Workers at the Whitney Museum Move to Form a Union
Culture, Yesterday
Like other museums in the city, members of the Whitney staff are organizing with the United Auto Workers.
What You Didn’t Know About Barkley L. Hendricks
Arts & Leisure, May 14
The less celebrated side of the artist’s career, his photographs, receive deserved attention in a new book.
Masterpiece Theater: A Tale of Dueling Art Books for Kids
Book Review, May 14
“How to Be an Art Rebel,” by Ben Street, and “What Adults Don’t Know About Art,” by the School of Life, are both British imports. The similarity ends there.
From David Hammons, a Tribute to Pier 52 and Lastingness
Weekend, May 13
Their artistic paths crossed like ships in the night. But in “Day’s End,” Hammons creates an immortalizing homage to Gordon Matta-Clark and art history.
National Gallery of Art Reopens With a New Vision: ‘For All the People’
Weekend, May 13
The museum has a new logo and mantra as its director, Kaywin Feldman, moves to diversify the collection and the staff.
4 Art Gallery Shows to See Right Now
Weekend, May 13
Hassan Hajjaj’s “My Rockstars”; Hanne Darboven’s matrix of digits; Patty Chang’s list of fears; and Rachel Rossin’s painting-projection blends.
Heirs Sue Over Ownership of a Pissarro, Saying It Was Seized by Nazis
Culture, May 13
They claim that the painting, “The Anse des Pilotes, Le Havre,” was taken from their ancestors by the Nazis, and have filed a lawsuit in Atlanta to recover it.
Artists in a Post-George Floyd, Mid-Pandemic World
Weekend, May 13
Two new exhibitions at Mass MoCA created over the past year offer insights into our new normal.
What Kenzo Left Behind
Styles, May 13
An auction of the estate of Kenzo Takada, who died last year, was a lot more popular than anyone expected.
What We Learned From a Year of Crafting
Styles, May 13
Making things — masks, quilts, ceramics, mandalas — was a practical and sometimes political response to the moment.
Basquiat and Other Artists of Color Lead a Swell of Auction Sales
Culture, May 13
As live auctions resumed at Sotheby’s on Wednesday night, bidders there and at Christie’s the previous night welcomed a shift toward diversity in the contemporary art market.
A Soaring Arts Scene in Los Angeles Confronts a Changing Landscape
Culture, May 12
Its cultural institutions, buffeted by the pandemic, will have to recover without the help of Eli Broad, the transformational benefactor who died last month.
The Untold Story of the NFT Boom
Magazine, May 12
Digital creators used the blockchain to create a whole new art scene. Then their work started selling for thousands — sometimes millions of dollars.
A Gallery Featuring Only Artists of Color Feels Like Change
Culture, May 11
“Shattered Glass” at Deitch Gallery in Los Angeles has visitors returning, and artists bonding.
Keith Haring’s Fabulous Friends Left Their Mark on His Fridge Door
Culture, May 11
A graffiti-tagged refrigerator door served as the artist’s guest register for Madonna, Angel Ortiz and more. Now it’s on the auction block at Guernsey’s.
Puppets, Purses and Paintings, Too: An Overlooked Artist With Range
Culture, May 11
Sophie Taeuber-Arp blurred the boundaries between fine art and applied art, but died early without the recognition she deserved. A major new exhibition aims to fix that.
A Rare Tiffany Building Owned by a Nonprofit May Be Sold
Culture, May 11
Preservationists fear that the Ayer Mansion, a “national treasure” with landmark status, which has been painstakingly preserved, may be cut off from public access.
The French Count Who Turned His Home Into a Museum to Honor His Dead Son
Book Review, May 11
“Letters to Camondo,” by Edmund de Waal, is addressed to a wealthy fin-de-siècle French Jew whose elegant Parisian home is filled with priceless objets d’art — and memories of the family that once lived there.
How Napoleon Became One of History’s Most Rapacious Art Looters
Book Review, May 11
“Plunder,” by Cynthia Saltzman, recounts the French general’s vast thefts of European art and sculpture through the story of a single magnificent painting, Veronese’s “The Wedding Feast at Cana.”
The Art Party Circuit Comes Roaring Back at Frieze New York
Styles, May 8
But even Michael R. Bloomberg, whose name graces the building, got stuck outside the Shed until he provided the proper Covid documentation.
Beyond Abstract Expressionism: MoMA Rethinks the Art of the 1950s
Culture, May 7
A selection of 79 drawings from the collection recasts the most celebrated decade in American art as less American.
