Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Estate Sold to Florida Resort

The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation has sold the late artist’s twenty-two-acre estate on Captiva Island, Florida, to the neighboring South Seas resort for $45 million. The sale includes ten buildings, most notably Rauschenberg’s custom-built 8,000-square-foot studio and his historic "Beach House." While the resort plans to integrate the property into its operations and host art-related programming, the foundation cited escalating maintenance costs and environmental risks from climate change as the primary reasons for the divestment.

New Bienal de Yucatán to spotlight Mexican region’s growing art scene

The city of Mérida is set to host the inaugural Bienal de Yucatán from November 2026 to February 2027, marking a significant milestone for the region's burgeoning contemporary art scene. Spearheaded by patron and curator Catherine Petitgas with artist Abraham Cruzvillegas serving as artistic director, the biennial aims to provide a formal platform for the city's dense ecosystem of over 40 galleries, international artist studios, and the Universidad de las Artes de Yucatán (UNAY). The announcement follows the successful debut of the Week of Art Yucatán (WAY), a multi-venue festival that showcased the city's unique blend of repurposed industrial spaces and traditional haciendas.

Dolores Huerta Is the GOAT

A new exhibition in Los Angeles celebrates the 96th birthday of labor leader Dolores Huerta, featuring works by over 30 local artists. The show reframes the history of the United Farm Workers movement by centering Huerta and everyday laborers rather than co-founder Cesar Chavez, whose legacy has been complicated by recent abuse allegations.

In Paris, the Catacombs reveal a transformed route after five months of work

À Paris, les Catacombes dévoilent un parcours métamorphosé après cinq mois de travaux

The Catacombs of Paris have reopened to the public following a comprehensive five-month renovation aimed at modernizing the visitor experience. The upgrades include a completely redesigned lighting scheme, a more welcoming entrance hall capable of hosting small exhibitions, and a high-tech spatialized audio guide that utilizes radio-style storytelling to narrate the site's history.

Two Sales at Christie's

Deux ventes chez Christie's

Christie's in Paris is hosting two significant sales featuring masterpieces from the legendary Veil-Picard collection, which had been largely inaccessible to the public and scholars for decades. Highlights include a perfect Watteau drawing unseen on the market since 1900 and two major Hubert Robert paintings commissioned by the famed salonnière Madame Geoffrin, offering a rare glimpse into 18th-century Parisian interiors.

Carnival celebrations at a Hungarian retirement home: János Bődey’s best photograph

Hungarian photojournalist János Bődey captures a poignant moment of joy at a retirement home in Páty, near Budapest, featuring two elderly women dressed as a bride and groom for a carnival celebration. The photograph is part of his series "Carnival at the Retirement Home," which documents the resilience and vitality of Hungarian pensioners who maintain a zest for life despite economic hardships and a strained healthcare system.

James Murdoch and Art Basel’s Parent Company Are Working on a Big Ideas Festival to Launch in 2028

James and Kathryn Murdoch, through their respective organizations Lupa Systems and Futurific, are partnering with MCH Group, the parent company of Art Basel, to create a new major festival called the Futurific Institute. The event, set to launch in Basel, Switzerland in the summer of 2028, aims to be a cross-disciplinary gathering focused on art, culture, technology, and future-oriented problem-solving, drawing comparisons to world's fairs and events like TED Talks.

The Narrow Corridor of Normality

Der schmale Korridor der Normalität

Artist Beate Gütschow reflects on Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s 16th-century engraving "Spes" (Hope), which she encountered during a visit to the Kunstmuseum Basel. The artwork depicts a personified figure of Hope standing amidst a chaotic scene of shipwrecks and flooding, symbolizing the necessity of maintaining focus and action even in the face of overwhelming disaster.

