culture holiday traditions artists rockefeller center

Cultured magazine's holiday feature spotlights how New York's creative community—including artist Julia Chiang, chef Jess Shadbolt, and designer Todd Snyder—celebrates the season with personal, non-traditional traditions. Chiang and her children craft ornaments from felt and Sculpey clay; Shadbolt serves cheese fondue on Christmas Eve and offers it at her restaurant King; Snyder favors tartan ties and cashmere over typical holiday attire. The article ties these rituals to Rockefeller Center as the city's holiday hub, with shopping recommendations from FAO Schwarz, Anthropologie, and Jupiter.

dalmore artist on artist panel san francisco

The Dalmore whisky distillery hosted a private panel discussion in San Francisco, featuring architect Ben Dobbin of Foster + Partners and artist Sarah Meyohas, moderated by CULTURED Executive Editor Mara Veitch. The event, held at Studio at Mission Rock, brought together local gallerists, designers, and art enthusiasts to explore the intersection of fine art, architecture, and commercial practice. Dobbin was recently selected for the third iteration of The Dalmore's Luminary series, collaborating with master distillers to create limited edition whiskies housed in his custom bronze sculpture and bespoke case.

john gachot shelter island studio

John Gachot, a Manhattan-based designer, has transformed a shed on his Shelter Island property into a studio where he can finally pursue drawing and painting after decades of relegating his practice to notebooks and bar napkins. The space also houses sculptures by his late father, Richard Gachot, an artist who worked out of an ice house on the family's Long Island estate and created animated, politically charged works. The article, structured as an interview, explores how the shed became a creative sanctuary for John and a continuation of his father's artistic legacy.

hamptons shopping dining summer

A roundup of summer shopping, dining, and cultural offerings in the Hamptons highlights new collaborations and pop-ups. Artist Joel Mesler partners with French swimwear brand Vilebrequin on a capsule collection featuring his signature beach balls and balloons, ahead of his "Miles of Smiles" exhibition at Guild Hall in August. Chanel opens a salon at the Hedges Inn, while Mary Lou's brings its refined coastal dining from Palm Beach to Montauk. Other notable openings include Shooster Arts & Literature, a living gallery in Sag Harbor with works by Picasso, Ginsberg, Holzer, and Albers; Giorgio Armani Mare's pop-up on Shelter Island supporting the One Ocean Foundation; Sézane's Amour Tour at the Maidstone; Zimmermann's restored bank boutique in Southampton; Swifty's restaurant pop-up at the Hedges Inn; and The Hills, a luxury lifestyle development by Mike Meldman's Discovery Land Company.

serpentine summer party pavilion cate blanchett

The Serpentine Summer Party took place in London's Kensington Gardens, drawing a glamorous crowd to celebrate Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum's 25th Anniversary Serpentine Pavilion, titled "A Capsule in Time." Co-hosted by actor Cate Blanchett, the event featured musical performances by Caroline Polachek and GALLiVANTER, along with exhibitions by Giuseppe Penone and Sir Peter Cook. Notable attendees included Serpentine Board Chairman Michael Bloomberg, Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist, CEO Bettina Korek, and a host of celebrities and cultural figures.

Paul Stopforth | HERE COMES EVERYBODY 5 (2026) | For Sale

Paul Stopforth's artwork "HERE COMES EVERYBODY 5" (2026) is being offered for sale through The Schoolhouse Gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The piece is a unique gouache on panel measuring 16 × 16 inches, priced at US$900, hand-signed by the artist, and includes a certificate of authenticity. Stopforth, born in 1945 and originally from South Africa, emigrated to the United States 27 years ago and has since lived and worked in Boston, Cambridge, and Provincetown. His career includes teaching at Harvard University, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, and the Fine Arts Work Center, with his works held in public collections including the Harvard Film Archive, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, and the National Gallery in Cape Town.

Two New Exhibitions Open May 1 at Smith House Galleries

The Arts Council of the Valley is launching two concurrent solo exhibitions at the Smith House Galleries in Harrisonburg, Virginia. 'Young Warriors' by Sukenya Best features vibrant portrait paintings that explore themes of resilience and nature, while 'Water’s Journey' by Anna Freeman showcases ceramic and 2D works focused on the intertidal boundaries between land and water. The opening event on May 1 includes artist talks and a live portrait-drawing pop-up by artist Will Stroud.

