Tate launches US-style endowment fund, with aim of raising £150m by 2030

Tate has launched the Tate Future Fund, a US-style endowment fund aiming to raise £150 million by 2030 to secure its long-term financial future. More than £43 million has already been raised, announced at a fundraising gala in Tate Modern's Turbine Hall marking the museum's 25th anniversary, attended by artists Steve McQueen and Tracey Emin. Tate director Maria Balshaw explained that the fund will sit separately, managed by the Tate Foundation, with only the interest drawn annually to support artistic creativity, groundbreaking exhibitions, collection building, research, and public benefit programs like school and family learning.

One Fine Show: “Alex Da Corte, The Whale” at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth has opened “Alex Da Corte, The Whale,” a solo exhibition dedicated to the painting practice of artist Alex Da Corte (b. 1980). Featuring more than forty paintings, the show highlights Da Corte’s lesser-known work in two dimensions, as he is more widely recognized for his installations and video pieces. The exhibition includes works such as *Siren (After E K Charter)* (2015) and *Electronic Renaissance* (2021), and places Da Corte’s paintings alongside those of Robert Mapplethorpe and Vija Celmins to explore themes of self-representation and perception.

Guest Artists Space Foundation announces ambitious 2025–26 programme exploring African art archives

Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation and Yinka Shonibare Foundation have announced the 2025–26 edition of 'Re:assemblages', a programme focused on African and Afro-diasporic archives as sites for artistic inquiry and decolonial practice. Curated by Naima Hassan with contributions from Maryam Kazeem, Ann Marie Peña, and Jonn Gale, the initiative includes international convenings, symposia, fellowships, and micro-publications, anchored by a two-day symposium in Lagos during Lagos Art Week (4–5 November 2025). The programme draws on the Picton Archive at G.A.S.'s Lagos campus and is supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art, featuring four curatorial themes: Ecotones, The Short Century, Annotations, and The Living Archive. It also launches the African Arts Libraries Lab (AAL Lab), a pan-African network of libraries and publishers across Lagos, Dakar, Marrakesh, Cairo, Nairobi, Cape Town, and Limbe.

Artist Eric Smith won 3 Archibalds, then vanished. A new show reveals his unseen works

A new exhibition at Macquarie University Art Gallery reveals unseen works by Eric Smith (1919-2017), a celebrated Australian artist who won three Archibald Prizes and six Blake Prizes before unexpectedly vanishing from public life. Despite his early fame—including a role in launching Australian abstract expressionism with the group show Direction 1—Smith's career stalled after the death of his gallerist Rudy Komon in 1982, leaving him without a connection to the art world. He continued painting prolifically for four more decades, working daily in his studio, but destroyed more than half his output and had no major gallery shows after 1989.

Gaza comes to an art gallery near you

The article reports on a growing trend of art galleries in Western countries hosting exhibitions that focus on the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. These shows feature works by Palestinian artists, as well as international artists responding to the situation, aiming to bring visual representation of the war to audiences far from the region.

Leader of Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum to depart after a decade at the helm

Josh Basseches, director and CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), announced on June 5 that he will step down at the end of 2025 after a decade in the role. Under his leadership, the museum underwent three renovations and one expansion, including the reopening of the Weston Entrance, the creation of the Willner Madge Gallery Dawn of Life, and the launch of the C$130m OpenROM renovation project. Notable exhibitions during his tenure included Christian Dior, Kent Monkman: Being Legendary, and Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner painting thought to be lost for decades goes on display in Basel

A long-lost Ernst Ludwig Kirchner painting, *Tanz im Varieté* (Dance at the Varieté, 1911), has gone on display at the Kunstmuseum Basel after being rediscovered and purchased at auction. The work, previously known only through photographs, was sold at Ketterer Kunst in Munich for around €7 million to the Im Obersteg Foundation, which loans its collection to the museum. The painting depicts a cakewalk dance and had not been exhibited since 1923 in Berlin. Its provenance includes ownership by a German collector during the Nazi era, when Kirchner's art was deemed 'degenerate,' and damage by French soldiers who discovered it in a crate after World War II.

New museum of contemporary art, designed by David Chipperfield Architects, to open in Slovenian mountains

A new museum of contemporary art, Muzej Lah, will open in the Slovenian town of Bled next summer. Designed by David Chipperfield Architects, the 5,000 sq. m building will house the Fundacija Lah art collection, built over 30 years by Slovenia’s sixth richest family, Igor and Mojca Lah. The collection includes over 800 post-war works by artists such as Anselm Kiefer, William Kentridge, and Zoran Mušič, as well as pieces from the political art collective Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK). The museum will feature galleries, a library, research centre, restaurant, and spaces for performances and educational initiatives.

