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article news schedule Jan 12, 2026 visibility 2 link 8 artists, 3 galleries

smithsonian drops text about trumps impeachments legendary painter beatriz gonzalez dies at 93 morning links for january 12 2025 1234769447

The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery removed wall text referencing President Donald Trump's two impeachments from its "America's Presidents" exhibition after installing a new portrait of him. The original label had noted Trump's political accomplishments and his impeachments for abuse of power and inciting insurrection, which had reportedly been a sore point for the Trump administration. Separately, Colombian painter Beatriz González died at age 93; she was known for reworking Old Master paintings in garish colors and later addressing political upheaval in her country.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 12, 2026 visibility 3 link 7 artists, 3 galleries

Ai Weiwei’s first India solo exhibition to open in New Delhi

Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei will open his first solo exhibition in India this week at Nature Morte gallery in New Delhi, running from 15 January to 22 February. The untitled show spans four decades of his career, featuring large-scale Lego works based on famous artworks (including versions of Hokusai's 'Surfing' and Monet's 'Water Lilies'), new Lego pieces inspired by Indian Pichwai paintings and homages to modernist painters V.S. Gaitonde and S.H. Raza, plus installations such as 'Whitewashed Remnants of History of the State of Emerging Future Works' and 'F.U.C.K.' (2024). All works are for sale, with several pre-sold; the exhibition is a collaboration between Nature Morte and Galleria Continua.

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article news schedule Jan 12, 2026 link 4 artists, 2 galleries

‘Creative, provocative, controversial’: Truth Social ads for Nazi-owned art spark heated debate

The German Art Gallery (GAG), a Dutch-run gallery specializing in art once owned by Nazi leaders including Adolf Hitler, has sparked controversy by advertising on Truth Social, the right-wing platform founded by Donald Trump. The gallery’s founder, who uses the pseudonym Marius Martens, defends the move as a cost-effective way to reach a broad American audience, including conservatives, and denies any ties to neo-Nazi ideology. Critics, including a Truth Social user who alerted The Art Newspaper, argue the ads—taglined “Art of the German Elite, 1933-1945”—appear to celebrate Nazism. Curator and historian Gregory Maertz notes that while the GAG holds one of the most complete private collections of Third Reich art, the rising market for such works may reflect a global revival of right-wing sentiment.

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trending_up market schedule Jan 12, 2026 visibility 1 link 7 artists, 2 galleries

Art sales surge with artists like Picasso and Warhol in demand: Guggenheim

Art sales are surging after a two-year slump, according to prominent Canadian art advisor Barbara Guggenheim, CEO of Barbara Guggenheim Associates. In an interview with BNN Bloomberg, Guggenheim noted that collectors are now prioritizing quality, seeking established artists like Picasso and Warhol, and that fresh-to-market works are attracting strong bids. Recent record-breaking sales include Frida Kahlo's self-portrait for $54.7 million and Gustav Klimt's 'Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer' for $236.4 million at Sotheby's. The middle market remains robust, with works like Stuart Davis's 'Municipal' selling for $1.5 million, while lower-priced pieces under $30,000 are harder to guarantee as investments.

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article policy schedule Jan 12, 2026 visibility 2 link 5 artists, 2 galleries

smithsonian drops wall text mentioning trumps double impeachment 1234769438

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery has removed wall text referencing President Trump’s two impeachments from its “America’s Presidents” exhibition after installing a new black-and-white portrait of him by White House photographer Daniel Torok. The original label noted Trump’s impeachments for abuse of power and inciting insurrection, but the revised text now identifies him only as the 45th and 47th president and his birth year. The change follows years of contention from the Trump administration, which compiled a list of complaints accusing former director Kim Sajet of political bias; Sajet resigned, and Elliot Gruber now serves as acting director.

