John Singer Sargent exhibition in London shines a light on the lives of the ‘dollar princesses’

English Heritage has opened an exhibition titled 'Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits' at Kenwood in London, featuring 18 portraits by John Singer Sargent of American heiresses known as the 'dollar princesses.' These women traveled to the UK in the late 19th century to marry into the British aristocracy, bringing wealth that helped restore estates like Blenheim Palace. The show marks 100 years since Sargent’s death and includes never-before-displayed works, such as a charcoal portrait of Consuelo Vanderbilt. Curator Wendy Monkhouse emphasizes that the exhibition focuses on the sitters as individuals, addressing themes of misogyny, stereotyping, and xenophobia.

11 New Artist Auction Records Set in May 2025

During New York's spring auction week starting May 12, 2025, major houses Sotheby's, Christie's, Phillips, and Bonhams collectively brought in $1.27 billion, slightly above the estimated $1.25 billion but down 17% from the previous year. The top lot was Piet Mondrian's *Composition with Large Red Plane, Bluish Gray, Yellow, Black and Blue* (1922) at $47.56 million, but the mood was tense as trophy works like Andy Warhol's *Big Electric Chair* (1967–68) were withdrawn and several top lots, including Alberto Giacometti's *Grande tête mince* (1955), failed to sell. Amid this volatility, 11 new artist auction records were set, five of which were for women artists, notably Marlene Dumas's *Miss January* (1999) selling for $13.65 million—the most expensive work by a living woman artist at auction.

Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art and Saudi Arabia strike deal to collaborate on exhibitions, conservation and more

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) has signed a partnership agreement with Saudi Arabia's Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) to collaborate on exhibitions, conservation, research, and staff exchanges. The deal, signed on May 14 by NMAA director Chase Robinson and RCU CEO Abeer AlAkel, focuses on the ancient site of Dadan, a capital of the Lihyanite and Dadanite civilizations. The partnership covers joint conservation and research projects, exhibition loans, and professional development over four years.

Why is the art market turning Gulf-wards?

The art market is shifting its focus toward the Gulf region, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, following a sharp decline in Chinese luxury goods sales (18–20% drop in 2024) and a 31% slump in Chinese art sales. Auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s have established outposts in Saudi Arabia, with Sotheby’s first auction in Diriyah generating $17.3 million and attracting 35% new buyers. The UAE’s tax-haven status and lack of sanctions on Russians have drawn wealthy residents, while Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 campaign, led by Mohammed bin Salman, is pouring money into cultural projects such as AlUla, Art Week Riyadh, the Islamic Arts Biennale, and a new teamLab Borderless museum in Jeddah.

Vincent Valdez and KB Brookins picked for ACLU Texas's artist-in-residence programme

The ACLU of Texas has selected Austin-based writer and artist KB Brookins and San Antonio-born painter Vincent Valdez as its artists-in-residence for 2026. Chosen from nearly 200 applicants, each will receive $30,000 to create works addressing criminal law reform, immigrants' rights, and equality for LGBTQIA+ individuals. Valdez will focus on portraits of local community leaders for his New Americans series and produce 'Know Your Rights' poster packets, while Brookins will tackle the pretrial carceral system through community organizing and workshops.

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.

With a cut and a caress: Italian exhibition explores Rebecca Horn’s legacy

Castello di Rivoli near Turin is hosting "Rebecca Horn: Cutting Through the Past," the first major Italian exhibition dedicated to the German artist since her death in September 2024 at age 80. The show, co-organized with Munich's Haus der Kunst, centers on Horn's kinetic installation of the same name and explores her six-decade career through kinetic sculptures, early performance videos, and drawings. Chief curator Marcella Beccaria emphasizes a focus on Horn's spiritual concerns and the motif of circularity, with works displayed in the museum's narrow Manica Lunga corridor.

Emily Sargent: Portrait of a Family

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is presenting "Emily Sargent: Portrait of a Family," an exhibition featuring recently rediscovered watercolors by Emily Sargent (1857–1936), alongside works by her brother John Singer Sargent and their mother Mary Newbold Sargent. The show draws entirely from The Met's collection and includes a debut of 26 Emily Sargent watercolors gifted by the artists' heirs, complementing the museum's concurrent exhibition "Sargent and Paris."

Gotta Have Art: Scottsdale galleries have evolved over decades

The article explores the evolution of art galleries in Scottsdale, Arizona, over the past several decades. It traces how the local gallery scene has transformed from a small, desert-focused art community into a diverse and sophisticated hub for contemporary, Native American, and Western art, attracting both local collectors and international visitors.

