12 Worldwide Polish Women-Led Exhibitions in 2026. Artistic Visions Unfolding Globally.

A wave of exhibitions led by Polish women artists is set to sweep across global institutions in 2026, highlighting themes of feminism, digital capitalism, and cultural identity. Key upcoming shows include Karolina Wojtas’s first U.S. solo exhibition, "Made in Poland," at Light Work in Syracuse, and Agnieszka Kurant’s "RECURSION" at Marian Goodman Gallery in New York. These exhibitions span diverse media, from interactive soft sculptures and photography to complex installations involving bacteria and artificial intelligence.

Brooklyn Museum Presents Hopi Kachina Dolls: Blessings for a Balanced World

The Brooklyn Museum has announced a landmark exhibition titled "Hopi Kachina Dolls: Blessings for a Balanced World," scheduled to open in October 2026. Featuring over 120 objects ranging from the 19th century to the present, the show draws from the museum's extensive Indigenous art collection alongside contemporary loans of ceramics, textiles, and jewelry. The presentation is uniquely structured around the life stages of Hopi women—from infancy to marriage—and includes newly commissioned video interviews with community members.

March 14: ‘WomanWise’ group exhibition artist reception at Mosaic Art Collective

The Mosaic Art Collective in Manchester, New Hampshire, is hosting a group exhibition titled "WomanWise" from March 9 through March 30, 2026. Presented in partnership with The Equality Health Center, the show features 31 original works by local artists that explore themes of womanhood, empowerment, and community. A public reception on March 14 will feature the announcement of three best-in-show prizes selected by guest juror and artist-in-residence Shaylee Elliette-French.

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A newly discovered 1877 chalk portrait of the poet Christina Rossetti by her brother, the Pre-Raphaelite master Dante Gabriel Rossetti, has been unveiled at Wightwick Manor. The drawing, recently acquired by the National Trust, serves as the centerpiece for the exhibition "The Rossettis – Siblings and Spouses." Created during a period of shared family mourning following the death of their sister Maria, the work departs from Rossetti’s typical idealized style to offer a somber, realistic depiction of grief and resilience.

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The Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) in Ghent has launched "Unforgettable," a landmark exhibition recovering the histories of over 40 women artists who were active in Belgium and the Netherlands between 1600 and 1750. The show highlights the professional success of figures like Princess Louise Hollandine and Maria Schalcken, while also acknowledging the anonymous working-class women who fueled the luxury economy through lacemaking. It challenges the long-held myth that female artists were rare exceptions during the Flemish Golden Age.

Cosima von Bonin Loewe Paris

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German artist Cosima von Bonin collaborated with Loewe for its Fall/Winter 2026-2027 womenswear show at the Château de Vincennes during Paris Fashion Week. The artist’s signature plush sculptures, including oversized octopuses and bug-eyed scallops, occupied front-row seats and populated the runway set. Beyond the scenography, von Bonin’s zoomorphic motifs were integrated directly into the collection as jewelry, charms, and minaudières.

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Tracey Emin’s major retrospective, "A Second Life," has opened at Tate Modern, marking a significant milestone in the artist's career following her recovery from bladder cancer. The exhibition surveys her evolution from the provocative "Young British Artist" era—featuring iconic works like the 1998 installation 'My Bed' and her early quilted blankets—to her more recent, expressive oil paintings and bronze sculptures. The show specifically highlights her 1996 film 'How it feels,' positioning her early 1990s abortion as the central, transformative event of her life and artistic practice.

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At 92 years old, Puerto Rican artist Carmen De Monteflores has emerged as a breakout star of the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Her inclusion in the prestigious exhibition was facilitated by her daughter, renowned performance artist Andrea Fraser, who urged curators to view her mother's vibrant, shaped canvases that had been sitting in storage for decades. De Monteflores, who studied at the Art Students League and the École de Beaux-Arts, abandoned her painting career in 1969 due to the lack of opportunities for women, eventually becoming a psychologist and novelist.

‘La Musée’: The history and challenges behind a landmark acquisition of works by women artists

The Museums of Poitiers in France have officially acquired 'La Musée,' a landmark collection of 523 works by women artists spanning the 17th to the 21st centuries. Assembled by artist and historian Eugénie Dubreuil since 1999, the collection includes paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts intended as a 'counterproposal' to the male-dominated art historical canon. The acquisition was finalized in March 2024 following a rigorous two-year review process and was accompanied by a €150,000 grant from the Les Beaux Yeux endowment fund to support a five-year project dedicated to women artists.

The Big Review | The Woman Question 1550-2025 ★★★★½

The Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw has launched "The Woman Question 1550-2025," a massive survey featuring nearly 200 works by 140 women artists spanning five centuries. Curated by Alison M. Gingeras, the exhibition uses the medieval concept of "la querelle des femmes" to explore how women have asserted their status as "citizen artists" against patriarchal structures. The show juxtaposes historical masterpieces by figures like Artemisia Gentileschi and Sofonisba Anguissola with contemporary provocations by Miriam Cahn and Lubaina Himid, focusing heavily on figurative painting and sculpture.

