New York Art Week 2026 brings a major convergence of art events across the city, including several prominent art fairs such as Frieze New York, Independent New York, TEFAF New York, and NADA New York. The week also features gallery openings spanning from Tribeca to the Upper East Side, as well as auction previews ahead of key sales at Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillips.
Polish artist Aneta Grzeszykowska is presenting two photo series in New York: "Mama" (2018), featuring a life-like doll of herself played with by her young daughter, and "Daughter" (2025), for which she wears a mask of her 14-year-old self and poses with family members. "Mama" is included in the "New Humans" exhibition at the New Museum and previously appeared in the 2022 Venice Biennale's "Milk of Dreams." "Daughter" is on view at Lyles & King gallery on the Lower East Side through May 9, and also in the group show "Adolescence" at the Zachęta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw. The series extend Grzeszykowska's long-standing practice of manipulating family photographs, which began with her 2005 series "Album," where she removed herself from old family pictures.
An auction listing for Ed Ruscha and Lawrence Weiner's collaborative print "Hard Light" (1978) has ended, with the work described as an offset lithograph in colors on 60 lb. Mountie Matte paper, measuring 7 × 5 inches. The print is from an edition of 3560 published by Heavy Industry Publications, Los Angeles and Moved Pictures, New York, and is in good condition with pale toning and faint stains. The listing also promotes similar available works by Ed Ruscha, including "Mr. Ray" (1975), "Wall Rocket" (2013), and "Dead End III" (2014), with prices ranging from €13,500 to request-based.
This is a listing for a vintage Ed Ruscha exhibition poster from his "Mountain series" (2010), offered for sale by Baldwin Gallery (London/Dubai) on Artsy. The offset lithograph on paper measures 39.4 × 27.2 inches, is from an unknown edition, unsigned, and includes a certificate of authenticity. The price is £3,250, with shipping available from London.
Gallery Weekend Berlin took place from late April into early May, drawing large crowds despite ongoing concerns about the city's declining art-market relevance. The weekend kicked off with early previews on Wednesday, including Alex Heide's solo exhibition "the darkroom beams horizons" at the new space Klix, and continued with events at Sprüth Magers, the Between Bridges Foundation, and the hidden venue CHB Fine Arts, which featured works by Nairy Baghramian, Jack O'Brien, Sofia Duchovny, Ilya Lipkin, and Mania Godarzani-Bakhtiari. Friday, coinciding with May Day, saw gallery visits at Molitor and KOW, where Ketuta Alexi-Meskhishvili and Candice Breitz presented solo shows.
Heather Hubbs, executive director of the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA), reflects on the organization's evolution from a grassroots initiative into an international coalition with over 250 gallery members and fairs in New York and Miami. The 12th edition of NADA New York returns to the Starrett-Lehigh Building from May 13–17, featuring more than 100 galleries and the return of the Curated Spotlight, organized by curator Anthony Elms in partnership with TD Bank. Hubbs discusses the fair's growth, its commitment to supporting galleries and artists year-round, and highlights 51 first-time exhibitors and experimental works by artists like Chang Sujung and Douglas Rieger.
The article examines the meteoric rise of artist Mike Winkelmann, known as Beeple, who broke auction records in 2021 by selling an NFT for $69.3 million at Christie's, becoming the third most expensive living artist. His robot dogs, featuring heads of figures like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, debuted at Art Basel Miami Beach and are now on view at Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie during Gallery Weekend. The show, titled "Regular Animals," has sparked controversy, with critics like Markus Lüpertz denouncing the works as trivial entertainment unworthy of a museum, while curators Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev and Lisa Botti defend the exhibition.
Paul McCarthy's latest exhibition, titled "A&E," is on view at Bowman Hal gallery in Madrid, part of the SOLO CONTEMPORARY initiative founded by a Spanish collector couple. The show features large-scale works on paper and videos created in collaboration with German actress Lilith Stangenberg, exploring role-play, performance, and the blurred lines between art and entertainment. The acronym "A&E" alludes to historical pairs like Adam and Eve or Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun, as well as "Arts & Entertainment." The works stem from private encounters between McCarthy and Stangenberg, with drawings serving as storyboards for videos that capture their improvisational, trance-like interactions.
The 2026 Met Gala, held on May 4 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, was widely described as feeling more like an art exhibition than a traditional red carpet. The theme, "Costume Art," with the dress code "Fashion Is Art," encouraged celebrities to treat their bodies as canvases. Beyoncé made a highly anticipated return after a decade, serving as a co-chair alongside Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour. Beyoncé wore a sculptural skeleton-inspired design by Olivier Rousteing, while Kiddon wore a shimmering red Chanel gown and Williams donned a Swarovski crystal gown inspired by her Smithsonian portrait. Other notable looks included Sabrina Carpenter in a Dior dress made from vintage film strips, Kendall Jenner referencing classical sculpture, Madonna channeling surrealist painter Leonora Carrington, and Heidi Klum arriving as a marble statue. Inside, live performances by Sabrina Carpenter and Stevie Nicks added to the spectacle.
Art galleries and institutions across West Texas and the Panhandle have announced their summer exhibition schedules. Highlights include the El Paso Museum of Art's "From the Collection: Portraiture, 1903-2021," featuring works by César Martínez, Edward Curtis, and Andy Warhol; Ballroom Marfa's solo show "Raven Halfmoon: Flags of Our Mothers" with colossal stoneware sculptures; and The Grace Museum in Abilene's "Memory Painters: The Art of Memories," showcasing Texas intuitive painters. Other venues include the Rubin Center for the Visual Arts, the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts in Lubbock, and the Museum of the Southwest in Midland, with exhibitions spanning portraiture, student art, memory painting, and immersive installations.