Pamela Kraft, 77, Dies; Arts Magnet and Champion of Indigenous Rights
Obits, May 7
She immersed herself in New York’s creative underground, then shifted to globetrotting activism for decades as the founder of Tribal Link.
The Art Market Often Works in Secret. Here’s a Look Inside.
Op Ed, May 7
These maps reveal patterns of ownership for NFT-based creations.
Michelangelo Lovelace, Artist of Street Life in Cleveland, Dies at 60
Obits, May 7
His vibrant paintings of the urban Black experience, and his sketches of nursing home residents he cared for as an aide, drew increasing notice in his last years.
For Chakaia Booker, Whose Medium Is Tires, the Art Is in the Journey
Arts & Leisure, May 7
First things first: “I sculpt myself every day,” says Booker, who appears swathed in yards of textiles, from headdress to sneakers.
Five Collectives Compete for the Turner Prize
Culture, May 7
The jurors were drawn to politically and socially engaged art, which was often about representing minority groups, the chair of the judges said.
A First Look at Lincoln Center’s Outdoor Spaces
Interactive, May 6
I visited the new outdoor performance and rehearsal spaces at Lincoln Center where there will be all kinds of art this summer.
Lonnie Holley’s Life of Perseverance, and Art of Transformation
Weekend, May 6
The Alabama artist and musician has arrived at a career milestone, with two exhibitions in the Hamptons and a gallery to map his future.
On Governors Island, Art Interventions Are Everywhere
Weekend, May 6
NADA House hosts 66 galleries, nonprofits and artist-run spaces arrayed in and around stately officers’ residences. Expect the refreshingly unfamiliar.
On Governors Island, Art Interventions Are Everywhere
Weekend, May 6
NADA House hosts 66 galleries, nonprofits and artist-run spaces arrayed in and around stately officers’ residences. Expect the refreshingly unfamiliar.
New York Launches New Program to Pay Artists in the City
Video, May 6
New York officials announced a new program on Thursday that would employ artists and performers to create public works throughout the city, in an effort to support artists whose incomes plummeted during the pandemic.
Frieze New York, First Live Art Fair in a Year, Kicks Off at the Shed
Weekend, May 6
Our critics toured more than 60 booths — a sight for art-starved eyes. Here are 16 highlights to catch, in person or virtually.
The T List: Five Things We Recommend This Week
T Style, May 6
Parker Kit Hill’s beauty routine, James Barnor’s first major retrospective — and more.
William T. Wiley, ‘Funk Artist’ Who Spurned Convention, Dies at 83
Obits, May 5
Rooted in the Bay Area, he spurned commerce (and the New York scene, mostly), produced an eclectic kind of figurative art and imparted his “Wiz-dumb” to disciples.
Can’t Find a Ticket to Frieze? Try a Satellite Fair
Weekend, May 5
Zürcher Gallery on Bleecker Street shows what fairs are good at: bringing new artists to your attention.
A Wide-Roaming and Personal Meditation on Dürer and His Art
Culture, May 5
With “Albert and the Whale,” the biographer and critic Philip Hoare trains his mind on the Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer, then lets it drift to art history, nature writing and elements of memoir.
Korean Art Goes on Show, With Protests From North and South
Culture, May 5
A rare exhibition, at a museum in Switzerland, brings together works that, despite sharing a common cultural tradition, come from different worlds.
3 Art Gallery Shows to See Right Now
Culture, May 5
“Nature Morte,” a still-life show featuring about 60 artists; Remy Jungerman’s painterly compositions of textiles and clay; and Florian Meisenberg’s abstract blobs and painted birds.
The Artist Upending Photography’s Brutal Racial Legacy
Magazine, May 5
Deana Lawson’s regal, loving, unburdened photographs imagine a world in which Black people are free from the distortions of history.
What the Extended Eviction Moratorium Means for New York
Metro, May 5
Hundreds of thousands of tenants are still struggling to pay rent.
The Art in the Oval Office Tells a Story. Here’s How to See It.
Interactive, May 5
What if the paintings and sculptures could talk? What if they already do?
6 Design Books That Celebrate a World of Artifacts
Special Sections, May 4
New titles offer insight into some often-overlooked creators and creations in England, Austria, Japan and the United States.
Billie Zangewa Makes Art Where the Light is Best
Special Sections, May 4
The artist’s tapestries capture moments of her domestic life. They begin at her kitchen table.
