Meet four artists behind the public art you'll see at L.A. Metro's new D Line stations

L.A. Metro opened the first phase of its D Line extension on Friday, May 1, 2026, adding three new underground stations connecting downtown Los Angeles to Beverly Hills: Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega. The stations feature nine site-specific public artworks by artists including Mariana Castillo Deball, Eamon Ore-Giron, Ken Gonzales-Day, Todd Gray, Karl Haendel, Soo Kim, Fran Siegel, Susan Silton, and Mark Dean Veca. The competitive selection process began a decade ago, drawing over 1,200 applicants, with finalists judged by a panel of art professionals including curators from Miracle Mile museums. Metro deputy executive officer Zipporah Yamamoto leads the agency's public art program, which is funded by a 0.5% construction budget set-aside.

A Wooden Canopy by Kengo Kuma Casts Dappled Light Around a Copenhagen Museum

Architect Kengo Kuma has unveiled a monumental site-specific installation titled "Earth / Tree" at Copenhagen Contemporary. The structure features a suspended canopy of curved wooden slats designed to evoke the Japanese concept of 'komorebi,' or the dappled light that filters through trees. Positioned over a brick platform and rubble, the installation serves as a material bridge between Nordic and Japanese architectural traditions.

Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa “Lugar de Consuelo (Place of Solace)” at MoMA, New York

MoMA's Kravis Studio is presenting Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa's multimedia work "Lugar de Consuelo (Place of Solace)" (2020), marking the artist's first solo presentation at the museum. The work, jointly acquired in 2022 through MoMA's Latin American and Caribbean Fund and Fund for the Twenty-First Century, includes prints, drawings, costumes, sculptures, videos, and a related performance that explore political and personal histories of Guatemala.

11 Art Shows to See in the Hudson Valley in May 2026

The article surveys 11 art exhibitions opening across the Hudson Valley in May 2026, highlighting a regional preoccupation with structure, materiality, and resistance to singular narratives. Featured shows include "Surface, Structure, String" at Hudson Hall, a textile survey curated by Richard Saja with artists like Portia Munson and Laleh Khoramian; "Jose Picayo: 35 Years in Photographs" at Robin Rice Gallery; "The Linda McCartney Retrospective: From the Light" at the Fenimore Art Museum; "Carol Seitz: Growth in Difficult Places" at Convey/er/or; and "Stephen Olivier: Hazmat" at ASK in Kingston, among others.

Museum Storytellers: Three Art Scholars Curate Exhibitions at the North Shore’s World-Class Museum

The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem is highlighting the work of its curatorial team, specifically focusing on how Lydia Peabody, Lan Morgan, and Ruthie Dibble are revitalizing the institution's collections. A primary focus is the exhibition 'Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone,' where Peabody integrated contemporary photography and video by artist Gisella Torres to create a dialogue with Lewis’s 19th-century neoclassical marble sculptures. Other initiatives include Lan Morgan’s 'Beyond the Broom' project, which uses short films to showcase a community-focused perspective of Salem beyond its 'witch city' reputation.

First-ever oil painting depicting an artist at work to star in female Old Master exhibition

The first-ever exhibition dedicated to Catharina van Hemessen, Europe's most important early female painter, will open at the Snijders&Rockox House in Antwerp (15 October 2026 – 31 January 2027) before traveling to the National Gallery in London (4 March – 30 May 2027). The show will reunite most of her surviving works for the first time in nearly 500 years, including her groundbreaking 1548 self-portrait at the Kunstmuseum Basel, which is the earliest known self-portrait by a female artist and the earliest surviving oil painting depicting an artist at work. Archival research on her family is underway, and the exhibition will also feature works by her father, Jan Sanders van Hemessen.

17 museums and galleries to explore in Berkeley

Berkeleyside has published a guide to 17 museums and galleries in Berkeley, California, highlighting free and affordable arts and culture destinations. The list includes major institutions like the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), the Kala Art Institute, the Berkeley Art Center, the Magnes Collection of Jewish Life and Art, and the Lawrence Hall of Science, as well as smaller venues such as the Arts and Crafts Cooperative (ACCI), Shoh Gallery, 120710, and the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles. Each entry includes hours, admission details, and notable features, with an emphasis on free access and local artists.

