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.

Multimedia Art Exhibitions

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, has launched "Perfect Nonsense," a comprehensive survey of Harmony Korine’s multidisciplinary career. Curated by Alex Gartenfeld, the exhibition features a vast array of works spanning film, painting, installation, and digital media, marking the artist's first major museum survey in the United States. The presentation highlights Korine’s experimental visual language, blending analog techniques with gaming aesthetics and contemporary digital culture across several gallery spaces.

Anthony Elms and Hamza Walker in Conversation

The Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh has announced a public conversation between its new Artistic Director, Anthony Elms, and renowned curator Hamza Walker to mark the institution's 50th anniversary. The event focuses on the evolution of artist-centered institutions and Elms's vision for the museum following his tenure as Chief Curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Asian Art Museum's jaw-dropping new exhibition weaves together the contradictions of the human condition.

The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco has opened "Chiharu Shiota: Two Home Countries," a major exhibition featuring the Japanese-German artist’s signature large-scale yarn installations. The show centers on immersive works like "Diary," which utilizes 20 miles of red thread to suspend historical documents and personal ephemera, and the title installation which explores the artist's dual identity between Japan and Germany. Through sculptures and performance videos, the exhibition navigates themes of memory, trauma, and the biological realities of the human body, including Shiota’s personal battles with cancer.

Inside de Young Museum’s New Indigenous American Art Galleries

The de Young Museum in San Francisco has unveiled its completely reimagined Arts of Indigenous America galleries, featuring nearly 2,000 objects from across North, Central, and South America. Developed in close collaboration with Indigenous scholars and community advisors, the new installation moves away from traditional chronological or ethnographic displays. Instead, it integrates historical artifacts with contemporary works to emphasize the continuity and living nature of Indigenous artistic traditions across four regional sections.

Her great-uncle was Jackson Pollock. Now, her fledgling gallery, Argo Fine Arts, is the talk of Paris

Samantha McCoy, the grand-niece of Jackson Pollock, has launched Argo Fine Arts, a new gallery model operating between Paris and New York. Making its high-profile debut at the 28th edition of Art Paris in the Grand Palais, the gallery is garnering attention for its impressive inventory, which includes works by Jackson Pollock, Cy Twombly, and Charles Pollock. McCoy has opted for an "ephemeral" gallery model that prioritizes artists and clients over permanent real estate, reflecting a strategic response to the current economic pressures facing traditional brick-and-mortar galleries.

Brandywine Museum of Art Collaborates with Maine Museums to Highlight Overlooked Wyeth Designer

The Brandywine Museum of Art is partnering with the Colby College Museum of Art and the Farnsworth Art Museum to launch a major exhibition series titled “By Design: The Worlds of Betsy James Wyeth.” Opening in June 2026, the multi-venue showcase highlights the creative legacy of Betsy James Wyeth, who was a prolific landscape designer, architectural restorer, and interior designer. The exhibition will feature archival materials and physical design elements that illustrate her profound influence on the environments that served as the primary subjects for her husband, Andrew Wyeth.

17 must-see works of art at LACMA’s new David Geffen Galleries

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has unveiled a selection of must-see works within its new David Geffen Galleries, marking a radical departure from traditional museum curation. Moving away from rigid chronological and geographic silos, the museum has organized its encyclopedic collection around four major bodies of water—the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea—to highlight the historical movement of resources, ideas, and cultures. The single-level, fluid architectural space encourages visitors to meander through evolving installations that include high-profile acquisitions like Francis Bacon’s "Three Studies of Lucian Freud" alongside intricate Kuba ceremonial textiles.

Two Maine museums will explore influence of a lesser-known Wyeth

The Farnsworth Art Museum, Colby College Museum of Art, and Brandywine Museum of Art are launching a collaborative exhibition titled "By Design: The Worlds of Betsy James Wyeth." This landmark show is the first to focus exclusively on the creative legacy of Betsy James Wyeth, the wife of Andrew Wyeth, highlighting her work as a designer of immersive environments and her role in restoring historic properties like the Olson House and Brinton’s Mill. The exhibitions will feature Andrew Wyeth’s paintings alongside Betsy’s archival materials, maps, and collected objects.

With 'Normes Corps' at the Palais de Tokyo, vulnerable bodies unite their strength

The Palais de Tokyo in Paris has unveiled 'Normes Corps' (Body Norms), a major group exhibition that explores the intersection of vulnerability, disability, and physical resistance. The show brings together a diverse array of international artists who challenge traditional societal standards of the 'ideal' body, instead highlighting the strength found in fragility and the collective power of marginalized physicalities.

