Readers react to LACMA’s new David Geffen Galleries: L.A. arts and culture this weekend

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is preparing for the public debut of its $724-million David Geffen Galleries, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor. Ahead of the April 19 member opening, public discourse has intensified following a series of reports detailing the building's architecture, the reinstallation of Alexander Calder’s "Three Quintains (Hello Girls)," and the project's massive budget. Reader reactions remain deeply polarized, reflecting a two-decade-long debate over the structure's unconventional design and its impact on the urban landscape.

LACMA spent nearly $724 million on the David Geffen Galleries — here's how it was all used

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has finalized the construction of the David Geffen Galleries, a $723.8-million project designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. As the museum prepares for its April 16 gala, officials have released a detailed breakdown of the spending, which supported over 8,600 jobs and generated an estimated $1.2 billion in regional economic activity. Despite the massive investment, the project remains a lightning rod for controversy due to its unconventional modernist design and the fact that it offers less gallery space than the four buildings it replaced.

Last chance! Four excellent London exhibitions close this weekend

Four major art exhibitions are scheduled to conclude their London runs on Sunday, April 12, 2026. The closing shows include the high-profile 'Turner & Constable: Rivals and Originals' at Tate Britain, the 'Theatre Picasso' centenary celebration at Tate Modern, and the 'New Contemporaries' showcase of emerging talent at the South London Gallery.

NGV Has Been Named As One Of The Most Visited Art Museums In 2025, Ranking Among Other Notable Sites Like The Louvre And Tate Modern

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has secured its position as Australia’s most visited art museum, ranking 25th globally in The Art Newspaper’s 2025 attendance report. The institution welcomed over 3 million visitors across its two Melbourne locations, bolstered significantly by a record-breaking Yayoi Kusama retrospective that drew 570,537 attendees. This blockbuster exhibition became the most popular ticketed show in the gallery's history, attracting international celebrities and a high percentage of overseas tourists.

These are the 30 best museum exhibits in NYC right now

New York City’s cultural landscape is undergoing a significant transformation with the reopening of the New Museum in its expanded 60,000-square-foot building designed by OMA. The inaugural exhibition, "New Humans: Memories of the Future," features over 200 contributors exploring the intersection of technology and humanity. Simultaneously, major institutions are launching landmark shows, including a massive Raphael retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the 2026 Whitney Biennial, which focuses on artificial intelligence and climate grief.

NEXT in the Gallery: April art includes baseballs, ambiguous boundaries and scraposaurs

Pittsburgh’s art scene is preparing for a busy spring season with a diverse array of exhibitions opening across the city’s galleries and public spaces. Highlights include Hugh Watkins’ multi-disciplinary retrospective at Christine Fréchard Gallery, Dale Lewis’s massive "Scraposaurs" sculptures made from recycled metal at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, and a unique exhibition of hand-painted baseballs by the late umpire George Sosnak. These shows serve as a creative prelude to major upcoming regional events like the 59th Carnegie International and the Three Rivers Arts Festival.

Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, Painter Who Used Her Art to Fight for Justice, Dies at 46

Acclaimed American painter Celeste Dupuy-Spencer has passed away at the age of 46 at her home in Los Angeles. Known for her visceral and politically charged figurative works, Dupuy-Spencer rose to prominence through her inclusion in the 2017 Whitney Biennial and the 2018 Made in L.A. biennial. Her death was announced by the Jeffrey Deitch gallery just ahead of a scheduled exhibition of her new work in Los Angeles.

Tokyo Architect Kengo Kuma Beats Out Renzo Piano and Selldorf to Design National Gallery’s £350 M. New Wing

The National Gallery in London has appointed Tokyo-based architect Kengo Kuma to design a new £350 million wing as part of its ambitious £750 million "Project Domani" expansion. Kuma, known for the V&A Dundee, beat out high-profile Pritzker Prize winners Renzo Piano and Norman Foster for the commission. The project involves the demolition of St. Vincent House to create 15,000 square feet of new exhibition space dedicated to 20th and 21st-century art, along with new pedestrian zones and a roof garden.

Masterpieces From London’s National Gallery, Now on Display at Home With LG Gallery+

The National Gallery in London has partnered with LG Electronics to make over 4,000 images from its collection available on the LG Gallery+ digital platform. Users can now display high-quality digital reproductions of masterpieces by artists like Monet, Gauguin, and Seurat on their LG OLED screens at home, using a curated, playlist-like interface called LG Gallery+ Shelves.