Groundbreaking Achievement: 2025 Turner Prize Goes to Nnena Kalu, First Artist With Learning Disability to Win Prestigious Award

London-based artist Nnena Kalu (b. 1966) won the Turner Prize 2025 at a ceremony in Bradford on December 9, becoming the first artist with a learning disability to receive the prestigious award since its inception in 1984. Kalu’s practice spans sculpture, installation, and works on paper, featuring cocoon-like hanging sculptures made from unconventional materials like masking tape and VHS ribbon, as well as large-scale drawings of spiraling vortexes. She was selected from a shortlist that included Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami, and Zadie Xa, and was recognized for her presentation in the group exhibition “Conversations” at the Walker Art Gallery and her work at Manifesta 15 in Barcelona. The prize includes a £25,000 award.

Joan Miro, Tamara de Lempicka shows headline 31 exhibitions at local museums in December

Southwest Florida museums are hosting 31 exhibitions in December, including three new openings and two closings. Highlights include "Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration" at Sarasota Art Museum, featuring 100 rare posters from the Crouse Collection celebrating the Art Deco centennial; "Selina Roman: Abstract Corpulence," a photo-based installation exploring body politics and femininity; and Molly Hatch's site-specific ceramic installation "Amalgam" (2023-24), commissioned for the museum's "Inside Out" program. Other venues from Sarasota to Naples continue ongoing shows from their permanent collections and traveling exhibitions.

6 gripping museum exhibitions to view this winter

Six major museum exhibitions opening across the U.S. this winter are profiled, including 'Austrian Expressionism and Otto Kallir' at LACMA, which features a newly acquired Gustav Klimt painting and works by Egon Schiele; 'Divine Color: Hindu Prints from Modern Bengal' at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the first U.S. exhibition to explore how lithography transformed Hindu devotional art; 'Frida: The Making of an Icon' at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, examining Kahlo's rise from local painter to global brand; 'Conversation Pieces: Stories from the Fashion Archives' at the Denver Art Museum, showcasing garments from its permanent collection; and 'Grandma Moses: A Good Day’s Work' at the Smithsonian.

Penn Museum opens Native North America Gallery after two-year overhaul

The Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia will open its new 2,000-square-foot Native North America Gallery on Saturday, November 22, after two years of planning. The long-term exhibition replaces the 2014 show "Native American Voices: The People—Here and Now," which was curated by Lucy Fowler Williams with around 80 Native consultants but felt fragmented. This time, Williams and co-curator Megan C. Kassabaum worked closely with eight Native American curators—not just advisors—to determine the stories told. The gallery highlights moments of rupture, loss, and betrayal alongside resilience, and includes an empty vitrine to acknowledge repatriation efforts and culturally sensitive objects that tribes prefer not to display.

Metropolitan Museum's new Condé M. Nast Galleries will put fashion at the forefront

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will open the Condé M. Nast Galleries, a nearly 12,000-square-foot space adjacent to the Grand Hall, next spring. The new galleries will become the permanent home for the annual Costume Institute exhibition, replacing the museum's largest retail space. The inaugural show, "Costume Art" (10 May 2026–10 January 2027), will pair paintings, sculptures, and other art objects with historical and contemporary garments, emphasizing the dressed body as a central theme across the museum's collections. The move follows the record-breaking success of 2018's "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," which drew over 1.6 million visitors.

Museum of Whimsy set to reopen during a month of stellar local exhibitions

Southwest Florida museums are hosting a busy month of exhibitions in November, with four new shows opening, two closing, and 23 continuing. At the Sarasota Art Museum, highlights include "Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration," featuring 100 rare posters from the Crouse Collection by master graphic designers of the 1920s and 1930s, alongside sculptural works and Art Deco furniture. Also on view is "Selina Roman: Abstract Corpulence," a photography and abstraction series exploring beauty and body politics, and "Molly Hatch: Amalgam," a site-specific installation of over 450 hand-painted earthenware plates commissioned through the museum's Inside Out Program. The Museum of Whimsy is also set to reopen during this period.

Where to see art in Houston now: 9 fun new exhibits opening in July

Nine new art exhibitions are opening in Houston in July, spanning traditional paintings, sculptures, high-tech immersive shows, and textile works. Highlights include Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin's "Town Meeting 1978-2028" at Art League Houston, which uses wind-drawing techniques to explore pre-Stonewall queer histories; Jeffly Gabriela Molina's "Fragmentos de un sueño que yo también soñé," focusing on immigrant experiences of home and memory; and Lin Qiqing's "Every Fiber of Their Bodies," weaving narratives of gender, immigration, and human relationships. The Menil Collection also re-installs René Magritte paintings after their return from a major retrospective in Sydney.

