Frida Kahlo’s Month in Paris: A Friendship with Mary Reynolds

The Art Institute of Chicago is presenting "Frida Kahlo’s Month in Paris: A Friendship with Mary Reynolds," an exhibition running from March 29 to July 13, 2025. It focuses on Kahlo's first and only trip to Europe in 1939, where she fell ill and convalesced at the home of American avant-garde bookbinder Mary Reynolds. The show features approximately 100 objects, including paintings, book bindings, and letters, drawn from the Art Institute's Mary Reynolds Collection and loans from the US, Mexico, and Europe.

LACMA shares images of Zumthor-designed David Geffen Galleries building

LACMA has released new images of the David Geffen Galleries, the centerpiece of its campus transformation designed by architect Peter Zumthor. The building, which is currently under construction, will house the museum's permanent collection and is part of a larger overhaul of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's campus.

$70m Giacometti bombs at patchy Sotheby’s Modern art auction

Sotheby's Modern evening sale in New York on May 13 brought in $152 million ($186.4 million with fees), falling short of its presale estimate of $170 million to $248 million. Four lots were withdrawn before bidding began, including works by Winslow Homer, Wassily Kandinsky, Candido Portinari, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The sale's star lot, Alberto Giacometti's bronze bust 'Grande tête mince' (1954/55), estimated at over $70 million, failed to sell when bidding stalled around $64 million. Other notable results included strong sales for Jean Arp, František Kupka, and Robert Delaunay, but several high-profile works by Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas, Pierre Soulages, and David Smith also failed to find buyers.

Five Big Lots to Watch as New York’s Spring Auctions Spring Into Action

New York's May auction season has begun, with Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillips presenting major works by artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, Cecily Brown, and Marlene Dumas. Highlights include Basquiat's 'Baby Boom' (estimate $20–$30 million) at Christie's, a Basquiat 'Untitled' (1981) at Sotheby's, and Marlene Dumas' 'Miss January' (1997), which could break the auction record for a living woman artist. Sotheby's will also feature works from the late dealer Barbara Gladstone's collection, while the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is deaccessioning Frank Stella's 'Adelante' and other works to fund new acquisitions.

Iconic photos are part of Gordon Parks exhibition at Wichita Art Museum

The Wichita Art Museum opens "Homeward to the Prairie I Come," an exhibition of 71 photographs by Gordon Parks, running from May 11 to July 27, 2025. The works come from a collection Parks curated and donated to Kansas State University in 1973, now held by the Beach Museum of Art, which co-curated the touring show with Aileen Wang and Sarah Price. The exhibition is organized thematically around five large iconic images, including portraits of Muhammad Ali, Alexander Calder, Malcolm X, and Flavio da Silva, the subject of Parks' first film.

The best museum shows to see during Tefaf New York 2025

The article highlights several major museum exhibitions opening during Tefaf New York 2025. At the Brooklyn Museum, "Solid Gold" (through July 6) traces the material's historical and cultural significance across fine art, fashion, jewelry, and design, featuring works from ancient Coclé gold plaques to pieces by Agnes Martin, Louise Nevelson, and Alexander Calder. The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents "Sargent and Paris" (through August 3) for the centenary of John Singer Sargent's death, reuniting his scandalous "Portrait of Madame X" with preparatory sketches and exploring his formative decade in Paris. The Jewish Museum offers "The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt" (through August 10), examining the biblical story's influence on 17th-century Dutch art through works by Rembrandt and his contemporaries.

Walk the auction: your guide to Christie’s 20th and 21st Century Art sales in NY this May

Christie’s is holding its spring 20th and 21st Century Art sales week in New York from 12–15 May 2025, featuring over 500 works across six live auctions. Highlights include the single-owner collection of Leonard and Louise Riggio, led by a rare Piet Mondrian and René Magritte’s *Les droits de l'homme*; the 20th Century Evening Sale headlined by a Claude Monet from his *Les Peupliers* series; and the 21st Century Evening Sale, where Jean-Michel Basquiat’s *Baby Boom* sold for $23.4 million. Other notable consignors include Anne and Sid Bass, Tiqui Atencio, and Ago Demirdjian. The free public exhibition runs from 3–15 May at Christie’s Rockefeller Center galleries.

One of LACMA's first commissions finds new life at David Geffen Galleries

Alexander Calder's monumental fountain sculpture "Three Quintains (Hello Girls)" has been reinstalled at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's new David Geffen Galleries, more than 60 years after it was first commissioned for the museum's original 1965 campus. The colorful, whimsical piece features four water jets that propel mobile-like paddles, and its water jets were turned back on in March 2025. The sculpture now anchors the northeast corner of the new building, placed alongside the main cafe and near the W.M. Keck Education Center, with a technically advanced filtration system to address previous environmental challenges.

A hundred years on, Cork Street is the beating heart of London’s art scene once more

Cork Street in London's Mayfair district, a historic hub for commercial art, is celebrating its centenary with a collaborative group show involving 15 galleries. The exhibition is inspired by a controversial 1938 Jean Cocteau work, "La peur donnant des ailes au courage," which was deemed obscene by British authorities and only shown in a back office at Peggy Guggenheim's gallery, Guggenheim Jeune, after her petitions. Participating galleries include Stephen Friedman Gallery, Alon Zakaim Fine Art, and Goodman Gallery, with works by artists like Caroline Coon, Shirin Neshat, and others, curated by Tarini Malik.

