Lawsuit Alleges DOGE Cancelled $349,000 HVAC Grant to Museum after ChatGPT Flagged It As DEI

Lawsuit Alleges DOGE Cancelled $349,000 HVAC Grant to Museum after ChatGPT Flagged It As DEI

The High Point Museum in North Carolina had a $349,000 federal grant to replace its HVAC system canceled after staff at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) used ChatGPT to evaluate the proposal. According to a federal lawsuit, the AI chatbot flagged the climate-control project as related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, leading to its termination, despite the grant's stated purpose of preserving the museum's collection.

Art Dubai Adapts to Conflict with “Special Edition”

Art Dubai has announced a significantly scaled-back "special edition" of its 20th-anniversary fair, set for May 14–17 at the Madinat Jumeirah venue. The fair was postponed and reformatted due to the US-Israel war in Iran, which caused major logistical disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and spiked oil prices, hampering air travel in the UAE. It will now feature only 50 exhibitors, a reduction of nearly 60% from the originally planned 120.

South Asian show at carwright Hall draws new Bradford audiences

Cartwright Hall in Bradford, UK, is hosting a South Asian-themed exhibition titled (Un)Layering, co-curated by Walia and Salima Hashmi. The show has drawn new, diverse audiences to the museum, with a 40% increase in visitors compared to the previous year, driven by the exhibition's cultural resonance and community outreach efforts.

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 Clay Studio organizes "Radical Americana" exhibitions across Philadelphia

The Clay Studio has organized "Radical Americana," a sprawling exhibition series featuring 45 artists across 22 sites in the Philadelphia area. Curated by Jennifer Zwilling, the project includes a central "welcome hub" at The Clay Studio and 25 satellite exhibitions at venues such as the Museum for Art in Wood, Cliveden, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Artists were prompted to reflect on the Declaration of Independence and envision a better future, resulting in works that explore feminism, social justice, and LGBTQ rights through media including ceramics, wood, fiber, metal, glass, paper, and bookmaking. Notable participant Roberto Lugo presents "American Crib: What's Happening?" at The Clay Studio, blending Puerto Rican heritage with historical references.

Why Did Trump Officials Award $2 Million to a Small Art School in Queens?

The Trump administration's National Endowment for the Humanities awarded a $2 million grant to a small art school in Queens with only three full-time employees. This grant was part of a new pattern of large, handpicked awards, a significant departure from the agency's typical grant-making process which historically avoided such large sums to very small institutions.

Oshorenoya David Francis Explores Identity in Solitude, Fantasies & Becoming at 1853 Studios, Manchester

Oshorenoya David Francis presents a solo exhibition titled *In Solitude, Fantasies & Becoming* at 1853 Studios in Manchester, running from 15 to 17 May 2026. Co-curated by Obi Nwaegbe and Natasha Virli, the show features new acrylic paintings on canvas and paper that explore themes of solitude, identity, and emotional transformation through expressive figurative compositions. Key works include *Hug*, *Thoughts in Blue*, *Chapters in Atomic Habits*, and *Thy Wish*, each employing bold color, intimate perspectives, and narrative ambiguity to evoke psychological depth.

'ART FROM WAR TO WAR: CHASING BUTTERFLIES OVER THE VERGE OF A CLIFF' at Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Düsseldorf, Germany on 28 May–15 Aug 2026

An exhibition titled 'ART FROM WAR TO WAR: CHASING BUTTERFLIES OVER THE VERGE OF A CLIFF' is on view at Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 28 May to 15 August 2026. Curated by Antonio Geusa and Kay Heymer, the show features selected works from the Valeria Rodnianski collection, spanning artists from Germany and the Soviet/post-Soviet space. It is structured around two historical turning points—the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022—and organized into three thematic sections: Topos, Anthropos, and Logos, exploring place, human experience, and language.

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.

art sanya kantarovsky studio painting

Sanya Kantarovsky, a Russian-born, Upstate New York-based artist known for his haunting, darkly humorous figurative paintings, discusses his studio practice in an interview with CULTURED. He works across painting, video, animation, and sculpture, and at Frieze London, the British gallery Modern Art will present 15 new stoneware sculptures by Kantarovsky, which showcase his dedication to the art and science of painting through glazes incorporating copper carbonate, cobalt oxide, and manganese dioxide.

art jordan nassar palestine james cohan show

Palestinian-American artist Jordan Nassar is preparing for a September exhibition at James Cohan gallery, creating a mosaic based on Roman-Byzantine floor decorations displayed at Tel Aviv's international airport. His new works incorporate darker tones—black, gray, deep red, green, and blue—reflecting the escalating crisis in Gaza and the West Bank. The embroidery pieces are made collaboratively with women in the West Bank, though shipping delays and tariff uncertainties have complicated production.

austyn weiner levy gorvy dayan

Los Angeles-based artist Austyn Weiner presents her latest exhibition, “Half Way Home,” at Lévy Gorvy Dayan in Manhattan, on view through June 21. The show features large-scale floral paintings inspired by her surroundings in Frogtown, the LA River, and personal experiences of marriage and loss. Weiner collected flowers at various stages of life and decay in New York to create a bouquet displayed at the gallery entrance, reflecting her fascination with the life cycle of blooms. The exhibition draws early inspiration from Monet’s “Water Lilies” at the Musée de l’Orangerie, but Weiner’s distorted color fields and emotional depth mark a distinct departure.

