14 Must-See Museum Shows in New York This Spring

New York museums are launching a significant slate of spring exhibitions, featuring major retrospectives and thematic surveys. Highlights include "Noguchi's New York" at the Noguchi Museum, exploring the sculptor's unrealized urban projects; "Raphael: Sublime Poetry" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a comprehensive look at the Renaissance master; and "Gothic by Design: The Dawn of Architectural Draftsmanship," also at the Met, focusing on medieval architectural drawings.

See Photos from Archives of Nine Photographers Going to Center for Creative Photography

The Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona has acquired the archives of nine photographers: Laura Aguilar, Jack Dykinga, Jody Forster, Frank Gohlke, Mark Klett, Nathan Lyons, Stephen Marc, Patrick Nagatani, and Susan Wood. The collections include photographic prints as well as supporting materials like correspondence, notebooks, and working proofs that document the artists' creative processes.

The Best Exhibitions to See in Paris Right Now

Les meilleures expos du moment à voir à Paris

Beaux Arts Magazine has published a guide to the best current exhibitions in Paris for spring 2026, highlighting major shows such as "Martin Parr. Global Warning" at the Jeu de Paume, "Matisse. 1941–1954" at the Grand Palais, "Michel-Ange Rodin" at the Musée du Louvre, "Renoir et l'amour" at the Musée d'Orsay, "Calder. Rêver en équilibre" at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, and "Splendeurs du baroque" at the Musée Jacquemart-André. The article also features retrospectives of Hilma af Klint at the Grand Palais, Károly Ferenczy at the Petit Palais, Henry Taylor at the Musée Picasso, a Lee Miller exhibition at the Musée d'Art moderne de Paris, a Giovanni Segantini show at the Musée Marmottan Monet, and a Nan Goldin multimedia presentation at the Grand Palais.

Jon Batiste, Troye Sivan, and Amy Sherald lead a Met Gala 2026 rooted in art-historical homage.

The 2026 Met Gala, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, centered on the theme "Fashion Is Art," marking the opening of the Costume Institute's spring exhibition "Costume Art." Attendees including Jon Batiste, Troye Sivan, and artist Amy Sherald interpreted the dress code through art-historical references, with Sivan wearing Prada to channel Robert Mapplethorpe. The event brought together fashion, art, entertainment, and high society to make a deliberate case for fashion as a legitimate art form.

Amy Sherald comes home

Amy Sherald, the celebrated painter known for her official portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama, brings her traveling exhibition 'American Sublime' to Atlanta's High Museum of Art, where it will be on view from May 15 to September 27. The show, the largest presentation of her work to date, marks a homecoming for Sherald, who was born in Columbus, Georgia, and graduated from Clark Atlanta University. The exhibition includes paintings that explore themes of identity, the American South, and the Black experience, and features works such as 'A God Blessed Land (Empire of Dirt)' (2022) and 'They Call Me Redbone, but I'd Rather Be Strawberry Shortcake' (2009).

Early 2026 Art Books From Yale University Press

Yale University Press has announced its early 2026 art book lineup, featuring exhibition catalogues such as "Raphael: Sublime Poetry" from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Gwen John: Strange Beauties" from the Yale Center for British Art, "Edward Steichen and the Garden" from the George Eastman Museum, and "Frederic Church: Global Artist" from Olana NY State Historic Site. New releases also include a biography of Anni Albers by Nicholas Fox Weber, a catalogue titled "Anni Albers: Constructing Textiles" accompanying a European traveling exhibition, and Alyce Mahon's "Dorothea Tanning: A Surrealist Life," named a Best New Art Book of 2026 by Christie's. The press will hold a 50% off annual sale in May.

Master of Madonnas and the Market

Meister der Madonnen und des Marktes

A major exhibition titled "Raphael: Sublime Poetry" has opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, exploring how the Renaissance master Raphael's work was deeply intertwined with money, prestige, and patronage. The show traces his career from early mentorship under his father and influences from Leonardo da Vinci to his rivalry with Michelangelo, highlighting commissions from wealthy supporters like the aristocrat Elena Duglioli and Pope Leo X, who commissioned Raphael's extravagant tapestries for the Sistine Chapel.

Cinga Samson Conjures Mystery and the Sublime in Large-Scale Oil Paintings

South African artist Cinga Samson is currently presenting a series of large-scale oil paintings in a solo exhibition titled "Ukuphuthelwa" at White Cube in New York. The works feature dreamlike, nocturnal tableaux characterized by deep pigments, spectral figures with all-white eyes, and symbolic animals that bridge the earthly and divine. The title, which translates from isiXhosa as "unable to sleep," frames sleeplessness as a state of heightened spiritual alertness rather than a medical condition.