Riyadh continues to bet big on public art: over 100 new works to be installed in the Saudi capital in the coming years

Riyadh continua a scommettere forte sull’arte pubblica: nei prossimi anni oltre 100 nuove opere installate nella capitale saudita

Saudi Arabia is significantly expanding its Riyadh Art public art initiative, with plans to install over 100 new monumental works across the capital city in the coming years. Following the recent Tuwaiq Sculpture 2026 event, which added 25 stone and metal sculptures to the permanent collection, the city has announced 12 new site-specific installations by high-profile international artists including Anselm Kiefer, El Anatsui, and Manal AlDowayan. The project aims to reach a total of 115 new commissions, building upon a collection that already features masters like Anish Kapoor, Jeff Koons, and Giuseppe Penone.

Not Just the Biennale: What to See in Venice in Spring 2026 Among Galleries, Independent Spaces, and Special Projects

Non solo Biennale: cosa vedere a Venezia nella primavera 2026 tra gallerie, spazi indipendenti e progetti speciali

The article highlights a curated selection of exhibitions to see in Venice during spring 2026, beyond the main shows of the 61st Venice Biennale. It features projects in galleries, independent spaces, and historic venues, including a group show titled "Waves" at Casa Sanlorenzo with works by Alexander Calder and Lucio Fontana, a video installation by Ieva Lygnugarytė at Oratorio dei Crociferi, a Judy Chicago survey at Galleria Alberta Pane, a solo show by Hanna Rochereau at Mare Karina, and a Barry X Ball retrospective at the Abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore.

Rare, World-Class Masterworks from Picasso to Dalí Meet Contemporary Artists in Front Royal at Ichiuji Fine Arts Gallery

The Melissa Ichiuji Studio Gallery in Front Royal, Virginia, opened a new exhibition titled 'Slow Image: Material Intelligence Across Generations' on April 25th. The show features original prints by major 20th-century artists including Picasso, Miró, Matisse, Dalí, Chagall, Calder, and Giacometti, displayed alongside contemporary artists working in clay, steel, textiles, collage, drawing, and paint. Gallery proprietor and artist Melissa Ichiuji conceived the exhibition over two years, aiming to create a museum-level experience in an intimate setting for the local community.

L’arte vibra come un’onda. 7 artisti nell’elegante mostra a Casa Sanlorenzo a Venezia

Casa Sanlorenzo, the artistic division of the luxury yacht brand, has opened a new exhibition titled "Waves" in Venice, coinciding with the Venice Biennale. Curated by Sergio Risaliti and Cristiano Seganfreddo, the show spans 1,000 square meters across two floors plus a 600-square-meter garden, featuring works by seven artists: Alexander Calder, Lucio Fontana, Fausto Melotti, Tony Cragg, Marcello Maloberti, Christine Safa, and Friedrich Andreoni. The exhibition explores the concept of the wave as a metaphor for artistic expression, with a focus on sculpture and sound, including Melotti's poetic sculptures, Andreoni's immersive sound installation, and Calder's mobiles.

A Look Back at Newport’s Historic 1974 Sculpture Show

The Preservation Society of Newport County is hosting "Full Circle" at the Rosecliff mansion, an exhibition that revisits the landmark 1974 outdoor sculpture show "Monumenta." The current display features scale models, preparatory drawings, and archival photographs of works by modern masters such as Claes Oldenburg, Alexander Calder, and Willem de Kooning. A significant portion of the show is dedicated to Richard Fleischner, whose site-specific earthwork "Sod Maze" remains the only original piece from the 1974 project still standing in its original Newport location.

Christie’s to Auction 3 of Agnes Gund’s Art Jewels

Christie's will auction three significant pieces of jewelry from the collection of philanthropist and art collector Agnes Gund. The sale includes a 1969 brooch by Alexander Calder, a 1973 necklace by Anni Albers, and a 1970s bracelet by Louise Nevelson, all artists whose primary work is in other mediums. Proceeds from the sale will benefit Gund's philanthropic organization, the Art for Justice Fund.

Philadelphia Art Museum exhibit on surrealism features monsters from Greek mythology and a lobster telephone

The Philadelphia Art Museum (PhAM) opens "Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100," a traveling exhibition celebrating the centennial of surrealism. The show features works by Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Max Ernst, René Magritte, Leonora Carrington, and Man Ray, including Dalí's lobster telephone and pieces inspired by Greek mythology. It is the final and only American stop on the tour, previously shown in Brussels, Paris, Hamburg, and Madrid, and runs through February 16, 2026.

Glimpsing the future: William Kentridge opera has its New York premiere in Brooklyn

William Kentridge's award-winning chamber opera *Waiting for the Sibyl* (2019) makes its New York premiere this week at Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn, as part of the inaugural Powerhouse: International arts festival. The opera, which won an Olivier Award in 2023, features an original score by Nhlanhla Mahlangu and Kyle Shepherd, and incorporates Kentridge's animated ink drawings, collages, text projections, and sculptures. Inspired by the Cumaean Sibyl of ancient legend, the work explores themes of fate and uncertainty, with paper leaves from texts like Dante's *Divine Comedy* symbolically blowing through the action. The production was originally commissioned by the Rome Opera as a companion piece to Alexander Calder's 1968 *Work in Progress*.

Man killed while unloading Warhol-painted BMW for exhibition in Washington, DC

A man was killed on September 17 on the National Mall in Washington, DC, while unloading a 1979 BMW M1 Art Car custom-painted by Andy Warhol. The vehicle was being prepared for the pop-up exhibition 'Cars at the Capital,' scheduled to run from September 17-23 in temporary pavilions near the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. A winch holding the car on a flatbed truck came loose, pinning the victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene; his identity has not been released. Exhibition organizer Hagerty Drivers Foundation canceled the event out of respect for the deceased.