Monet to Matisse exhibition coming to Birmingham Museum of Art in 2026

The Birmingham Museum of Art (BMA) will premiere "Monet to Matisse: French Moderns, 1850–1950" on January 30, 2026, featuring over 100 masterworks from the Brooklyn Museum's European collection and supplemented by 50 works from BMA's own holdings. The exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, and works on paper by artists such as Monet, Matisse, Chagall, Degas, and Renoir, and will run through May 24, 2026, with accompanying public programs like lectures, guided tours, and workshops.

The Orlando Museum of Art presents their biggest exhibition of the year

The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) will present the 2025 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art exhibition, its biggest show of the year, celebrating the state's most innovative artists. The eleventh annual exhibition features ten selected artists: Nathalie Alfonso, Eddie Arroyo, Leo Castañeda, Kelly Joy Ladd, Amanda Linares, Kandy G. Lopez, Jiha Moon, Troy Simmons, Cornelius Tulloch, and Lisu Vega. An opening preview party on May 30 will include the announcement of one artist receiving a $20,000 prize, while a $5,000 "People's Choice" award will be decided by public vote throughout the summer, with the winner revealed at the closing ceremony on August 21.

Intuit Art Museum has its big reopening: ‘I don’t want this to be a traditional art museum’

The Intuit Art Museum in Chicago has reopened after a landmark $10 million renovation, marking a significant rebranding from its former name, "Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art," to simply "Intuit Art Museum" (IAM). The museum, which collects work by self-taught artists, replaced a traditional ribbon-cutting with a collaborative ribbon-tying ceremony, creating an interconnected artwork that will remain in its collection. The renovation tripled its gallery space and introduced new exhibitions, including a refurbished Henry Darger installation with LED screens and an immersive recreation of the artist's apartment, as well as a rotating permanent collection display featuring artists like Mr. Imagination, Lee Godie, and Wesley Willis. The second floor is dedicated to the special exhibition "Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-taught Art in Chicago," featuring works by artists such as Drossos Skyllas, Thomas Kong, Pooja Pittie, and Carlos Barberena.

Westminster muralist Grow Love readies to show off work at new exhibition in Colorado Springs

Westminster-based muralist Grow Love (Robyn Frances) will participate in a group exhibition titled "Justice of the Piece: Resistance in Unity in Street Art" at the Galleries of Contemporary Art at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, opening next month. The show features three female muralists: Grow Love, Lady Pink, and Sydney G. James, whose work explores resistance, reclamation, and collective healing through public murals and studio practice. An accompanying arts market will allow local creatives to sell their work for free.

Artist couple open north London not-for-profit in former Zabludowicz gallery

Artist couple Philip and Charlotte Colbert have opened a new not-for-profit art space called Camden Arts Projects (CAP) in north London, taking over the former Zabludowicz Collection gallery at 176 Prince of Wales Road. The venue, a former Methodist church, was bought by the Colberts last year and now operates under an umbrella company called Contemporary Culture Collective. The opening exhibition features works by Turner Prize-winning artist Martin Creed, including an immersive balloon installation and a neon piece, and is free to the public. Curator Hala Matar, formerly of The Little House in Los Angeles, is running the exhibition programme.

An UES carriage home from a celebrity architect opens up for a public art show

Art dealer and collector Adam Lindemann is presenting a free public exhibition titled "Urhobo + Abstraction" in his East 77th Street carriage house on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The show features five life-size 19th- and early-20th-century sculptures carved by the Urhobo people of southern Nigeria, paired with works by contemporary artists of African descent including El Anatsui, Alma Thomas, and Jack Whitten. The carriage house is the first Manhattan building designed by Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye, whose renovation was completed in the late 2000s. The exhibition runs through June 13, open Mondays through Thursdays, and the sculptures are not for sale.

Chile to get a new contemporary art museum

A new contemporary art museum, the New Museum of Santiago (NuMu), is set to break ground in Chile's capital in August 2025. Led by businessman and philanthropist Claudio Engel and his four children through the Engel Foundation, the museum will be built around the family's collection of over 1,000 works by more than 200 artists, including Alfredo Jaar, Paz Errázuriz, and Pilar Quinteros. Designed by architect Cristián Fernández, the 2,000 sq. m facility will feature exhibition spaces, a sound-art room, an auditorium, a library, a restaurant, and a museum shop. It will be the first large-scale contemporary art museum in Chile housed in a new structure, located in Vitacura's Bicentennial Park.

