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The estate of Robert Colescott, the influential American painter who died in 2009, has signed with Gladstone Gallery for representation. Gladstone will debut Colescott's work at Art Basel Miami Beach next month and mount its first solo exhibition for the artist in 2025. Colescott is best known for satirical, large-scale paintings like "George Washington Carver Crossing the Delaware: Page from an American History Textbook" (1975), which critiques the exclusion and caricaturing of Black figures in American history and art. The estate sought new representation after its longtime gallery, Blum, closed this summer. Gladstone senior partner Max Falkenstein said the gallery had long admired Colescott and that the partnership felt like a natural fit given the gallery's focus on identity and politics.

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Dan Nadel, a critic known for championing overlooked American artists, has been appointed curator of drawings and prints at the Whitney Museum in New York. His appointment comes ahead of the opening of his upcoming Whitney exhibition “Sixties Surreal,” which will explore Surrealism’s impact on American art from 1958 to 1972. Nadel previously organized acclaimed shows at Karma gallery, including a pivotal 2018 exhibition of Gertrude Abercrombie, and has held curatorial roles at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. The Whitney also announced the appointments of Jennie Goldstein as curator of the collection and Roxanne Smith as assistant curator of the collection.

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This week's art industry roundup covers major auction results, including Sotheby's $51.8 million sale of the Saunders Old Masters collection (a record for a single-owner sale in that category) and the $12.5 million sale of the Lalanne's 'Ostrich Bar' in Paris. The Breuer Building, purchased by Sotheby's in 2023, has been landmarked by New York City, preserving its interior during renovation by Herzog & de Meuron. Art Basel announced a new fair in Doha, Qatar, launching next February with 50 exhibitors, while Untitled Art revealed 84 exhibitors for its first Houston edition. In gallery news, Yan Du will open YDP in London, Annely Juda Fine Art is moving, and Jean-Paul Engelen joins Acquavella Galleries. Gladstone Gallery hired Julian Ehrlich from Christie's. Saudi Arabia opens its first specialized art storage facility in Jeddah. Creative Australia chair Robert Morgan retires amid controversy over the Venice Biennale team appointment, and Monash University reversed a decision to cancel an exhibition.

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Major international museum projects are nearing completion for 2026, signaling a period of significant institutional expansion despite global economic and political pressures. Key highlights include the long-awaited Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by Frank Gehry, which will finally open its doors on Saadiyat Island after two decades of planning. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is preparing for two major debuts: George Lucas’s $1 billion Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and Refik Anadol’s Dataland, a dedicated space for AI-driven digital art.

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Martin Scorsese will moderate a panel at New York Comic Con on Sunday, organized by the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. The panel features street artist JR and fantasy painters Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell, offering a preview of the museum's renderings, artworks, and a prerecorded interview with founders George Lucas and Mellody Hobson. The museum, originally slated to open in 2023, has faced delays and is now expected to open in 2026, following a tumultuous year that included the departure of director Sandra Jackson-Dumont and staff layoffs.

LACMA, Lucas Museum, Dataland… Los Angeles engaged in a crazy race for culture

LACMA, Lucas Museum, Dataland… Los Angeles engagée dans une folle course à la culture

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has opened its new David Geffen Galleries building, a massive, controversial structure designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor. The $835 million project, funded in part by philanthropist David Geffen, spans Wilshire Boulevard and replaces four older modernist pavilions, sparking a decade-long debate over its design, cost, and the loss of the previous buildings.

Lucas Museum Reveals First Set of Exhibitions Curated by Founder George Lucas

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles has announced its inaugural exhibitions, curated by founder George Lucas, ahead of its September opening. The initial hang will feature around 12,000 objects from the museum's collection of over 40,000, displayed across 30 galleries in the 300,000-square-foot building. Thematic galleries will highlight specific artists such as Thomas Hart Benton, Norman Rockwell, and N.C. Wyeth, as well as mediums like cinema, photography, muralism, and comics. Broader themes include "Everyday Life," "Narrative Forms," and "Western Stories."