Dean Sameshima at Soft Opening

Dean Sameshima's solo exhibition "Wonderland" opened at Soft Opening gallery in London, running from March 27 to May 23, 2026. The show features 31 images documented on Contemporary Art Daily, with photography by Eva Herzog and images courtesy of the artist and the gallery.

Pamela Bryan and Julia Campbell Carter Bring New Orleans Rhythm to London

Pamela Bryan of Octavia Art Gallery in New Orleans and London-based curator Julia Campbell Carter have organized "Rhythm in the Blues," a contemporary group exhibition at 14 Percy Street, London, running from May 11 to 20. The show features five international artists—Alia Ali, Aigana Gali, Azadeh Ghotbi, Naomie Kremer, and Lucille Lewin—whose works in painting, sculpture, and mixed media explore themes of memory, migration, resilience, and identity, with music serving as an atmospheric and structural influence rather than a literal subject.

Nancy Holt: MoonSunStarEarthSkyWater

The first UK presentation of Nancy Holt's work, titled "MoonSunStarEarthSkyWater," opens at the Goodwood Art Foundation in Sussex from 2 May to 1 November 2026. The exhibition includes both a gallery-based show and works in the landscape, featuring key pieces such as the monumental site-responsive installation "Ventilation System" (1985-92) and the earthwork "Hydra's Head" (1974). The show aims to highlight Holt's exploration of perception, language, and light, and includes works from her diverse practice spanning concrete poetry, film, photography, and public sculpture.

Marshall Vernet - all exhibitions and events about the artist

An exhibition titled "Vernet meets Piranesi" opens on May 14, 2026, at Antonacci Lapiccirella Fine Art in Rome, featuring a photographic project by New York-based artist Marshall Vernet. The show presents a dialogue between Vernet's photographs and the Vedute of Giovanni Battista Piranesi, the 18th-century Italian etcher known for his architectural views.

Marina Abramović’s Historic Venice Biennale Exhibition Is a Full-Circle Moment

Marina Abramović has become the first living woman to be honored with a dedicated exhibition at the Gallerie dell’Accademia di Venezia, titled “Marina Abramović: Transforming Energy.” The show, which coincides with her 80th birthday, features works selected in dialogue with Renaissance masterpieces from the museum’s permanent collection, including pieces such as “The Lovers, Great Wall Walk,” “Balkan Baroque,” and “Pietà (Anima Mundi).” Abramović first visited the Venice Biennale at age 14 and later won the Golden Lion there in 1997; this exhibition marks a full-circle return to the city that inspired her.

From DJing club nights to gallery walls, Scots artist returns home for major show

Francis Dosoo, a self-taught Scottish artist now based in Vienna, is mounting his first solo show at Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) titled "Portrait Of Dorothy Gale." Dosoo began his career in nightlife, running club nights and DJ sets that blended into performance and installation art. His practice spans sound, film, and visual art, with past collaborations including Joanne Dawson, Aniela Piasecka, and Alberta Whittle, and commissions from the Glasgow Film Festival and Edinburgh Art Festival. The DCA exhibition draws on the 1978 film *The Wiz*, reimagining *The Wizard of Oz* with an African-American cast, focusing on star Diana Ross's career and personal life at the time.

In Stockholm, the Tech scene supports art

Stockholm's art fair, featuring 54 galleries and around 150 artists, offers a democratic layout with no sections, placing established and emerging galleries side by side. Prices range from €300 to €300,000, with most works under €50,000. Notable presentations include Olafur Eliasson's new works at i8 gallery, Benjamin Orlow's sculpture destined for the Venice Biennale's Nordic Pavilion, and emerging galleries like Coulisse Gallery showing Jonatan Pihlgren. The fair reflects a strong local collector base, though some galleries note a recent market contraction.

A monkey mountain kronikle

Duane Reed Gallery in St. Louis is hosting a return exhibition of American printmaker Tom Huck, known for his large-scale satirical woodcuts. Huck, who works from his studio Evil Prints in Park Hills, Missouri, draws inspiration from Northern Renaissance masters like Albrecht Dürer, as well as José Guadalupe Posada, Honoré Daumier, and William Hogarth. His intricate carving and cross-hatching technique creates works that blend festive celebration with social criticism, which he describes as "rural satire" based on life in small-town southeast Missouri.