Hadassah-Brandeis Institute spotlights Holocaust survivors‘ art in Kniznick Gallery

The Kniznick Gallery at Brandeis University has opened "Who Will Draw Our History? Women’s Graphic Narratives of the Holocaust, 1944-1949," an exhibition curated by Rachel E. Perry. The show features the work of ten female survivors who utilized visual storytelling—including handmade albums, pictorial diaries, and wordless novels—to document their experiences in concentration camps like Auschwitz-Birkenau and Ravensbrück. These "graphic narratives" serve as early visual testimonies, often created as a "call to duty" immediately following the liberation.

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The activist collective Halt Action Group (HAG) organized a second 'Dear Ivanka' protest in New York City as Ivanka Trump prepared to move to Washington, D.C. Protesters marched from Grand Army Plaza to Trump’s Park Avenue residence, carrying symbolic moving boxes labeled with social and political concerns such as women's rights, affordable healthcare, and freedom of the press. The event featured prominent art world figures and utilized visual metaphors, including a disavowed Richard Prince artwork, to urge Trump to act as a moderate influence on her father’s administration.

Chilean textiles showcasing women’s stories of heritage on view at Krannert Art Museum

The Krannert Art Museum has opened "Memorias de la Mujer Lotina: Arpilleras, Women, and Coal in Chile," an exhibition featuring 23 arpilleras created by women from the coal-mining community of Lota. These colorful, hand-stitched textiles, which rose to prominence as a form of resistance during the Pinochet dictatorship, document the daily lives, heritage, and struggles of marginalized communities. The show features a centerpiece 16-foot-long collective textile created by 52 women ranging in age from 14 to 92, depicting scenes of labor, domestic life, and social activism.

Art exhibition celebrating Glasgow's immigrant women

Scottish artist Gerard Burns has launched "Mother Glasgow," a portrait series featuring fifteen oil paintings of immigrant women who have made Glasgow their home. Debuting on International Women’s Day, the project showcases a diverse cohort ranging from a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl to an 87-year-old Italian resident, representing various professions including nursing, politics, and the arts. The works are being displayed across digital billboards and will tour prestigious Scottish venues.

‘In Her Place’: Female artists fill the Frist for its 25th anniversary

The Frist Art Museum in Nashville is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a major exhibition titled “In Her Place: Nashville Artists in the Twenty-First Century.” Occupying the museum's largest gallery space through April 26, the show features nearly 100 works including paintings, sculptures, and textiles by women artists based in the city. The exhibition is organized into three thematic sections—“Materiality and Memory,” “Scenes and Dreams,” and “Patterns and Abstraction”—highlighting the diverse generations, ethnicities, and styles that define Nashville's contemporary art scene.

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The art world saw significant roster changes and leadership appointments this week, including Roberts Projects announcing representation of Esmaa Mohamoud and Cristin Tierney adding Debbi Kenote. Notable institutional moves include Charles Chemin being named Artistic Director of the Watermill Center and Julia Siemon stepping into a newly created Deputy Director role at the Bard Graduate Center. Additionally, the mid-season auction market showed unexpected strength, highlighted by Jeff Koons’s 'Winter Bears' selling for $7.6 million at Christie’s.

‘Shaping Community & Shifting Narratives’ art exhibit opening reception to take place March 6

The Flint Institute of Arts Museum & Art School is hosting the opening reception for 'Shaping Community & Shifting Narratives,' an exhibition featuring works by 12 women artists of African descent aged 60 and older. Representing the communities of Flint, Lansing, and Detroit, the show includes a diverse range of media such as ceramics, painting, glass, and fiber arts. A special tribute will be included for the late textile artist Ernestine Bains, whose legacy is being carried forward by her granddaughter, Camille Baines.

200 Works By Female Artists Make A Statement At Museum Of Modern Art In Warsaw

The Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw has launched "The Woman Question 1550-2025," a landmark exhibition featuring 200 works by nearly 150 female artists spanning five centuries. Curated by Alison M. Gingeras and designed by Dorota Terlecka of Biuro Kreacja, the show is organized into nine thematic sections within the museum’s new contemporary building. The exhibition design utilizes a minimalist approach, featuring neutral palettes and intentional spatial proportions to ensure the diverse artworks remain the primary focus.

Women in the Frame: Art, Fashion, and Colorado History

The Denver Art Museum and the Center for Colorado Women's History have launched a collaborative initiative to celebrate International Women’s Day and the upcoming exhibition "DIVA." The partnership highlights the intersection of art, fashion, and regional history, specifically focusing on how women like Elizabeth “Baby Doe” Tabor used clothing to assert status and identity. Key displays include Tabor's elaborate silk and lace wedding gown and the museum's current exhibition, "Conversation Pieces: Stories from the Fashion Archives."