The curator awakens: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art reveals inaugural exhibition lineup

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, will open in Los Angeles on 22 September with 18 inaugural exhibitions featuring over 1,200 objects. Curated by Lucas himself, the shows span media like photography, architecture, and cinema, as well as genres such as manga, anime, comics, and children's stories. Six solo exhibitions will highlight American artists including Thomas Hart Benton, Frank Frazetta, and Norman Rockwell. The museum's collection now exceeds 40,000 works, including the Separate Cinema Archive and Lucas Archives of film memorabilia.

From the World Cup and the Olympics to two new museums: upcoming cultural attractions in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is preparing for a major influx of cultural and sporting events, including hosting matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at SoFi Stadium and the 2028 Summer Olympics. The city is also enhancing its cultural infrastructure with new Metro stations featuring site-specific art commissions and the imminent openings of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and the David Geffen Galleries at LACMA.

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The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles has appointed Michael Wellen as its new chief curator and Regan Pro as chief of learning, engagement, and research. Wellen joins from Tate Modern, while Pro was previously at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. The appointments fill key leadership roles that had been vacant, with the chief curator position open since 2023.

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Pilar Tompkins Rivas, chief curator and deputy director of curatorial and collections at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, has left the museum less than a year before its scheduled September 2026 opening. The museum stated it has no immediate plans to replace her, with George Lucas continuing to oversee curatorial direction. This departure follows a series of staffing issues, including the exit of director and CEO Sandra Jackson-Dumont in March 2025, layoffs of 22 staff members in May, and the earlier losses of curator Amanda Hunt and curator-at-large Dan Nadel. The $1-billion museum, first announced in 2017, has faced repeated delays due to the pandemic and supply-chain shortages.

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Pilar Tompkins Rivas, chief curator and deputy director of curatorial and collections at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, has left her post, as first reported by the Los Angeles Times. Her departure is the latest in a series of leadership exits at the institution, which is set to open on September 22, 2026. The museum was founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, and Rivas was one of six women of color appointed to high-ranking roles in 2020 by then director and CEO Sandra Jackson-Dumont, who left in February. The museum laid off 15 employees in May, and CEO duties are now held on an interim basis by Jim Gianopulos, while Lucas himself oversees curatorial content.

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A new cultural institution called Fenix has opened in Rotterdam, Netherlands, dedicated entirely to the topic of migration. Housed in a 1923 waterfront warehouse that once served the Holland America Line—a major transporter of cargo and passengers—the museum occupies nearly 175,000 square feet in the Katendrecht neighborhood, a historic gateway for millions of immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries. Designed by Ma Yansong of MAD Architects, the building features a central double-helix staircase nicknamed the Tornado, leading to a rooftop observation deck. Three inaugural exhibitions, including “All Directions,” showcase over 150 artworks and objects by artists such as Max Beckmann, Willem de Kooning, Sophie Calle, and Yinka Shonibare, alongside personal mementoes from local families.

5 Must-See Comic Art Shows Lighting Up New York

New York Comic Con returns to the Javits Center from October 9–12, 2025, bringing a pop culture celebration of comics, toys, video games, and cosplay. This year's edition features a special panel by the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, moderated by Martin Scorsese with artists JR, Boris Vallejo, and Julie Bell. Meanwhile, the late fantasy artist Frank Frazetta set a new record for comic art with a $13.5 million sale at Heritage Auctions. Beyond the convention, several exhibitions across the city highlight comic art, including "¡Wepa! Puerto Ricans in the World of Comics" at the New York Public Library and "Super Duper" at the Metropolitan Opera House, which features works by Art Spiegelman, George Condo, and Dana Schutz.

Los Angeles museums on the cusp of new golden age

Los Angeles is entering a transformative period of cultural expansion, marked by nearly $3 billion in new museum construction and institutional growth. Key projects include the imminent opening of Peter Zumthor’s $835 million expansion of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the debut of Refik Anadol’s AI-focused Dataland, and the long-awaited opening of George Lucas’s $1 billion Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. These developments, alongside expansions at The Broad and The Huntington, are timed to solidify the city's infrastructure ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics.