This Masterpiece by Rembrandt’s Star Pupil Has a New Owner

This Masterpiece by Rembrandt’s Star Pupil Has a New Owner

Willem Drost's 1654 painting *Man With a Plumed Red Beret* has been acquired by the Leiden Collection, a private museum focused on Dutch Golden Age art. The sale was conducted privately through Agnews Gallery at the TEFAF Maastricht fair for an undisclosed sum, with the collection's founder calling it a "capstone acquisition."

Lost John Constable Painting Rediscovered in Texas Bound for Auction

Lost John Constable Painting Rediscovered in Texas Bound for Auction

A long-lost, large-scale oil study by John Constable for his famous painting *The Cornfield* has been rediscovered and authenticated after decades in a rural Texas museum. Scientific analysis, including pigment tests and infrared reflectography, confirmed the materials and techniques match Constable's own, leading experts to declare it the largest known study for the 1826 masterpiece. The work, which had been mistakenly cataloged as a copy, will now be auctioned by Heritage Auctions in Dallas this June.

Restored Victorian greenhouse links Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery to its living neighbours

Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery has unveiled the 'Green-House,' a $34m welcome and education center centered around a meticulously restored 1895 Victorian cast-iron greenhouse. Designed by Architecture Research Office (ARO), the facility includes classrooms, research archives, and dedicated gallery spaces. The project transforms a formerly dilapidated commercial florist shop into a modern gateway that connects the 478-acre National Historic Landmark to its surrounding urban neighborhood.

From technology to Gen Z collectors, Adrian Cheng shares the key trends in Hong Kong’s art scene

Adrian Cheng, a key figure in Hong Kong's art world, identifies major trends shaping the city's art scene ahead of Art Basel Hong Kong. He highlights the convergence of major art fairs, auction house sales, and new gallery openings during the 'Art March' period, drawing a global audience with high-profile exhibitions by international artists like Mary Weatherford, Nicole Eisenman, and El Anatsui.

Remembering Axel Burrough, Kazumasa Nagai, and Éliane Radigue

This week's obituary column honors the recent passing of twelve significant figures from the global art and culture world. The list includes French experimental composer Éliane Radigue, Japanese graphic designer Kazumasa Nagai, British architect Axel Burrough, Indigenous Australian muralist Elizabeth Close, and Upper East Side gallerist Gertrude Stein, among other artists, patrons, and illustrators.

Art Problems: How Do I Get Gallery Representation?

Art Problems: How Do I Get Gallery Representation?

Paddy Johnson, in a Hyperallergic advice column, demystifies the process for artists seeking gallery representation. She explains that galleries primarily seek artists with proven sales records to mitigate their own high financial risks, such as exorbitant rent and operational costs. Johnson advises artists to build this track record independently by selling work themselves or securing spots in low-pressure group shows, then aggressively promoting those exhibitions to demonstrate market potential to dealers.

Like a concrete aircraft carrier: was LA’s giant new $724m gallery really worth all the carbon emissions?

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is set to open its new $724 million David Geffen Galleries, designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. The massive concrete structure, which spans Wilshire Boulevard like a bridge, represents a twenty-year effort led by director Michael Govan to create a non-hierarchical, single-level museum space. The building's design features eight massive pavilions supporting a sprawling 110,000 square foot gallery floor, intended to house the museum's diverse permanent collection in a transparent, fluid environment.

‘Relentless’: National Gallery of Victoria exhibition celebrates motherhood

The National Gallery of Victoria has launched "Mother," an expansive exhibition featuring over 200 works that explore the complexities of motherhood. Curated by Sophie Gerhard and Katharina Prugger, the show draws from the NGV collection and new acquisitions to move beyond idealized religious icons like the Virgin Mary. The selection spans centuries and cultures, juxtaposing 19th-century sketches by Queen Victoria with contemporary First Nations birthing skirts and raw depictions of domestic labor and maternal exhaustion.

Alex Heilbron at as-is

Artist Alex Heilbron presents a solo exhibition at the Los Angeles gallery as-is. The show is featured as a lead review in the February 2026 issue of Contemporary Art Review LA, highlighting Heilbron's continued exploration of painting and visual language within the Southern California art scene.

Getty Center in Los Angeles Is Closing for Year of Renovations

The Getty Center in Los Angeles has announced it will close to the public for a full year starting in March 2027. This significant hiatus is required to facilitate a major infrastructure overhaul, primarily focusing on the replacement of its aging computer-operated tram system and the modernization of several gallery spaces within the Richard Meier-designed campus.

The Titan of Land Art Moves Indoors and Gets Intimate

Michael Heizer, the pioneering Land Art figure known for monumental desert works like "City" and "Double Negative," is presenting a new exhibition of smaller-scale, indoor sculptures at Gagosian Gallery in New York. The show, titled "Collapse," features a series of large, geometric steel forms that, while still substantial, represent a significant shift in scale and context from his earth-moving outdoor projects.