A Deep Dive Into Westchester’s Arts Scene Right Now

This article surveys the visual arts scene in Westchester County, New York, highlighting museums, galleries, public displays, and artist profiles north of Manhattan. It features institutions such as the Neuberger Museum of Art, ArtsWestchester, Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden, Hudson River Museum, and Hudson Valley MOCA, noting specific exhibitions like "Smoke in Our Hair: Native Memory and Unsettled Time" and "Bill Viola: Moving Stillness." The piece emphasizes that Westchester offers a vibrant, bucolic alternative to New York City's art scene, with historic estates and contemporary spaces showcasing both established and emerging artists.

148 News: Awards & Obituaries

This article from ArtAsiaPacific reports on three recent art awards. Iraqi artist Ali Eyal received the Hammer Museum's $100,000 Mohn Award for emerging artists in Los Angeles. Japanese artist Mari Katayama won the inaugural ¥10 million Mori Art Award from the Mori Contemporary Art Foundation in Tokyo. Korean media artist Jeamin Cha secured the Hermès Foundation's 21st Missulsang, receiving KRW 30 million and production support for a solo exhibition at Atelier Hermès in Seoul in 2027.

Whispering Gallery: The Cratable Hedge and the Colonial Hangover

The article questions the appointment of James Taylor-Foster as the incoming director of Para Site in Hong Kong, noting his background as a curator of architecture and design rather than contemporary art, and his lack of prior engagement with Asia's curatorial scene. It also reports that Philip Tinari, former director of UCCA in Beijing, has been appointed to lead Tai Kwun, replacing Pi Li, who has become founding director of the Tencent-funded Róng Museum of Art in Shenzhen.

Ida Ekblad’s Experimental Space Where Artists Come to Play

Artist Ida Ekblad has converted a 1960s Brutalist villa in Oslo into a dynamic, non-commercial studio and project space named 'Villa Ekblad.' The space serves as her primary studio but is also designed to host spontaneous collaborations, workshops, and experimental projects with other artists, functioning as a creative laboratory removed from market pressures.

Thomas Zipp has died

Thomas Zipp gestorben

The Berlin-based artist Thomas Zipp has died. His gallery, Barbara Thumm, announced the news on Saturday. Zipp, born in 1966, was a professor of painting and multimedia at the Berlin University of the Arts and was considered one of the most significant figures in German contemporary art since the 1990s. His work was shown internationally at venues including the Venice Biennale and museums in New York, London, and Zurich.

Masterpieces of Italian Renaissance exhibited at National Art Museum of China in Beijing

An exhibition titled "Homage to the Virtuosos: From Leonardo da Vinci to Caravaggio -- Masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance" opened at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing on May 5, 2026. The show features 36 masterpieces by more than 20 renowned Italian artists from the 15th to the 17th centuries, spanning the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Frist Art Museum Presents Exhibition Spanning 100 Years of Contemporary Indigenous Art, Highlighting a Continuum of Elders and Emerging Makers

The Frist Art Museum is presenting a new exhibition that spans 100 years of contemporary Indigenous art, featuring works from both established elders and emerging makers. The show aims to highlight the continuity and evolution of Indigenous artistic practices across generations.

Telfair Museums presents Impressionism and Modernity: French and American Painting opening May 15

Telfair Museums will present "Impressionism and Modernity: French and American Painting" at the Jepson Center for the Arts from May 15 through August 16, 2026. Organized for the museum's 140th anniversary, the exhibition brings together Telfair's collection of American Impressionist works with key French Impressionist paintings from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., featuring artists such as Edgar Degas, Alfred Sisley, and Vincent van Gogh. The show explores Impressionism's origins in France, its transatlantic influence, and its impact on American art and identity, with works addressing themes of modern life, leisure, the city, and nostalgia for nature.

White House launches review of Smithsonian museums and exhibitions

The White House has launched a comprehensive internal review of the Smithsonian Institution, targeting eight of its museums including the National Museum of American History, National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Hirshhorn Museum. A letter signed by senior White House officials Lindsey Halligan, Vince Haley, and Russ Vought demands extensive documentation, curatorial materials, and exhibition schedules within 30-, 75-, and 120-day deadlines, with the stated goal of aligning programming with President Donald Trump's directive to "celebrate American exceptionalism" and remove "divisive or partisan narratives." The review follows Trump's March executive order reshaping the Smithsonian, which had already led to the resignation of National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet and the cancellation of artist Amy Sherald's traveling exhibition after the museum allegedly sought to remove her painting of a non-binary transgender person.