11 Must-Visit Museums Opening in 2026

The article highlights 11 major museum openings and expansions scheduled for 2026, including the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (designed by Frank Gehry, focusing on modern and contemporary art from West Asia, North Africa, and South Asia), the New Museum in New York (reopening March 21 after a major expansion by OMA), the V&A East Museum in London (featuring a debut exhibition on Black British music history), and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles. Other notable projects include the Memphis Art Museum and the Drift Museum in Amsterdam, reflecting a global surge in cultural infrastructure.

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The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles has laid off 15 full-time employees (14% of its full-time staff) and seven part-time workers, primarily affecting its Learning & Engagement and Museum Services teams. The cuts also include Regan Pro, deputy director of public programs and social impact, and Bernardo Rondeau, curator of film programs. The museum, founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, has faced multiple delays due to supply-chain issues, pushing its opening from 2023 to 2026, and recently underwent a leadership transition with director Sandra Jackson-Dumont stepping down.

Lucas Museum Aims to Tell the History of Storytelling via 1,200 Objects

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles has announced details of its inaugural exhibitions, set to open on September 22, 2026. Founded by filmmaker George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson, the museum will feature over 1,200 objects across 30 galleries, tracing the history of visual storytelling from ancient sculptures to Renaissance paintings, photography, comics, and manga. The collection draws from Lucas's personal trove of more than 40,000 works of illustrator art, including pieces by N.C. Wyeth, Norman Rockwell, Frank Frazetta, Beatrix Potter, and Jack Kirby, as well as large-scale murals and photography by artists like Judy Baca and Dorothea Lange. The museum, designed by Ma Yansong of MAD Architects, also includes archives of Lucas's film sets, props, and costumes.

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George Lucas made his long-awaited debut at Comic-Con's Hall H to present a sneak peek of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, set to open in Los Angeles next year. The panel, moderated by Queen Latifah, included filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and production designer Doug Chiang, and revealed details about the 300,000-square-foot building designed by Ma Yansong of MAD, with 33 galleries, two theaters, and 11 acres of green space. Lucas discussed his personal collection of over 40,000 works, emphasizing narrative art's role in shaping community and shared beliefs, and highlighted pieces by Norman Rockwell, Kadir Nelson, Beatrix Potter, and Frida Kahlo.

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art unveils opening exhibitions

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles has announced its inaugural exhibitions ahead of its opening on September 22. Founded by filmmaker George Lucas and philanthropist Mellody Hobson, the museum was designed by MAD Architects founder Ma Yansong. The opening will feature 18 thematic exhibitions showcasing over 1,200 works across 30 galleries, spanning genres such as cinema, photography, comics, manga, and anime, with dedicated shows for illustrators like Norman Rockwell, Jessie Willcox Smith, and Frank Frazetta. The collection also includes works by Beatrix Potter, Frida Kahlo, Winsor McCay, Alison Bechdel, Gordon Parks, and Dorothea Lange, alongside the Lucas Archives containing props and costumes from Lucas's film career.

It’s not all movies: LA’s art, museums and exhibitions are world class

Los Angeles is expanding its cultural offerings with several new and renovated art institutions. The Museum of AI Arts, called Dataland, is set to open this spring at the Grand L.A. complex, created by artist Refik Anadol. It claims to be the world's first museum dedicated to AI art, featuring immersive installations like an Infinity Room with AI-generated scents. Meanwhile, the Natural History Museum completed a $75 million renovation in 2024, adding a 60,000-square-foot wing and displaying a unique green-boned dinosaur named Gnatalie, along with Barbara Carrasco's previously censored mural. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is opening the David Geffen Galleries on May 4, a 110,000-square-foot space for its permanent collection.

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art unveils first 'Star Wars' exhibition

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles has announced its first 'Star Wars' exhibition, titled 'Star Wars in Motion,' opening on September 22. The exhibition will feature props, costumes, and illustrations from George Lucas' six-film saga, including Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder and General Grievous' Wheel Bike, as part of the museum's inaugural lineup of 18 thematic exhibitions across 30 galleries.