"We are among those in the crowd who are overjoyed"

"Wir gehören zu denjenigen in der Menge, die überglücklich sind"

The Hungarian art scene is celebrating a major political shift following Péter Magyar’s electoral victory over Viktor Orbán, ending 16 years of restrictive cultural policies. Local figures, including gallerist Margit Valkó and artist János Sugár, express immense relief and hope for a future defined by institutional autonomy and international engagement after years of state-led hostility toward contemporary art.

ART AGAINST COLLAPSE 193 ARTISTS IMAGINE ALTERNATIVE FUTURES

The Nevada Museum of Art has launched 'Into the Time Horizon,' a massive, multi-year exhibition occupying its entire 120,000-square-foot building. Featuring 193 artists from across the globe, the show is organized into seven thematic sections that survey environmental art and confront the climate crisis, while proposing hopeful pathways forward grounded in care and collective responsibility. It will be on view in full until September 2026, with parts remaining until 2027.

An ecstatic Mary Magdalene for Washington

Une Marie-Madeleine extatique pour Washington

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has acquired Artemisia Gentileschi's painting "Marie-Madeleine en extase" (Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy), dating from around 1625. The work was previously sold at a Sotheby's auction in France in 2014, continuing a trend of important Gentileschi works leaving Europe for American museums.

Two new ceramic exhibitions open at the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings

The Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings, Montana, has launched two new ceramic-focused exhibitions: "Folktales and Fanfare" and "Embedded in the Overlap." A central highlight of the new programming is the work of Ukrainian ceramicist Janina Myronova, whose exhibition features whimsical stoneware figures and drawings that explore themes of home, hope, and human connection. Myronova’s work, including her 2023 piece "Two Heads Are Better Than One," blends traditional ceramic techniques with dreamlike narratives.

Art Historian Paolo Baldacci Has Died; His Studies on Giorgio de Chirico and Metaphysical Art Were Fundamental

È morto lo storico dell’arte Paolo Baldacci. Fondamentali i suoi studi su Giorgio de Chirico e sulla Metafisica

Renowned art historian, critic, and professor Paolo Baldacci has passed away in Milan at the age of 81. Originally a scholar of ancient history and Roman epigraphy, Baldacci transitioned into a leading authority on 20th-century Italian art, specifically focusing on Futurism and Metaphysical painting. He was widely recognized for his monumental 1997 monograph and catalogue raisonné on Giorgio de Chirico, as well as his extensive research into the work of Alberto Savinio.

Work by incarcerated artists showcased in recent exhibit at IHM Sisters' gallery

The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Motherhouse Gallery in Monroe, Michigan, recently hosted an exhibition featuring artworks created by incarcerated individuals from correctional facilities across the state. Organized by the University of Michigan’s Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP), the show displayed pieces made from unconventional materials like soap and graham crackers, ranging from spiritual reflections to bright, hopeful compositions. The exhibit was curated from donated works by artists who are unable to keep their pieces or sell them directly due to Department of Corrections regulations.

Work by incarcerated artists showcased in recent exhibit at IHM Sisters' gallery

The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Motherhouse Gallery in Monroe, Michigan, recently hosted an exhibition featuring artworks created by incarcerated individuals from across the state. Organized in collaboration with the University of Michigan's Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP), the show featured pieces made from unconventional materials like soap and graham crackers. The collection ranged from spiritual and hopeful works to those reflecting the harsh realities of the correctional system, with proceeds from sales supporting PCAP’s ongoing programming.

‘The extremely happy part of the crowd’: Hungarian arts figures hope for change after 16 years of Orbán rule

The 16-year tenure of Viktor Orbán has come to an end following a landslide victory for Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party in the 2026 Hungarian parliamentary election. The shift in power has sparked widespread celebration among Hungary’s progressive art community, which has long felt stifled by Orbán’s nationalist and socially conservative agenda. Figures from major Budapest galleries and the contemporary art scene report a profound sense of relief, signaling a potential departure from the "illiberal democracy" that dominated the country for nearly two decades.

Is There an Ethical Path for AI Art?