New York's Art Week 2026 is underway. A guide to all the fairs to see in the city: Frieze and the others

È in corso l’Art Week di New York del 2026. La guida di tutte le fiere da vedere in città: Frieze e le altre

New York's spring Art Week is underway in mid-May 2026, anchored by two major fairs: Frieze New York (May 13–17) at The Shed, featuring about 70 galleries from over 25 countries, and TEFAF New York (May 15–19) at the Park Avenue Armory, celebrating its tenth edition with 88 galleries. Additional fairs include Independent Art Fair at Pier 36 (May 14–17) with 76 galleries and site-specific installations, and NADA New York at the Starrett-Lehigh Building (May 13–17), promoting emerging artists. The week also involves museums, cultural institutions, and galleries citywide.

Joe Macken Spent 22 Years Building a Miniature New York by Hand

Joe Macken, a truck driver from upstate New York, spent 22 years building a 50-by-27-foot miniature scale model of New York City entirely from balsa wood, cardboard, and glue. The model, which includes all five boroughs and landmarks like the Twin Towers and One World Trade Center, went viral on TikTok after Macken’s daughter encouraged him to post a video. It is now on display at the Museum of the City of New York in an exhibition titled *He Built This City: Joe Macken’s Model*.

Zurich's Museum Rietberg transfers 11 Benin Bronzes to Nigerian government

The Museum Rietberg in Zurich is transferring ownership of 11 Benin Bronzes to the Republic of Nigeria. The transfer includes a significant commemorative bronze head from around 1850 and an 18th-century ivory tusk, both looted during the British raid on Benin City in 1897, which will be physically returned to Nigeria this summer.

Is Fashion Art? The Met and Sotheby’s Answer

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual Costume Institute Benefit (The Met Gala) kicked off this past Monday with the theme "Fashion is Art," coinciding with the opening of the Met's new Condé M. Nast Galleries. The inaugural exhibition, titled "Costume Art," spans nearly 12,000 square feet and pairs pieces from the Costume Institute with objects from the museum's broader collection, juxtaposing items such as a Greek vessel from 460 BCE with a 1920s Fortuny gown, and Albrecht Dürer's "The Man of Sorrows" with Vivienne Westwood's "Martyr to Love" jacket.

Exclusive | Met Gala 2026 and ‘Costume Art’ brashly transform flesh, bones and guts into too-cool couture

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute will debut its spring 2026 exhibition, “Costume Art,” on May 10, preceded by the Met Gala on May 4. The exhibition explores the dressed body in all forms—nude, pregnant, plus-size, disabled, aging, and internal—and features fashion designer Renata Buzzo’s hand-stitched “Corset Anatomia” from her 2024 collection “The Body.” Buzzo was personally selected by curator Andrew Bolton and donated her pieces. The exhibition will be housed in the new Condé M. Nast Galleries, an 11,500-square-foot space that will make fashion galleries the first thing visitors see upon entering the Great Hall. The Met Gala, co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, raised a record $31 million in 2025 and will follow the dress code “Fashion is Art.”

Art Gallery / Museum Information – Recommended Exhibitions in April 2026

Major Japanese institutions have announced their flagship exhibition schedules for April 2026, featuring a mix of international retrospectives and deep dives into domestic art history. Highlights include the National Museum of Western Art’s presentation of Lithuanian visionary M. K. Čiurlionis alongside Hokusai, and a significant ten-year memorial retrospective for Nakanishi Natsuyuki at the National Museum of Art, Osaka. Other notable shows include a sensory-focused photography exhibition at TOP Museum and a folklore-centric study of Lafcadio Hearn in Osaka.

Museum Exhibitions Coming to East & South Texas in Spring 2026

Several museums in East and South Texas have announced their spring 2026 exhibition schedules. The Beeville Art Museum will open a solo show of landscape painter William Anzalone in January. The Art Museum of South Texas in Corpus Christi will present 'In Nature’s Studio: Two Centuries of American Landscape Painting,' a traveling exhibition from the Reading Public Museum. The Longview Museum of Fine Arts will host a retrospective of photographer Frank Armstrong. The International Museum of Art and Science in McAllen will open three shows: 'Piñatabstract' by Josuè Rawmirez, 'Voces del Arte Popular' featuring Mexican folk art, and 'Aviary,' a bird-themed exhibition. South Texas College will also present two exhibitions in January and February, including Leila Hernández's 'The Lessons of the Empress.'