Art for Our Age of Chaos

The article reviews two major New York exhibitions opening in 2026: the Whitney Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art, featuring over fifty artists, and "New Humans: Memories of the Future" at the newly expanded New Museum, with over a hundred artists. Both shows are described as enormous and defiant, responding to a distracted public and financial pressures. The reviewer notes that both exhibitions juxtapose large-scale immersive works with tiny, intimate pieces, and finds the Whitney Biennial lacking urgency, while preferring the New Museum's historical narrative about technology and modernity.

In conversation with Mia curator Tom Rassieur: 1940s Germany, modern art and its mirrors today

The Minneapolis Institute of Art has opened a major exhibition, 'Modern Art and Politics in Germany 1910-1945: Masterworks from the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin.' The show, curated by Tom Rassieur, presents a chronological journey through German art from the Expressionist era through the World Wars, featuring key works by artists like Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Vassily Kandinsky, and Franz Marc. It highlights groups like Der Blaue Reiter and uses deliberate pairings, such as portraits of Jewish art dealers by Otto Dix and Lovis Corinth, to explore themes of societal tension, propaganda, and identity.

LACMA's David Geffen Galleries invites visitors to get lost and move through art without a set path.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has opened its new David Geffen Galleries building to the public. Designed by architect Peter Zumthor, the 900-foot-long structure features a non-linear, single-level layout with abundant natural light, intentionally encouraging visitors to wander without a set path. The inaugural exhibition, organized by 45 curators, abandons traditional art historical categories in favor of a thematic presentation centered on major bodies of water and global trade routes.

Coming to campus this spring? Check out these exhibitions.

The University of Chicago is hosting a diverse slate of art exhibitions across its campus this spring. Highlights include 'A Bestiary of Ancient Nubia' at the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, 'Beyond Boundaries: Three Decades of Contemporary Chinese Art' and 'Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas' at the Smart Museum of Art, the photography exhibition 'Black Culture in Chicago' at the Logan Center, and 'History on the Edges: Michel-Rolph Trouillot’s Caribbean' at the Regenstein Library.

BTS leader RM to unveil personal art collection at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

RM, the leader of K-pop group BTS, will present his personal art collection at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) in an exhibition titled "RM x SFMOMA," running from October 3 to February 7. The show features around 200 works from RM’s collection and SFMOMA’s holdings, many never before shown in the US, and is co-curated by RM, SFMOMA curatorial project manager America Castillo, and assistant curator Kim Hyo-eun. Key Korean artists in RM’s collection include Yun Hyong-keun, Park Rehyun, Kwon Ok-yon, Kim Yun-shin, To Sang-bong, and Chang Ucchin, while SFMOMA contributes works by Kim Whan-ki, Mark Rothko, Agnes Martin, Henri Matisse, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Paul Klee.

History, Culture, and Place Ground LACMA’s Breathtaking New David Geffen Galleries

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has opened its new David Geffen Galleries, a long, elevated concrete structure designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. The building, more than 20 years in the making, replaces much of LACMA's mid-century campus with a single winding gallery that hovers above Wilshire Boulevard. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Sunday, followed by a two-week member preview, with the public opening scheduled for May 4. The project is the vision of longtime director Michael Govan, who sought to create a museum without hierarchy, placing objects from different geographies and time periods in dialogue. Artist Mariana Castillo Deball was commissioned to create a plaza installation that incorporates native animal tracks, Mesoamerican imagery, and the labor of migrant workers, reflecting themes of migration and cultural exchange.

“I’m just a painter.” An interview with Jim Moir

Comedian Jim Moir, best known as Vic Reeves, has opened a solo exhibition titled 'Neo Fauna' at Cartwright Hall in Bradford. The show features his eclectic paintings and drawings, including watercolours of birds and the 'American Couples' series, where he paints over found family portraits. Moir insists his comedy career was an extension of his art practice, stating he is fundamentally 'just a painter.'

Texas' First Modern Art Museum Is In A Gorgeous San Antonio Colonial Mansion

The McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas, is highlighted as the state's first modern art museum, uniquely housed in a 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival-style mansion. Founded in 1954 by collector Marion Koogler McNay, the institution manages a collection of over 20,000 objects, including masterworks by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Georgia O'Keeffe, set across 25 acres of landscaped gardens.

Remembering Melvin Edwards (1937–2026)

The art world mourns the passing of Melvin Edwards, a pioneering American sculptor who died on March 30, 2026. Known for his mastery of steel, iron, and barbed wire, Edwards rose to prominence in the 1960s with works that balanced formal abstraction with the heavy symbolism of chains and industrial materials. His career was marked by significant milestones, including being the first African American sculptor to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum in 1970 and his long-standing presence in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

A Landmark Calder Exhibition with Over 300 of His Revolutionary Works Goes on View in Paris

The Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris has launched "Calder: rêver en équilibre," a massive retrospective featuring over 300 works by the American modernist Alexander Calder. The exhibition spans the artist's entire career, from his early engineering-influenced "Circus" performances and hand-wrought jewelry to his iconic suspended mobiles and monumental outdoor sculptures. Notably, the show marks the first time the Frank Gehry-designed institution has installed artworks on its exterior lawns, creating a dialogue between Calder’s geometric forms and the building's avant-garde architecture.