Creativity takes root

Students at Southern Methodist University (SMU) gathered at the Meadows Museum in Dallas for the inaugural 'ArtMix Thursday,' a monthly event designed to foster creativity and community through hands-on art-making. The debut session featured a mosaic-making workshop held in collaboration with the SMU Craft Club, allowing students to engage with the museum in a relaxed, non-academic setting. This initiative is part of a broader effort by the institution to integrate more deeply with student life through new programming and expanded membership benefits.

Gustave Courbet: realist and rebel

The Leopold Museum in Vienna, in collaboration with Museum Folkwang in Essen, is hosting a major retrospective titled "Gustave Courbet: Realist and Rebel." Featuring 130 exhibits, including 90 paintings and 20 graphic works, the exhibition traces the artist's journey from his early rejection of academic training to his role as the pioneer of Realism. The show highlights his revolutionary choice to depict everyday life and ordinary people on a monumental scale, a practice previously reserved for heroic or mythological subjects.

Houston Has a New Art Gallery with Picassos—and It’s Free

Opera Gallery has officially opened its first Texas location in Houston’s River Oaks District, debuting with a high-caliber exhibition featuring original works by masters such as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, and Yayoi Kusama. The space functions as a hybrid between a commercial gallery and a museum, offering the public free access to museum-quality pieces that are typically held in private collections or behind glass.

Akron Art Museum to host ‘Kent Monkman: History Is Painted by the Victors’

The Akron Art Museum will present a major exhibition titled 'Kent Monkman: History Is Painted by the Victors,' featuring the renowned Cree artist's work. The show will include his signature paintings, installations, and a new, site-specific piece, focusing on his critical re-examination of colonial narratives in North American art history.

Philippe Parreno: Film, the Digital, and the City Beyond

Renowned artist Philippe Parreno joined Hans Ulrich Obrist for an artist talk at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, hosted by Fondation Beyeler and UBS. The conversation spanned Parreno's career, from his early projects like the manga-inspired 'Annlee' to his current role as Artistic Director of the 2025 Okayama Art Summit. Parreno detailed his shift into filmmaking, including a new project featuring Jennifer Lawrence, and his use of AI and technology to create 'living' art installations.

The Story of Art + Water

Author Dave Eggers and artist JD Beltran have launched Art + Water, a new initiative located at Pier 29 in San Francisco designed to bypass the traditional art school model. The program seeks to resurrect the historical artist-apprentice and atelier systems, providing students with practical skills and studio space without the prohibitive costs of modern higher education. By partnering with the Port of San Francisco and the Community Arts Stabilization Trust, the founders aim to revitalize the city's waterfront while offering a sustainable alternative to the current debt-heavy academic landscape.

Raphael and the Renaissance of Divine Beauty

The New York Times explores the enduring legacy of Raphael, the High Renaissance master whose work defined the pinnacle of 'divine beauty' and classical harmony. The analysis delves into his technical mastery, his ability to synthesize the influences of Leonardo and Michelangelo, and his prolific output during his brief life in Rome.

‘A Room for Animal Intelligence’: There’s never been a SAM exhibition like it

The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) has unveiled "A Room for Animal Intelligence," a landmark exhibition curated by Pam McClusky that draws almost exclusively from the institution's permanent collection. The show features a diverse array of works—some of which had never been previously unboxed or displayed—ranging from ancient artifacts to contemporary sculptures. A unique narrative device is employed throughout the gallery, where the animal subjects "speak" for themselves on wall labels to foster a direct connection with visitors.

Spectacular: The Art of Jonathan Yeo in Augmented Reality Makes Its U.S. Debut at SXSW

British contemporary painter Jonathan Yeo is bringing his augmented reality exhibition, "Spectacular," to the United States for its debut at SXSW in March 2026. Utilizing Snap’s fifth-generation Spectacles, the installation transforms Yeo’s traditional portraiture into interactive, living digital experiences that respond to the viewer's movements in real time. The project, which premiered at the Centre Pompidou, represents a collaboration between the artist and Snap AR Studio’s Artist Residency Program.

Comment | What is the role of art museums in times of civic stress?

The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is navigating the civic distress caused by 'Operation Metro Surge,' a federal immigration enforcement initiative that has disrupted the lives of local artists, staff, and residents. In response to the atmosphere of fear and the shift to virtual schooling, the museum has positioned itself as a sanctuary, offering art-making kits, indigenous-led workshops, and public screenings to foster community resilience.

Comment | Latest auctions prove Old Masters are not ‘out of fashion’

Recent Old Master auctions in New York have defied narratives of market decline, totaling over $185 million across Sotheby’s and Christie’s. High-profile sales included a newly discovered Michelangelo drawing for $27.2 million, a Canaletto masterpiece for $30.5 million, and a record-breaking Rembrandt drawing sold for $17.8 million. These results, alongside the Italian state's $14.9 million acquisition of an Antonello da Messina, suggest that historical masterpieces remain premier "civilisational assets" and stable financial havens during periods of economic volatility.

