Women on the Verge: Five Museums in Maine Showcase Nicole Wittenberg and Ann Craven

Five museums across Maine are simultaneously presenting exhibitions featuring the work of painters Nicole Wittenberg and Ann Craven, in a coordinated initiative titled "Women on the Verge." The participating institutions include the Portland Museum of Art, the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockland, the Colby College Museum of Art in Waterville, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick, and the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland. Each venue is showing a distinct body of work by either Wittenberg or Craven, highlighting their vibrant, often nature-inspired paintings that explore themes of femininity, perception, and the natural world.

The Wallace Collection appoints Selldorf Architects to lead masterplan to transform its historic London home

The Wallace Collection in London has appointed Selldorf Architects, led by Annabelle Selldorf, to lead a masterplan for Hertford House, its historic home. Selldorf, who recently oversaw renovations at the Frick Collection and the National Gallery's Sainsbury Wing, will collaborate with UK practices Purcell and Lawson Ward Studio. The project aims to improve access, sustainability, and visitor experience at the museum, which opened to the public in 1900 and houses over 5,500 works including masterpieces by Velázquez, Hals, and Rubens.

Dexter Dalwood: ‘If we want art history to change, we need to include artists in creating shows’

British artist Dexter Dalwood, known for his paintings of imagined interiors of famous figures like Kurt Cobain and Ludwig Wittgenstein, has taken on an unexpected role as co-curator of an exhibition at the National Gallery in London. The show, *José María Velasco: A View of Mexico*, runs until August 17 and highlights the 19th-century Mexican landscape painter, who documented industrialization and ecological change. Dalwood, who moved to Mexico in 2022 after a residency, brings his own artistic perspective to the curation, aiming to introduce Velasco to an international audience.

Summer shows include multiple exhibitions viewing nature through 2 artists’ work - Portland Press Herald

Multiple Maine museums are collaborating this summer to present simultaneous exhibitions of two mid-career gestural painters, Nicole Wittenberg and Ann Craven, whose work deeply engages with nature and landscape painting. Wittenberg's shows include "A Sailboat in the Moonlight" at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art (through July 20), "Nicole Wittenberg: Cheek to Cheek" at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art (through Sept. 14), and a Paris exhibition at the Fondation Le Corbusier. Craven's exhibitions span the Farnsworth Art Museum ("Ann Craven: Painted Time," through Jan. 4, 2026), the Portland Museum of Art ("Spotlight: Ann Craven," May 14 to Sept. 14), and Bowdoin College Museum of Art (starting May 22).

Many Hands Make Great Work at the Weatherspoon’s Student-Curated Show

Cannon Crawford-Wilson, a sculpture and ceramics student at UNC Greensboro, took Art History 490: Museums and Exhibition Spaces and helped curate the exhibition “Embodied: Finding Meaning in the Human Form” at the Weatherspoon Art Museum. Under the guidance of Dr. Emily Stamey, she and her classmates selected artworks, wrote labels, and designed the gallery layout for the Spring 2025 season, working with museum staff like preparator Susan Taaffe. The show features pieces such as Toyin Ojih Odutola's “What’s in a Mistake?” (2014) and Do Ho Suh's “Bowl with Hands.”

A $1B Evening With Nicole Kidman

Hyperallergic's newsletter reports on a record-setting $1 billion evening sale at Christie's on May 18, which included works by Jackson Pollock and Constantin Brancusi alongside Hollywood star Nicole Kidman. Other stories cover an exhibition at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center celebrating Black American artists in Paris, a painted book cover trend analyzed by Tara Anne Dalbow, a Gaza Square sculpture unveiling in Paterson, New Jersey, and a performance event by Bahar Behbahani on Governors Island.

Who’s That Nude Figure on a Washing Machine Outside the New Museum?

British artist Sarah Lucas has unveiled a new public sculpture titled "VENUS VICTORIA" (2026) at the New Museum's entrance plaza on the Bowery in Lower Manhattan. The work, which will remain on view for two years, features a monumental nude female figure with flailing arms and large pink breasts perched atop a dusty washing machine, wearing bright yellow high heels. Lucas adapted the figure from her ongoing "Bunnies" series (1997–present), which uses knotted pantyhose and found objects. The sculpture was unveiled on May 12, 2026, inaugurating a decade-long series of public commissions by women artists at the museum.