In New Orleans, an Art Break Hotel
Special Sections, May 4
A new inn called Travelers New Orleans gives artists a roof, studio space and pocket money in exchange for some help around the house.
In Miami, a Sculpture Built to Live In
Real Estate, May 4
Christopher Carter, an artist who works with salvaged materials, set out to create his biggest work ever. Now it’s his home, and the subject of a new exhibit.
Christopher Carter’s ‘Largest Sculpture’: His Home
Slideshow, May 4
The Miami-based artist, who works with salvaged materials, set out to create his biggest work ever. Now it’s the subject of an exhibition.
They Are Their Own Monuments
Culture, May 3
In two North Philadelphia neighborhoods, many hands create homegrown art tributes to local heroes.
A 140-Year-Old Hemlock Was Lost. Now It Has New Life as Art.
Culture, May 3
The sculptor Jean Shin gravitates to castoff objects, including a threatened tree at Olana, the former estate of Frederic Church.
The Artist Who Transforms Galleries Into Forests and Fields
T Style, May 3
Precious Okoyomon’s vast installations, which often incorporate plants as well as poetry and sculpture, celebrate the chaos of nature, and warn against its destruction.
Patrick O’Connell, 67, Dies; Raised Awareness of AIDS With Art
Obits, May 3
As the founding director of Visual AIDS, he helped develop campaigns including “Day Without Art” and, most notably, the ubiquitous red ribbon.
Amid Signs of Trouble, Can MOCA Find Its Footing?
Culture, May 2
The year has been bumpy for this Los Angeles museum, with Covid-19, questions about diversity and a leadership reorganization. But its director, Klaus Biesenbach, says, “every day is a chance to improve.”
James Prigoff, Who Documented Street Art, Dies at 93
Obits, May 1
In thousands of pictures, Mr. Prigoff captured the often ephemeral but complex works that were once dismissed as vandalism.
Eli Broad, Who Helped Reshape Los Angeles, Dies at 87
Obits, April 30
The businessman, who made a fortune in home-building and insurance, spent lavishly to try to make the city a cultural capital.
Looking for a Weekend Excursion? Try Craft Shop Hopping
T Style, April 30
A wealth of stores and studios in Connecticut and upstate New York offer lovely handmade wares that you’ll have forever.
MoMA Locks Out Protesters Who Planned to Demonstrate Inside
Culture, April 30
The museum closed its doors to the protesters who say it caters too much to the interests of its wealthy donors.
MoMA Blocks Protesters Who Planned to Demonstrate Inside
Culture, April 30
The museum, citing safety concerns, closed its doors to the protesters who say MoMA caters too much to the interests of its wealthy donors.
After 500 Years, an Ancient Bronze Hand Is Rejoined to a Finger
Foreign, April 30
Researchers still don’t know how a finger belonging to a colossal statue of Emperor Constantine went missing, but this week, it was finally reattached in Rome.
Frank Bowling’s New Paintings Are Family Affairs
Arts & Leisure, April 30
With help from close relatives, the 87-year-old artist is still working, even if he doesn’t apply the paint himself.
How to Breathe New Life Into Martha Graham’s Dances? Infuse Them With Art.
Weekend, April 29
As part of GrahamFest95, the choreographer’s dance company celebrates its 95th anniversary with four films pairing dances with works by Hauser & Wirth artists.
Overlooked No More: Inji Efflatoun, Egyptian Artist of the People
Obits, April 29
She was born into the aristrocacy but became an activist for commoners while depicting social injustices in her paintings.
The T List: Five Things We Recommend This Week
T Style, April 29
Never-before-seen drawings by Kenny Rivero, a new tableware line from Yotam Ottolenghi — and more.
Sotheby’s and Phillips Announce Departures and Arrivals
Culture, April 29
The executive turnover in the auction world signals a market shift after the pandemic, an industry expert says.
New David Hockney Billboards to Brighten 5 Cities in May
Weekend, April 29
His chrysanthemum-like depictions of the sun will light up digital platforms in New York, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo and Seoul.
For $800, You Too Can Sort of Be In On This Joke
Op Ed, April 29
Despite the fad, there’s little that’s fundamentally fresh in the NFT-art space.
6 Art Gallery Shows to See Right Now
Weekend, April 28
Gerald Jackson’s collages; Precious Okoyomon’s reimagined ecosystem; Damien Davis’s sculptures; Beverly Buchanan’s “shacks”; and more.
An Inheritance Tax Bill You ‘Can’t Fathom’: $10.8 Billion
Business, April 28
The Samsung family in South Korea will also donate billions of dollars’ worth of art, including Picasso and Monet.
