In the Studio With Rama Duwaji

Syrian-American artist Rama Duwaji discusses her evolving art practice and her new role as the First Lady of New York City following her husband Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral victory. Known for her distinct illustrations and animations for major institutions like the Tate Modern and the New Yorker, Duwaji is now transitioning into a more public-facing life while maintaining a studio practice at Gracie Mansion. Her work, which spans hand-drawn animation, ceramics, and paintings on found materials like cardboard, continues to blur the lines between commercial illustration and fine art.

'Rooted Strong' exhibition at New Mexico Museum of Art explores visions of America from New Mexico

The New Mexico Museum of Art has launched "Rooted Strong: Visions of America from New Mexico," an exhibition timed to coincide with the United States semiquincentennial in 2026. Co-curated by Alexandra Terry and Katie Doyle, the show features 86 objects primarily drawn from the museum’s permanent collection, supplemented by key loans. The exhibition is organized into four thematic sections—Community, Land, Domestic Life, and Celebration—and exclusively features artists who have lived in the state for at least a decade, including figures like Nikesha Breeze, Sabra Moore, and Luis Tapia.

Rowan University’s Museum of Contemporary Art hosts final exhibition focusing on black resilience

The Rowan University Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting "The Spectrum of Resilience," a solo exhibition by New Jersey-based artist and educator Jazlyne Sabree. The showcase features works that explore the tenacity and authenticity of the African Diaspora, drawing from Sabree’s extensive research and residencies in West Africa, Brazil, and Liberia. The exhibition highlights everyday moments—such as washing hair or embracing children—elevating them into profound artistic statements on ancestral lineage and survival.

ASU Art Museum exhibit features Chicana artist Carmen Lomas Garza

The Arizona State University Art Museum is set to open "Carmen Lomas Garza: Picturing the Familiar" this May, a retrospective dedicated to the 76-year-old Chicana artist and author. The exhibition highlights Garza’s career-long commitment to documenting South Texas and Mexican-American life through paintings, prints, and children's book illustrations. Her work focuses on intimate, everyday scenes—from domestic interiors to community celebrations—that were heavily influenced by her involvement in the Chicano movement.

Exhibition | Allison Katz, 'Outta the Bag' at Hauser & Wirth, New York, Wooster Street, United States

Artist Allison Katz presents 'Outta the Bag,' her first solo exhibition with Hauser & Wirth in New York. The show features a diverse range of works that blend personal history, art-historical references, and linguistic wordplay, including her signature 'cock paintings' and motifs of mouths and architectural apertures. The exhibition serves as a homecoming for the Montreal-born, London-based artist, who spent her formative years in New York studying at Columbia University.

Butler Art exhibit empowers disabled artist community

The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio, recently hosted the opening reception for the 31st annual Accessible Expressions Ohio (AEO) exhibition. Featuring over 50 works by artists with disabilities from across the state, the event included live music from The Feral Cats and workshops for the Remember Love Recovery Project. The exhibition, which runs through June 7, showcases winners across various categories including youth, professional, and emerging artists.

Walker Art Center Severs Ties with Restaurant for Laying Off Workers in Favor of QR Codes

The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis has announced it is severing ties with its on-site restaurant, Cardamom, following the establishment's sudden decision to lay off its front-of-house staff. The restaurant, operated by chef Daniel del Prado, intended to replace 16 servers and hosts with a QR code ordering system to combat financial losses. Museum director Mary Ceruti stated that the move caught the institution by surprise and does not align with the museum's commitment to providing a welcoming, full-service environment for its visitors.

V&A Museum Has Acquiesced to Censorship Requests from Chinese Printer: Report

London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) reportedly complied with censorship demands from its Chinese printing firm, C&C Offset Printing, to alter exhibition catalogues. Internal emails revealed that the museum removed a photograph of Lenin from a Fabergé exhibition book and altered historical maps to align with Chinese government standards after the printers flagged them as "sensitive." Staff noted that while they were aware of contemporary geopolitical sensitivities, the restrictions had expanded to include historical imagery, forcing last-minute editorial changes to avoid production delays.