Boston had Isabella Stewart Gardner, and Fitchburg had Eleanor Norcross

The Fitchburg Art Museum is celebrating its 100th anniversary with the exhibition “Kaleidoscope: 100 Years of Collecting for our Community.” The show honors the legacy of founder Eleanor Norcross, a Victorian-era artist and collector who studied under William Merritt Chase and exhibited in Parisian salons. Although Norcross died in 1923 before the museum opened, her estate and personal collection of paintings and decorative arts provided the foundation for the institution, which officially opened in 1929.

Suspended Labyrinth of Woven Pathways Invites Visitors To Wander in Midair

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) has reinstalled Ernesto Neto’s monumental site-specific commission, "SunForceOceanLife," in its Cullinan Hall. The immersive installation consists of a massive, hand-woven crochet labyrinth suspended 12 feet in the air, featuring a vibrant color palette that symbolizes the cyclical relationship between the sun, sea, and earth. Visitors are invited to walk through the spiral pathways, which are filled with soft plastic balls designed to challenge their balance and induce a meditative state.

The Phillies Owner’s Other Superstars

John Middleton, the billionaire owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, is channeling his competitive drive into the acquisition of 19th-century American masterpieces. His private collection, which features prominent works by Andrew Wyeth, Winslow Homer, and Thomas Eakins, has quietly become one of the most significant of its kind in the United States. Middleton’s approach to collecting mirrors his sports management style, focusing on "blue-chip" historical significance and technical mastery.

✨ illumine. Noguchi. Atlanta.

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta is hosting a major retrospective titled “Isamu Noguchi: ‘I am not a designer,’” featuring nearly 200 works by the Japanese-American artist. The exhibition highlights Noguchi’s philosophy that art should exist in everyday spaces, showcasing everything from his iconic midcentury furniture and floor lamps to his functional playground designs. Simultaneously, the city is preparing for 'illumine 2026,' an outdoor light-based art exhibition at the Historic Oakland Cemetery that further explores the integration of art into public life.

Exciting Spring Exhibitions Across U.S. Museums

Major U.S. museums are launching a series of high-profile exhibitions this spring, headlined by a massive Marcel Duchamp retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Other key highlights include the North American debut of Iris van Herpen’s technologically-driven fashion at the Brooklyn Museum and a focused look at Peter Hujar’s photography of the New York underground at the Morgan Library & Museum.

Isamu Noguchi designed modern America. Atlanta’s High Museum shows how.

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta has launched a major retrospective titled “Isamu Noguchi: ‘I am not a designer,’” featuring nearly 200 objects that span the artist's prolific career. The exhibition showcases Noguchi’s diverse output, including his iconic Akari paper lanterns, furniture for Herman Miller, the Radio Nurse baby monitor, and his extensive stage set collaborations with choreographers like Martha Graham and Ruth Page.

Virginia MOCA opens new building with bold show, 'The Pursuit of Happiness.'

The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (Virginia MOCA) has inaugurated its new, expanded facility on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan University. The opening is anchored by a major solo exhibition titled "The Pursuit of Happiness" by acclaimed contemporary artist Nina Chanel Abney, alongside a group show, "Seamless: Art and Design." Abney’s exhibition features her signature large-scale, vibrant, and emoji-inspired works that explore the complexities of the American Dream, identity, and power structures through a lens of both visual seduction and narrative ambiguity.

Exhibit traces 250 years of American history at Greenville County Museum of Art

The Greenville County Museum of Art has launched "American Stories," a comprehensive exhibition drawn from its permanent collection to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States. Featuring pivotal works such as Thomas Sully’s "Passage of the Delaware," the show spans two centuries of artistic production to explore the complexities of the American experience, from the Revolutionary War to the modern era.

Latin American Art: Structural Growth between Market and Institutions

Latin American Art: Structural Growth between Market and Institutions

Latin American contemporary art is experiencing structural growth and increased global visibility between 2024 and 2026, moving beyond speculative trends toward deep-seated institutional legitimacy. This shift is highlighted by the prominent inclusion of regional artists in major international platforms, most notably the 2026 Venice Biennale and the Pinault Collection. Key figures such as Rosanna Paulino, Adriana Varejão, and Paulo Nazareth are leading this movement, utilizing diverse media to explore themes of post-colonialism, racial violence, and ecological memory.

Artist Alexander Calder's mobiles come to life in a Paris exhibition

The Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris has launched a major retrospective dedicated to the American artist Alexander Calder, featuring approximately 300 works. The exhibition showcases 139 of his signature kinetic sculptures and 33 paintings, utilizing the institution's vast internal galleries as well as its external gardens. This marks the first time the museum's outdoor spaces, designed by the late architect Frank Gehry, have been used to host such a comprehensive display of Calder's monumental works.