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article local schedule Jan 10, 2026 visibility 2 link 7 artists, 2 galleries

Giant Runt Announces Open Call for 2026 Juried Group Exhibition, 2027 Solo Exhibition

Giant Runt, an artist-run gallery in Fort Worth, Texas, has announced an open call for a 2026 juried group exhibition. One selected artist will receive a $500 prize and a solo exhibition at the gallery in 2027. The call is open to artists of all media and locations, with the only requirement that artworks fit through a standard seven-by-three-foot door. Co-owners Cosmo Jones and Max Marshall will jury the show, which is scheduled to run from February 23 to April 11, 2026. Applications are due January 31, 2025.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 9, 2026 visibility 2 link 8 artists, 1 gallery

columbia museum new collection galleries renovation 1234769385

The Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, South Carolina, is unveiling newly reconfigured collection galleries to cap its 75th anniversary and culminate a yearlong renovation. The museum will reopen its collection galleries following a gala on January 16, presenting a newly conceived display across 20 galleries. The reinstalled galleries draw from the museum’s American, Asian, European, and modern and contemporary holdings, including Italian Renaissance works from the Kress Collection, an Asian gallery anchored by Chinese art from the Tang dynasty, and thematic galleries focused on landscape, still life, and art and architecture. The renovation, which began in January 2025, included new lighting and ceilings, reinforced walls, and conservation work on pieces by Sam Gilliam, Teiji Takai, and Benjamin Wilson.

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trending_up market schedule Jan 9, 2026 visibility 2 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

peter paul rubens drawing attribution klaas muller 1234769375

Belgian art dealer Klaas Muller has identified a previously unattributed oil-on-paper study as a work by Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens, titled "Bearded old man, looking down to his left" (ca. 1609). Muller purchased the piece for under €100,000 at a lesser-known northern European auction house three years ago, where it was listed as an unknown artist from the "Flemish school." After recognizing the bearded figure as Saint Thomas from Rubens's "Apostolado Lerma" series at the Prado, Muller commissioned research from art historian Ben van Beneden, former director of Rubenshuis, who confirmed the work's exceptional quality and likely attribution to Rubens. The study also features a ghostly woman's face visible when turned upside down, reflecting Rubens's playful reuse of materials.

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article policy schedule Jan 9, 2026 visibility 1 link 1 artist

trump administration withdraws cultural organizations 1234769313

The Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from 66 international organizations, conventions, and treaties, including 31 UN-affiliated bodies, as announced in a presidential memorandum. Among the cultural organizations dropped are the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), the Freedom Online Coalition, and the UN Alliance of Civilizations. The withdrawal follows a review ordered by President Trump in February 2025, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserting that many of these groups are "dominated by progressive ideology."

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 9, 2026 visibility 1 link 5 artists, 10 galleries

Mumbai Gallery Weekend looks beyond the city's historic art district

The 14th edition of Mumbai Gallery Weekend (MGW) is underway, running until January 12, and for the first time appoints co-leads from galleries outside the city's historic art district of Colaba and Fort. Ayesha Parikh of Art and Charlie (Bandra) and Sanjana Shah of Tao Art Gallery (Worli) helm the event, reflecting the geographic expansion of Mumbai's art scene into western suburbs and financial districts. The weekend features ambitious exhibitions, including a solo show of terracotta works by Chippa Sudhakar at Tao and a group show curated by Zeenat Nagree at Art & Charlie. MGW, co-founded in 2012 by Shireen Gandhy and other South Mumbai galleries, has grown from nine to 33 participating galleries, and now includes the Midtown Arts Collective, which represents galleries from Worli, Lower Parel, and Bandra.

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article news schedule Jan 9, 2026 source 2 sources visibility 2 link 5 artists

Sexual assault lawsuit against the estate of artist Norval Morrisseau is dismissed

A sexual assault lawsuit against the estate of the late First Nations artist Norval Morrisseau (1932-2007) has been dismissed. The plaintiff, Mark Anthony Jacobson, had sought C$5 million in damages, alleging Morrisseau assaulted him in 2006. The dismissal was signed by Jacobson and the estate's lawyer, Jason Gratl, and filed in the BC Supreme Court on 6 January. The estate argued Morrisseau was physically incapacitated by advanced Parkinson's disease at the time, and Gratl stated that after cross-examination, Jacobson's lawyer withdrew and Jacobson consented to the dismissal without payment.