Industrial Dreams of the GDR

Industrieträume der DDR

The exhibition "Robotron – Arbeiterklasse und Intelligenz" has opened at the Hartware Medienkunstverein (HMKV) in Dortmund, following its initial run in Leipzig. Centered on the history of the GDR’s largest computer manufacturer, the show features 20 artistic positions including photography, film, and sculpture, alongside a significant five-meter oil sketch by Socialist Realist painter Werner Tübke. The presentation bridges East and West German industrial histories by juxtaposing state-commissioned propaganda with progressive, unofficial works by artists like Ruth Wolf-Rehfeldt and A.R. Penck.

The Milan fair dedicating an entire day to reflecting on the state of Italian art: 8 straight hours of conversations

A Milano la fiera che dedica un’intera giornata per riflettere sullo stato dell’arte italiana: 8 ore filate di conversazioni

The debut edition of Paris Internationale in Milan, scheduled for April 2026 at Palazzo Galbani, will feature a marathon eight-hour symposium titled "Aperto Italia." Organized in collaboration with the Fondazione Nicola Trussardi and curated by Massimiliano Gioni, the event brings together 35 international galleries and a significant roster of Italian artists. The program is designed as a continuous cycle of conversations to address the current state of contemporary art in Italy, paying tribute to the late Flash Art publisher Giancarlo Politi.

Monuments & Weapons: How Public Space Prepares Us for War Without Us Even Realizing It

Monumenti&armi. Così lo spazio pubblico ci prepara alla guerra senza che neppure ce ne rendiamo conto

Public squares and urban spaces are densely populated with war-related monuments that condition society to accept conflict as a historical inevitability. A study by Philadelphia’s Monument Lab reveals that nearly 60% of U.S. monuments focus on war themes, outnumbering themes of peace thirteen-fold, while Italy maintains over 12,000 memorials dedicated solely to World War I. These structures often prioritize military hierarchy and territorial conquest over themes of care, gender equality, or social diversity.

Notta Gallery Celebrates Hispanic Art and Culture with Fuego Festival and ‘Caballo de Fuego’

Notta Gallery in Lakeland, Florida, is launching a major retrospective titled 'Caballo de Fuego: Firehorse' dedicated to the 90-year-old Cuban master Gonzalo Borges. The exhibition features over 40 works spanning three decades, ranging from 1994 to a new piece completed in 2025. To mark the opening, the gallery is hosting the inaugural Fuego Festival, a street event celebrating Hispanic heritage through art, Latin cuisine, and live music.

Brooklyn Artist Kelly Ahern Presents Solo Exhibition at Bushwick Gallery

Brooklyn-based painter Kelly Ahern is set to debut a one-night solo exhibition titled 'Surface Tension' at the Bushwick Gallery on April 14, 2026. The show is part of the gallery’s 'Solo Statement' program, specifically the series 'Doesn't Play Well with Others,' which grants artists total creative autonomy to curate and present their work. The exhibition will feature Ahern's latest abstract compositions and conceptual pieces, focusing on her unique approach to the medium of painting.

Blue Sky Gallery Celebrates 50 Years of Photography in Portland

Blue Sky Gallery, a cornerstone of Portland’s photography scene, is celebrating its 50th anniversary throughout 2025. Founded in 1975 by five artists who pooled their unemployment checks to open a tiny storefront, the non-profit collective has since showcased over 1,000 photographers and expanded into a major space in the city's Pearl District. The milestone year includes a series of decade-focused exhibitions and a rooftop gala to honor its history as one of the oldest artist-run photography galleries in the United States.

GA Watercolor Society’s National Exhibition Comes to Arts Center

The Georgia Watercolor Society’s National Exhibition is returning to the Carrollton Center for the Arts from April 15 to May 22. This year’s juried showcase features 80 watercolor paintings selected from artists across the United States, ranging from highly detailed still lifes to impressionistic landscapes. The exhibition will kick off with a series of public events on April 18, including an artist demonstration by Carol Carter, an opening reception, and the society's annual meeting.