Pictures: Castle Drogo hosts powerful women’s history art exhibition this March

The Herding Cats Arts Collective is presenting a month-long exhibition titled 'A Woman’s Place' at Castle Drogo, a National Trust property on Dartmoor. The exhibition, running throughout March 2026, features contemporary works that explore the domestic and social structures governing the lives of women connected to the estate during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Through research conducted with castle historians, the artists utilize domestic materials and imagery to highlight the often-overlooked histories of both the working-class staff and the upper-class residents of the fortress.

March Book Bag: from a Modigliani catalogue raisonné to a career guide for artists

This month’s selection of art publications features a landmark six-volume catalogue raisonné of Amedeo Modigliani’s oil paintings, which utilizes advanced scientific imaging to authenticate 100 previously unlisted works while de-attributing 15 others. Other notable releases include a comprehensive study of arms and armor from the Wallace Collection, an exhibition catalogue exploring three generations of women artists from the Nicholson family, and a practical career guide for artists published by Delphian Gallery.

17 Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend: March 4-8

San Diego is hosting a variety of cultural events from March 4-8, ranging from sports and live music to theater and food festivals. Key highlights include the Seven Seas Food Festival at SeaWorld, a Great Gatsby-themed afternoon tea at Fairmont Grand Del Mar, and concerts by Aimee Mann and Lala Lala. The weekend also features celebrations for International Women’s Day, including a makers market and brunch at Stone World Bistro & Gardens.

Danger and inspiration: Bangladeshi artists divided about country’s future after historic election

The 11th Chobi Mela photography festival in Dhaka has become a vital site for political discourse following Bangladesh's historic election and the 2024 revolution. Through public installations like 'Women in the July Uprising,' artists are documenting the pivotal role of women in toppling the previous regime and addressing the subsequent erasure of their contributions under the new political landscape. The festival also highlights the ongoing struggle for justice regarding the 'disappeared' through the documentary work of photographers like Mosfiqur Rahman Johan.

Blockbuster exhibition highlights visionary women of abstract expressionism

The Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary has launched "Abstract Expressionists: The Women," a landmark touring exhibition featuring nearly 50 works by 32 female artists. Curated by scholar Ellen G. Landau and drawn from the private collection of Christian Levett, the show includes major figures such as Helen Frankenthaler, Lee Krasner, and Elaine de Kooning. It is the only East Coast stop for this exhibition, which organizes the works chronologically to trace the movement's evolution across New York, California, and Paris.

The Future is Handmade – The Regina A. Quick Center Hosts Community Art Project in the lobby this Season

The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at Fairfield University has debuted "The Future is Handmade," a large-scale exhibition featuring eight female artists with regional ties. Curated by Linda Colletta and organized by the Center for Arts & Minds, the showcase transforms the center's lobby into a vibrant gallery of mixed-media, textiles, and sculpture. The exhibition opened alongside a performance by the dance company BODYTRAFFIC, emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach to community engagement.

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Amsterdam-based fashion brand Scotch & Soda has launched a new apparel collection in partnership with the estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. The line features men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing adorned with the late artist’s signature motifs, including his iconic three-point crown and sketches. A central element of the collaboration is the use of Basquiat’s 1987 painting "Unbreakable," which has been adapted into prints for hoodies, jackets, and denim.

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Rena Bransten, a foundational figure in the San Francisco art scene, has died at the age of 92 following a heart attack and a subsequent fall. Since founding her eponymous gallery in 1975, Bransten became a champion for California-based artists, with a pioneering focus on women and artists of color. Her gallery represented major figures including John Waters, Dawoud Bey, and Fred Wilson, evolving from its origins in ceramics to a multidisciplinary powerhouse that recently transitioned to a nomadic model.

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Artist Amy Sherald has been named one of TIME magazine’s 2026 Women of the Year, a distinction honoring her leadership and commitment to equity. The recognition follows Sherald's high-profile decision to withdraw her solo exhibition, "American Sublime," from the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., after the institution attempted to censor or alter the presentation of her painting 'Trans Forming Liberty' (2024) due to political pressure. The Baltimore Museum of Art subsequently stepped in to host the show, where it has since shattered all-time attendance records for the institution.

Springfield Art Museum opens annual All-School Exhibition

The Springfield Art Museum has launched its annual All-School Exhibition, a long-standing tradition that showcases artwork from public, private, parochial, and homeschool students across the Springfield area. Due to ongoing renovations at the museum’s main facility, the 2026 edition is being hosted at Missouri State University’s Brick City Gallery. The exhibition coincides with Youth Art Month and Women’s History Month, featuring a diverse range of student work selected to highlight educational depth rather than just technical skill.

Monumental commissions and pioneering women artists take centre stage at Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026

The third edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale has opened in Riyadh’s JAX District under the title 'In Interludes and Transitions.' Curated by Nora Razian and Sabih Ahmed, the exhibition features over 65 artists from 35 countries, focusing on themes of migration, oral storytelling, and the movement of ideas across borders. The show is housed in repurposed 1970s industrial warehouses with a scenography designed by Formafantasma that emphasizes intimacy despite the monumental scale of the venues.