Brandywine Museum of Art’s exhibition features a contemporary eye on still life

The Brandywine Museum of Art has announced a new group exhibition titled "Abundance/Excess: A Contemporary Eye on Still Life," featuring works by 10 contemporary artists. The show is divided into two thematic sections: "Abundance," which examines the history of wealth and commerce in America, and "Excess," which focuses on the environmental and social consequences of overconsumption. Curated by Kerry Bickford, the exhibition includes diverse media ranging from traditional painting to works made from discarded materials like trash-picked toys and grocery flyers.

The National Gallery of Art Holds an Artistic Mirror Up to the United States for Its Big 250th Birthday

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has launched "Dear America," a major exhibition commemorating the United States' 250th anniversary. Featuring over 100 prints, drawings, and photographs from the museum’s permanent collection, the show spans from the late 18th century to the present day. The exhibition is organized into three thematic sections—"Land," "Community," and "Freedom"—showcasing works by iconic artists such as Andy Warhol, Ansel Adams, and Richard Avedon alongside contemporary voices like Tom Jones of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

CAM “Fresh Air: Inflatable Sculptures” exhibit set to open this summer

The Cameron Art Museum (CAM) in Wilmington, North Carolina, has announced its upcoming summer exhibition, "Fresh Air: Inflatable Sculptures." Running from June 19 through September 6, 2026, the show features large-scale, immersive works by a roster of high-profile contemporary artists including Nick Cave, Andy Warhol, and Claire Ashley. The exhibition is designed to be interactive, utilizing scale and movement to engage visitors with contemporary art in an accessible, unconventional format.

Philadelphia Museum of Art and PAFA team up for a massive American art show

The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) have launched "A Nation of Artists," a massive collaborative exhibition marking the United States' 250th anniversary. Spanning 20,000 square feet across both institutions, the show features over 1,000 works ranging from 18th-century portraiture and Hudson River School landscapes to contemporary pieces by local artists. The exhibition was catalyzed by significant loans from the private collection of Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton and his wife, Leigh, which filled critical gaps in the museums' permanent holdings.

Wifredo Lam: When I Don’t Sleep, I Dream

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York is hosting "Wifredo Lam: When I Don’t Sleep, I Dream," the first comprehensive U.S. retrospective of the Cuban modernist's career. Running from November 2025 to April 2026, the exhibition traces Lam’s artistic evolution from his formative years in Europe to his return to the Caribbean, where he integrated Afro-Caribbean histories and spirituality into the language of modern painting. The show features major loans, a documentary film, and a scholarly catalogue exploring his unique synthesis of Surrealism and decolonial thought.

Two museums are looking back on the entire history of American art through political teapots and a 'death cart'

The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA) have launched a massive joint exhibition titled "A Nation of Artists," featuring over 1,000 works spanning from 1700 to 2026. The collaboration utilizes a chronological approach at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and a thematic framework at PAFA, showcasing a diverse array of objects including colonial teapots, a New Mexican "death cart," and works by masters like Georgia O'Keeffe and Horace Pippin. The project also incorporates significant loans from the private collection of Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton.

Cleveland Museum of Art opening ‘Martin Puryear: Nexus,’ a career survey

The Cleveland Museum of Art has launched "Martin Puryear: Nexus," the most comprehensive survey of the 84-year-old American sculptor’s work in nearly two decades. Co-organized with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the exhibition features approximately 50 pieces, including large-scale sculptures, drawings, and maquettes spanning 50 years of Puryear’s career. A unique feature of the show is the inclusion of diverse interpretations from various artists and architects, though many works are left intentionally open-ended to encourage personal viewer connection.

Portland Japanese Garden debuts stunning new art exhibition through June 15th

The Portland Japanese Garden has launched its first major exhibition of 2026, "Enduring Impressions: Contemporary Woodblock Prints," running through June 16th. This showcase explores the evolution of mokuhanga, a traditional Japanese woodblock printing technique that originated in the 17th century as an accessible art form for the masses. The exhibition features a diverse array of works ranging from historical masterpieces to contemporary interpretations by artists from Portland, Japan, and across the United States.

Blazing Light: Photographs by Mimi Plumb at the High Museum

The High Museum of Art has launched the first solo museum exhibition for American photographer Mimi Plumb, titled "Blazing Light." Spanning five decades of work, the exhibition features over 100 photographs across three major series: "The White Sky," "Landfall and The Golden City," and "The Reservoir." These gritty, black-and-white images document the evolving landscape of the American West, specifically California, while capturing the psychological tension of a society grappling with environmental decay and economic instability.

Exhibition Tour—Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is hosting "Raphael: Sublime Poetry," the first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the Italian Renaissance master in the United States. Featuring over 170 masterpieces and rarely seen treasures, the exhibition traces Raphael’s meteoric career from his origins in Urbino to his transformative years in Florence and his final decade serving the papal court in Rome. The show highlights his unique ability to blend intellectual rigor with emotional lyricism, positioning him as a peer to Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.