The Met is Finally Treating Lee Krasner as Pollock’s Equal—Will the Market Follow?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced a major upcoming exhibition titled "Krasner and Pollock: Past Continuous," which aims to present Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock as artistic equals. While the museum's narrative seeks to reframe Krasner as a formidable figure of the New York School on her own terms, the art market continues to reflect a significant valuation gap. Pollock’s auction record stands at over $61 million, while Krasner’s peak public sale remains just under $12 million, highlighting the persistent commercial struggle for female Abstract Expressionists.

Comment | Catherine Opie shows us that in dark times, looking for joy can be radical

The artist Catherine Opie is currently the subject of a major three-decade portrait survey, 'To Be Seen', at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The exhibition highlights Opie’s career-long commitment to representing the LGBTQ+ community, specifically the leather dyke scene in Los Angeles, through a lens that balances defiance with playfulness. Even her most provocative works, such as the 1993 self-portrait featuring a domestic scene carved into her back, are revealed to contain elements of humor and historical allusion that counter the despair of the AIDS crisis and personal heartbreak.

In Paris, Highly Mobile Gallerists

À Paris, des galeristes très mobiles

The Parisian art scene is experiencing a significant wave of gallery expansions and relocations across both the Right and Left Banks. Major developments include Kamel Mennour acquiring the former Malingue gallery space on Avenue Matignon for secondary market masterpieces, and Christophe Person moving from the Marais to a redesigned space on Rue du Bac with the backing of collector Jean Claude Gandur. Other notable moves include London-based Waddington Custot opening a Parisian branch, Singapore's Cuturi Gallery settling in the Palais-Royal, and Vincent Sator inaugurating a new space in the David Chipperfield-designed Morland Mixité Capitale complex.

Settlement allows Institute of Museum and Library Services to continue operations

The American Library Association (ALA) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) have reached a settlement with the Trump administration to restore the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The agreement follows a year-long legal battle sparked by an executive order that placed the agency's entire staff on administrative leave and attempted to dismantle the federal body. The settlement ensures the IMLS can resume awarding grants, conducting research, and operating programs while reversing previous staff terminations and grant cancellations.

The first edition of the Paris Internationale fair in Milan is a success: The report

La prima edizione della fiera Paris Internationale a Milano convince. Il report

The Parisian satellite fair Paris Internationale successfully launched its first international edition in Milan during the city's 2026 Art Week. Hosted in the modernist Palazzo Galbani, the fair distinguished itself from traditional models like miart through a non-hierarchical layout designed by Christ & Gantenbein and NM3. The event featured 34 carefully selected galleries, emphasizing solo and duo presentations from artists such as Leonora Carrington, Benni Bosetto, and Ibuki Inoue.

A young but already highly competitive profession

Un métier jeune mais déjà très concurrentiel

The museum visitor services sector in France is undergoing rapid professionalization as specialized outsourcing firms compete for lucrative contracts. Companies like Marianne International, Pénélope, and City One—originally rooted in corporate reception and event management—are now managing front-of-house operations for major institutions including the Palais de Tokyo, MuCEM, and the Musée d'Orsay. This shift reflects a broader trend of museums treating visitors as customers and seeking the high-volume staffing expertise found in the corporate world.

Cultural Institutions Warn Against AfD's Cultural Policy Plans

Kulturinstitutionen warnen vor AfD-Plänen zur Kulturpolitik

Nearly 30 cultural institutions in Saxony-Anhalt, including the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation and the Saxony-Anhalt Museum Association, have issued a joint warning against the AfD party's new government program. The political platform proposes a "patriotic cultural policy" that would prioritize funding for art contributing to "German identity" while criticizing the state's focus on modernism and the Bauhaus as a "sign of identity disorder." The institutions argue these plans threaten artistic freedom, pluralism, and the democratic culture of remembrance regarding Germany's Nazi past.

The Academy Museum Reclaims the Real Marilyn Monroe

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is launching a major exhibition to mark the centenary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth, seeking to re-examine her complex legacy. Moving beyond the simplified tropes of the tragic starlet, the show investigates whether Monroe was a passive victim of the Hollywood studio system or a savvy, self-aware architect of her own public persona.

