12 must-see exhibitions in and around Los Angeles during Frieze

Los Angeles is hosting a series of major exhibitions to coincide with the Frieze Los Angeles art fair, highlighting both historical activism and contemporary social critiques. Key shows include Judith F. Baca’s exploration of her iconic 'Great Wall of Los Angeles' mural at Jeffrey Deitch, a massive survey of time-based media from the Julia Stoschek Foundation at the Variety Arts Theater, and a collaborative project between MOCA and The Brick titled 'Monuments' that recontextualizes removed Confederate statues through the lens of contemporary Black artists.

Anne Boleyn Exhibition at Hever Castle

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Hever Castle has launched "Capturing a Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn," a landmark exhibition exploring the visual legacy of King Henry VIII’s second wife at her childhood home. The show brings together an unprecedented collection of portraits, woodcuts, and costumes to challenge the long-held myth that all contemporary likenesses of Anne were destroyed after her execution. Key highlights include infrared analysis of the 1583 "Rose" Portrait and research suggesting that some famous posthumous depictions actually blended her features with those of her daughter, Elizabeth I, to solidify Tudor legitimacy.

'Cursed!': Toledo Museum of Art to host exhibit exploring the power of ancient magic in the Mediterranean world

The Toledo Museum of Art will host a major exhibition titled 'Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World' from March 21 to July 5. The show features 75 objects spanning two millennia, including Egyptian artwork, Mesopotamian sculptures, and Greek and Roman relics, exploring themes like protective magic, communication with gods, and magic in daily life.

'From Gérôme to Monet': Walters Art Museum opens latest exhibit

The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore has opened a new exhibition titled 'From Gérôme to Monet: Stories from the 19th Century Collection' at its Hackerman House location. The show, which runs from February 7 to May 31, features 20 paintings and one sculpture drawn from the museum's own holdings, placing academic Salon paintings alongside Impressionist works to illustrate contrasting artistic philosophies of the period.

Spencer Museum’s spring exhibitions explore richness of Japanese and Asian American art

The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas is opening two major exhibitions on February 19: 'Street Nihonga: The Art of Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani' and 'Brush, Block, and Blood: Three Generations of Yoshida Women Printmakers.' The Mirikitani exhibition is the largest assembly of the Japanese American artist's work, featuring 145 pieces that document his life of displacement, incarceration, and homelessness, created using traditional Japanese techniques with found materials. The Yoshida exhibition presents prints by three generations of women from a renowned Japanese artistic family, marking the first U.S. display of their work together.

Norfolk celebrates an art scene drawing generations together

The Norwich Castle Open Art Show, titled 'In Proximity,' received an overwhelming 900 submissions from artists across the East of England, highlighting a vibrant regional art scene. The exhibition opens this Saturday at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, showcasing a diverse range of works from painters, printmakers, textile artists, and ceramicists.

Poetry and visual imagery come together in Marion Art Gallery exhibition

The Marion Art Gallery at Fredonia is presenting "Children of Grass: A Portrait of American Poetry," an exhibition featuring 50 photographic portraits and one video of prominent American poets by photographer B.A. Van Sise. Each portrait visually interprets a poem by its subject, creating a collaborative image. The exhibition runs from February 24 to April 15, with related events including a lecture by Van Sise and a poetry reading by former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo.

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The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University has opened a survey exhibition titled 'Photorealism in Focus.' The show brings together works by more than 30 artists, including early pioneers like Robert Cottingham and Ralph Ladell Goings, as well as artists such as Audrey Flack and Joyce Stillman-Myers, to trace the movement's history from the late 1960s to its contemporary expansions across painting and sculpture.

Art Critic, Jerry Saltz Speaks at Palm Beach Modern Auction to VIP Audience

Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Jerry Saltz delivered a private talk at Palm Beach Modern Auctions in Florida. The event, held amidst works by artists like Andy Warhol and Willem de Kooning, brought together museum professionals, gallery owners, dealers, and major collectors in a space typically associated with commerce.

Blaffer Art Museum exhibitions explore identity, history

The Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston has launched two new exhibitions, 'The Uncanny In-Between' and 'Mud + Corn + Stone + Blue,' both running through March 14. The first features ceramic works by five Korean artists exploring bicultural identity, while the second presents works by artists from the U.S. Corn Belt and Central America, weaving together themes of agriculture, history, and political intervention.

New Palm Springs Art Exhibition Explores the Runway as Architecture

The Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center has opened a new exhibition titled "Fashioning Architecture," on view through August 9. Curated by executive director Christine Vendredi, the show examines the spatial and hierarchical dynamics of fashion shows—such as the front row, runway, and backstage—treating them as architectural constructs. It features photography, video, and objects including audience T-shirts from Virgil Abloh's Spring/Summer 2019 Louis Vuitton show and a LaQuan Smith dress from New York Fashion Week, alongside historical Palm Springs fashion moments like a 1939 Racquet Club show and Nicolas Ghesquière's 2015 Louis Vuitton cruise show at the Bob Hope House.