What Does a Booth Cost at a New York Art Fair?

Hyperallergic surveyed 13 New York art fairs about their booth pricing, revealing a wide range of costs from $3,500 at NADA Projects to over $105,000 for large booths at Frieze. The article details specific pricing tiers at Frieze ($31,977–$105,717), NADA ($3,500–$11,000), and Independent ($110 per square foot), noting that Frieze has kept 2025 prices for its 2026 edition and that NADA's costs have remained stable since 2022. The investigation also highlights the debut of the Sherman Family Foundation Acquisition Fund at Frieze and the partnership between Independent and the Henry Street Settlement.

Sophia Rivera’s Mythology of Everyday New York

The article reviews "Sophie Rivera: Double Exposures" at El Museo del Barrio, the first survey of the late Nuyorican photographer Sophie Rivera, who died in 2021. The exhibition spans her career, including her feminist conceptual series "Rouge et Noir" and "Bowl Study" (c. 1976–78), which depict intimate bodily waste like used tampons and feces, and her socially engaged "Latino Portraits" series from the late 1970s, which countered negative media stereotypes of Puerto Ricans with affectionate, mythologizing portraits. The review highlights a moment where the critic misidentifies abstract toilet photographs as pinhole or double exposures before learning their true subject.

Met Gala Memes That Ate the Rich and Left No Crumbs

The article covers the 2026 Met Gala, sponsored by Jeff and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, and the intense online backlash it generated. Despite a dress code of "Fashion is Art," celebrities faced merciless mockery on social media for their looks, with particular scorn directed at Lauren Sánchez Bezos's Schiaparelli gown inspired by John Singer Sargent's "Madame X." The criticism was amplified by weeks-long protests against Amazon's labor practices and Bezos's involvement, as well as the museum's own unionized employees speaking out. The piece compiles the most inventive and cutting memes from X (formerly Twitter), targeting everything from fashion fails to political hypocrisy.

Can the V&A’s New Museum Fulfill Its Democratic Promise?

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has opened its new V&A East museum and V&A East Storehouse in Stratford, East London. This expansion, part of a £660 million redevelopment, presents the museum's collection with a focus on community co-design, social justice themes, and local artists, aiming to be more accessible and democratic than its imposing South Kensington flagship.

Damien Hirst's studio has been recreated in Seoul for a major exhibition dedicated to him (including the original floor)

Lo studio del celebre artista Damien Hirst è stato ricreato a Seoul per una grande mostra a lui dedicata (c’è pure il pavimento originale)

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul has launched "Nothing Is True But Everything Is Possible," the largest retrospective of Damien Hirst’s work ever held in Asia. Spanning 35 years of his career, the exhibition features over 50 iconic works, including his formaldehyde-preserved animals, diamond-encrusted skull, and a recreation of his Pharmacy Restaurant. A unique highlight is the meticulous reconstruction of Hirst’s London studio, complete with the original paint-stained floor transported to South Korea and 30 previously unseen unfinished canvases from his new "River" series.

Christie's and the Arts Council Collection to present Close Encounters celebrating 80 years of the Arts Council Collection - Christie's

Christie's London will host 'Close Encounters: Figuration, Painting and Landscape in the Arts Council Collection' from 3 to 23 June 2026, in partnership with the Arts Council Collection to mark its 80th anniversary. The exhibition brings together historical works by artists such as David Hockney, Sonia Boyce, Peter Doig, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Michael Armitage, and Claudette Johnson alongside new acquisitions by Christina Kimeze and Vanessa Raw, exploring themes of gender, sexuality, landscape, and Black British women's representation.

Sarah Lucas Unveils VENUS VICTORIA at the New Museum’s Bowery Plaza

The New Museum has unveiled "VENUS VICTORIA," a new public sculpture by British artist Sarah Lucas, inaugurating the museum's outdoor plaza at the junction of Bowery and Prince Street in downtown Manhattan. The sculpture, which features Lucas's signature Bunny figure seated atop a giant washing machine, was selected by an all-artist jury including Teresita Fernández, Joan Jonas, Julie Mehretu, Cindy Sherman, and Kiki Smith. It opens on May 12, 2026, and will remain on view for two years as the first of five commissions dedicated to public sculpture by women artists.