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article news schedule Jan 9, 2026 visibility 2 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

Storm over closure of South Africa’s much-loved Irma Stern Museum

The Irma Stern Museum (ISM) in Cape Town, South Africa, was abruptly closed in October 2024 after the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the Irma Stern Trust ended their 56-year partnership. The museum, housed in Stern's former home The Firs, displayed her collection of artifacts and her own works. The closure sparked public outrage over lack of transparency, with staff removed without clarity and the announcement made only after pressure. The trust, owned by Nedgroup Private Wealth, plans to relocate artworks to a new storage facility and repurpose The Firs, but no reopening date has been set.

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article news schedule Jan 8, 2026 visibility 2 link 4 artists, 4 galleries

sperone westwater legal dispute closure 1234769268

Sperone Westwater, a 50-year-old New York gallery, closed at the end of 2025 amid a legal dispute between its two co-principals, Gian Enzo Sperone and Angela Westwater. Newly filed court documents reveal governance failures, financial disputes, and allegations of unpaid artists. The petition, filed in New York Supreme Court, seeks judicial dissolution of the corporation and appointment of a receiver, citing irreconcilable divisions and a breakdown in communication between the partners. Financial records show gallery revenue fell from $20 million in 2021 to $3.6 million in 2025, with losses in five of the past seven years.

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article news schedule Jan 8, 2026 visibility 1 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

mschf our cow agnus project 1234769289

MSCHF, the art collective known for viral stunts like Big Red Boots and a branded ATM, has launched a project called "Our Cow Angus" in which they purchased a cow named Angus in August 2024 and presold tokens tied to its eventual slaughter. Token holders can cancel their pre-orders via a "Remorse Portal," and if 50% opt out, Angus will be sent to a sanctuary instead of being turned into hamburger patties and leather handbags. As of January 8, only 31.8% of holders had canceled.

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article news schedule Jan 8, 2026 visibility 1 link 1 artist

leonardo da vinci dna finding 1234769273

Scientists from the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project (LDVP) have extracted DNA from a chalk sketch titled *Holy Child*, which may be by Leonardo da Vinci. In a preprint paper posted Tuesday, researchers suggest genetic links between the artwork and a letter from one of Leonardo's cousins, indicating a shared Tuscan ancestry. However, the findings are preliminary and not yet peer-reviewed, with experts cautioning that proving a direct connection to Leonardo himself is extremely difficult due to the lack of confirmed DNA from the artist and the disputed attribution of the drawing.

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article policy schedule Jan 8, 2026 visibility 2 link 3 artists

smithsonian internment unjust self censorship 1234769272

The Trump administration has intensified pressure on the Smithsonian Institution, setting a deadline for compliance with a review of its content and plans to align with the president's executive order "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." According to reports in the New York Times and the Guardian, Smithsonian staff are already engaging in self-censorship, including removing the word "unjust" from a proposed exhibition label about the internment of Japanese Americans, fearing it might appear partisan. This comes after Trump called for purging "anti-American ideology" from the institution's 19 museums in 2025.

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candle obituary schedule Jan 8, 2026 visibility 4 link 14 artists, 2 galleries

yoshiko mori former chair mori art museum died 85 1234769253

Yoshiko Mori, the founding chairperson of Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, died on December 23 from pneumonia at age 85. Alongside her husband, real estate developer Minoru Mori, she opened the museum in 2003, which has since become one of Japan's premier contemporary art institutions. Mori served as chairperson from 2003 to 2024, then as chairperson emerita until her death. She also founded the Mori Contemporary Art Foundation in 2025 and held numerous international board positions, including trustee at the Royal Academy of Arts and member of the International Council at MoMA and Tate.