The 2026 Met Gala, celebrating the opening of the Costume Institute's "Costume Art" exhibition, saw celebrities including Beyoncé, Naomi Osaka, Emma Chamberlain, and Heidi Klum embrace the dress code "Fashion is art" with bold, sculptural, and art-inspired ensembles. Beyoncé wore a custom Olivier Rousteing skeleton dress with a feathered train and diamond crown, while Osaka stunned in a Robert Wun white sculptural dress with a red anatomy-themed reveal. Co-chairs Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams also made notable appearances, with Williams referencing a Robert Pruitt portrait of herself. Many guests drew direct inspiration from art history, such as Lauren Sánchez Bezos channeling John Singer Sargent's "Madame X" and Lena Dunham collaborating with Valentino's Alessandro Michele to depict Artemisia Gentileschi's "Judith Slaying Holofernes."
Frieze New York 2026 returns to The Shed in Hudson Yards from May 13–17, featuring over 65 international galleries in its 15th edition. The fair emphasizes Latin American art with new committee members Fátima González and Omayra Alvarado, and includes highlights such as Southern Guild's expansion into Tribeca and Yeni Mao's cyborg sculptures in the Focus section. Collectors and enthusiasts can explore a diverse range of contemporary and blue-chip works across multiple fairs during Art Week.
Philadelphia is celebrating America's 250th anniversary (the Semiquincentennial) in 2026 with the opening of several new museums, galleries, and attractions. These include Calder Gardens, a dedicated space for Alexander Calder's work on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway; Ministry of Awe, an immersive six-story art experience by Meg Saligman in a former bank; a new permanent Indigenous gallery at the Penn Museum; and a Netflix House experience at King of Prussia mall. The article also mentions the First Bank of the United States museum, the Philly Pride Visitor Center, and the Pennsylvania Hospital Museum as part of the city's anniversary additions.
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.
The article announces a series of May art exhibitions across multiple galleries in Key West, Florida. The Studios of Key West opens four solo shows: Tim Marshall Curtis's "Giants Among Us" featuring towering sculptures, Carole Faye's "Reverence/Irrelevance" with works made from scavenged materials, Andree B. Carter's "Roots of a City" textile paintings, and Wayne Garcia's "Once There Was a Railroad" hand-carved reliefs. Other venues include the Key West Collective featuring Steve Bikis and Brad Gruss, Harrison Gallery showcasing Santa Fe artist Melinda K. Hall, Gallery on Greene honoring Peter Vey, and Shade and Shutter Gallery highlighting Mark Klammer's pottery.
Art House Productions has unveiled "In The Wind," a large-scale public art installation in Lincoln Park, Jersey City, featuring artist-designed flags with original works by Hudson County artists. Curated by Tina Maneca, the exhibition celebrates the organization's 25th anniversary and includes over 80 artists who live, work, or maintain studios in Hudson County. The flags are installed around Edgewood Lake, moving with the wind to create a dynamic, ever-changing exhibition. All flags are priced at $500 and available for purchase. The installation runs from June through November 2026, with an opening reception on June 5, 2026, during ACCESS JC Fridays.
The National Museum of Korea has opened a new exhibition titled *Danwon Kim Hong-do, Painting the Era* in its renovated painting and calligraphy gallery, showcasing 96 works from 50 collections. The exhibition highlights Kim Hong-do's versatility beyond his famous genre paintings, featuring landscapes, documentary paintings, and floral art, including the first public display of *Chongseokjeongdo* (1795) from a private collection. Director You Hong-june emphasizes Kim's unmatched lyrical depth and technical skill across all genres.
The Brandon Artists Guild in Vermont is hosting an opening reception on Friday, May 8 at 5 p.m. to unveil its spring gallery refresh at 7 Center St. The event introduces four new member artists: porcelain potter Aiden Rose Palmer from Williston, mixed-media and glass mosaic artist Lisa Steckler from Rutland, Margaret-Desiree Mug from Poultney, and fused glass tableware artist Susan Wacker-Donle from Pittsfield. The twice-yearly refresh rotates new collections from the cooperative's more than 35 regional artists, featuring painting, sculpture, and mixed media.
The Southborough History and Arts Center (SHAC) is hosting an opening reception and gallery talk on May 9th from 4:00–7:00 PM in its Long Gallery at Fayville Hall, featuring artist Beverly Ramsay. Ramsay, who creates intricate works by transforming handmade paper into pictures celebrating global cultural heritage, will discuss her artistic journey and techniques. The free event requires pre-registration and includes refreshments.
The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) is hosting Gallery Night, a free community-wide event on May 8 from 5-9 p.m., featuring over 70 venues across the greater Madison area. The event includes exhibitions, performances, artist talks, live music, and art-making demonstrations, with an afterparty at the museum's rooftop lounge from 5-10 p.m. Gallery Night has been a Madison tradition since 1988, launched by a group of volunteers.
Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) held its 40th Annual Regional Exhibition of High School Art in the East Wing Gallery, featuring works from students at eight area high schools. The exhibition displayed ceramics, paintings, drawings, and mixed media, with 10 students receiving cash awards for outstanding artistic achievement. The college also highlighted its expanding art program, driven by free community college initiatives, and its community outreach through the Summer Art Program for Youth and free public exhibitions.