company widely used by art institutions, updated its terms of service on July 14 to include a clause granting the company a perpetual, royalty-free license to use uploaded content for training machine learning models and creating derivative works, which it could monetize without compensating users. After widespread criticism from the art community, including post-production professional Ashley Lynch, who noted conflicts with non-disclosure agreements, WeTransfer removed the controversial language and issued a statement assuring users that it does not use their content to train AI or machine learning models.

peru halves protected area near nazca lines 1234744125

Peru's Culture Ministry has reduced the protected area surrounding the Nazca Lines by nearly half, from approximately 2,162 square miles to 1,235 square miles. The move shrinks the Nazca Archaeological Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and archaeologists warn it could expose the ancient geoglyphs to exploitation by informal miners seeking to legitimize their operations amid a global surge in precious metal prices.

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.

The Met Makes a Statement With 9 New Mannequin Bodies

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has introduced nine new mannequin bodies for its costume displays, replacing older models to better showcase fashion exhibitions. The new mannequins feature more diverse and realistic body shapes, including different skin tones and poses, aiming to modernize the museum's presentation of historical and contemporary garments.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is now the Philadelphia Art Museum

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has officially changed its name to the Philadelphia Art Museum, as announced on October 8, 2025. The rebranding is accompanied by new merchandise featuring the updated name and logo, with press images released by photographer Rob Cusick showing the new branding.

Smithsonian museum removes label referencing Trump impeachments

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, removed a temporary label from its long-term exhibition *The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden* that referenced President Donald Trump’s two impeachments. The label, added in 2021, was intended as a short-term measure but remained until July 2025. The museum stated the removal was part of a content review and that the impeachment section would be updated in the coming weeks to reflect all impeachment proceedings, denying any external pressure from the Trump administration.

“Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art” at the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth presents "Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art," co-organized with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, marking the first major Maya exhibition in the U.S. in a decade. Featuring 95 works, the show includes 50 objects never before seen in the U.S. and 17 recent archaeological discoveries, with contributions from 23 lenders including the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología in Guatemala and the INAH – Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City. The exhibition is organized thematically around Creations, Day, Night, Rain, Maize, Knowledge, and Patron Gods, and highlights recent scholarship in Maya glyph decipherment, archaeology, and art interpretation.

This is BC: Renowned artists open Enderby gallery

Renowned artists have opened a new gallery in Enderby, British Columbia, as reported in a segment titled 'This is BC' by Global News. The video feature, published on June 10, 2025, highlights the establishment of this gallery by well-known visual artists in the small community of Enderby, located in the North Okanagan region. The artists are bringing their expertise and creative works to a local venue, aiming to enrich the area's cultural landscape.

Future Fair updates portraiture for 2025

Future Fair returns for its fifth anniversary from May 7-10 at Chelsea Industrial in Manhattan, featuring 67 exhibitors. The fair is impacted by President Donald Trump’s tariffs, with one Bologna-based gallery, Magazzeno Art Gaze, displaying a sign that its shipment is stuck at JFK customs, showing only works brought in luggage. Montreal’s Wishbone Gallery narrowly avoided a similar fate after its artist consulted a psychic, and the works arrived just in time. Despite trade disruptions, the fair continues its focus on portraiture, showcasing artists such as Saki Sonoda (depicting Bushwick club House of Yes), Émile Brunet (Dutch Golden Age-inspired portraits), Izere Antoine (impastoed Black women), Matthew Rosenquist (wooden reliefs of Americana), Katie Commodore (digital textile tapestries), and Catie Cook (animal stand-ins for Southern womanhood).

What the renovation of the Pergamon Museum costs

Was die Sanierung des Pergamonmuseums kostet

The Pergamon Museum in Berlin is undergoing a major renovation with a total budget of €1.5 billion for both construction phases, including cost risks. The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR) has announced that current projections indicate the overall costs will not be exceeded. Phase A, which includes the hall housing the famous Pergamon Altar, is expected to open on June 4, 2027, with a potential cost increase of up to 5% over the originally approved €489 million. Phase B, covering the Ishtar Gate and Babylonian Processional Way, has seen its cost forecast reduced by €27 million to €722.4 million, with an additional €295.6 million set aside for risks and price increases. The museum will fully reopen only in 2037.