Indira Cesarine, the founder of The Untitled Space in Tribeca, reflects on a decade of operating her gallery as a platform for marginalized voices and feminist-driven programming. The gallery grew out of Cesarine’s work as an editor and curator, specifically following the success of her 2009 publication, The Untitled Magazine, and early exhibitions that highlighted the lack of representation for women in the art market.
The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York, will present 'Sanford Biggers: Drift,' the artist's first major solo exhibition on the East End of Long Island, opening in summer 2026. The show features new works, site-responsive installations, and signature sculptures and textiles, including the monumental cloud installation 'Unsui (Cloud Forest)' (2025). The exhibition is part of the museum's 'PARRISH USA250: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness' series, which marks America's semi-quincentennial by exploring the ideals of the Declaration of Independence through the lens of Long Island's artistic heritage.
Musician Kid Cudi, working under the artist alias Scotty Ramon, has launched his debut solo art exhibition titled 'Echos of the Past' at the Ruttkowski;68 gallery in Paris. The show features a collection of paintings characterized by a cartoonish aesthetic, bold colors, and themes ranging from inner turmoil to meditative peace, accompanied by a 16-minute documentary detailing his creative process.
The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (Virginia MOCA) has announced plans to relocate from its longtime home to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Virginia Beach. This move marks a significant expansion for the institution, aiming to modernize its exhibition spaces and enhance its capacity for community engagement and educational programming.
A roundup of current art exhibitions and calls for work in Taos, New Mexico, highlights shows such as "Nicolai Fechin: Figures, Nature, and Expression" at the Taos Art Museum, "Taos Reimagined: Modernist Experiments in the High Desert," and "Rag Made Quilts" at the Taos Public Library. Other featured venues include 203 Fine Art, Stables Gallery, Revolt Gallery, and the Wheaton Museum of World Artifacts, with openings and deadlines spanning through fall 2026.
Four Louisville museums have opened new exhibits. The Frazier Kentucky History Museum launched four exhibits as part of its America250 initiative, including 'Pursuit of Happiness,' 'Louisville to Liberty: The Blackburns’ Journey,' 'I Too Am a Kentuckian,' and 'Revolutionary Threads.' The Kentucky Derby Museum added a fashion display from the Hallmark Channel movie 'Kentucky Roses,' featuring costumes worn by actors Andrew Walker and Odette Annable. KMAC Contemporary Art Museum and the Speed Museum are also featuring new art exhibits, including works by female Abstract Expressionists.
The Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, New Mexico, is hosting a Mystery Cabaret event on May 22 and 23, 2026, to celebrate the closing of its exhibition *Pursuit of Happiness: GI Bill in Taos*. Written and directed by local playwright John Biscello, the interactive theater experience invites guests to solve a fictional art theft, with actors, mocktails, and 1940s-era costumes. The exhibition closes May 31, after which the museum will remain closed until the opening of *Unearthing Futures / Desenterrando Futuros* on June 27.
Virginia MOCA hosted a free Community Day on Saturday, May 9, at its new Virginia Beach location, in partnership with Virginia Humanities. The event featured inaugural exhibitions including Nina Chanel Abney: The Pursuit of Happiness and Seamless: Art and Design, along with hands-on art making, live performances, artist demonstrations, a U-Haul art gallery, food trucks, and workshops for all ages.
The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) opened in Virginia Beach with a sold-out gala, featuring an inaugural exhibition by New York-based abstract artist Nina Chanel Abney titled "The Pursuit of Happiness." The new museum, located on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan University off I-64, offers a more accessible location than its previous oceanfront site, with 20 percent more gallery space and a 28-foot painting that allows visitors to feel immersed in the art.
The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (Virginia MOCA) has inaugurated its new, expanded facility on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan University. The opening is anchored by a major solo exhibition titled "The Pursuit of Happiness" by acclaimed contemporary artist Nina Chanel Abney, alongside a group show, "Seamless: Art and Design." Abney’s exhibition features her signature large-scale, vibrant, and emoji-inspired works that explore the complexities of the American Dream, identity, and power structures through a lens of both visual seduction and narrative ambiguity.
