Frida Kahlo: Making of an Icon

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The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has launched a major exhibition titled "Frida Kahlo: Making of an Icon," which explores the artist's transformation from a relatively unknown figure during her lifetime into a global cultural phenomenon. Curated by Mari Carmen Ramírez, the show features over 200 objects related to "Frida mania" alongside works by 80 contemporary artists who have been influenced by her legacy. The exhibition traces her life from her childhood in Mexico City and her tumultuous relationship with Diego Rivera to her emergence as a symbol for various social movements.

New York’s Independent fair reveals 76 exhibitors for first edition at Pier 36

The Independent art fair has announced the exhibitor list for its 17th edition, scheduled for May 14–17 in New York. The fair is moving to a new, larger venue at Pier 36 on the East River, featuring a redesigned exterior by architecture firm SO–IL. This year’s edition includes 76 exhibitors, nearly half of whom are first-timers, and introduces "Independent Debuts," a curatorial initiative focused on solo presentations by artists making their New York debut.

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Archaeologists and geologists have uncovered a Postclassic Maya settlement at the Birds of Paradise field complex in the Rio Bravo floodplain of Belize. Utilizing LiDAR mapping and 20 years of field research, the team discovered exceptionally preserved wooden architecture, stone structures, and domestic artifacts dating from 800–1500 CE. These findings reveal that Maya communities successfully migrated to wetland environments after inland urban centers were abandoned due to prolonged droughts.

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Artist Lucy Raven has completed her film trilogy, "The Drumfire," with the release of Murderers Bar (2025). The 42-minute film documents the historic removal of four dams along the Klamath River, capturing the dramatic release of water and the restoration of a river system flowing from Oregon through Northern California. The work is currently on view at the Power Plant in Toronto and is scheduled to travel to the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston in May.

Community exhibition celebrating local waterways opens at Wallaceburg museum

The Wallaceburg & District Museum Art Gallery has launched "The Water Chapter," a community-driven exhibition featuring artwork and personal narratives from residents of Dresden, Sombra, and Walpole Island. Organized by WATCH Citizen Science in collaboration with local arts councils, the show highlights the cultural and personal significance of the Sydenham, Snye, and St. Clair rivers through the eyes of local artists and students.

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Sotheby’s London Modern and Contemporary evening sale in March 2026 achieved a robust £130.6 million ($175 million), marking a significant 108.6 percent increase over the previous year's equivalent auction. The event was a "white glove" sale, with all 53 offered lots finding buyers, led by a Francis Bacon self-portrait that fetched £16 million. A notable highlight was a record-breaking £5.2 million sale for Leon Kossoff’s "Children’s Swimming Pool," which sparked a competitive ten-buyer bidding war.

In its 20th year, sculpture exhibition expands public art offerings in the county

The DownEast National Juried Sculpture Exhibition is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a significant expansion of its public art footprint across Pitt County, North Carolina. Artist Jessica Bradsher took first place for her steel sculpture "Capriole," which will be displayed outside Wahl-Coates Elementary School of the Arts. The exhibition features both an indoor showcase at the Emerge Gallery and Arts Center and an outdoor component that has grown to 20 locations, including new sites in Ayden, Farmville, Winterville, and north of the Tar River.

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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.

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Artist Andrea Fraser has launched a site-specific sound installation titled "Down the River" at the Whitney Museum of American Art’s new Renzo Piano-designed building. The project features audio recorded at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, played within the museum’s massive, empty 18,200-square-foot fifth-floor gallery. By piping the sounds of cell doors, inmate voices, and prison intercoms into the pristine museum space, Fraser physically links the acoustics of confinement with the architecture of elite cultural institutions.

Museum exhibition highlights the network behind Frederic Church

The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts is launching "Kindred Spirits: Artists in the Tenth Street Studio Building" on March 7, an exhibition exploring the collaborative network of 19th-century American landscape painter Frederic Edwin Church. Centered on Church’s "Scene on the Catskill Creek," the show highlights the significance of New York’s Tenth Street Studio Building—the first purpose-built space for artists—where figures like Albert Bierstadt and Martin Johnson Heade fostered the Hudson River School movement.

Three Cities of Art Exhibition at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre Reinterprets Dvaravati Aesthetics, Boosting Cultural Tourism Growth in Thailand

The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) is set to host "Three Cities of Art" from March 3 to 8, 2026, an exhibition that reimagines ancient Dvaravati aesthetics through contemporary art practices. The showcase features community-based and participatory art, blending historical sculpture and architectural influences with modern interpretations to create an immersive experience for visitors.

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.

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A mysterious art installation featuring an outdoor living room has been discovered on the shores of North Brother Island, an abandoned site in New York City’s East River. The arrangement, which includes a vintage wood-paneled television and a leather armchair perched on a concrete block, was spotted by a local kayaker. The island, once home to a quarantine hospital and the site of the General Slocum maritime disaster, has been closed to the public since 1963.

Sheboygan Visual Artists will welcome community to new gallery March 7

Sheboygan Visual Artists (SVA) is set to open its new 1,200-square-foot Ebenreiter Gallery on March 7 at 534 S. Pier Drive. The new riverfront location features four studio spaces and will serve as a permanent hub for exhibitions, workshops, and artist groups after the organization was displaced from its long-term home at the EBCO Venture Center in 2024. The opening will be marked by a communal painting event featuring local dignitaries rather than a traditional ribbon-cutting.