A Fresh Look at the ‘Organic Music’ of Moki and Don Cherry
Culture, April 28
Starting in the late 1960s, the textile artist and the trumpeter taught classes, held concerts and made work in a Swedish schoolhouse. This period is the focus of a new celebration by Blank Forms.
As Auctioneers and Artists Rush Into NFTs, Many Collectors Stay Away
Culture, April 28
Auction sales show a schism in the market: speculative buyers flock to crypto art while blue-chip collectors hold back, fearing legal gray areas and copyright issues.
Nearly 70 Years Later, Reunited by Norman Rockwell (and The Times)
Summary, April 28
After an article about a model who recognized herself in one of the artist’s paintings was published, another model emerged. We thought they might like to get reacquainted.
No Burning Man festival again this year because of the pandemic, organizers say.
U.S., April 27
After months of cautious (and optimistic) planning, organizers of the annual festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert decided against holding it.
No Burning Man festival again this year because of the pandemic, organizers say.
National, April 27
After months of cautious (and optimistic) planning, organizers of the annual festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert decided against holding it.
No Burning Man festival again this year because of the pandemic, organizers say.
National, April 27
After months of cautious (and optimistic) planning, organizers of the annual festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert decided against holding it.
Marie-Josée Kravis to Replace Leon Black as MoMA Chair
Culture, April 27
One month after Black, the embattled investor, said he would not stand for re-election, the museum chose its president emerita to replace him.
An Artist Sketches the Giant Gender Gap on the Moon
Science, April 27
By drawing the small number of lunar craters named for women, an artist hopes to highlight women’s contributions to the sciences.
Jeff Koons Moves to Pace Gallery
Culture, April 26
After years of having his work sold by the Gagosian and Zwirner galleries, the artist aims for a fresh start.
Urban Farmers Captured on Canvas
Dining, April 26
An exhibition by the painter Elizabeth Downer Riker documents a decade of urban gardening.
The Picassos of the American South
Op Ed, April 26
William Edmondson and other self-taught artists remind us of how genius somehow finds a way.
Maine Officials Say Artist’s Estate Overpaid Lawyers by $3.7 Million
Culture, April 23
The attorney general demanded in a court filing that the executor for Robert Indiana’s estate repay almost half its legal expenses so far.
Allon Schoener, 95, Dies; Curator Caught in Furor Over ‘Harlem’ Show
Obits, April 23
His “Harlem on My Mind” exhibit at the Met museum in 1969 drew protests for not including works by Black artists. But since then it’s been reconsidered.
10 Queer Indigenous Artists on Where Their Inspirations Have Led Them
T Style, April 23
While wide-ranging in scope and style, these pieces are alike in their power and depth.
Rachel Kushner on What She Takes From Art (and Artists)
Culture, April 23
Her books are filled with insights into art world types and their relationships to the wider world.
Emily Ratajkowski Is Selling an NFT at Christie’s
Styles, April 23
The artist Richard Prince appropriated her image for his work. Now she’s doubling back on it for one of her own.
Dia 2.0: Facing the Future
Arts & Leisure, April 23
Jessica Morgan moves the art foundation beyond the sometimes swaggering heart of its Minimalist collection.
The Unstoppable Rose Wylie
T Style, April 22
Left alone and unconstrained, the British artist has painted throughout the pandemic.
The T List: Five Things We Recommend This Week
T Style, April 22
A James Welling exhibition, strawberry-flavored bubble waffles — and more.
Stained Glass That Breaks All the Rules
Culture, April 21
Los Angeles’s oldest stained glass studio, Judson, is collaborating with emerging and established artists to modernize a medieval craft.
4 Art Gallery Shows to See Right Now
Weekend, April 21
Kitaoji Rosanjin’s graceful pottery; a dual show of Martin Wong and Aaron Gilbert paintings; the group exhibition “Latinx Abstract”; and Hou Zichao’s pixelized landscapes.
How the Artists Behind ‘Shtisel’ Brought Akiva’s Journey to Life
Culture, April 20
To capture the tensions faced by a young ultra-Orthodox artist, the creative team behind the hit Israeli TV show hired two painters who understood the stakes.
An Artist Who Is Always Heading for Home
Culture, April 20
Azikiwe Mohammed celebrates everyday heroes and small acts of care in his installations.
Looted Objects From Afghanistan Are Returned
Culture, April 19
Thirty-three antiquities were handed over to the Afghan ambassador by the Manhattan district attorney’s office and the Department of Homeland Security.