Tracey Emin: 'Racist behaviour is dividing our country'

Tracey Emin has unveiled her major new exhibition, "Second Life," at Tate Modern, marking a significant departure from the tradition of living British artists showing at Tate Britain. The exhibition, curated by Harry Weller alongside Tate’s Maria Balshaw, Alvin Li, and Jessica Baxter, eschews a traditional retrospective format in favor of a thematic exploration of Emin's personal history. During the press preview, Emin addressed her multicultural heritage—including Turkish Cypriot, Sudanese, and Romanichal roots—and criticized the rise of jingoism and divisive politics in the UK.

New Orleans Takes the Stage at the 2026 Venice Biennale

New Orleans artists Dawn DeDeaux and Demond Melancon have been selected to participate in the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026. Curated by Koyo Kouoh under the title "In Minor Keys," the exhibition marks a historic moment as two artists from the city receive simultaneous invitations to the prestigious international forum. DeDeaux, a veteran multimedia artist known for her "MotherShip Series" and environmental themes, will bring her focus on post-anthropocene landscapes to the global stage.

Are we seeing the demise of statement stands at art fairs?

The era of the 'statement stand' at international art fairs is rapidly declining as galleries shift away from immersive, high-risk installations in favor of more conservative group presentations. Rising participation costs, the sheer volume of the global fair calendar, and the financial pressure to recoup expenses have made experimental booths like those once championed by Jeffrey Deitch or Gavin Brown an endangered species.

Comment | Time for a rethink: women artists were never meant to merely be canon fodder

Comment | Time for a rethink: women artists were never meant to merely be canon fodder

The art world is increasingly moving beyond simply adding women to the existing art historical canon, a practice long criticized by feminist historians like Griselda Pollock. Instead of merely 'expanding' the canon, new institutional approaches aim to 'difference' it by using the work of women to fundamentally re-evaluate and subvert established narratives. This shift suggests that the inclusion of previously marginalized artists should change how we perceive the masters they are often compared to.

UK exhibition celebrates the artisans throughout history who went to war

The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge is launching "War Craft," an exhibition dedicated to art and objects created by non-professional soldiers on or near the front lines. Curated by Richard Kelleher, the show features a diverse array of items ranging from First World War shell cases engraved by the Chinese Labour Corps to a contemporary Ukrainian ammunition tin decorated with Sharpie drawings. The collection includes scavenged battlefield materials transformed into personal mementos, alongside significant works by established artists like J.M.W. Turner, John Singer Sargent, and C.R.W. Nevinson.

Frieze Los Angeles reflects the city’s resilience

Frieze Los Angeles has returned to the Santa Monica Airport for its seventh edition, marking the first iteration since the fair was acquired by Ari Emanuel’s live events venture, Mari. The event features nearly 100 galleries from 22 countries, balancing global powerhouses like Gagosian and Hauser & Wirth with a strong contingent of local Los Angeles mainstays. Fair director Christine Messineo emphasized the fair's role as a central gathering point for the international collecting community within the city's sprawling landscape.

Guest column | At the nation’s galleries, celebrations of selfhood, joy and renewal

Major American art institutions are undergoing a significant shift in perspective, prioritizing themes of diversity, selfhood, and renewal in their programming. This evolution is evidenced by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s total re-evaluation of its permanent collection display in anticipation of its new building, alongside a wave of exhibitions featuring contemporary voices like Derrick Adams and Nick Cave, and retrospectives for historical figures such as Edmonia Lewis and Isamu Noguchi.

Chicago’s Intuit Art Museum gifted 61 works by self-taught artists

The Intuit Art Museum in Chicago has received two major gifts totaling 61 works, significantly expanding its collection of art by self-taught artists. The first gift is a bequest of 47 works from the late collector and early museum supporter Jan Petry, featuring pieces by artists like Emery Blagdon, James Castle, and Martín Ramírez. The second gift comprises 14 works from the collection of scholar Gordon W. Bailey, focusing on African American artists such as Sam Doyle and Mose Tolliver.

Gwen John: The 'reclusive spinster' artist who shunned conformity

A major retrospective of Gwen John, one of Britain's greatest 20th-century artists, is opening at National Museum Cardiff on the 150th anniversary of her birth. The exhibition, titled 'Gwen John: Strange Beauties,' brings together works from across the UK and the USA for the first time, including a significant collection acquired from her nephew Edwin in 1976 that has never been extensively researched or exhibited. John, born in 1876 in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, was long overshadowed by her younger brother, the artist Augustus John, and was often dismissed as a 'reclusive spinster.' However, curators and biographers now challenge that myth, revealing her as a socially engaged, determined artist who pursued her own path despite Victorian-era constraints on women.