New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji will reportedly skip the 2025 Met Gala, breaking a long-standing tradition of mayoral attendance at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s premier fundraiser. Sources suggest the decision stems from a conflict between Mamdani’s socialist political platform and the event's association with billionaire sponsors, specifically Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez-Bezos.
The Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (ACME) department has launched open calls for two major public art initiatives: the 2026–28 People’s Gallery at Austin City Hall and the 2026 Changing Exhibits Program at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Local artists and organizations from the Austin area are invited to submit 2-D and 3-D works for the City Hall exhibition, while the airport program seeks multi-disciplinary proposals under the theme "Vestiges of the Future." Applications are open until May 31, 2026, with no submission fees required.