Barrie yoga studio transforming into art gallery for upcoming event

Nook Yoga in Barrie, Ontario, will transform its bay room into an art gallery on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. for an event called Open Gallery. The free, public event will feature works from over 20 local artists, offering attendees the chance to view art, meet the creators, and connect with the community in a calm, inspiring setting overlooking Kempenfelt Bay.

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.

Afghanistan’s heritage comes to the fore in acclaimed Doha show

A new exhibition at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in Doha, titled *Empire of Light: Visions and Voices from Afghanistan*, highlights Afghanistan’s art and history from pre-Islamic times to the present day. Running until 30 May and timed to Art Basel Qatar week, the show draws primarily from MIA’s collection, with loans from Qatari institutions and international lenders such as the National Museum of Asian Art at the Smithsonian. It includes historical objects like a 13th-century ewer and a 9th-century Qur’an folio, as well as contemporary works such as Khadim Ali’s *Un-Safe Heaven* (2025), a textile piece embroidered by Afghan men and women. No objects come from Afghan museums, but large-scale wooden models and glass vessels were produced in Afghanistan with help from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

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A self-portrait by Artemisia Gentileschi sold for $5.69 million at Christie’s New York, setting a new auction record for the artist. The painting, *Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria*, is one of only five self-portraits by Gentileschi and is believed to be the earliest, painted when she was around 20 years old in Florence. It far exceeded its presale estimate of $2.5–$3.5 million. On the same day, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., announced its acquisition of another Gentileschi work, *Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy* (circa 1625), funded by a gift from Nina J. Cohen and the Patrons’ Permanent Fund.

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London gallery Archeus / Post-Modern has organized a by-appointment presentation titled "Bridget Riley: Sixties. The Complete Black and White Graphic Works." The exhibition brings together a rare, complete suite of seven prints on paper and seven companion works on Plexiglas, known as *Fragments*, all created by the English Op Art pioneer in the early-to-mid 1960s.

Disguises abound in next exhibition at the Shepherd

The Shepherd, a former church turned art gallery in Detroit, is presenting a new exhibition titled 'A Meadow in the Clouds.' The show features nine contemporary artists, including Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Nina Chanel Abney, and Qualeasha Wood, whose works intentionally veil, disguise, or distort information, focusing on themes of communication gaps and distorted narratives.

Portland Art Museum opens gallery focused on Black artists, named for local trailblazer

The Portland Art Museum has opened a new permanent gallery dedicated to Black artists, named for local artist, dancer, and educator Thelma Johnson Streat. The gallery, which opened on the first day of Black History Month, features a variety of works by Black Oregon artists, including multimedia installations, paintings, drawings, and a large photographic grid.

Cooperation and Collaboration: The Front Gallery Brings Art and Artists Together

The Front, an artist-run cooperative gallery in Montpelier, Vermont, operates on an equal-ownership model with 23 member artists. Founded by Glen Coburn Hutcheson after a pop-up studio gallery evolved into a collective space, the gallery is cooperatively managed, with members sharing rent and responsibilities while hosting solo and bi-monthly group shows, critiques, and community events.

Modern and Contemporary Art: Exceptional Pieces at the Auction House

On February 4th, 2026, the Monte-Carlo Auction House will hold a sale of modern and contemporary art featuring over 30 lots. The highlight is Fernand Léger's 1932 oil on canvas "Contrasting Objects on a Blue Background," estimated at €600,000–800,000. Other notable lots include a bronze sculpture by Robert Indiana (€140,000–180,000), a Chu Teh-Chun oil on canvas (€200,000–300,000), and works by Edgar Degas, Victor Vasarely, Niki de Saint Phalle, and Picasso. The sale also includes decorative pieces by Roger Capron and Maison Pergay.

New documentary provides an inside look at the Harlem Renaissance

A new documentary, *Once Upon a Time in Harlem*, is screening at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, offering an intimate look at the Harlem Renaissance. The film is assembled from 28 hours of 16mm footage shot in 1972 by the late filmmaker William Greaves at Duke Ellington's home in Harlem, capturing a gathering of key figures from the movement. Greaves's son David, who was one of the original cameramen, completed the film after his father's death. The footage includes interviews and reflections from artists, writers, musicians, and activists such as Romare Bearden, Aaron Douglas, James Van Der Zee, Eubie Blake, and Arna Bontemps.

New exhibits at Rose Art Museum delve into photorealism, notions of refuge

Two new winter exhibitions open February 11, 2026 at the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University: “Photorealism in Focus” and “Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary.” The first brings together pioneering Photorealists like Richard Estes, Charles S. Bell, Audrey Flack, and Ralph Goings alongside contemporary artists, exploring the blurred line between painting and photography. The second features the U.S. debut of Yinka Shonibare’s installation “Sanctuary City” (2024), comprising 18 illuminated miniature buildings that served as historical refuges, lined with the artist’s signature Dutch wax textiles. Both shows are curated by Gannit Akori, the museum’s director and chief curator.