WALTER OTERO A TROPICAL GALLERIST IN AMERICA S ECOSYSTEM

A new book titled "Walter Otero: un galerista tropical" is being published this March. It features an interview by curator Omar-Pascual Castillo with Puerto Rican gallerist Walter Otero, chronicling his journey from personal assistant to painter Arnaldo Roche Rabell to founding his influential San Juan gallery, Walter Otero Contemporary Art (WOCA). The book details the gallery's history, its roster of artists, and Otero's adaptation to the digital age and crises like Hurricane Maria.

Chief Curator Julian Cox to Depart Beleaguered Art Gallery of Ontario

Julian Cox will step down as deputy director and chief curator of the Art Gallery of Ontario on April 13, concluding an eight-year tenure. The AGO's director praised Cox's impact on exhibitions, collection growth, and scholarship, stating his departure is not connected to recent institutional turmoil.

London’s Timothy Taylor to Close New York Outpost After a Decade

London gallery Timothy Taylor will close its New York outpost next month after nearly a decade of operation. The gallery cited current market conditions and the high costs of maintaining a second permanent space as reasons for the consolidation, though it will maintain an office and viewing room in the city.

The Beautiful Renaissance of the [mac] in Marseille

La belle renaissance du [mac] à Marseille

The [mac] (Musée d’Art Contemporain) in Marseille is undergoing a significant revival following years of stagnation and underfunding. Under the new leadership of Stéphanie Airaud, who was appointed in 2023, the museum has completed major renovations including updated storage facilities, a new rooftop terrace, and a reorganized gallery layout. The institution is leveraging its impressive but previously underutilized collection of over 1,000 works—featuring masters like Basquiat, Klein, and Saint Phalle—while actively working to correct historical gender imbalances and strengthen ties to Mediterranean contemporary art.

Gallery Openings This Week in Paris

Les vernissages cette semaine dans les galeries parisiennes

The Paris gallery scene is experiencing a surge of new activity this week with several high-profile openings across the city's major art districts. Highlights include Rosson Crow’s vibrant, chaotic landscapes at Galerie Nathalie Obadia, the inauguration of Galerie Sator’s new Marais space with sculptures by Kokou Ferdinand Makouvia, and a curated dialogue between historical avant-gardes and contemporary abstraction at Galerie Le Minotaure. Additionally, Gagosian is showcasing late works by Francis Bacon, while Esther Schipper presents the first Paris solo exhibition for Sojourner Truth Parsons.

7 Shows to See in Milan Right Now

Inside Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Radical Reinvention

Milan’s art scene takes center stage during the Miart fair with a diverse array of institutional and gallery exhibitions. Highlights include Cao Fei’s exploration of global farming and technology at Pirelli HangarBicocca, Anselm Kiefer’s monumental tributes to female alchemists at Palazzo Reale, and a survey of Italian conceptualist Salvo at Pinacoteca di Brera.

Pat Steir, known for her colorful, cascading “Waterfall” paintings, dies at 87.

Pat Steir, the influential abstract painter celebrated for her large-scale "Waterfall" works created by pouring paint down the canvas, has died at the age of 87. Her death was confirmed by family and her gallery, Hauser & Wirth.

Patron Gallery Adds Miao Wang to Its Roster, and More: Industry Moves for April 1, 2026

Several galleries announced new artist representations and expansions. Patron Gallery added painter Miao Wang, who will appear at Expo Chicago; Jessica Silverman added Neo-Pop painter Koak; Anat Ebgi added painter Veronica Fernandez; and Sundaram Tagore Gallery opened a new London space. Additionally, Open Restitution Africa launched an AI-powered database to assist with restitution processes.

Max Levai Bets on Scale—and Himself—with New Chelsea Gallery

Max Levai, former president of Marlborough Gallery, is opening a new 7,000-square-foot flagship gallery in Chelsea this fall at 529 West 20th Street. This marks his first permanent New York space after years of operating through pop-ups and international projects. He is sharing the building with the gallery 47 Canal, run by Oliver Newton, in an arrangement where two independent galleries will coexist under one roof, sharing costs but maintaining separate programs.

The Best Booths at Art Basel Hong Kong, From AI Magical Girls to Asia’s Unsung Masters

Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 showcased a vibrant array of talent, with standout presentations across its curated sectors like Discoveries and Insights. Highlights included Vin Gallery's ceramic skeleton shadow puppets by Ako Goto, Lucie Chang Fine Arts' case for the late painter Zhu Xinjian, and gdm's pairing of Kongkee's lightbox sculptures with abstract works by Thai modernist Tang Chang. The fair also featured a monumental, self-sabotaged neon sign by Kongkee reading "Price / Value."