Kindred Spirits: Artists in the Tenth Street Studio Building, Celebrating Frederic Church at 200 Through Art, Community, and Connection

The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts is launching "Kindred Spirits: Artists in the Tenth Street Studio Building" on March 7, 2026. This exhibition is part of the global Frederic Church 200 celebration, marking the bicentennial of the influential landscape painter's birth. Centered around Church’s "Scene on the Catskill Creek," the show highlights the collaborative environment of the nation’s first purpose-built artist studio space in New York City.

Artist Creates Playful Cowgirl Paintings and Builds Community in RiNo

Denver-based contemporary artist Ariana Barnstable has gained recognition for her "Lazy Cowgirl" series, a collection of vibrant, western-themed paintings characterized by faceless, stylish figures in bold landscapes. Beyond her personal practice, Barnstable has transitioned from being the first artist-in-residence at the EDIT at River North residential complex to becoming its art director, where she oversees community-focused creative programming.

Hood River art exhibit highlights local Black artists in immersive setting - Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River, Oregon, is hosting "Black Infinity House," an immersive exhibition curated by August Oaks that showcases the work of over 30 Black Oregonian artists. Moving away from traditional white-cube gallery aesthetics, the installation is divided into three domestic-themed environments—a studio, a living room, and a porch—where visitors are encouraged to interact with the space by sitting on furniture, listening to records, and reading poetry.

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Musician Scotty Ramon, better known as Kid Cudi, has launched his debut solo painting exhibition titled "Echoes of the Past" at Ruttkowski;68 gallery in Paris. The show features a series of striking, flat-palette canvases centered around an avatar named Max, who navigates scenes of psychological struggle and liberation. To accompany the visual works, Ramon composed a 10-minute percussive score that plays on a loop in the gallery, intended to transport viewers into his creative psyche.

Opera Gallery Houston Grand Opening

Opera Gallery has officially opened its 14th international location in Houston’s River Oaks District, marking a significant expansion of its global footprint. The new space debuted with a high-profile presentation featuring masterworks by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Marc Chagall, alongside contemporary pieces by Yayoi Kusama and Kehinde Wiley. Led by Director Gregory Lahmi and Deputy Director Kara Przybyl McIver, the gallery plans to host several curated exhibitions annually focusing on Modern and Post-War art.

Rainforest-inspired works on show at Uki café-post office

Local artist Brenda Bryant has unveiled her latest exhibition, "Shadows and Light," at the Bastion Lane Espresso Bar in Uki. The collection features eight oil and pastel paintings inspired by the Gondwana rainforest and the remnants of the Big Scrub in Australia's Northern Rivers region. Bryant’s work utilizes a soft, misty aesthetic to capture the atmospheric tranquility of the forest, occasionally incorporating fantastical elements influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Hood River art exhibit anchors Black History Month events by group Black in the Gorge - Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River is hosting "Black Infinity House," an immersive exhibition curated by August Oaks that showcases the work of over 30 Black Oregon-based artists. The installation is designed as a domestic space featuring a studio, living room, and porch, displaying a diverse range of media including fabric art, wood-burned illustrations, painted portraits, and handmade jewelry.

Rocky Mount art venue celebrates exhibit with opening reception

The Tar River Art Gallery at North Carolina Wesleyan University is hosting a major exhibition opening and reception on February 22. The showcase features work from over 40 regional artists across a diverse range of mediums, including painting, ceramic sculpture, fused glass, and handcrafted jewelry. The event aims to introduce several new artists to the community while celebrating established local creators.

New international art gallery to be unveiled in River Oaks District in March

Opera Gallery, a major international gallery specializing in modern and contemporary art, is opening a new location in Houston's River Oaks District on March 20. The gallery will present three to four curated exhibitions annually, featuring works by artists like Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Yayoi Kusama.

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The Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid is seeking an investigation after security officers removed three visitors displaying Stars of David and an Israeli flag from the museum. Video of the incident, published by a conservative Spanish outlet, went viral and drew condemnation from Israeli officials and Jewish organizations who labeled the removal discriminatory.

The Great Indian Art Mafia

The Indian art market has undergone a dramatic transformation, shifting from a selective market with works priced between Rs 5-25 crore to a high-stakes arena where record-breaking sales are now common. Between 2023 and 2025, multiple works crossed the Rs 50-100 crore threshold, with M.F. Husain's 'Gram Yatra' (1954) achieving the highest price to date at approximately Rs 118 crore, acquired by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art. The market has expanded to over Rs 3,000 crore, with projections of Rs 10,000 crore by 2030.

Riverside Arts Center's Ypsi Fine Arts Club hosts Black Artist Exhibition

The Riverside Arts Center's Ypsi Fine Arts Club is hosting its fourth annual Black Artist Exhibition in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The show, which opened on January 16, 2026, features original works across painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, fiber, sculpture, installation, and mixed media. Its theme is 'Unity,' though artists were not required to adhere to it. The exhibition runs through February 28, 2026, in the center's North Gallery.

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Artforum announced the departure of editor-in-chief Tina Rivers Ryan at the end of February. She will be replaced by executive editor Rachel Wetzler and editor Daniel Wenger, who will serve as co-editors, with the editor-in-chief title being retired.

UWRF hosts annual Juried Student Art Exhibition

The University of Wisconsin-River Falls is hosting its annual Juried Student Art Exhibition from February 23 to March 27 at the Kleinpell Fine Arts Gallery. The free exhibition features works by UWRF students, with a reception and award ceremony scheduled for February 24. The juror for the exhibition is artist Mackenzie Serwa.

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).

Luxe art gallery sets opening date for River Oaks District location, first in Texas

A luxury art gallery, Galerie Philia, has announced its first Texas location will open in Houston's River Oaks District on May 10. The gallery, known for its focus on collectible design and contemporary art, will feature a rotating selection of about 40 pieces every three weeks and host three to four special exhibitions annually.