34 Of The Best London Art Exhibitions To See In May 2026

The article highlights 34 of the best London art exhibitions to see in May 2026, focusing on three major shows: the V&A's 'Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art', the first UK exhibition dedicated to designer Elsa Schiaparelli; Tate Modern's 'Tracey Emin: A Second Life', the largest retrospective of the YBA artist's 40-year career; and the Design Museum's 'NIGO: From Japan with Love', a retrospective of Japanese creative NIGO spanning over 700 objects. These exhibitions showcase fashion, contemporary art, and street culture, with the V&A show running until November, Tate Modern until August, and the Design Museum until October.

‘I rely heavily on instinct’: entertainment mogul Hassan Smith on the art he collects and why

Entertainment executive and art collector Hassan Smith, manager to John Legend and advisory board member for the Atlanta Art Fair, shared insights into his collecting philosophy ahead of Frieze Los Angeles. His extensive collection spans art history from Rembrandt and Picasso to contemporary Black masters like Sam Gilliam, Rashid Johnson, and Deborah Roberts. Smith recently added a large-scale painting by Patrick Eugène to his holdings, noting that he relies on a mix of instinct and professional networking to make quick acquisition decisions.

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"Wir wollen Rücknahme von Kürzungen"

Berlin's cultural senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson resigned on Friday after the Berlin Court of Auditors ruled that millions in funding for antisemitism prevention projects were illegal. The resignation has sparked a political debate, with CDU general secretary Ottilie Klein defending governing mayor Kai Wegner against opposition criticism, while Franziska Stoff of the Berlin Culture Conference demands stability and a reversal of budget cuts. Thomas Fehrle, director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, expressed personal regret over Wedl-Wilson's departure, praising her competence and engagement.

Thomas Zipp, artist with a sideways sense of history, 1966–2026

German artist Thomas Zipp, known for his dark, punk-infused explorations of history and science, has died at age 60. Throughout a career spanning painting, sculpture, and immersive scenographic installations, Zipp blended a Dadaist sensibility with a deep interest in politics, neuroscience, and the nuclear age. His work often challenged viewers with complex, opaque environments, such as his notable 2013 Venice Biennale installation that transformed a palazzo into a psychological sanatorium.

John Giorno “The Performative Word” at MAMbo, Bologna

A major retrospective exhibition dedicated to John Giorno, titled "The Performative Word," has opened at MAMbo, the Museum of Modern Art of Bologna. The show, curated by Andrea Bellini and Vincente Todolí, explores Giorno's multidisciplinary practice as a poet, artist, and activist, highlighting his collaborations and his innovative approach to making poetry a performative and visual experience.

New York Gallery The Hole Sued Over Back Rent, Accused of Not Paying Artists and Workers

The Hole, a prominent New York-based contemporary art gallery, is facing multiple lawsuits and allegations of financial instability. Legal filings from landlords at both its Bowery and Tribeca locations indicate significant rent arrears totaling over $180,000, alongside unpaid real estate taxes. Founder Kathy Grayson confirmed the closure of the gallery’s Los Angeles outpost, attributing the crisis to a sharp decline in sales starting in late 2023 and a destabilizing period of rapid expansion.

british museum palestine backlash

The British Museum has revised labels for ancient Middle Eastern artifacts in its Levant and Egypt galleries, removing the term 'Palestine' from descriptions of ancient civilizations. The institution states the changes are part of an ongoing review, driven by audience feedback and a recognition that the term is no longer historically neutral due to contemporary political sensitivities.

schiaparelli paris recreates stolen louvre jewels

Schiaparelli's artistic director Daniel Roseberry debuted dramatic recreations of crown jewels stolen from the Louvre during the brand's Paris Haute Couture Week show. The pieces, worn by actor Teyana Taylor, were inspired by a pearl-and-diamond tiara and bow brooch once owned by Empress Eugénie, which were among an estimated $102 million in gems taken in a heist last October.