Jobs in Art: Opportunities from Catania Academy of Fine Arts, MADRE Naples, Camera Austria, Teatro Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Lavoro nell’arte: opportunità da Accademia Belle Arti Catania, MADRE Napoli, Camera Austria, Teatro Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Several prominent Italian and international cultural institutions have launched open calls for professional roles, residencies, and artistic competitions. Key opportunities include the search for a new director at the MADRE Museum in Naples with a three-year contract, a social media manager position at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, and various residency programs for photographers and designers at the Academy of Fine Arts in Catania and Camera Austria in Graz.

Mexico faces sales of pre-Columbian art

Le Mexique face aux ventes d’art précolombien

The Mexican government is facing ongoing legal and diplomatic hurdles in its attempts to halt the sale of pre-Columbian artifacts in Paris. Despite formal protests from the Mexican embassy citing national heritage laws from 1827, auction houses like Millon continue to proceed with sales, generating millions in revenue. French authorities and legal experts maintain that Mexican national laws do not supersede French jurisdiction, which largely adheres to the 1970 UNESCO Convention regarding the illicit import and export of cultural property.

The Musée de La Poste becomes the "Musée Postal" once again

Le musée de La Poste redevient le « musée postal »

The Musée de La Poste in Paris has rebranded itself as the "Musée Postal," reclaiming its original 1946 name as it approaches its 80th anniversary. Alongside a new visual identity featuring a blue and white "M" logo, the institution is shifting its focus from a strictly corporate museum to a "museum of society" with a more universal outlook. Under the leadership of director Guillaume Goy, the museum aims to modernize its permanent collection and recover its pre-pandemic attendance figures, targeting 150,000 annual visitors.

Three Years, One City: Tulsa’s Transformative Artist Fellowship.

The Tulsa Artist Fellowship has announced an open call for its 2027–2029 award cycle, seeking ten artists and arts workers for a three-year residency in Oklahoma. Selected fellows receive a comprehensive financial package totaling over $150,000 in stipends, plus housing and relocation support, in exchange for committing to live and work in Tulsa. The program, established by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, emphasizes long-term community engagement and the development of ambitious, site-specific projects.

Actor-Painter Park Shin-yang Breaks Fourth Wall in Solo Exhibition

Renowned South Korean actor Park Shin-yang has launched a solo exhibition titled 'The Fourth Wall' at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul. The show features a unique performative element where fifteen clowns roam the gallery, acting as surreal extensions of the canvases to bridge the gap between the artist and the public. Park, known for his roles in 'Lovers in Paris,' presents a diverse body of work including paintings of donkeys and bullfighters that symbolize the burdens of life and the struggle for creative expression.

Heron Marsh Gallery at Paul Smith's VIC calling for art

The Heron Marsh Gallery, located at the Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC), has issued an open call for artists to participate in an upcoming exhibition. The gallery is seeking submissions that align with the natural themes of the Adirondack region, specifically highlighting the "Fiddleheads and Ferns" feature scheduled for May at the Adirondack Artists Guild.

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Sotheby’s is navigating a complex financial landscape marked by a major debt refinancing effort and the introduction of a controversial delayed-payment program. The auction house is seeking to raise $825 million through five-year bonds to address existing debt due in 2027, while simultaneously facing a $10.2 million lawsuit over real estate commissions. To manage liquidity, the firm has codified a scheme offering sellers a 7 percent interest rate if they agree to wait six months for their payout, a significant departure from the industry standard of 35 to 45 days.

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The 2026 IFPDA Print Fair concluded at the Park Avenue Armory with record-breaking attendance of over 21,000 visitors and robust sales across various price points. This edition marked a significant pivot for the fair following its formal expansion to include drawings dealers, rebranding as the International Fine Prints and Drawings Association. Notable sales included a sold-out edition of Cecily Brown etchings at Two Palms and six-figure works by David Hockney and Rashid Johnson at Galerie Maximillian.