‘The extremely happy part of the crowd’: Hungarian arts figures hope for change after 16 years of Orbán rule

The 16-year tenure of Viktor Orbán has come to an end following a landslide victory for Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party in the 2026 Hungarian parliamentary election. The shift in power has sparked widespread celebration among Hungary’s progressive art community, which has long felt stifled by Orbán’s nationalist and socially conservative agenda. Figures from major Budapest galleries and the contemporary art scene report a profound sense of relief, signaling a potential departure from the "illiberal democracy" that dominated the country for nearly two decades.

Alice Peach “Still Curly” at Iowa, New York

Alice Peach’s solo exhibition "Still Curly" at Iowa, New York, features a series of new sculptures constructed from popsicle sticks. These humble, mass-produced materials are transformed into modular, skeletal forms that mimic biological structures such as spines and torsos. The works are displayed in various states of tension, either splayed against the gallery walls or suspended from the ceiling to create a sense of precarious movement.

USC Fisher Museum welcomes the National Archives’ Freedom Plane National Tour

The USC Fisher Museum of Art has welcomed the "National Archives’ Freedom Plane National Tour," a traveling exhibition featuring foundational American documents. Arriving via a specially branded Boeing 737 at Van Nuys Airport, the collection includes rare items such as a 1823 Stone engraving of the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris, and a secret printing of the Constitution. USC is the only university selected as a stop on this eight-city tour, which commemorates the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.

Philadelphia Museums Launch Landmark American Art Exhibition

The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) have announced a major collaborative exhibition titled "A Nation of Artists," set to open in April 2026. Featuring over 1,000 works spanning three centuries, the show will integrate paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts, including more than 120 pieces from the prestigious Middleton Family Collection. The exhibition is designed to coincide with the United States' 250th anniversary and the reopening of PAFA’s Historic Landmark Building.

Joyce Awards to Relaunch After Yearlong Pause with $100,000 Unrestricted Grants for Great Lakes Artists

The Chicago-based Joyce Foundation has announced the relaunch of its Joyce Awards after a year-long hiatus, introducing a significant shift in its funding model. Starting with the 2026 cycle, the program will move from project-based grants to providing four artists annually with $100,000 in unrestricted funds, alongside a $40,000 grant for a partner nonprofit. The awards will now operate on a biennial rotation between specific Great Lakes states and allow for self-nominations for the first time.

Inside Richie Shazam’s Debut Solo Show in Texas

Multidisciplinary artist Richie Shazam has launched her debut solo exhibition, "I Was Never Meant to Survive This," at the McLennon Pen Co. gallery in Austin, Texas. The show features 39 new works that blend photography, sculpture, and set design, utilizing found objects, hair, and flowers alongside Shazam’s own body as a primary subject. The collection represents a deeply personal exploration of her Guyanese heritage, trans identity, and the community that has supported her journey from New York City to the international stage.

Sotheby’s Owes Real Estate Firm $10.2 Million Commission: Lawsuit

Real estate giant Cushman & Wakefield has filed a lawsuit against Sotheby’s, alleging the auction house failed to pay a $10.2 million commission following the $510 million sale of its New York headquarters. The dispute centers on the building at 1334 York Avenue, which was sold to Weill Cornell Medicine in late 2025 after the medical institution initially leased several floors through a deal brokered by the real estate firm.

Cultural Institutions Warn Against AfD's Cultural Policy Plans

Kulturinstitutionen warnen vor AfD-Plänen zur Kulturpolitik

Nearly 30 cultural institutions in Saxony-Anhalt, including the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation and the Saxony-Anhalt Museum Association, have issued a joint warning against the AfD party's new government program. The political platform proposes a "patriotic cultural policy" that would prioritize funding for art contributing to "German identity" while criticizing the state's focus on modernism and the Bauhaus as a "sign of identity disorder." The institutions argue these plans threaten artistic freedom, pluralism, and the democratic culture of remembrance regarding Germany's Nazi past.

