John Wilson’s Enduring Art of Racial Politics and Personal Memory
Arts, Yesterday
“Witnessing Humanity” at the Met, with more than 100 artworks, and a gaze both inward and outward, is the artist’s first New York survey.
An Astonishing New Look at the Movie That Inspired Michael Mann to Direct
Movies, Yesterday
“The Joyless Street” is among the most chopped-up films of the silent era. A restoration at MoMA’s To Save and Project series proves eye-opening.
Convention-Defying in Life. In Art, Not So Much
Arts, Yesterday
“Carving Out History” offers the career highlights of Emma Stebbins, from the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park— a powerful symbol of hope and healing in “Angels in America” —to a standout sculpture of the woman she loved.
The Smithsonian Faces New Pressure to Submit to Trump’s Will
Arts, Yesterday
The institution, long regarded as independent, is facing a White House deadline to hand over records about its content and will see turnover that could reshape its governing board.
A Portrait That Was the ‘Instagram of Its Time’
New York, January 7
Charles Edwards painted his interpretations of canvases by Anthony van Dyck for the Metropolitan Opera’s production of “I Puritani.” Then he visited the Met Museum to see the original.
Gabriele Münter, an Overshadowed Pillar of Modern Art, Gets a Spotlight
Arts, January 2
“Contours of a World” at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum includes paintings as well as photography that suggests an alternate path.
9 European Exhibitions Worth Traveling For in 2026
Arts, January 2
With Björk, Parisian photography, and beauty and ugliness in the Renaissance, it’s shaping up to be an innovative year in art on the continent.
36 Hours in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
Interactive, January 1
A snowy playground for the conspicuously wealthy and a co-host of the 2026 Winter Olympics, this tiny Dolomite town is ready for its close-up.
24 Things to Do in N.Y.C. in January
Arts, January 1
Welcome to a new year. It promises Ian McKellen, fresh jazz, free exhibitions, restored films and comedy with latkes.
8 Things Our Critics Are Looking Forward to in 2026
Arts, January 1
Christopher Nolan goes (even more) epic, Lisa Kudrow makes another “Comeback” and Marcel Duchamp gets an overdue retrospective.
She Spent a Night in the Anne Frank House. And Met Ghosts.
Books, December 31
Lola Lafon’s book “When You Listen to This Song” is a hit in its native France. Now in English, it explores identity, loss and memory in wholly new ways.
Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Former Colorado Senator, Dies at 92
U.S., December 31
A Democrat turned Republican, he was the only Native American during three terms in the House of Representatives and in 12 years in the Senate. He was also a judo expert and an Olympian.
Her Nordic Noir Is Belatedly Capturing New York
Arts, December 30
Beloved in Finland, Helene Schjerfbeck is just becoming hot in Manhattan, where a show of paintings at the Met Museum is likely to leave you awe-struck.
Sleeping Bags (and Ear Plugs) for a Night at the Museum
Arts, December 27
Roaming the American Museum of Natural History in pajamas made for a night to remember for hundreds of children and their brave parents.
Turn On, Tune In … Cop Out? ‘Sixties Surreal’ Teases at the Whitney.
Arts, December 25
A spotty but thrilling tour of American art from Eisenhower to Nixon shows just how unhinged the ’60s were, and how hard it is to summarize the era.
9 Art Shows to See Before They Close This Winter
Arts, December 25
Catch a lush Monet blockbuster, gorgeous Egyptian goddesses and the history of Black Broadway before they’re gone.
43 Things to Do on New Year’s Eve in N.Y.C.
Arts, December 25
What are you doing to greet 2026? Our suggestions include fancy parties, all-night dance-a-thons, choose-your-own movie double features and a pasta-making class.
Where Do Aprons Go to Retire? A Tiny Museum in Mississippi.
Food, December 23
For nearly two decades, Carolyn and Henry Terry have amassed the world’s largest collection of domestic armor.
Reading ‘A Christmas Carol’ Aloud, and Leaning Into Its Dark Side
Arts, December 22
An actor at the Dickens Museum in London is delivering dramatic performances of the classic holiday tale, just like the writer himself once did for sold-out crowds.
Tras el atraco al Louvre, los museos buscan lecciones para detener a los ladrones
En español, December 20
El robo a plena luz del día al famoso museo en París ha hecho que muchos otros replanteen sus medidas de seguridad.
She Knows the Secrets of the Women on the Frick’s Walls
Arts, December 20
Aimee Ng, the museum’s new chief curator, broke out of the academic mold with a video series called “Cocktails With a Curator.” Here’s how she’s drawing new audiences.
Allan Ludwig, ‘Founding Father’ of Gravestone Studies, Dies at 92
Arts, December 19
His Pulitzer-nominated book “Graven Images” inspired a reassessment of Puritan art, challenging the belief that imagery carved on headstones was meaningless.
An Engine of Fossil Discovery Fights Its Own Extinction
Science, December 19
A funding crisis at the Museum of the Earth and the Paleontological Research Institution in Ithaca, N.Y., could scatter priceless specimens and end nearly a century of pioneering research.
