What Makes a Good Protest Sign?

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Daily Newsletter

What Makes a Good Protest Sign?

Tip on how to create a powerful No Kings sign, art to see in Chicago this spring, DHS uses a Japanese artist’s painting to promote its racist agenda, the baby Jesus painting that went viral.

“When in doubt, always bring art supplies to the protest.” Words to live by from Steven Weinberg, a comic artist and children’s book author based in Upstate New York. With the next No Kings protest coming up this Saturday, he asked several artists, writers, and curators — including Hyperallergic Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian — for practical tips on making a protest sign that sticks it to the powers that be.

Check out his guide below, plus the Japanese artist whose work was appropriated by the Department of Homeland Security, how the US-Israel war on Iran is impacting art spaces across the Gulf states, and a Mannerist baby Jesus who foreshadowed the advent of looksmaxxing by 500 years.

—Lakshmi Rivera Amin, associate editor


How to Make a No Kings Protest Sign

We asked artists, writers, and curators for practical tips on crafting a powerful protest sign. | Steven Weinberg


SPONSORED
CTA Image

Brooklyn Fine Art Print Fair Returns to Powerhouse Arts This Spring

Over 50 exhibitors, hands-on programming, and a juried print exhibition make up the fair’s expanded second edition. April 9–12, 2026.

Learn more


News

Rosso Fiorentino, “Madonna and Child with Saint John the Evangelist” (1512–13) (edit Valentina Di Liscia/Hyperallergic)
  • The internet goes wild for The Met’s newly acquired Mannerist painting of an unusually muscular baby Jesus, which was recently identified as a long-lost work by Italian painter Rosso Fiorentino.
  • Though some galleries and museums across the Gulf states remain open and organizations project cautious optimism, the impact of the US-Israel war on Iran is being felt by the neighboring cultural sector. 
  • Japanese artist Hiroshi Nagai, best known for painting leisurely beach and poolside scenes, told Hyperallergic that he is “at a loss” after the US Department of Homeland Security used his work to promote its agenda.

On View in Chicago

Martin Wong, “Chinese New Year’s Parade” (1992-94) (© Martin Wong Foundation, courtesy Martin Wong Foundation and P·P·O·W, New York

10 Exhibitions to See in Chicago This Spring

Martin Wong’s mesmerizing Chinatowns, Mindy Rose Schwartz’s subversion of craft, Nate Millstein’s tin ceilings, and so much more. | Natalie Jenkins


FEATURED OPPORTUNITY

Center for Craft – 2026 Craft Archive Fellowship
Four $5,000 awards will be offered to fellows conducting research on underrepresented craft histories. The fellowship will culminate with a featured article on Hyperallergic and a virtual program hosted by the Center for Craft. Read more on Hyperallergic.

Deadline: May 20, 2026 | centerforcraft.org

See more in this month’s list of opportunities for artists, writers, and art workers!


From the Archive

Johannes Adam Simon Oertel, “Pulling Down the Statue of King George III, N.Y.C.” (c. 1852), oil on canvas, held at the New York Historical (photo public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

A Visual History of No Kings

From the destruction of King George III’s statue to today’s No Kings movement, resistance to tyranny has always demanded aesthetic subversion. | Ed Simon

Daily Newsletter

What Makes a Good Protest Sign?

Tip on how to create a powerful No Kings sign, art to see in Chicago this spring, DHS uses a Japanese artist’s painting to promote its racist agenda, the baby Jesus painting that went viral.

“When in doubt, always bring art supplies to the protest.” Words to live by from Steven Weinberg, a comic artist and children’s book author based in Upstate New York. With the next No Kings protest coming up this Saturday, he asked several artists, writers, and curators — including Hyperallergic Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian — for practical tips on making a protest sign that sticks it to the powers that be.

Check out his guide below, plus the Japanese artist whose work was appropriated by the Department of Homeland Security, how the US-Israel war on Iran is impacting art spaces across the Gulf states, and a Mannerist baby Jesus who foreshadowed the advent of looksmaxxing by 500 years.

—Lakshmi Rivera Amin, associate editor


How to Make a No Kings Protest Sign

We asked artists, writers, and curators for practical tips on crafting a powerful protest sign. | Steven Weinberg


SPONSORED
CTA Image

Brooklyn Fine Art Print Fair Returns to Powerhouse Arts This Spring

Over 50 exhibitors, hands-on programming, and a juried print exhibition make up the fair’s expanded second edition. April 9–12, 2026.

Learn more


News

Rosso Fiorentino, “Madonna and Child with Saint John the Evangelist” (1512–13) (edit Valentina Di Liscia/Hyperallergic)
  • The internet goes wild for The Met’s newly acquired Mannerist painting of an unusually muscular baby Jesus, which was recently identified as a long-lost work by Italian painter Rosso Fiorentino.
  • Though some galleries and museums across the Gulf states remain open and organizations project cautious optimism, the impact of the US-Israel war on Iran is being felt by the neighboring cultural sector. 
  • Japanese artist Hiroshi Nagai, best known for painting leisurely beach and poolside scenes, told Hyperallergic that he is “at a loss” after the US Department of Homeland Security used his work to promote its agenda.