WORDS WORDS WORDS at Everard Read shows the power of words in contemporary art

The article reviews 'WORDS, WORDS, WORDS,' an exhibition at Everard Read Gallery's CIRCA space in South Africa, which explores the role of language in contemporary visual art. Curated with a focus on how words are bent, repeated, fragmented, and reassembled, the show features works by South African artists including Willem Boshoff and Luca Evans, who engage with conceptual art traditions from Dada to Barbara Kruger. Boshoff's braille-inset wooden piece 'Planet of Echinus' questions inclusion and exclusion in language, while Evans' work riffs on Joseph Kosuth's iconic text pieces using ancient wood-inlay techniques.

Counterpublic plans sprawling, socially conscious show of public art for St. Louis in September

The St. Louis-based triennial Counterpublic has announced its artist lineup and thematic framework for its 2026 edition, set to open on September 12. Featuring more than 50 artists across five primary locations, the free public art festival will showcase newly commissioned works by major figures such as Glenn Ligon, Rebecca Belmore, and Rirkrit Tiravanija. The exhibition, titled "Coyote Time," explores themes of rapid societal change, community resilience, and the "near future," with specific installations addressing the aftermath of a 2025 tornado and the history of local landmarks like Sumner High School.

Otobong Nkanga: ‘I Dreamt of You in Colours’

Artist Otobong Nkanga has unveiled a major new installation titled 'I Dreamt of You in Colours' at the Kunsthalle Basel. The immersive, site-specific work explores themes of memory, landscape, and the extraction of natural resources through a complex tapestry of textiles, drawings, and sculptural elements.

Five Women Artists Bring 'Psychedelic' Sense of Play to Pioneer Square Exhibit

The Beauty Shop collective, a group of five female artists based in the Puget Sound region, has launched a new group exhibition titled "The Party Mix" at Gallery 110 in Seattle's Pioneer Square. Featuring works by Arni Adler, Lynette Charters, Saundra Fleming, Kate Harkins, and Ingrid Sojit, the show presents a diverse array of media unified by a "psychedelic" sense of play, intuitive creative processes, and a focus on the female figure. The exhibition, which runs through March 28, was born out of a collaborative support network that began during the COVID-19 pandemic.

New and relaunched satellite fairs spread across Los Angeles during Frieze

A wave of new and relaunched satellite art fairs is debuting in Los Angeles to coincide with Frieze Los Angeles, offering lower-cost alternatives for galleries and artists. Newcomers like the Indianapolis-based Butter Art Fair, the photography-focused Show LA, and the New York-centric Enzo Art Fair are positioning themselves as intimate, artist-centric, or zero-fee options. These ventures aim to capitalize on the influx of global collectors while bypassing the high overhead costs associated with major international fairs.

Sonia Borrell's new StudioToGallery finds 9 in 10 independent artists say connections outweigh talent

Sonia Borrell has launched StudioToGallery, a new platform designed to bridge the gap between independent artists and the commercial art market. A survey conducted by the initiative revealed a striking consensus among creators, with 90% of independent artists stating that professional networking and industry connections are more influential to career success than raw artistic talent.

New Seton Gallery Exhibit Celebrates Life and Legacy of Acclaimed Connecticut Artist

The Seton Gallery at the University of New Haven is presenting "Embrace: Elizabeth Gourlay," an exhibition celebrating the life and work of the late Connecticut-based abstract painter Elizabeth Gourlay. The show features her richly layered, color-sensitive paintings and includes an opening reception on February 7 and an exhibition talk on February 22, running through March 10.

Distinctive Voices: Corey Helford Gallery presents 2 solo shows and group exhibition

Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles presents two solo shows and a group exhibition, running through February 14. Japanese pop-surrealist Junna Maruyama debuts her first solo show at the gallery, "Who Am I?", featuring her Gyaru Series and signature doll-like figures, butterflies, and mixed-media elements. Chicago-based artist Travis Lampe presents "The Ham-Fisted Coping Mechanism," inspired by rubber-hose animation and vintage cartoons. The group exhibition accompanies these solo presentations.

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.

Anna Schwartz Gallery, beacon of Australia’s contemporary art world, to close and rebrand

Anna Schwartz Gallery, a cornerstone of Australia’s contemporary art scene, will close in December after 40 years in Melbourne. It will be replaced by a new venture, Anna Schwartz Projects, which will focus on occasional, project-based exhibitions, conversations, and events across installation, performance, publishing, and music. The gallery’s stable has included artists such as Shaun Gladwell, Angelica Mesiti, and Marco Fusinato, each of whom represented Australia at the Venice Biennale.