Rose Art Museum Holds First Benefit Gala in Over 20 Years

The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University held its first benefit gala in over twenty years in New York City on May 12, 2025. The event honored Lizbeth Krupp, longtime Chair of the museum's Board of Advisors, and acclaimed artist Hugh Hayden, whose major survey "Hugh Hayden: Home Work" is currently on view at the museum. Co-chaired by Sara Friedlander and Abigail Ross Goodman, the gala raised over $900,000 toward a new $2 million Exhibition Endowment Fund, seeded by a lead gift from Krupp, to support future contemporary art exhibitions.

Maine’s Ann Craven spotlighted at Farnsworth Art Museum

The Farnsworth Art Museum in Maine will host a major exhibition titled *Ann Craven: Painted Time (2020–2024)*, showcasing approximately 30 paintings by the celebrated Maine-based artist Ann Craven. The exhibition, running from May 3, 2025, through January 4, 2026, is organized into four thematic sections—moons, trees, flowers, and birds—highlighting Craven's exploration of seriality, repetition, time, and the natural world. It will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue and a film by Fiumi Studio. The exhibition anchors the 2025 Maine in America Award, a lifetime achievement honor recognizing Craven's contributions to Maine's arts and culture, with companion presentations at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art and the Portland Museum of Art.

Art Institute’s Frida Kahlo-Themed Exhibit Highlights Artist’s Paris Years

The Art Institute of Chicago has opened "Frida Kahlo’s Month in Paris: A Friendship With Mary Reynolds," its first dedicated exhibition to the Mexican artist. The show explores Kahlo’s 1939 stay in Paris, where she lived with American bookbinder Mary Reynolds and artist Marcel Duchamp after being hospitalized with a kidney infection. Featuring 100 objects—including seven self-portraits, letters, photographs, and book bindings—the exhibition draws on the Art Institute’s own Mary Reynolds Collection and loans from public and private collections across the U.S., Mexico, and Europe. Curated by Caitlin Haskell, Tamar Kharatishvili, and Alivé Piliado, the display reveals new details about Kahlo’s recovery and creative re-inspiration in the avant-garde hub of Reynolds and Duchamp’s home.

Rashid Johnson Finds His Promised Land at the Guggenheim (Published 2025)

Rashid Johnson has mounted a major exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, titled "Rashid Johnson: The Promised Land." The show spans the artist's career, featuring his signature works in sculpture, painting, and installation that explore themes of Black identity, history, and the African diaspora. It includes iconic pieces such as his "Anxious Men" series and large-scale works incorporating materials like shea butter, books, and plants.

Review: Gorgeous, exuberant Kim Chong Hak at the High

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta is hosting "Kim Chong Hak: Painter of Seoraksan," the first American museum exhibition dedicated to the Korean artist, running through November 2. The show features over 60 works spanning Kim's career, from early abstract pieces influenced by Western artists like Rothko and Tàpies to vibrant, large-scale landscapes inspired by his decades-long retreat to Mount Seorak in eastern South Korea. The exhibition includes paintings, folk art, and a catalog with essays that contextualize Kim's life and work.

Museum Spotlight: Kim Chong Hak Exhibition

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta is hosting the first American museum exhibition dedicated to Kim Chong Hak, a South Korean master painter born in 1937 and known as "the painter of Seoraksan." Featuring over 70 works, including new acquisitions from the museum's own collection, the show spans the artist's mature career and highlights an aspect of late 20th-century Korean art rarely seen outside South Korea. The exhibition runs through November 2, 2025.

Day Trip From Chicago: Milwaukee Art Museum to Exhibit Significant Collection of 16th-17th Century Spanish Art

The Milwaukee Art Museum will debut a major exhibition titled "The Brilliance of the Spanish World: El Greco, Velázquez, Zurbarán" on May 2, 2025. Billed as the "most significant collection of Hispanic art outside of Spain," the show features masterpieces from 16th- and 17th-century Spanish painters including El Greco, Diego Velázquez, and Francisco de Zurbarán, spanning Renaissance and Baroque periods. The exhibition runs through July 27 and is included with general admission.

Native artist Mary Sully gets her due at Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) has opened "Mary Sully: Native Modern," a solo exhibition featuring the intricate "personality prints" of Yankton Dakota artist Mary Sully (born Susan Mabel Deloria). The show includes 18 triptychs, drawings, memorabilia, and a film clip, highlighting her abstract vertical designs that blend Dakota heritage with 1920s–1940s celebrity culture. Sully, who died in obscurity over 60 years ago, was rediscovered by her great-nephew, Harvard professor Philip Deloria, after he found her work in a basement. Her art was previously included in the groundbreaking exhibition "Hearts of Our People" at Mia, and she also had a solo show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2024.

