Elle Pérez Envisions New Residency Built on Family Legacy

Artist Elle Pérez is raising $100,000 to buy out relatives from a family home in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, that has been in their family since the 1920s, with the goal of transforming it into an artist residency called Casa Pérez. To fund the project, Pérez is selling a portfolio of chromogenic studio prints for $1,795 each, produced in collaboration with the cultural office Public Relations. The artist’s work, known for intimate portraits and scenes of underground music, has been featured in the Whitney Biennial and solo exhibitions at the Baltimore Museum of Art and Carnegie Museum of Art.

2026 Art Trends: Whitney Biennial, Greater New York, and Carnegie International

2026 art trends

Three major American art surveys—the Whitney Biennial, MoMA PS1’s Greater New York, and the Carnegie International—are set to define the artistic landscape of 2026. Early analysis of the artist lists reveals a significant overlap in curatorial interest for figures like Taína Cruz, Akira Ikezoe, and Jonathan González. These exhibitions appear to be moving away from rigid thematic structures in favor of "mood and texture," reflecting a broader institutional retreat from definitive political or social statements.

Art in Wisconsin—Art and Science and Art: The Semi-Hidden Wonders of the James Watrous Gallery

The James Watrous Gallery, a nonprofit art space located on the third floor of the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin, is dedicated to showcasing contemporary artists and curators with ties to the state. Unlike the nearby Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) and Chazen Museum of Art, which feature national and international artists, Watrous Gallery focuses almost exclusively on Wisconsin-based practitioners. Directed by Jody Clowes for the past decade, the gallery selects exhibitions through an open call every three to four years, with a committee of artists, arts workers, and curators from across the state. Recent shows include works by artists such as Shane McAdams, Lois Bielefeld, Dakota Mace, and the collaborative duo Shana McCaw and Brent Budsberg. The gallery is part of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters, and each exhibition is featured in the Academy's publication "Wisconsin People & Ideas," often connecting to broader themes like climate and energy.