HommeGirls’s First Store Brings a Streetwear-Chic Slant to Chinatown

HommeGirls has opened its first brick-and-mortar store in New York's Chinatown, a 250-square-foot space designed by Rafael de Cárdenas. The shop features an operational dry cleaner's rack rotating above a Portaluppi-style marble floor, floor-to-ceiling mirrors, and a vintage Italian valet stand, reflecting the label's blend of discipline and disorder. The article also covers Miya Ando's solo show at Saint Laurent Rive Droite Los Angeles, Flamingo Estate's new candle inspired by a New York holiday, and the Met's upcoming "Sargent and Paris" exhibition.

As the Met’s Gorgeous New John Singer Sargent Exhibition Proves, There’s Much More to Madame X Than That Scandalous Strap

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened a major new exhibition, "Sargent and Paris," organized with the Musée d'Orsay, focusing on John Singer Sargent's formative decade in the French capital. The show culminates with his iconic portrait *Madame X* (1883–84), which caused a scandal at the 1884 Paris Salon when its jeweled strap appeared to slip off the subject's shoulder. Curator Stephanie L. Herdrich spent six years developing the exhibition, which includes approximately 100 works and aims to provide a more nuanced retelling of the painting's creation and impact. The exhibition runs from April 27 to August 3 at the Met before traveling to the Musée d'Orsay, marking the first monographic show of Sargent's work in France and the first time *Madame X* has been exhibited there in over 40 years.

Edvard Munch, Reprinted: A Study in Process at Harvard Art Museums

The Harvard Art Museums have opened a new exhibition titled "Edvard Munch, Reprinted: A Study in Process," which delves into the Norwegian artist's experimental printmaking techniques. The show examines Munch's repeated reworking of his own compositions, revealing how he used printmaking as a dynamic, evolving process rather than a means of simple reproduction. It features multiple states of iconic prints such as "The Scream" and "Madonna," alongside preparatory drawings and rare proofs that trace his creative decisions over decades.

'Sean Scully: The Albee Barn, Montauk’ at The Parrish Art Museum, New York, USA

The Parrish Art Museum in New York will present 'Sean Scully: The Albee Barn, Montauk' from May 11 to September 21, 2025. The exhibition surveys Scully's work from 1981 to 2024, focusing on a pivotal month he spent in Montauk in 1982 with a fellowship at The Edward F. Albee Foundation. It features 15 of the original 1982 Montauk paintings, reunited for the first time since their creation on found wood scraps in the Albee Barn, marking a turning point where Scully broke from Minimalism and embraced nature, color, and visible brushstrokes.

Gagosian Plays the Hits: Picasso and de Kooning

The article titled "Gagosian Plays the Hits: Picasso and de Kooning" appears to be a news piece from Puck.news about Gagosian Gallery's exhibition or sales strategy focusing on blue-chip artists Pablo Picasso and Willem de Kooning. However, the actual article content is blocked by a security verification page, so the specific details of what happened cannot be extracted.

James Taylor-Foster to Lead Hong Kong’s Para Site

Para Site, a prominent Hong Kong art organization, has appointed James Taylor-Foster as its new executive director. The British Swedish curator and writer succeeds Billy Tang, concluding a leadership transition period managed by deputy director Junni Chen. Taylor-Foster will relocate from Stockholm, where he worked at ArkDes and Moderna Museet, to assume the role this summer.

MEMORY AND PUBLIC SPACE THE 18 ARTISTS OF SONSBEEK 2026

Sonsbeek 2026 has announced the 18 artists and collectives who will participate in its thirteenth edition, scheduled from July 2 to October 11, 2026, in Arnhem, Netherlands. The event, curated by Amira Gad and Christina Li with assistant curator Berber Meindertsma, will feature 12 new commissions across Park Sonsbeek and various city locations, presenting site-specific installations, sculptures, and performances.

The international gallery bridging contemporary artists and art history masters reopens in Milan: The Interview

Riapre a Milano la galleria internazionale che mette in dialogo artisti contemporanei e maestri della storia dell’arte. L’intervista

The artist-run space Octagon is set to establish a permanent home in Milan at Via Maroncelli 12, officially opening on April 15, 2026, during the city's Art Week. Founded by artist Jacopo Mazzetti in 2018, the gallery is transitioning from a nomadic model that saw recent collaborations in Paris and Athens to a fixed physical presence. The inaugural exhibition will feature works by the French Symbolist master Odilon Redon, maintaining the space's signature curatorial approach of bridging historical art with contemporary perspectives.

tom price radical material experimentation

Artist Tom Price discusses his material-driven practice in an interview with Artnet News. Based in Mallorca, Spain, and a Royal College of Art graduate, Price explores how materials like coal, resin, and tar carry symbolic weight and drive conceptual narratives in his sculptures. His "Meltdown" series and works such as "The Presence of Absence" (2014) demonstrate his focus on material transformation, figuration, and abstraction.

