Times are hard, but don’t believe the rumors about the death of the Bay Area art scene. Yes, art institutions and galleries are closing. Yes, the techies have taken over, outpricing artists and polluting culture with their AI inventions. But there’s an inherent spirit of rebellion to the region that won’t be quashed so easily, and an inspired community that fights for it every day. We begin today’s edition with a guide to exciting art shows in the Bay Area this spring. I take it as a tribute to all the wonderful artists, curators, and art workers who call it home.
—Hakim Bishara, editor-in-chief
10 Art Shows to See in the Bay Area This Spring
Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s vital scrolls, muralist Cece Carpio’s first solo show, the Matisse painting that launched Fauvism, the future of Japanese ceramic art, and Trina Michelle Robinson’s imagined heirlooms are some of the shows we’re excited to see this season.
The Biennale Certificate in Philosophy and Art
The Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA) invites creatives from all backgrounds to apply for this four-day summer program in Venice.
News
- A large Pride flag is quietly removed from New York City’s Stonewall National Monument after a directive from the Trump administration, marking an alarming continuation of the federal government’s attacks on LGBTQ+ people.
- MoMA PS1 releases the list of 53 artists for the sixth edition of its Greater New York exhibition, opening in April. Kenneth Tam, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Farah Al Qasimi, and Taína Cruz are among the participants this year.
From Our Critics
Amanda Ross-Ho Finds Herself in Her Parents’ Art
The artist’s current show is a moving reflection on the ways our identities are inexorably entangled with our relationships and surroundings. | Alex Paik
Community
Beer With a Painter: Mary Lovelace O’Neal
“At this marvelous hard-won age, the days of jumping and dancing with the paintings are over. But I don’t feel limited,” the 84-year-old artist, educator, and Civil Rights luminary tells Jennifer Sammet in an interview. O’Neal splits her time between Oakland, California, and Mérida, Mexico, where she was staying when she spoke with Sammet over the phone in December.
Request for Proposals: Operator for the Harlem African Burial Ground Cultural Education Center
NYCEDC seeks proposals to conceptualize and operate a cultural education center at the historic East Harlem site in New York City.
Member Comment
Ray Lee on Ed Simon’s “How Liminalism Became the Defining Aesthetic of Our Time”:
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From the Archive
How Stonewall Broke Through Barriers with Love and Resistance
A New York Public Library exhibition shows how so many people at the time of Stonewall — and after — have been able to live more wholly integrated lives. | Jeanna Kadlec
The Image Centre – Research Fellowships: Photography
In 2026, five fellowships of $2,500–$10,000 (CAD) will support research projects on The Image Centre’s photography collections. Open to students, scholars, and artists.
Deadline: March 15, 2026 | theimagecentre.ca/fellowship
See more in this month’s list of opportunities for artists, writers, and art workers!