The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York, will open the exhibition 'Regeneration: Long Island’s History of Ecological Art and Care' on February 22, 2026. The show, part of the museum's yearlong 'PARRISH USA250' series, features works by eleven artists with ties to Long Island, including Sara Siestreem, Michelle Stuart, and Maya Lin, and will run through June 14.
This article compiles a list of open calls, residencies, and grants for artists and photographers with deadlines in late 2025 and early 2026. Opportunities include the Rotterdam Photo 2026 open call themed 'Echoes of Silence—War in the Artist’s Soul,' offering exhibition space in multiple European cities; the Innovate Grant awarding $1,800 each to one visual artist and one photographer; the Ah Haa School for the Arts' HAHA 2026 immersive installation opportunity; Decagon Gallery's Sanctuary open call with cash prizes; the Biafarin Awards providing $4,000 CAD in grants plus global exposure; PeepSpace's exhibition proposal call; and All About Photo's Nature Photography Contest.
Rapper Kid Cudi, born Scott Roman Mescudi, has announced his debut art exhibition in Paris at the Ruttkowski;68 gallery, titled "Echoes of the Past," running from January 31 through March 1. The show features 10 original works centered on a visual alter ego named Max, exploring themes of darkness, fear, and mental health through a childlike, cartoonish style. Cudi, who completed his first painting last year, has also created an original score for the exhibition and adopted the new moniker "Scotty Roman" for this venture. Separately, he revealed he recently performed stand-up comedy for the first time at West Side Comedy Theater in Santa Monica, describing the experience as electrifying.
This article compiles a list of open calls, residencies, and grants for artists in November 2025, featuring opportunities such as the Hopper Prize offering $4,500 and $1,000 artist grants, the Biafarin Awards with $4,000 CAD in cash grants and global exposure, and the GLEAM public art exhibition at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Other calls include the Contemporary Reflection exhibition in London, an open call for exhibitions at Municipal Gallery dlr LexIcon in Ireland, the INteriors show at Glen Arbor Arts Center, Sight/Geist film and performance series in New York, and a main gallery commission at Locust Projects in Miami, among others.
Interior designers Tony Walker and Max Jones have established Jones Walker of Taos, a gallery on Bent Street that emphasizes a welcoming, domestic atmosphere. After relocating from Dallas in 2018, the duo transitioned from award-winning interior design careers to gallerists, curating a diverse collection of local talent that includes descendants of Taos Pueblo and Spanish carving families. The gallery showcases a mix of modern and traditional paintings, carvings, pottery, and weaving, focusing on authentic regional craftsmanship that appeals to both local residents and international collectors.
The Gallery at Hotel Willa and the Encore Gallery at the Taos Center for the Arts have emerged as vital "satellite" exhibition spaces in Taos, New Mexico. Managed by the nonprofit Paseo Project under Executive Director Matt Thomas, the Gallery at Hotel Willa has transformed 2,000 square feet of hospitality space into a hub for local talent, featuring high-profile fashion installations by Josh Tafoya and upcoming ecological exhibitions like "Disturbance." Meanwhile, the Encore Gallery leverages the high foot traffic of the Taos Center for the Arts to provide local artists with significant community exposure alongside film and theatrical programming.
The Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State has announced a call for entries for a juried exhibition titled "Dreaming American Futures: Invitational 250," running from summer through fall of 2026. The exhibition marks the United States' 250th anniversary and is open to Penn State students, faculty, staff, alumni residing in Pennsylvania, and local artists within 50 miles of State College. Submissions must address themes of activating change, bridging the divide, the pursuit of happiness, and a more perfect union, which were developed from community input gathered during a summer 2025 installation. Digital submissions of up to three works are due by February 15, 2026, with no entry fee, and a jury including artist Folayemi Wilson, curator Janine Yorimoto Boldt, and artist Roberto Lugo will adjudicate the entries.
Southern Oregon University's Schneider Museum of Art is opening its first exhibition of 2026, titled "The Pursuit of Happiness," featuring works by fifteen SOU creative arts staff and educators. The show, running from January 29 to March 14, explores themes of American identity and happiness in the context of the nation's 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It includes nearly 50 works, notably a large hand-dyed quilt tapestry by educator Vanessa Jo Bahr, and marks the museum's first faculty and staff exhibition since 2019.