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.

Oh What A Time at Air de Paris

Air de Paris presents "Oh What A Time," a group exhibition running from April 16 to May 2, 2026, featuring works by Trisha Donnelly, Joseph Grigely, Pati Hill, Pierre Joseph, Allen Ruppersberg, Lily van der Stokker, Mona Varichon, and Amy Vogel. The show brings together eight artists in a concise two-week presentation at the Parisian gallery.

Tobias Pils “Shh” mumok / Vienna by Frank Wasser

Tobias Pils has opened a major exhibition titled "Shh" at mumok in Vienna, presenting a decade-spanning survey of his work. The show, which follows his 2013 presentation at Secession, occupies three spaces and charts his evolution from abstraction to figuration and a more expansive color palette, while focusing on recurring motifs and the structure of pictorial language.

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.

Maddy Inez talks to Phillip Edward Spradley

Maddy Inez, a Los Angeles-based ceramic artist, discusses her practice in an interview with Phillip Edward Spradley. Her work draws on California's natural environment and histories of displacement, using ceramics to explore maternal lineage, oral history, and plant-based knowledge. A key inspiration is a midwifery certificate belonging to her great-great-great grandmother from the era of enslavement. Inez's upcoming solo exhibition at Megan Mulrooney opens May 16, 2026.

Biggest ever exhibition of work by major British artist coming to Williamson Art Gallery

The Williamson Art Gallery & Museum in Birkenhead has announced the largest-ever retrospective of the influential 20th-century British artist Leonard McComb. Titled "Leonard McComb: Nature and Humanity," the exhibition will feature over 60 works, including the monumental 10-meter drawing "Rock and Sea Anglesey" on loan from Oriel Môn, alongside pieces from Manchester Art Gallery and the Royal Academy.

Artist in Focus: Louis Pohl Koseda. Constructing the City as Memory.

British artist Louis Pohl Koseda is gaining attention for his intricate works that blend drawing, painting, and architectural theory to explore the city as a psychological structure. His practice, which he terms 'metafictionism,' utilizes fine-line drawing to create layered compositions where figures navigate unstable, theatrical urban environments. Influenced by his upbringing in an East London Hare Krishna community, Koseda’s work focuses on how belief systems and social fabrics are mapped onto the physical and imagined spaces of the city.

Gallery Guide

A comprehensive guide lists numerous art galleries and exhibition spaces across Virginia, primarily in the Richmond area, with some in Ashland, Hanover, and Charles City. It provides details on their locations, contact information, and artistic focuses, ranging from contemporary fine art and nonprofit spaces to specialized collections like 20th-century Russian realism.

Great Plains Art Museum opens three exhibitions to kick off anniversaries

The Great Plains Art Museum at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln will open three exhibitions on January 20, 2026, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Center for Great Plains Studies and the museum's 45th anniversary. The main and south galleries feature "Collection Connections: Art in Conversation," pairing artworks from the museum's history to highlight formal and thematic ties. The west gallery presents "'All the Beauty You Can See': Dwight Kirsch in Nature," focusing on the Nebraska-born artist's lifelong fascination with nature, while the mezzanine gallery hosts "Indigenous Ceramics from the Collection," showcasing ceramic works by Indigenous artists of the Great Plains and Southwest. The exhibitions run through July 25, with a First Friday reception on February 6.

Shirley Gorelick: Figuring It Out

The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) is presenting "Shirley Gorelick: Figuring It Out," an exhibition running from March 27 to June 28, 2026, that centers on three large-scale paintings by the American realist artist Shirley Gorelick (1924–2000). The show brings together these works from NMWA’s collection for the first time, including the first canvas in her "Three Graces" series, a triple portrait of activist Libby Ourlicht, and a depiction of longtime friends Gunny and Lee Benson. More than 30 additional paintings, drawings, and prints further illuminate Gorelick’s practice and her subjects. Gorelick, who was active in New York artist-run women’s cooperative galleries in the 1970s, developed a bold realist style that combined vigorous brushwork, heightened shadows, and vivid patterns, yet she was largely omitted from art historical narratives that focused on Pop art, Minimalism, and conceptual art.

tracing the transition from mannerism to baroque at tefaf maastricht

London-based gallery Trinity Fine Art has announced a curated presentation for TEFAF Maastricht 2026 focusing on the stylistic evolution from Mannerism to the Baroque. The showcase features three significant works: an ambitious 1580 biblical scene by Lavinia Fontana, a rare and well-documented 1610 depiction of St. Jerome by Orazio Gentileschi, and a mature 1620 composition of the Holy Family by Giulio Cesare Procaccini.

a tbilisi exhibition reintroduces merab abramishvili to the wider art world

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.