Looted Objects From Afghanistan Are Returned
Culture, April 19
Thirty-three antiquities were handed over to the Afghan ambassador by the Manhattan district attorney’s office and the Department of Homeland Security.
The Climate Clock Now Ticks With a Tinge of Optimism
Culture, April 19
The display in New York’s Union Square, which reports the window to address global warming, now also measures the rising use of renewable energy.
Asian-American Artists, Now Activists, Push Back Against Hate
Culture, April 18
Newly spurred to action to combat bias, they generate subway posters, leverage social media, stage Zoom webinars. “Our community couldn’t take being invisible any longer,” one artist says.
Keeping Love Close
Interactive, April 8
What does love look like in a time of anti-Asian hate? Asian and Asian-American photographers respond. With an essay by Celeste Ng.
What a Tiny Masterpiece Reveals About Power and Beauty
Interactive, April 2
Crosscurrents of religion and culture shaped this stunningly detailed portrait of the 17th-century Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal.
T Magazine Stories From a Surreal Year
Interactive, March 11
The beauty tips, travel fantasies and thoughts on art, books and more that got us through.
An Art Revolution, Made With Scissors and Glue
Interactive, January 29
The greatest breakthrough of 20th-century art was something you probably did in elementary school.
The Year in Illustration 2020
Interactive, January 14
The most memorable illustrations of the year, as chosen by art directors at The New York Times.
This Year’s Standout Moments in the Arts
Interactive, December 29
Though museums, theaters and galleries were closed, and concerts and festivals canceled, many artists continued creating indelible work.
What’s in Our Queue? ‘Attack on Titan’
Interactive, December 23
I'm a senior news assistant on The Times's Culture desk. Here's what I've been watching, reading and listening to.
The Myth of North America, in One Painting
Interactive, November 25
How Benjamin West remade a bloody battle as a founding romance.
Miss Live Theater? You’re Not Alone.
Interactive, October 15
We miss theater. And we know you do too. So we asked you to share some memories with us.
Black Culture Is Flourishing. How Can It Be Preserved?
Interactive, October 7
Jenna Wortham and Kimberly Dean share a portfolio of favorite works — and discuss curating Black art when so much creativity is online and ephemeral.
Seeing Our Own Reflection in the Birth of the Self-Portrait
Interactive, September 25
Now it seems self-evident that pictures can represent who you “really” are. That conviction began with Albrecht Dürer, five centuries ago.
A Picture of Change for a World in Constant Motion
Interactive, August 7
What a masterpiece of Japanese printmaking teaches us about the way images circulate.
A Portrait of America That Still Haunts, Decades Later
Interactive, June 12
How, in a single photograph, Robert Frank captured the ongoing story of a divided nation.
Taking Lessons From a Bloody Masterpiece
Interactive, May 28
I’ve become obsessed with Thomas Eakins’s “The Gross Clinic.” Let me show you why.
17 Artists Capture a Surreal New York From Their Windows
Interactive, April 16
We asked artists sheltering in place across the city to illustrate what it looks and feels like outside their windows.
The Creative Circles Defining the Culture
Interactive, April 13
Whether united by outlook or identity, happenstance or choice, these communities have shaped the worlds of art, fashion, film and more.
What Does It Mean When an Artist Retreats From Public Life?
Interactive, April 13
A small and highly influential group has chosen to disappear from society in favor of letting their work speak for itself.
How ‘Daughters of the Dust’ Sent Ripples Through the Film World
Interactive, April 13
With her lyrical work, made in 1991, Julie Dash and her collaborators recentered the black female gaze.
The Neighbors of Ninth Street
Interactive, April 13
For decades, two blocks in Greenwich Village have been home to a disproportionate number of New York City’s writers, artists, actors and designers.
How Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts Birthed the Contemporary Avant-Garde
Interactive, April 13
A city poised on the edge of Europe and the rest of the world became the incubator for talents like Dries Van Noten, Luc Tuymans and Ann Demeulemeester.
How a Trio of Black-Owned Galleries Changed the Art World
Interactive, April 13
In the 1960s and ’70s, Brockman Gallery, Gallery 32 and JAM led the way in showing the work of artists now among the most influential of our time.
35 Top African-American Artists on the Work That Inspires Them
Interactive, March 19
Kerry Washington on Beyoncé, Ta-Nehisi Coates on Kendrick Lamar, Oprah Winfrey on Toni Morrison. This is the black art that is defining the century.