Diverse Materials and Perspectives in Upstairs Artspace’s Two Spring Shows

Upstairs Artspace in Tryon is launching two concurrent exhibitions, "Fight or Flight" and "Birds of a Feather," opening April 19. The solo show by Asheville-based artist Erika Diamond features textile sculptures crafted from bulletproof Kevlar and mirrored vinyl, exploring themes of queer safety, resilience, and survival. The accompanying group show, curated by Diamond, brings together eight artists whose works in photography, glass, and painting examine identity and the human body's relationship to the natural world.

Art, museum exhibits in Kenosha, Racine counties this week

Cultural institutions across Kenosha and Racine counties in Wisconsin have announced their exhibition schedules and public hours for the week of April 9, 2026. Featured venues include the Anderson Arts Center, the Carthage College Art Gallery, and the Kenosha Public Museum, which continues to showcase its permanent collection including "The Wisconsin Story" and "Mammoths at the Museum." Local galleries such as Lemon Street Gallery and OS Projects are also hosting open hours for the public to engage with regional contemporary art.

The Shortlist: Must-see Milwaukee exhibits opening or closing in April

Milwaukee’s art scene is preparing for a busy April season anchored by the city’s quarterly Gallery Night on April 17 and 18. Key highlights include the Milwaukee Art Museum’s 18th annual Art in Bloom, which pairs floral arrangements with works from the permanent collection, and the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design’s (MIAD) senior capstone exhibition. Other notable shows include Var Gallery’s 12th annual "30x30x30" challenge and Gabrielle Marie Stone’s "Snack Shop" at Kim Storage Gallery.

February 2026 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists

A curated list of open calls, grants, and residencies for artists and designers for February 2026 has been published. Key opportunities include applications for The Other Art Fair Brooklyn, the Quilt Visions 2026 exhibition at Visions Museum of Textile Art, Jackson’s Art Prize, a public art commission for Boise Airport, the McNeese National Works on Paper Exhibition, the Melancholy 2026 online exhibition, the Sónar+D digital creativity festival, the World of WearableArt Competition, and the Hasselblad Masters 2026 photography contest.

New Museum extension opens, NextGen collectors, a Wardian Case in Oxford – podcast

The New Museum in New York has opened a major new extension designed by architects Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas of OMA. The expansion is inaugurated with a new exhibition titled "New Humans: Memories of the Future," curated by the museum's artistic director Massimiliano Gioni.

Behind the Scenes of ‘The Sopranos’: A New Exhibition Revisits TV’s Favorite Mob Drama

The Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in New York has opened a new exhibition titled 'Stories and Set Designs for The Sopranos.' The show delves into the creation of the landmark HBO series, featuring original research materials, concept art, ground plans, and scripts that reveal the intense preparatory work by creator David Chase and his team. It reconstructs key locations like the Soprano home, the Bada Bing strip club, and Dr. Melfi's office to illustrate the show's transition from pilot to full series production.

À Berlin, le Musée de Pergame rouvrira partiellement en 2027

Berlin's Pergamon Museum, closed since October 2023, will partially reopen in June 2027, with only the north wing and central section accessible. The renovation and expansion project, launched in 2012, has faced repeated delays and its budget has ballooned to €1.5 billion. The partial reopening coincides with the bicentenary of Berlin's Museum Island and will bring back the Pergamon Altar, unseen for over a decade, along with redesigned permanent exhibitions for the Museum of Islamic Art and the Museum of the Ancient Near East. However, major attractions like the Ishtar Gate and the Market Gate of Miletus will remain closed until the 2030s, with full museum completion now estimated between 2037 and 2043.

THE ASHLEY GIBSON BARNETT MUSEUM OF ART ANNOUNCES LAURA PUTNAM AS CURATOR OF EXHIBITIONS

The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art at Florida Southern College has appointed Laura V. Putnam as its new Curator of Exhibitions. Putnam, who has worked at the museum since 2013 and most recently served as Manager of Exhibitions and Adult Programs, steps into the role following the departure of former Executive Director and Chief Curator Dr. Alex Rich. She will lead the conceptualization, development, and execution of all exhibitions, including original research, artwork selection, and collaboration with artists and partner institutions.

