Maurizio Cattelan Opens Up About Sin, Silence, and Stealing: ‘I’m Guilty Too’

Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan directed the Renaissance Society’s annual benefit gala, titled "The Silent Party!", held at the Chicago Athletic Club during the week of Expo Chicago. The event subverted traditional gala expectations by requiring guests to remain silent for two hours, communicating only via handwritten notes while navigating a labyrinth of performances. The evening featured contributions from artists including Jacob Ryan Renolds, Davide Balula, and Isabelle Frances McGuire, culminating in a dinner that raised approximately $600,000 for the non-profit institution.

King Charles Visits Christie’s in New York, After White House Dinner

King Charles III and Queen Camilla made a surprise visit to Christie’s headquarters in New York on April 29, 2026, following a White House dinner and address to Congress. They attended a gala for the King’s Trust, a charity supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, rather than bidding on auction lots like a $100 million Jackson Pollock or a $60 million Roy Lichtenstein. The event, co-chaired by Lionel Richie, drew guests including Martha Stewart and Anna Wintour, and featured a dinner in the James Christie Room. Christie’s CEO Bonnie Brennan curtsied to the king, and the royals viewed the new rostrum designed by Jony Ive, set to debut in New York during Christie’s May marquee week.

uslaf organizational future josh t franco director 1234780457

The U.S. Latinx Art Forum (USLAF) has appointed artist, archivist, and curator Josh T. Franco as its new executive director, succeeding founding director Adriana Zavala. Under Franco’s leadership and alongside newly promoted deputy director Mary Thomas, the organization is shifting its mission toward fostering "convivial spaces" and organic networking. This new phase includes hosting intimate dinners across major cities to connect artists with supporters and planning a major touring exhibition featuring the 75 recipients of the Latinx Artist Fellowship.

An Analog Tether

A new wave of gallery exhibitions is championing analog physicality and personal intimacy as a direct counter-response to the rise of AI-generated imagery. Artists like Ben Wolf Noam and Joseph Geagan are utilizing traditional mediums such as charcoal, lithography, and oil paint to capture spontaneous, sentimental moments of human connection, from family dinners to portraits of friends. These works emphasize the "hospitable mess" of real life, prioritizing the recognizable faces and tangible textures that AI often flattens.

One of the fairs during Milan Art Week will be open until midnight (and you can even have dinner there)

Una delle fiere in corso a Milano durante questa Art Week sarà visitabile fino a mezzanotte (e ci puoi anche cenare)

MEGA Art Fair has announced an unconventional schedule for its third edition during Milan Art Week 2026, extending its opening hours until midnight. Located in the former Esperis perfume factory known as PROFUMO, the fair will occupy over 3,000 square meters of industrial space. The event features a multidisciplinary public program and a unique "sensory dinner" titled The Perfume Table, which translates the olfactory structure of perfumes into a gastronomic experience set among artworks.

AOY Art Center announces award winners of the 14th Annual Juried Show

AOY Art Center announced the award winners of its 14th Annual Juried Show, with David Orban taking first place for his oil on cradled wood panel, “Bi-plane and Blue Truck in Red.” Juror Amanda C. Burdan, senior curator at the Brandywine Museum, selected the piece for its surreal use of red. Second place went to Jean Burdick for “Silverton,” a silkscreen on vellum, and third place to Darlene Decker for “For the Monarchs,” an oil painting. The Frumi Cohen Memorial Award was presented to Cathy Hanville for her photograph “What’s for Dinner,” and honorable mentions were awarded to Scott Hoerl and Barbara Kaiser. The exhibition, featuring 135 works from over 425 entries by 150 local artists, is on view through May 3 at the AOY Art Center in Yardley, Pennsylvania, and online.

Downtown Artists Cooperative hosts Annual Art Gala at F&M Bank | PHOTOS

The Downtown Artists Cooperative (DAC) held its Annual Live Art Auction Gala at the F&M Bank’s Franklin Room in Clarksville, Tennessee. This event marked the organization’s first in-person gala since the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring both live and silent auctions of original works donated by cooperative members. Attendees enjoyed a catered dinner and live musical performances while bidding on local art.

Conroe artist debuts paintings containing Titanic coal at anniversary exhibition

Conroe-based artist Dirk Strangely is set to debut a new series of portraits titled "Souls of the Titanic" during a commemorative exhibition and dinner in Texas. The artworks are created using a unique process the artist calls "Artifactism," which incorporates authenticated coal recovered from the Titanic wreckage in 1994. By grinding the coal into a pigment through levigation, Strangely has produced watercolor paintings of notable figures such as Captain Edward John Smith and Molly Brown, accented with 24k gold leaf and 1912-era paper.

Art Gallery of Burlington hosts spring gala with farm-to-table dinner and more

The Art Gallery of Burlington (AGB) has announced its upcoming spring gala, "Seeds of Change," scheduled for May 7th. The event features a farm-to-table dinner helmed by Executive Chef Matteo Paonessa, a silent auction, and a preview of a new solo exhibition by Argentine artist Celina Eceiza titled "A material called Earth, Vol 1: The life of corners." The gala also highlights the gallery's new Community & Medicine Garden, an initiative where artists-in-residence will harvest natural materials for pigments and textiles.

Art exhibit at Brooklyn Public Library asks visitors to imagine a world without prisons

Artist Vic Liu and abolitionist organizer Mariame Kaba have launched "The Warehouse," a large-scale exhibition at the Brooklyn Public Library’s Bedford branch. Featuring over two dozen paintings and a dedicated children’s wing, the installation explores the concept of prison abolition by visualizing a society supported by robust healthcare, housing, and community care. The project moves away from traumatic imagery, instead focusing on the humanity of incarcerated individuals and the tangible possibilities of a world without prisons.