On View in Chicago

Martin Wong, “Chinese New Year’s Parade” (1992-94) (© Martin Wong Foundation, courtesy Martin Wong Foundation and P·P·O·W, New York

10 Exhibitions to See in Chicago This Spring

Martin Wong’s mesmerizing Chinatowns, Mindy Rose Schwartz’s subversion of craft, Nate Millstein’s tin ceilings, and so much more. | Natalie Jenkins


FEATURED OPPORTUNITY

Center for Craft – 2026 Craft Archive Fellowship
Four $5,000 awards will be offered to fellows conducting research on underrepresented craft histories. The fellowship will culminate with a featured article on Hyperallergic and a virtual program hosted by the Center for Craft. Read more on Hyperallergic.

Deadline: May 20, 2026 | centerforcraft.org

See more in this month’s list of opportunities for artists, writers, and art workers!


From the Archive

Johannes Adam Simon Oertel, “Pulling Down the Statue of King George III, N.Y.C.” (c. 1852), oil on canvas, held at the New York Historical (photo public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

A Visual History of No Kings

From the destruction of King George III’s statue to today’s No Kings movement, resistance to tyranny has always demanded aesthetic subversion. | Ed Simon

“When in doubt, always bring art supplies to the protest.” Words to live by from Steven Weinberg, a comic artist and children’s book author based in Upstate New York. With the next No Kings protest coming up this Saturday, he asked several artists, writers, and curators — including Hyperallergic Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian — for practical tips on making a protest sign that sticks it to the powers that be.

Check out his guide below, plus the Japanese artist whose work was appropriated by the Department of Homeland Security, how the US-Israel war on Iran is impacting art spaces across the Gulf states, and a Mannerist baby Jesus who foreshadowed the advent of looksmaxxing by 500 years.

—Lakshmi Rivera Amin, associate editor


How to Make a No Kings Protest Sign

We asked artists, writers, and curators for practical tips on crafting a powerful protest sign. | Steven Weinberg


SPONSORED
CTA Image

Brooklyn Fine Art Print Fair Returns to Powerhouse Arts This Spring

Over 50 exhibitors, hands-on programming, and a juried print exhibition make up the fair’s expanded second edition. April 9–12, 2026.

Learn more


News

Rosso Fiorentino, “Madonna and Child with Saint John the Evangelist” (1512–13) (edit Valentina Di Liscia/Hyperallergic)
  • The internet goes wild for The Met’s newly acquired Mannerist painting of an unusually muscular baby Jesus, which was recently identified as a long-lost work by Italian painter Rosso Fiorentino.
  • Though some galleries and museums across the Gulf states remain open and organizations project cautious optimism, the impact of the US-Israel war on Iran is being felt by the neighboring cultural sector. 
  • Japanese artist Hiroshi Nagai, best known for painting leisurely beach and poolside scenes, told Hyperallergic that he is “at a loss” after the US Department of Homeland Security used his work to promote its agenda.

On View in Chicago

Martin Wong, “Chinese New Year’s Parade” (1992-94) (© Martin Wong Foundation, courtesy Martin Wong Foundation and P·P·O·W, New York

10 Exhibitions to See in Chicago This Spring

Martin Wong’s mesmerizing Chinatowns, Mindy Rose Schwartz’s subversion of craft, Nate Millstein’s tin ceilings, and so much more. | Natalie Jenkins


FEATURED OPPORTUNITY

Center for Craft – 2026 Craft Archive Fellowship
Four $5,000 awards will be offered to fellows conducting research on underrepresented craft histories. The fellowship will culminate with a featured article on Hyperallergic and a virtual program hosted by the Center for Craft. Read more on Hyperallergic.

Deadline: May 20, 2026 | centerforcraft.org

See more in this month’s list of opportunities for artists, writers, and art workers!


From the Archive

Johannes Adam Simon Oertel, “Pulling Down the Statue of King George III, N.Y.C.” (c. 1852), oil on canvas, held at the New York Historical (photo public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

A Visual History of No Kings

From the destruction of King George III’s statue to today’s No Kings movement, resistance to tyranny has always demanded aesthetic subversion. | Ed Simon

Take Your Practice Further in a Visual Arts Residency at Banff Centre

Take Your Practice Further in a Visual Arts Residency at Banff Centre

Engage with leading contemporary faculty, access exceptional studios, and develop your practice in Banff’s inspiring mountain setting.

Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
Vilcek Foundation to Award $200,000 in Grants to Nonprofits Uplifting Immigrant Contributions

Vilcek Foundation to Award $200,000 in Grants to Nonprofits Uplifting Immigrant Contributions

The foundation invites grant applications from mission-aligned nonprofit organizations in the arts and sciences by April 30, 2026.

The Vilcek Foundation
VCUarts’ 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition at the Institute for Contemporary Art

VCUarts’ 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition at the Institute for Contemporary Art

The two-part exhibition features the work of 28 MFA candidates across several disciplines in Fine Art and Design. Now on view in Richmond, Virginia.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCUarts)
CONDUCTOR Is New York’s First Art Fair Committed to the Global Majority

CONDUCTOR Is New York’s First Art Fair Committed to the Global Majority

From April 30 to May 3, discover 27 galleries and 17 special projects spotlighting artists from across the world at Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn.

Powerhouse Arts

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