AGB Museum promotes Putnam to Curator of Exhbitions role

Laura V. Putnam has been promoted to Curator of Exhibitions at the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art (AGB) at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. Putnam, who has worked at the museum since 2013 and previously served as manager of exhibitions and adult programs, stepped into an expanded role following the departure of former Executive Director and Chief Curator Alex Rich. She has curated recent exhibitions including "Darkroom Alchemy: Photographs by Jerry Uelsmann," "Surreal Scenarios: The Art of Susanne Schuenke," and "The Medici Dynasty: Renaissance in Florence."

Meet The Canadian Artist Behind The Mirrored Mannequins That Transformed The 2026 Met Gala

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's 2026 Costume Institute exhibition, titled "Costume Art," will feature special mannequins with mirrored steel heads created by Toronto-born, Dubai-based artist Samar Hejazi. The mannequins, designed in collaboration with Curator in Charge Andrew Bolton, represent differently sized and abled bodies and replace traditional faces with reflective surfaces to disrupt the conventional presentation of fashion. Hejazi attended the Met Gala wearing a gown by Palestinian designer Zaid Farouki and described the project as a meaningful collaboration aimed at fostering empathy and self-reflection.

The Milwaukee Art Museum hosts the only Gertrude Abercrombie surrealist art exhibition in the Midwest

The Milwaukee Art Museum is hosting "Gertrude Abercrombie: The Whole World is a Mystery," a nationally touring retrospective featuring 83 paintings by the surrealist artist. The exhibition, which runs through July 19, is the only stop in the Midwest for the tour and includes works such as "Witches Switches" and "Inheritance," alongside wearable art from the 1950s. The gallery is designed as a maze to reflect Abercrombie's complex mind, and the museum is offering related events like Kohl's Family Sunday and MAM After Dark.

Student artists take center stage at ArtNow 2026 Exhibition

The New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU) has launched ArtNow 2026, its largest juried high school exhibition to date, featuring 97 student artists from 36 schools across Santa Clara County. Selected from over 600 submissions, the featured works respond to the theme "Before / Between / Beyond," exploring concepts of identity, heritage, and the future. The exhibition process is designed to mirror professional standards, requiring students to submit artist statements and undergo a rigorous selection process by a panel of arts professionals.

43rd Ellarsie Open Announces Juror Adam Welch: Accepting Submissions Until May 6th

The Trenton City Museum has launched the call for entries for the 43rd Ellarslie Open, appointing Adam Welch as the juror for the 2026 edition. Welch, the Executive Director of the Arts Council of Princeton and a former lecturer at Princeton University, will oversee the selection process for the prestigious regional showcase. Artists from the New Jersey and Pennsylvania areas are invited to submit digital entries through May 6, with the final exhibition scheduled to open on June 6 at the historic Ellarslie Mansion.

Long Overlooked, Minnie Evans’s Mystical Landscapes Are Finally Getting the Spotlight

Minnie Evans (1892–1987), a self-taught African American artist who worked for 25 years as a ticket seller at Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, North Carolina, is experiencing a major resurgence. Long overlooked after her death, Evans created thousands of vibrant, kaleidoscopic drawings featuring florals, animals, and abstraction, often on scrap paper using affordable materials. A touring exhibition, "The Visionary Art of Minnie Evans," is currently on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, curated by Colton Klein, and a larger exhibition opens this November at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta before traveling to the Whitney Museum of American Art in summer 2026. Evans had a 1975 retrospective at the Whitney during her lifetime but faded from prominence afterward.

Jack White opens debut art exhibition in London at Newport Street Gallery starting May 29

Jack White, the Grammy-winning musician and frontman of The White Stripes, will open his debut art exhibition titled "These Thoughts May Disappear" at Newport Street Gallery in London on May 29, 2026. The show, running through September 13, features sculptures, interactive works, installations, and furniture design that White calls "Hardware Store Art," blending found objects, tools, epoxy, and assemblage. It includes a remake of his 2015 sculpture "The Red Tree" and marks his first public showing as a visual artist after two decades of private practice.

Jack White takes first visual art exhibition to London

Musician Jack White is set to debut his first major visual arts exhibition, titled 'These Thoughts May Disappear,' at Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery in London. Running from May 29 to September 13, 2026, the show features a diverse array of sculptures, interactive installations, and furniture design that White characterizes as "hardware store art." The collection draws heavily from his background in upholstery and carpentry, incorporating found objects and industrial materials like resins and epoxies.