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article news schedule Jan 8, 2026 visibility 3 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

franco regime censored robert motherwell painting moma show 1234768998

Newly uncovered documents from the Museum of Modern Art’s archives confirm that the Franco regime in Spain attempted to censor Robert Motherwell’s painting *Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 35* (1954–58) before its scheduled 1958 exhibition in Madrid. The painting was part of MoMA’s traveling show “The New American Painting,” which introduced Abstract Expressionism to Europe. Spanish authorities demanded Motherwell remove the phrase “Spanish Republic” from the title, but the artist refused, leading to the work’s exclusion from the exhibition. The documents, reviewed by *El País*, also reveal that Catalan artist Antoni Tàpies boycotted state-sanctioned shows, calling the regime’s cultural propaganda “scandalous.”

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gavel restitution schedule Jan 8, 2026 visibility 1 link 1 artist

united state returned 7 ancient artifacts egypt mummified fish falcon head 1234769242

The United States repatriated seven ancient artifacts to Egypt, including two mummified fish, a falcon head from the Ptolemaic period, a bronze amulet of Set, a basald scarab, a carved face, a painted wooden funerary figurine, and a stone head from a statue. The objects had been smuggled out of Egypt in separate cases between 2017 and 2018, and were returned through collaboration between U.S. and Egyptian government agencies. Two items were voluntarily handed over by an unnamed American citizen to the Egyptian embassy in Washington, D.C. The artifacts were formally transferred to Ambassador Wael el-Naggar at a ceremony reaffirming Egypt's commitment to recovering smuggled cultural property.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 8, 2026 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

a tbilisi exhibition reintroduces merab abramishvili to the wider art world 2734711

A major multi-venue exhibition in Tbilisi, titled “Merab Abramishvili – Transparent Memory,” reintroduces the Georgian painter Merab Abramishvili to the wider art world. Organized by ATINATI’s Cultural Center and complemented by Baia Gallery, the show features over fifty works spanning the artist’s career, including pieces like *Kiss of Judas* (1989) and *Sunflower* (1989). Abramishvili’s work blends medieval visual culture with Neo-expressionism, using the traditional levkas technique on plywood to create timeless, mythic compositions that explore religious motifs, landscapes, and figuration.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 8, 2026 visibility 3 link 15 artists, 1 gallery

Blockbuster Frida Kahlo exhibit and 8 more new Houston art openings

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston unveils a monumental Frida Kahlo exhibition, alongside eight other new art openings across Houston museums and galleries. Shows include Cynthia Isakson's "Anachronous" at Holocaust Museum Houston, "norMAL and unreMARKable" at Throughline, "The Uncanny In-Between" at Blaffer Art Museum, "End Cash Bail" at Lawndale Art Center, and "Magic Mirrors" at Art League Houston, among others, spanning photography, ceramics, multimedia, and social justice themes.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 7, 2026 visibility 4 link 19 artists

5 essential old masters shows for 2026 2735391

Artnet News has published a preview of five essential Old Masters exhibitions scheduled for 2026, spanning museums from Amsterdam to New York. The shows include a blockbuster presentation of Ovid's *Metamorphoses* at the Rijksmuseum and Galleria Borghese, a monographic survey of Swedish sculptor Johan Tobias Sergel at the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm and the Morgan Library & Museum in New York, and other exhibitions that connect classical art with contemporary appeal. The article highlights how these exhibitions spotlight both household names like Raphael and lesser-known figures, while also exploring themes from Ovid's myths to tarot imagery.

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article news schedule Jan 7, 2026 visibility 2

nft paris and rwa paris shelved with one month notice due to crypto and nft market collapse founder says 1234768992

NFT Paris and its sister event RWA Paris have been canceled just one month before they were scheduled to take place at the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris. Founder Alexandre Tsydenkov announced the cancellation on LinkedIn, citing the collapse of the crypto and NFT markets as making the events financially impossible despite drastic cost cuts. Both conferences had run for four years, showcasing digital art, NFT galleries, and AI-generated works, but had recently shifted toward broader tech and blockchain topics. All tickets will be refunded.

