Shoptalk: New Guggenheim Director Melissa Chiu on How She Got the Job

Melissa Chiu has been appointed as the new director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, transitioning from her long-standing leadership at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. The appointment was the result of a confidential search led by Mariët Westermann, the Guggenheim’s overall director and CEO, who determined that the expanding global "constellation" of museums required a dedicated leader for the New York flagship. Chiu will officially assume the role in September, just ahead of the highly anticipated opening of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in 2025.

paint drippings art industry news mar 3 2

Frieze Los Angeles launched with significant early momentum as Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel acquired three quilts by artist Yvonne Wells from Fort Gansevoort before VIP hours officially began. The fair's opening day saw robust activity, including the $3.7 million sale of an Ed Ruscha painting, while major galleries like Pace Prints and Opera Gallery announced strategic expansions into Los Angeles and Houston respectively.

forget blue chip art its a red chip art world now

The article introduces and defines the concept of "red-chip art," a new category of art collecting that rejects traditional art-historical reverence in favor of aesthetics rooted in street art, graffiti, super-flat cartoons, multi-colored chrome, and crypto culture. It describes red-chip collectors as mysteriously affluent millennials, techies, hip-hop visionaries, and crypto aspirants who gravitate toward artworks that resemble toys, limited-edition dolls, NFTs, and memecoins, often consumed at venues like the Eden Fine Art gallery at the Wynn in Las Vegas or parties during Art Basel Miami Beach. Key artists associated with this movement include KAWS, George Condo, Virgil Abloh, Tom Sachs, Alex Israel, Damien Hirst, Harmony Korine, Yoshitomo Nara, and Banksy, with Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami seen as transitional "purple chip" figures.

New York Galleries: Openings and Closings (04/27-05/03)

jill magid solo show esther kim varet congress

Conceptual artist Jill Magid has turned her dealer Esther Kim Varet's campaign for U.S. Congress into the subject of her latest solo exhibition, "Heart of a Citizen," at Various Small Fires in Los Angeles. The show features a replica of the White House Briefing Room platform, which Magid offered for Varet's political use, leading to complex negotiations around campaign finance law. The campaign plans to host a political debate on the platform in July, and a collector purchased the sculpture to donate to Varet's campaign, intertwining art, law, and politics.

alex prager mirage factory miami beach

Los Angeles-based artist Alex Prager has opened "Mirage Factory," an immersive installation on Miami Beach's Lincoln Road, taking over the historic Beach Theatre. The project features three constructed set pieces that explore Los Angeles history, including a 1:12 scale model of Hollywood Boulevard with landmarks like Grauman's Chinese Theatre and Musso & Frank's, an orange grove with real trees and fake citrus, and a lush garden party set in Griffith Park. The installation is part of an ongoing collaboration between Capital One and the Cultivist, and includes an immersive dining experience by chef Dave Beran, with a performance by Diana Ross. The public can visit on December 4 and 5, 2025.

Frieze Los Angeles Diary: hockey hotties, roaming Rami and Simon sells

Frieze Los Angeles week kicked off with a flurry of high-profile events, celebrity sightings, and charitable initiatives across the city. Key highlights included the Felix Art Fair, where RF. Alvarez’s painting inspired by the queer hockey drama 'Heated Rivalry' drew significant attention, and a major benefit auction led by Simon de Pury that raised over $500,000 for natural disaster relief. The week also featured a prestigious gathering at a private James Turrell Skyspace to celebrate the Serpentine Americas Foundation.

‘Better every year’: Frieze opens to swift sales for Los Angeles artists

Frieze Los Angeles opened its 2026 edition at the Santa Monica Airport with a strong showing of community spirit and rapid sales during the VIP preview. Following a difficult year marked by local wildfires, the fair has seen a surge in institutional acquisitions and commercial success for both emerging local talent and established international figures. Notable early transactions included a $2.8 million sale of a Njideka Akunyili Crosby work by David Zwirner and a complete sell-out of Erica Mahinay’s paintings at Make Room gallery.

It’s LACMA’s World, and Hollywood Wants to Play in It

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) celebrated the opening of its new David Geffen Galleries with a star-studded gala that raised nearly $11.5 million. The event brought together architect Peter Zumthor, museum director Michael Govan, and a high-profile mix of Hollywood celebrities, artists, and major donors. The $720 million building, Zumthor's first major project in the United States, marks the culmination of a decades-long development process and is set to open to the public next week.

art world gallery dinner politics parties

Art-world insiders share their best and worst experiences at gallery dinners, from seating disasters and VIP-only food queues to intimate gatherings and haunted-house Halloween parties. Contributors include collectors, artists, curators, writers, and gallerists who recount memorable evenings hosted by figures like Jose Martos and White Cube, revealing the social dynamics that define these events.

Alex Israel on finding inspiration in Erewhon, AI as a tool and new show 'Where Is My Mind'

Multimedia artist Alex Israel has launched his first collaboration with Pace Prints, releasing a new suite of 10 archival pigment prints titled 'Where Is My Mind?' The series, part of his ongoing Self Portrait project, features intimate-scale works that incorporate representational imagery within his signature silhouette—ranging from the Hollywood Bowl stage to aerial views of Los Angeles and a California desert scene with an iPhone outline. Each print began as a photograph, translated into paint by the Scenic Art department at Warner Brothers Studio, then scanned and mounted in custom frames. The show coincides with Pace Prints' upcoming expansion into Los Angeles in fall 2026.

fashion louis vuitton artycapucines takashi murakami

Louis Vuitton has launched the Artycapucines VII collection, a collaboration with artist Takashi Murakami for its seventh edition of art-inspired handbags since 2019. Murakami was given full creative control over 11 new pieces, incorporating his signature motifs—such as rainbow grins, Monogram Multicolor in crocodile, skull camouflage, and tentacle-covered fuchsia calfskin—alongside a crystal-encrusted panda bag. The collection builds on over 30 previous artist collaborations with figures like Urs Fischer, Alex Israel, Park Seo-Bo, and Tschabalala Self.

parties kyle maclachlan aesop los angeles 2

CULTURED magazine's Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson hosted a candlelit dinner at her Los Angeles home to celebrate the release of the Artists on Artists issue. The event was co-hosted by actor Kyle MacLachlan, the issue's digital cover star, and skincare brand Aēsop. Guests included artists Alex Israel, Jennifer Guidi, Callida Rawles, and Lauren Halsey; actors Jeanne Tripplehorn, Jordan Firstman, and Lisa Rinna; art dealers Sara Lee Hantman and Robert Goff; collector Sonya Yu; and other creative Angelenos. The evening featured Ruinart champagne, seasonal fare by Chris Kronner's Mayday group, and Aēsop gift kits as parting favors.