tristram hunt v and a museum director knighted

Tristram Hunt, director of London's Victoria & Albert Museum, has been knighted by King Charles III on the UK's 2026 New Year Honors list for his "services to museums." Hunt, a former Member of Parliament and shadow education secretary, has led the V&A since 2017, overseeing major exhibitions and expanding the museum's international presence through initiatives like V&A East. Other arts figures recognized include Ekow Eshun (OBE), art historian Marcia Pointon (OBE), Jo Quinton-Tulloch (OBE), Janet Blake (OBE), Susan Bowers (MBE), and Hilary McGrady (CBE).

blenheim palace restoration graffiti

Conservators at Blenheim Palace in the U.K. have discovered a mysterious dossier of names and phrases scratched into the ceilings of the Great Hall and Saloon by past workers, dating back to the 19th century. The graffiti was found during a £12 million ($15.9 million) restoration project led by OPUS Conservation, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Blenheim Foundation, which is also repairing paintings by Baroque artists James Thornhill and Louis Laguerre. The palace is now asking the public for help identifying the individuals behind the markings, which include names like "W Smith 1888" and "T Harwood Plasterer 1843."

liz collins motherlode

The RISD Museum in Providence has opened "Liz Collins: Motherlode," the first U.S. survey dedicated to fiber and textile artist Liz Collins. Curated by Kate Irvin, the exhibition spans Collins's multi-decade career, from her early fashion label to her recent cross-disciplinary experiments, and includes works like "Cosmic Explosion" (2008–18). Collins, a double RISD graduate and former professor there, describes the show as a homecoming rooted in her deep ties to the school and museum.

japanese sculptor kunimasa aoki wins 2025 loewe craft prize

Japanese sculptor Kunimasa Aoki won the 2025 Loewe Craft Prize on Thursday evening in Madrid, receiving a €50,000 cash prize. His anamorphic terracotta sculpture “Realm of Living Things 19” was selected by a 12-member jury from 30 shortlisted works on display at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum. The jury praised the work's honest expression of the ancestral coil process and the raw, unfinished form of the material. Two special mentions were awarded: Nigerian artist Nifemi Marcus-Bello for “TM Bench with Bowl” and Studio Sumakshi Singh from India for “Monument.”

bennett prize after deliberation first all women jury winner announced

Amy Werntz, a Dallas-based figurative painter, has won the fifth Bennett Prize, the largest art award for women working in figurative painting. The announcement was made at the Muskegon Museum of Art in Michigan, where an exhibition of finalists opened. Werntz, a previous finalist in 2021, received $50,000 and a solo show for her lifelike depictions of elderly people in everyday scenes. For the first time, the winner was chosen by an all-female jury, which included painter Margaret Bowland, artist Angela Fraleigh, and curator Gloria Groom. The runner-up, Nicole Santiago, won $10,000. The traveling exhibition will visit several museums across the United States through 2027.

art robert rauschenberg centennial

Robert Rauschenberg's centenary is being celebrated with a sprawling, interdisciplinary series of events that began this fall and will continue into 2026. At least eight major institutional exhibitions of his work are mounted worldwide, alongside a book of his writings published by Yale University Press and a national tour by the Trisha Brown Dance Company and the Merce Cunningham Trust featuring Rauschenberg's sets and costumes. Cultured magazine invited artists across disciplines to reflect on his legacy, with contributions from Jeff Koons and RJ Messineo, among others.

WTF Is an “A-Corp”?

Hyperallergic's daily newsletter announces that Noah Fischer's comic "Prospect Heights Ghost Story" won a 2026 New York Press Club Award, thanks to collaboration with the Economic Hardship Project (EHRP). The edition also covers anti-Trump guerrilla protest art in Washington, D.C., including an arcade game titled "Operation Epic Furious: Strait to Hell" that satirizes the White House's foreign policy. Other stories include Ridgewood, Queens emerging as a new art hotspot, a feature on Francisco de Zurbarán's religious paintings, and Paddy Johnson's guide to what an "Artist Corporation" (A-Corp) is and whether artists should start one. The newsletter also reports that the Belgian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale closed on May 8 as part of cultural workers' strike for Palestine, and that nearly half of the artists in the international exhibition plus 22 national pavilions withdrew from awards consideration in solidarity with the jury's resignation.