The MetroCard Cookie. The Pizza. The Carvel Treat.
New York, December 19
The M.T.A. has worked with six food vendors to say goodbye to the MetroCard, memorialized in various treats.
After the Louvre Heist, Museums Look for Lessons to Help Stop Thieves
Arts, December 19
Museums and the consultants who advise them have been busy reviewing their own precautions in the aftermath of the brazen daylight break-in at the Louvre.
The Sketch That Reveals the History of ‘American Gothic’
New York, December 18
The famous painting by Grant Wood shows a farmer holding a pitchfork and a woman standing next to him. The earlier sketch is a bit different.
Surrealism at 100, Sprawls and Seduces in Philadelphia
Arts, December 18
How a movement went from dreamworld to vanguard to establishment of its own.
Lo mejor del arte en 2025
En español, December 18
Museos y galerías en Nueva York y Washington abrieron sus puertas al arte disruptivo de creadores diversos, algo que posiblemente cese ante la actual situación política en EE. UU.
James Barnor Has Photographed Ghana Since the 1940s. He Remembers Everything.
T Magazine, December 17
The 96-year-old on postcolonial history, his first camera and the importance of talking to younger artists.
Dutch Return ‘Java Man’ Bones, With 40,000 Fossils Set to Follow
Arts, December 17
The items were taken in the late 19th century from what was then called the Dutch East Indies. Indonesia had been trying to get them back for decades.
Exploring Bayous and Beaches on the Reborn Gulf Train
Travel, December 16
The new Mardi Gras Service runs from New Orleans to Mobile, Ala., and lets visitors explore the Gulf Coast’s pleasantly walkable waterfront towns without a car.
Huelga de un día en el Louvre; los turistas se quedan fuera
En español, December 15
Alrededor de una quinta parte de los 2100 empleados del museo votaron a favor de pasar el día en huelga para pedir salarios más altos, una plantilla más numerosa, una mejor asignación de los recursos y una dirección que los escuche.
Louvre Museum Staff Go on Daylong Strike, Shutting Out Tourists
World, December 15
About a fifth of the Louvre’s 2,100 employees voted to go on strike for the day, adding to the sense of crisis at the museum since a brazen heist in October.
‘A Christmas Carol’, ‘Dead Outlaw’ and More Theater to Stream
Theater, December 15
Other picks include a family production of “The Snow Queen,” the Broadway-bound “Every Brilliant Thing” and the acclaimed comedy “Sorry for Your Loss.”
Whitney Biennial Names 56 Artists to Unwind These ‘Weird Times’
Arts, December 15
The 2026 exhibition focuses on how artists measure American influence and their relationship to a country whose role in the world is changing.
Biden Has Raised Little of What He Needs to Build a Presidential Library
U.S., December 13
His library foundation has told the I.R.S. that by the end of 2027 it expects to bring in just $11.3 million — not nearly enough for a traditional presidential library.
41 Things That Stuck With Us in 2025
Arts, December 13
Aunt Gladys. Tyler, the Creator. That sex scene in “The Naked Gun.” These are the things Culture staffers couldn’t stop thinking about this year.
Tate Museums Are in Choppy Waters. Now, Their Director Is Leaving.
Arts, December 12
Maria Balshaw, the director of the British museum group that includes Tate Modern and Tate Britain, is stepping down next spring after nine years in the role.
Unos tesoros africanos vuelven a casa
En español, December 12
Los bronces de Benín, tomados de lo que hoy es Nigeria, se han convertido en un símbolo del esfuerzo por devolver los artefactos saqueados a sus países de origen.
Estos tesoros saqueados regresaron a su país. ¿Y ahora qué sigue?
En español, December 12
Los nigerianos habían pedido a los museos occidentales que devolvieran los bronces de Benín desde la década de 1930. En meses recientes, más de 100 esculturas han regresado al país.
Best Art of 2025
Arts, December 12
The art world moved forward with glowing renovations to some of New York City’s cultural jewels, as well as sweeping surveys of ballroom queens, Indigenous artists and more.
African Treasures Return Home
World, December 11
The Benin Bronzes, taken from what is now Nigeria, have become a symbol in the effort to return looted artifacts to their home countries.
Smithsonian Returns Three Khmer Artifacts Thought Looted to Cambodia
Arts, December 11
Museum and Cambodian officials said they jointly investigated the provenance of the objects and found sufficient evidence to suggest they had been stolen.
The Artists Reviving the Legacy of Air Afrique
T Magazine, December 11
Plus: a new Manhattan bathhouse, textiles woven from pineapple leaves and more recommendations from T Magazine.
Russia Warns Poland Over Arrest of a Researcher Wanted by Ukraine
World, December 11
Poland detained a Russian archaeologist who works on an ancient site in Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014. Ukraine calls the work illegal.
U.K. Police Seek Suspects in Theft of Over 600 Artifacts From Museum
Arts, December 11
The items were stolen in a “high-value burglary” from the Bristol Museum’s British Empire and Commonwealth collection, the police said.