The Multibillion-Dollar Maneuvers Behind the Met’s Raphael Show

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened “Raphael: Sublime Poetry,” the largest survey dedicated to the Renaissance master in the U.S., featuring 33 paintings and 142 works on paper. The exhibition includes loans from 60 public institutions across 11 countries, as well as private loans from billionaire Leon Black, and the estimated aggregate value of the art on view is in the billions of dollars. Curated by Carmen Bambach, the show took eight years to organize and follows her previous triumphs on Leonardo and Michelangelo.

Ten Out Of London Exhibitions Spring 2026 – Artlyst Guide

Artlyst has published a guide to ten major exhibitions opening across UK museums and galleries outside London in Spring 2026. Highlights include a year-long programme for the 250th anniversary of John Constable in Suffolk, the Gwen John exhibition 'Strange Beauties' at National Museum Cardiff celebrating her 150th birthday, a Frank Bowling survey at The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, a Joan Eardley show in Edinburgh, and Paula Rego at Newlands House & Gallery. Other featured exhibitions include Andy Hollingworth's photography of comedians at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and a Vivienne Westwood retrospective at the Bowes Museum.

Drones, Uncle Sam, and Grand Master Rafael: 10 Must See Exhibits This Spring

New York City’s museum landscape is entering a major spring season characterized by high-profile retrospectives, institutional reopenings, and the 82nd Whitney Biennial. Key highlights include a massive Raphael survey at the Metropolitan Museum of Art featuring over 200 works, the reopening of the expanded New Museum with a tech-focused exhibition on the future of humanity, and a major survey of sculptor Carol Bove at the Guggenheim. The season also features thematic shows exploring American folk art, Dutch Golden Age masterpieces, and the relationship between Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.

Amy Sherald Brings Her Painting to Life at the 2026 Met Gala

Amy Sherald, the artist known for her portrait of Michelle Obama, co-chaired the 2026 Met Gala and wore a custom dress by Thom Browne directly inspired by her 2013 painting *Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance)*. The black-and-white dress with starry polka dots and a tilted red hat replicated the outfit in the painting, which was itself inspired by *Alice's Adventures in Wonderland*. Sherald, attending her second Met Gala but first as a committee member, described Browne as uniquely able to translate her work into a garment that gives the painting another life.

9 Spectacular Art and Fashion Exhibitions You Can’t Miss in 2026

The article previews nine major art and fashion exhibitions scheduled for 2026 across Europe and the United States. Highlights include the V&A's first UK survey of Elsa Schiaparelli, tracing her radical approach to couture; ICA Miami's immersive Dolce&Gabbana showcase celebrating Italian craftsmanship; the Met's comprehensive Raphael exhibition featuring over 170 works; the Musée d'Orsay's exploration of Renoir's joyful modernity; and Palais Galliera's look at 18th-century fashion's lasting influence.

Ruth Leon recommends… Raphael: Sublime Poetry – Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened its major spring exhibition, "Raphael: Sublime Poetry," the first comprehensive survey of the artist in the United States. Curator Carmen Bambach, exhibition design manager Daniel Kershaw, and research associate Caroline Elenowitz-Hess guide a virtual tour of the show, which brings together over 170 masterpieces and rarely seen works spanning Raphael's career from Urbino to Florence and Rome.

'A Serene Look upon the World' at Mendes Wood DM, Brussels, Belgium on 22 Apr–30 May 2026

Mendes Wood DM in Brussels presents 'A Serene Look upon the World,' a group exhibition running from 22 April to 30 May 2026. The show features 22 artists including Lucas Arruda, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Lee Ufan, and Daniel Steegmann Mangrané, whose works explore the sublime as a tension between permanence and transformation. The exhibition juxtaposes painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media to evoke moments of pause before the overwhelming, drawing on philosophical ideas from Longinus and Kant.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

This article announces the first comprehensive U.S. exhibition on Raphael, titled "Raphael: Sublime Poetry," which offers an immersive look at the artist's meteoric career through drawings, paintings, prints, and tapestries. It traces Raphael's journey from his birth in Urbino in 1483, through his training under his poet-painter father Giovanni Santi and later Pietro Perugino, to his rise as a peer to Leonardo and Michelangelo in Florence and his final decade as the favorite artist of the popes in Rome, where he was celebrated as the "prince of painters."