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article policy schedule Jan 7, 2026 visibility 1 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

rome charges fee for trevi fountain 2733686

Rome has introduced a €2.35 entry fee for the Trevi Fountain, one of the world's most famous monuments, effective February 1 during daylight hours (9am to 9pm). The measure, announced by Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, aims to curb overtourism by limiting viewership to 400 people at a time. The fountain currently welcomes up to 70,000 visitors per day, and the fee could raise an estimated $7.6 million annually for maintenance. Similar fees will apply to four other city sites, while Roman citizens retain free access.

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person people schedule Jan 7, 2026 visibility 3 link 5 artists, 5 galleries

magdalene odundo interview 2718381

Magdalene Odundo, the 75-year-old Kenyan-born British ceramic artist, discusses her lifelong practice and the cultural and spiritual significance of the ceramic vessel in a recent interview at her studio in Farnham, England. Her career has reached new heights following a record auction result this past summer, when an untitled 1990 piece sold for £723,900 ($995,462) at Sotheby's London, nearly tripling its estimate. This milestone coincides with her debut solo exhibition at Xavier Hufkens in Brussels, running until January 24, featuring works including the large-scale installation Transition II (2014) with 1,001 miniature glass vessels.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 7, 2026 visibility 3 link 10 artists, 2 galleries

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.

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article local schedule Jan 7, 2026 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

Edmond Fine Arts Gallery presents group show, free reception to open 2026

Edmond Fine Arts Gallery in Edmond, Oklahoma, is launching 2026 with a group exhibition titled “Interesting Places, Interesting Faces,” featuring works by six Oklahoma artists: Clay Moore, Diane Goldschmidt, William Lentz, Glen Thomas, Cheryl Smith, and Charlotte New. The show, organized by the Paint Pushers group, will open with a free public reception on January 8, 2026, from 5 to 7 p.m., and remain on view throughout January. Artwork will be available for purchase, with a portion of proceeds supporting the gallery’s year-round arts programming.

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candle obituary schedule Jan 7, 2026 visibility 5 link 11 artists, 2 galleries

Kathleen Goncharov, influential curator who helped many artists ‘realise their dreams’, has died aged 73

Kathleen Goncharov, an artist and curator who worked at influential US organizations including Just Above Midtown and Creative Time, died on 31 December at age 73. She most recently served as senior curator at the Boca Raton Museum of Art from 2012 until her retirement in 2024, and previously held positions at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, the MIT List Visual Arts Center, and the New School. Goncharov also served as commissioner of the US Pavilion at the 2003 Venice Biennale, curating Fred Wilson's solo project. She had a solo exhibition of her abstract paintings at Olympia gallery in New York in 2022.

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article news schedule Jan 7, 2026 visibility 1 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

Suspects in Brazil Matisse heist arrested, but alleged thief nicknamed ‘Gargamel’ remains at large

Brazilian police have arrested three suspects in connection with the December 7 theft of 13 works by Henri Matisse and Candido Portinari from the Biblioteca Mário de Andrade in São Paulo. The stolen artworks remain missing. One suspect remains at large: Gabriel Pereira Rodrigues de Mello, nicknamed “Gargamel” and “Capybara”, who had prior robbery convictions overturned earlier this year. The heist involved two armed men who subdued a guard and visitors before removing the works from a glass display case and escaping via a getaway van.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 7, 2026 visibility 2 link 29 artists, 1 gallery

The best art exhibitions in Europe in 2026

A major exhibition tracing the evolution of the European art market from Greco-Roman antiquity to the 19th century is on view, featuring loans from institutions such as the Rubenshuis and the Princely Collections of Liechtenstein, including works by Titian, Rembrandt, Klimt, and Monet. Additionally, a show by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos at PM23 presents her monumental, participatory fabric sculpture *Valkyrie Venus*, created with over 200 contributors from Lisbon and Rome. A dedicated Cézanne exhibition at Fondation Beyeler in Switzerland highlights the artist's posthumous reputation, with early collectors like Rudolf Staechelin and Oskar Reinhart. Other notable exhibitions across Europe include Brancusi in Berlin, Brassaï in Stockholm, Canaletto and Bellotto in Vienna, and Hammershøi in Madrid.

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