36 Hours in Toulouse, France
Interactive, December 11
The riverside, red-brick city in southwestern France, already a hub for aerospace technology, is undergoing a cultural rebirth with the reopening of several top art museums.
‘Rocky’ Statue to Move to Where It Started: Philadelphia’s Art Museum Steps
U.S., December 10
It’s a symbol of the city. But is it art?
Louvre Heist Was Caught on Film, Officials Say, Rebutting Director’s Account
World, December 10
Investigators said that a security camera recorded thieves preparing to burgle the Louvre. The museum’s director said previously that the camera was facing the wrong way.
When Is a Painting a Campaign Finance Violation?
Arts, December 10
A Colorado museum cited state law while rejecting an artwork with unflattering depictions of politicians. Free speech groups called the decision censorship.
Trump Cuts and Orders Have Broad Impact on American Museums, Report Finds
Arts, November 11
A survey of museum directors reveals the impact of federal cutbacks: reduced arts programs for rural areas, students and people who are elderly or disabled.
How the Intrepid Moved a World War II Fighter Plane
Metro, March 13
The 33-foot Corsair, on loan from Florida, had to be “rigged up on skates” to get to the Intrepid’s hangar deck.
5 Years After Covid Closed the Theaters, Audiences Are Returning
Culture, March 12
Broadway is almost back, and pop music tours and sports events are booming. But Hollywood, museums and other cultural sectors have yet to bounce back.
Brooklyn Museum Will Lay Off Employees and Scale Back Exhibitions
Culture, February 7
The museum, which faces a projected $10 million deficit, said it planned to cut more than a tenth of its employees and mount fewer exhibitions.
California Historical Society to Dissolve and Transfer Collections to Stanford
Culture, January 28
The society faced financial challenges that were exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Its nearly 600,000 items stretch back before the Gold Rush.
The Met Museum Is Rebounding, but Not With International Visitors
Weekend, July 24
The museum said it attracted more local visitors during the past year than it did before the pandemic, but only half the international visitors.
San Francisco’s Arts Institutions Are Slowly Building Back
Culture, July 3
Although attendance remains down from prepandemic levels, the city’s arts groups are having some success getting audiences to return.
A Steadying Force for the Africa Center Is Stepping Down
Culture, April 11
Uzodinma Iweala, chief executive of the Harlem institution, will leave at the end of 2024 after guiding it through pandemic years and securing funds.
Downtown Los Angeles Places Another Big Bet on the Arts
Culture, April 9
The pandemic was tough on city centers and cultural institutions. What does that mean for Los Angeles, whose downtown depends on the arts?
Audience Snapshot: Four Years After Shutdown, a Mixed Recovery
Culture, March 12
Covid brought live performance to a halt. Now the audience for pop concerts and sporting events has roared back, while attendance on Broadway and at some major museums is still down.
Through Catastrophe, and in Community, the Art of Daniel Lind-Ramos
Weekend, May 4
A storm, a pandemic, and Black Puerto Rican history pervade his work at MoMA PS 1, with materials sourced from daily life.
Spider-Man, We Know Where You Live
Metro, February 7
Letters on display at a small museum in Brooklyn were sent to the same address in Queens as where the comic book hero lived.
Looking for Elbow Room, Louvre Limits Daily Visitors to 30,000
Culture, January 6
With attendance surging back, the museum wants to offer “a moment of pleasure” — and relieve that Mona Lisa problem.
Why One World Trade Is Winning R.T.O.
Interactive, December 13
The tower, next to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, is doing something right; it's at 94 percent occupancy.
Your Thursday Briefing: Iran’s Protests Intensify
N Y T Now, October 26
Plus Myanmar gets closer to Russia and a dire climate report.
After a Covid Contraction, Museums Are Expanding Again
Special Sections, October 20
Projects all over the country include renovations and new wings as institutions continue to bet on bricks and mortar.
San Francisco’s Art Market Struggles in the Shadow of Los Angeles
Culture, August 29
Though some small galleries are opening or expanding, the mega dealers have closed shop, a blow to an area with a vibrant artistic history.
In the Mile High City, Festivals and Food Are on the Rise
Travel, August 11
Denver has regained its prepandemic vibrancy, with a plethora of new restaurants and hotels, and the return of some old favorites.
Covid. A Coma. A Stroke. José Parlá Returns From the Edge.
Culture, July 31
After a lengthy recovery, the artist comes back with the most vigorous work he’s made: “It took me a really long time to understand what had happened to me.”
Covid Memorials Offer a Place to Put Our Grief
Culture, May 5
From “anti-monuments” to ephemeral sand portraits, four art exhibitions encourage viewers to slow down and take stock of our pandemic losses.
Manhattan Springs Back to Life
Travel, May 5
Broadway enthusiasts, art aficionados and food lovers will find new offerings in and around Times Square and in neighborhoods below 42nd Street, heralding the promise of a vibrant recovery.