Open Call for Artists: Gallery A3’s 11th Annual Juried Show

Gallery A3 in Amherst, Massachusetts, has announced an open call for its 11th Annual Juried Show, scheduled for August 6–29, 2026. Submissions will be accepted online from May 10 to June 7, 2026, with an entry fee of $38 for three entries. The theme for this year's show is 'Everyday Sublime,' inviting artists to explore how awe and wonder manifest in daily life. The juror is Andrew S. Yang, a professor at the School of the Art Institute Chicago whose work has been exhibited internationally, including at the 14th Istanbul Biennial and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

fashion bottega veneta peter fraser venice

Photographer Peter Fraser has collaborated with Bottega Veneta on a new series of 27 photographs exploring Venice, capturing both its iconic landmarks—canals, marble floors, Byzantine façades—and its overlooked details like construction cranes, discarded plaster casts, and beached boats. The images are juxtaposed with Bottega Veneta's intrecciato bags from Louise Trotter's first collection, nodding to the fashion house's long history in the Veneto region. In an interview, Fraser discusses his approach to photographing a city burdened by its own legacy, emphasizing the need to distance himself from preconceptions and to shoot based on feeling rather than appearance.

In love with trees, sculptor Lélia Demoisy elevates nature through hybridization

Amoureuse des arbres, la sculptrice Lélia Demoisy sublime la nature par l’hybridation

Lélia Demoisy, a French sculptor born in 1991, creates hybrid works that blend wood with animal elements, such as a yew wood sculpture covered in fox fur or a suspended skeleton made from naturally curved thuya branches. She lives in a small village in the Yvelines region, where she works with wood and metal herself, often sourcing materials locally, and recently participated in the Maif pour le vivant committee as the only artist on the jury.

The Great Festival of Contemporary Creativity in Parma Celebrates Its First 10 Years: The Events to See

Il grande festival di Parma sulla creatività contemporanea festeggia i suoi primi 10 anni: gli eventi da vedere

The Parma 360 Festival, a major contemporary creativity festival in Parma, Italy, celebrates its tenth edition with the theme "Lux. Visioni sulla Luce" (Lux: Visions of Light). Curated by Chiara Canali and Camilla Mineo, the festival features five exhibitions across special city locations, transforming Parma into a diffuse museum. Highlights include Antonio Barrese's "Morphology Light. Viaggio nella forma della luce" at Galleria San Ludovico, exploring light as plastic matter, and Michael Kenna's photographic exhibition "Il fiume Po. Scritture di luce" at Palazzo Pigorini, capturing the Po River through contemplative black-and-white imagery. Over its nine previous editions (2016–2025), the festival has presented more than 70 official exhibitions and involved over 200 artists.

The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho opens up new art exhibition this Friday

The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho in Rexburg will open a new exhibition titled "Sacred Spaces: Visions of the West from the Prosaic to the Sublime" this Friday. The show features works by six contemporary artists from Idaho and Utah—David Dibble, Bryan Mark Taylor, Josh Clare, Allie Zeyer, Louisa Lorenz, and Carson Thompson—primarily in oil paintings, alongside historic farm photographs from the Museum of Idaho and private collection photos from executive director Alexa Stanger. Free public events include an Art Walk on Thursday, an opening reception on Friday with an audio tour featuring artists' voices, and art demos with a Q&A on Saturday.

Idaho Falls exhibit puts farm life front and center through western art

The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho in Idaho Falls is opening a new exhibition titled 'Sacred Spaces: Visions of the West from the Prosaic to the Sublime' on Friday, with a public preview on Thursday night. The show features six artists, including Bryan Mark Taylor, Allie Zeyer, and David Dibble, all of whom have ties to agriculture. The works depict farm life scenes such as barns, fields, animals, and tractors, with an audio tour offering artist commentary. The Museum of Idaho is also contributing historic farm photos to complement the exhibit.

Asking New and Better Questions with Cheryl Pope

Artist Cheryl Pope has opened a solo exhibition titled "All There Is" at Monique Meloche Gallery in Chicago. The show features new, large-scale works made from needle-punched wool roving on cashmere that depict landscapes, marking a shift from her previous focus on the human form, memory, and identity. The exhibition runs through May 16.

In Bordeaux, the MADD unveils its sublime metamorphosis and pays tribute to a shooting star of design

À Bordeaux, le MADD dévoile sa sublime métamorphose et rend hommage à une étoile filante du design

The Musée des Arts décoratifs et du Design (MADD) in Bordeaux has unveiled a significant architectural renovation and expansion of its public spaces. The project, led by the architecture firm Antoine Dufour, transformed the 18th-century Hôtel de Lalande, creating a new open-air passage, a café-restaurant, a ticket office-shop, and improving accessibility and circulation between the historic mansion and the adjacent former prison used for temporary exhibitions. The redesign emphasizes natural light, reveals original stone walls, and incorporates contemporary, clearly distinguishable interventions.