‘I Can’t Draw’ exhibition highlights community art

The ninth annual UPRISING art exhibition at St. Olaf College, titled 'I Can’t Draw,' confronts anxiety around art-making by creating a judgment-free, communal space for creating art together. The student-curated show features works like 'Self-Acceptance Is My Oasis of Serenity' and invites visitors to contribute live drawings to evolving pieces, dissolving the boundary between artist and audience. Founded in 2018 by Shaquille Brown, UPRISING celebrates Black history, culture, and identity through visual and performing arts.

An Exhibition Celebrating Notable Montclair Alumni Artists And Their Creative Impact – Press Room

Montclair State University Galleries will present “Carpe Diem: Select Alumni in the Visual Arts” from February 3 to May 3, 2026, at the George Segal Gallery. The cross-generational group exhibition features 12 accomplished alumni artists whose careers span from 1943 to 2024, including internationally recognized figures such as Bisa Butler, Pope.L, and Allen Ginsberg. Curated by Art and Design Professor Sally Morgan Lehman, the show highlights a range of media—photography, poetry, quilted portraits, mixed media, and video installations—and includes both established and emerging voices.

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Art Karlsruhe returns for its 23rd edition from February 5–8, 2026, at Messe Karlsruhe in Rheinstetten, Germany. The fair brings together roughly 180 galleries from 18 countries, spanning 120 years of art history with dedicated halls for classical Modernism and contemporary art. New participants include Boston's Chase Young Gallery and Tehran's Maryam Fasihi Harandi Gallery, alongside a strong German contingent. Special sculpture areas feature works by Robert Schad, Martin Hollebecq, Koloman Wagner, and Sonja Edle von Hoeßle.

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This week's art industry roundup covers major developments across auctions, galleries, and institutions. Christie's will auction René Magritte's 'Les grâces naturelles' (ca. 1961) as the star lot of its Art of the Surreal evening sale in London on March 5, with an estimate of £6.5–9.5 million. Zona Maco in Mexico City has announced 241 exhibitors for its 22nd edition, including a new section called Forma. The London Art Fair reported strong sales for British women abstract painters, while Vienna's Spark Art fair canceled its 2025 edition for a strategic pause until 2027. In gallery news, Amy Sherald signed with Creative Artists Agency, and several other artist-gallery representation changes were announced. The U.K. government pledged £1.5 billion to support cultural organizations from 2025 to 2030, and Tarek Atoui was named the next Turbine Hall commission artist at Tate Modern.

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The article reports on a growing trend in the art world called a 'strategic pause,' where galleries and art fairs are temporarily suspending operations to reassess their futures. Vienna's Spark Art Fair announced a hiatus, Berlin dealer Mehdi Choukri is pausing exhibitions at his 30-year-old gallery, and the Art Dealers Association of America's Art Show skipped a year to 'reimagine' its direction. Additionally, the Metropolitan Opera in New York is considering selling its iconic Marc Chagall murals, and a fresh-to-market Magritte painting is heading to Christie's London.

Judges announced for Birds of the Brush art show at Laredo Birding Festival

The Rio Grande International Study Center has announced the three judges for the 2026 Birds of the Brush art exhibition, part of the Laredo Birding Festival. The judges are Kassandra Romero, an artist and educator; Anakaren Escamilla, a Laredo-based artist focused on healing and feminine strength; and Raul Delgado, an avid bird photographer and member of the Monte Mucho Audubon Society. The free public event will take place February 5 at the Laredo Center for the Arts, featuring aviary-themed works from artists of all ages and skill levels.

River Art Gallery spotlights psychedelic delight

River Art Gallery at Reedley College opened “Technicolor Mind,” an exhibition featuring over a dozen oil paintings by drawing and painting instructor Tracy Carrera. The show, which opened on January 22, 2026, includes abstract, colorful works arranged alongside toys and figurines that inspired them. The exhibition was organized by students in the college's art gallery class, and the opening night featured a performance by local band Dying Suns, whose song “Technicolor Mind” gave the show its name.

African LGBTQ+ art at the Smithsonian, the Iran crisis, Louise Nevelson at Pompidou Metz—podcast

The latest episode of The Art Newspaper's 'The Week in Art' podcast, hosted by Ben Luke, covers three major stories. It features a discussion with co-curator Kevin Dumouchelle about 'Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art,' a new exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., focusing on LGBTQ+ artists from Africa and its diaspora. The episode also examines the cultural impact of the protests and brutal crackdown in Iran, with reporter Sarvy Garenpayeh, and highlights Louise Nevelson's 'Tropical Garden II (1957)' as the Work of the Week, tied to a new survey of the sculptor's work at the Centre Pompidou-Metz.