CSUF student artists capture childhood wonder at biannual ASI art show

Cal State Fullerton recently hosted its biannual Associated Students Inc. (ASI) Art Show at the Titan Student Union Center Gallery, centered on the theme of "Memory and Nostalgia." The exhibition showcased 20 student works spanning traditional oil paintings, digital illustrations, and 3D-printed media. Awards were presented across multiple categories, highlighting pieces such as Michael Butorac’s acrylic painting "Unforgotten Friday’s" and Victor Castaneda’s digital photograph "Becoming."

Call for Entries Open for 56th National Juried Artists Exhibition

The St. Tammany Art Association (STAA) has launched its call for entries for the 56th National Juried Artists Exhibition, titled "The Summer Show." Open to artists across the United States, the competition offers $3,500 in total cash prizes, including a $2,000 Best of Show award. The exhibition will run from July 11 to September 12, 2026, at the STAA Art House in Covington, Louisiana, with New Orleans-based ceramicist and educator MaPó Kinnord serving as the guest juror.

An exhibition at a historic villa in Prato brings together the artificial and the natural

In una villa storica a Prato una mostra che fa incontrare artificiale e naturale

Artist Andrea Marini presents "Anomale Intrusioni" (Anomalous Intrusions) at the historic Villa Rospigliosi in Prato, an exhibition organized by Associazione Chorasis. Curated by Riccardo Farinelli, the show features sculptural interventions that blend conceptual minimalism with the villa's centuries-old architecture and natural landscape. Marini’s works function as "programmed interferences," creating a dialogue between the organic and the artificial through metallic structures and zoomorphic forms that react to the surrounding environment and climate.

Fragility and Resistance of an Iranian Artist on Display in Rome

Fragilità e resistenza di un’artista dell’Iran in mostra a Roma

The Galleria Anna Marra in Rome is hosting "Assemblages," the first Italian solo exhibition of Iranian artist Sepideh Salehi. The show features works that blend collage, Japanese paper, photography, and drawing to depict Iranian women living in the United States who have shared experiences of displacement and political upheaval. Salehi’s figures often avert their gaze or conceal their faces, symbolizing a "calligraphy of refusal" and a quiet resistance against the historical traumas of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq war.

The Forgotten of Art: The Story of Architect and Sculptor Pietro De Laurentiis

I dimenticati dell’arte. La storia dell’architetto e scultore Pietro De Laurentiis

The life and legacy of Pietro De Laurentiis, a multifaceted Italian architect, sculptor, and cultural activist, are being rediscovered through a retrospective look at his prolific career. Born into a peasant family in Abruzzo, De Laurentiis rose to prominence in Rome's mid-century art scene, balancing a forty-year teaching career at the Faculty of Architecture with significant public commissions, including bronze panels for the ACEA headquarters and marble works for INPS. His artistic style evolved from rural-inspired figuration to a unique geometric abstraction that blended Cubism with folk traditions.

Treviso is a Painted City: The Benetton Foundation Details Its Research

Treviso è una città dipinta. La Fondazione Benetton racconta tutto nelle sue ricerche

The Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche has unveiled the results of its decade-long multidisciplinary project, "Treviso urbs picta," which documents the extensive history of frescoed facades in Treviso, Italy. Spanning the 13th to the 21st centuries, the initiative has produced a comprehensive database of 614 buildings, a scholarly publication, and a topographical map. The project includes a digital archive featuring professional photography and historical mapping to track the evolution and current state of the city's unique painted architecture.

Bob Ross paintings will go on view at Bonhams New York.

Four original paintings by the late American television personality Bob Ross are set to go on view at Bonhams’ new U.S. flagship gallery in New York on April 22nd. These works, which Ross created during his iconic series The Joy of Painting, will be sold at the auction house's American Art sale the following day. This event marks the third installment of a larger initiative to sell 30 of Ross's works to benefit public broadcasting.