Jack White’s first visual art show to open in London this spring

Musician Jack White is set to debut his first solo visual art exhibition, titled ‘These Thoughts May Disappear’, at Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery in London. Running from May 29 to September 13, the show will feature a diverse array of mediums including sculpture, furniture design, and large-scale installations, many of which are constructed from reclaimed industrial materials and hardware remnants.

Architecture as Microcosm: Interview with Architects Barclay & Crousse Coming to an Exhibition in Milan

Architettura come microcosmo. Intervista agli architetti Barclay & Crousse che arrivano in mostra a Milano

Architects Sandra Barclay and Jean Pierre Crousse, founders of Barclay & Crousse Architecture, are the subject of a feature interview and exhibition in Milan. The studio, established in Paris in 1994 and now based in Peru, is known for projects that deeply engage with the Peruvian landscape, particularly the coastal desert between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes. Their notable works include the Lugar de la Memoria (Lima, 2015), the Museo de Paracas (2016), and the Franco-Peruvian School in Lima (2025), which recently won the Grand International Prize at the X Bienal Internacional de Arquitectura de Santa Cruz (Bolivia) in 2026. The article traces their education across Peru, France, and Italy, and their return to Peru in 2006, where they continue to run a French branch called Atelier Nord Sud.

The best galleries in Colombo for art and design lovers

The article highlights the best galleries and cultural spaces in Colombo, Sri Lanka, which is emerging as a vibrant cultural hub in Asia. It features established venues like the Sapumal Foundation, founded by painter Harry Pieris, the Barefoot Gallery, and the Colombo National Museum, alongside newer spots such as the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka and Millennium Art Contemporary. Notable artists mentioned include Tilak Samarawickrema, Chamila Gamage, and the historic '43 Group, which includes George Keyt and Lionel Wendt. The article also spotlights Radicle, Colombo's newest gallery, which recently hosted Priyantha Udagedara's solo exhibition "Terra Nullius."

‘Studio Iron’ to Launch at Saatchi Yates, Blurring the Boundaries Between Art and Design

Saatchi Yates is partnering with creative director and makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench to launch Studio Iron, a new design gallery whose inaugural exhibition opens April 30 and runs through June 7, 2026. The show presents a dense, post-industrial landscape dominated by steel and iron, featuring works by artists including Jannis Kounellis, Paul McCarthy, Jordan Wolfson, Anne Imhof, Marina Abramovic, Nico Vascellari, and others. Furniture, sculpture, installation, and painting collide in a space that resists categorization, hovering between function and non-function, utility and image.

Inside Richie Shazam’s Debut Solo Show in Texas

Multidisciplinary artist Richie Shazam has launched her debut solo exhibition, "I Was Never Meant to Survive This," at the McLennon Pen Co. gallery in Austin, Texas. The show features 39 new works that blend photography, sculpture, and set design, utilizing found objects, hair, and flowers alongside Shazam’s own body as a primary subject. The collection represents a deeply personal exploration of her Guyanese heritage, trans identity, and the community that has supported her journey from New York City to the international stage.

Savannah artists finding big ways in small places to stage exhibitions

Savannah artists are creating new exhibition spaces in small, unconventional venues to counter the city's lack of affordable studio and gallery space. Following the closure of several local galleries, nonprofit Arts Southeast has been fostering resilience, with new spaces like Cute Tomatoes Gallery, Pocket Space (hosted by Norwood Gallery), and Camaleon opening in 2025. These artist-run initiatives feature rotating shows, including a group exhibition of 19 female artists at Norwood Gallery and a multidisciplinary venue at Camaleon directed by SCAD graduate Alex Mendi.

Miami Advice: Nina Surel on the historic Villa Paula and its future

Nina Surel, a Buenos Aires-born, Miami-based artist and founder of Collective 62, discusses the historic Villa Paula in Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood. Originally built in the late 19th century for Cuban consul Domingo Milord and his wife Paula, the Neo-Classical villa features imported Cuban materials, Tuscan columns, and hand-painted ceramic tiles. After years of disrepair, a civic-minded landlord transformed it into a cultural venue now hosting the design gallery the Future Perfect, with works by artists including Autumn Casey and Faye Toogood during Miami Art Week. Surel highlights the building's layered history, ghost stories, and its significance as a misplaced architectural gem.