Mark Milroy Sees, Remembers, and Imagines at Once

Artist Mark Milroy, an observational painter in his mid-50s who gained a following during the pandemic through Instagram and online shows at Nancy Margolis Gallery, is now holding his debut New York exhibition, "Jumbo," at JJ Murphy gallery through May 16. The show features 18 oil paintings and 12 colored pencil drawings, with subjects ranging from still lifes and portraits to a titular painting referencing the famous P.T. Barnum elephant killed in Milroy's hometown of St. Thomas, Ontario, in 1885. Milroy's work blends personal memory, art historical insight, and a deliberate gaze, drawing influences from Cedric Morris and 15th-century Florentine painting.

At the Galleries for April 9, 2026

The Hamptons art scene is entering the spring season with a diverse array of gallery openings across Montauk, East Hampton, Sag Harbor, and Bridgehampton. Key highlights include Timothy Tibus’s abstract retrospective at The Lucore Art, a Matisse-centered group show at The Drawing Room featuring rare etchings, and Kristy Gordon’s myth-inspired "Primavera" at Grenning Gallery. Other notable exhibitions include a showcase of artists from the Cold Castle collective at Keyes Art and a curated group show titled "Connections" at Dan Welden Studio/Gallery.

Kapopoulos Fine Arts Presents Contemporary Art Auction in Nicosia

Kapopoulos Fine Arts will hold a Contemporary Art Auction on February 18, 2026, at its Nicosia Gallery. The sale features 82 works, with highlights including pieces by street artist Mr. Brainwash (Thierry Guetta), Greek painter Yiannis Mytaras, and sculptor Richard Orlinski, alongside works by Kostis Georgiou, Spyros Vassiliou, and others. Starting prices range from €300, with bidding available in person, by phone, or via absentee bids.

In Veneto, a New Art Center is About to Open in Two 16th-Century Villas on the Brenta Riviera (Opening on the Same Day as the Biennale)

In Veneto sta per inaugurare un nuovo centro d’arte con sede in due ville cinquecentesche della Riviera del Brenta (apertura lo stesso giorno della Biennale)

A new cultural center named Ca' Riviera will open on May 9, 2026, in Mira, Veneto, housed within two 16th-century villas on the Brenta Riviera. The project, founded by Riccardo Corò and Leonardo Tiezzi, aims to be a permanent hub for contemporary art, design, and architecture, featuring exhibitions, installations, and artist residencies. Its inaugural exhibition, 'The Shape of the Self / La forma del Sé,' is organized in collaboration with the Milan gallery Cassina Projects.

A Guillon-Lethière for Worcester

Un Guillon-Lethière pour Worcester

The Worcester Art Museum has acquired Guillaume Guillon-Lethière's painting "Lucien Bonaparte contemplant Alexandrine de Bleschamp Jouberthon" (1802), which depicts the second brother of Napoleon with his second wife. The work had been on loan to the museum from London dealers Lowell Libson and Johnny Yarker, who had purchased it at a Christie's New York auction in October 2019 after it resurfaced in a Portland sale in 2005. The painting was featured prominently in the 2024-2025 Louvre exhibition "Guillon-Lethière. Né à la Guadeloupe," where it was reunited with a portrait of its patron Lucien Bonaparte.

Iran Withdraws From 2026 Venice Biennale

Iran has withdrawn from the 2026 Venice Biennale, the world's most important art event, organizers announced on May 4. No official reason was given, but the withdrawal comes amid an uncertain ceasefire in Iran's war with the United States and Israel. The Biennale confirmed the decision in a statement, noting that 100 countries will still participate, including newcomers Tanzania and Seychelles. This follows South Africa's withdrawal over a legal dispute concerning a Gaza-focused artwork, and the closure of the Russian Pavilion to the public after the EU withdrew €2 million in funding over Russia's involvement.

Madrid: Hypnotic Laugh Track by Manga Ngcobo

Writer Manga Ngcobo reflects on the architectural and cultural landscape of Madrid in early 2025, juxtaposing the city's historic art institutions with its rapid technological and commercial evolution. Drawing on Ben Lerner’s novel 'Leaving the Atocha Station', the piece explores the growing disconnect between the profound emotional experiences promised by masters like Velázquez and Goya and the reality of a city increasingly designed for content creation, retail aesthetics, and digital consumption.