Here is what you'll see at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art when it finally opens

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles will finally open on September 22, 2026, at Exposition Park. Founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the 300,000-square-foot spaceship-like building designed by MAD Architects will house a collection of over 40,000 objects, with 1,200 works on display across 30 galleries. The inaugural exhibitions span children's literature illustrations, manga and anime, comics, photography, cinematic storytelling, and classic American illustration, featuring artists from Norman Rockwell and Frida Kahlo to Jack Kirby and Alison Bechdel. A special cinema exhibition, 'Star Wars in Motion,' will showcase props and costumes from the first six films.

New museum dedicated to AI promises an ethical approach

Dataland, billed as the world's first museum dedicated to AI art, is set to open on June 20 in Los Angeles at The Grand LA, a Frank Gehry-designed complex. Co-founded by Turkish-American artist Refik Anadol, the 35,000-square-foot privately-funded museum will feature five immersive galleries. Its inaugural exhibition, *Machine Dreams: Rainforest*, is an audiovisual experience based on millions of images and sounds of nature, inspired by a visit Anadol and co-founder Efsun Erkılıç made to the Amazon rainforest. Anadol is known for his generative AI piece at MoMA in 2022 and a projection on the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

U.S. Museums And Major Expansions Opening Across The Country In 2026

A roundup of major U.S. museum openings and expansions scheduled for 2026 highlights several high-profile projects across the country. These include the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, the Hip Hop Museum in New York City, and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles. Additionally, the Edward W. Kane & Martha J. Wallace Center for Black History opens in Newport, Rhode Island, in June; the San Mateo County History Museum in Redwood City, California, completes a $23.5 million expansion in the fall; and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland finishes a $175 million expansion adding 50,000 square feet.

The Year Ahead 2026: the big exhibitions and the key museum openings—podcast

In the first episode of 2026, Ben Luke, Jane Morris, and Gareth Harris preview the year's major art events, including museum openings, biennials, and exhibitions. Highlights include the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, V&A East, and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, along with the Venice Biennale, Whitney Biennial, and shows dedicated to artists like Gainsborough, Raphael, Zurbarán, and Matisse.

The biggest international museum openings in 2026

A roundup of major international museum openings scheduled for 2026 highlights new institutions and expansions across the US, Europe, and the Middle East. Notable projects include the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, the Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi, Kanal in Brussels, the relocated Memphis Art Museum, LACMA's David Geffen Galleries, and the Design Museum Gent in Belgium, among others.

The eight hotly awaited art-venue openings we are most looking forward to in 2026

The article previews eight major art-venue openings expected in 2026, including the long-awaited Guggenheim Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island, Cardiff's first contemporary art museum (AMOCA), the V&A East Museum in London, the revived Palais de Danse studio of Barbara Hepworth in St Ives, and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles. It also notes the uncertain status of the Museum of West African Art in Benin City amid political disputes. These projects range from vast new museums and subterranean expansions to restored artist studios, many delayed by funding, planning, or construction challenges.

The most exciting museum openings in 2026

A trio of major museum openings is expected in Los Angeles in 2026: the expansion of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma) with its new David Geffen Galleries designed by Peter Zumthor opening in April; the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, founded by filmmaker George Lucas and designed by Ma Yansong, opening on 22 September; and the digital artist Refik Anadol's Dataland, the first museum devoted to AI-generated art, opening in spring. Additionally, the Victoria and Albert Museum opens V&A East in London on 18 April, and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, opens an expansion on 6 June.

A new hope: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art sets September 2026 opening date

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles has announced its opening date of September 22, 2026, more than a decade after the project was first conceived by filmmaker George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson. The museum, which moved from San Francisco to Chicago before settling in Los Angeles's Exposition Park, has grown from a $700 million budget to a reported $1 billion and will house over 40,000 works across 100,000 square feet of exhibition space. The collection spans ancient artifacts, canonical artists like Frida Kahlo and John Singer Sargent, comic book legends such as Jack Kirby and Alison Bechdel, photography by Gordon Parks and Dorothea Lange, and the Lucas Archives of film memorabilia.