An exhibition at Rice University's Moody Center for the Arts, titled 'Imaging after Photography', presents work by seven contemporary artists who use artificial intelligence in ethically considered ways. The show argues we are in a post-photographic moment where AI disrupts the link between photorealism and reality, and features artists who train their algorithms on their own images or public domain datasets to avoid plagiarism.

‘As an artist I have a duty to reflect the times’: photographer Misan Harriman explores protests and solidarity in new London show

Photographer and filmmaker Misan Harriman has opened a permanent installation titled 'The Purpose of Light' at London's Hope 93 gallery. The exhibition features over 100 black-and-white photographs taken over seven years at protests in the UK, US, and South Africa, including demonstrations related to Black Lives Matter, Gaza, and other social justice movements. The project debuted as a solo show last summer and, due to significant public response, has now been established as a long-term fixture with support from private collectors.

‘Changing Climate, Changing Communities’ sparks conversation and celebrates local art

The Oxford Community Arts Center recently hosted the opening of "Changing Climate, Changing Communities," an exhibition organized by Engaging for Climate in Oxford (ECO). The show features a diverse range of media, including paintings, sculptures, and graphic works created by professional artists, Miami University faculty, and local elementary students. Notable works include Tara Trueblood’s abstract painting "The Flood," which explores the tension between crisis and hope, and imaginative drawings of undiscovered animals by sixth-grade students from Ridgeway Elementary.

Mystery 17th-Century Portrait Sparks Search for Identity of Black Sitter

Researchers at the National Portrait Gallery in London have launched a landmark investigation into a rare 17th-century double portrait featuring a Black boy and a white boy standing side-by-side. The painting, which has hung at the historic Penshurst Place in Kent for centuries, is undergoing extensive restoration and technical analysis to identify the sitters. Experts are particularly struck by the composition, which depicts the Black figure at the same scale and status as the white figure, a significant departure from the era's typical portrayal of Black individuals as marginal attendants.

Comment | Climate change is forcing tough choices—how much heritage can we save before it is too late?

Climate change is accelerating the degradation of archaeological sites worldwide, forcing archaeologists to make urgent, difficult choices about what to save. From thawing permafrost in the Canadian Arctic threatening Inuit heritage to landslides endangering ancient Buddhist temples in Nepal, researchers are now deploying innovative technologies like ground-penetrating radar, 3D scanning, and even cosmic-ray muon detectors to digitally document and monitor at-risk sites before they are lost.

The Emanent Museum

Artist and writer Farid Rakun, a member of the collective ruangrupa, offers a critical diagnosis of contemporary museums. He argues that institutions in his Indonesian context are either state-run and subject to unstable political direction, or privately owned and driven by colonialist, capital-accumulating mentalities. He laments the intertwining of these models, which prioritizes revenue and growth over genuine cultural service.

Senior Spring Art Exhibits

Asbury University is launching its Senior Spring Art Exhibits on March 2, a semesterly tradition that serves as a capstone for graduating art majors. The exhibitions will be spread across multiple campus venues, including the Blue, Kinlaw, Purple, and Red Galleries, as well as the Reasoner Hallway Gallery. Featured students include Vanessa Fischer, Ella Nelson, Hope Eland, Joshua Owen, and Kaja Jaques, showcasing a diverse range of media such as sculpture, graphic design, photography, and fabric arts installations.

Amid Iran war, Paterson Middle East art show carries layered meaning

Tehran-born artist and human rights lawyer Sanam Ghandehari is presenting a new body of work in Paterson, New Jersey, against the backdrop of escalating military conflict in Iran. Her multi-layered pieces reflect the duality of the current crisis, juxtaposing the hope for democratic liberation with the immediate trauma of seeing her childhood home bombarded.

New Taunton art exhibit explores hope and resilience

A new art exhibition titled "Hope and Resilience" has opened at the Taunton Art Center, featuring works by over 20 local and regional artists. The show includes paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media pieces that collectively address themes of overcoming adversity and finding optimism in challenging times.