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Daily Newsletter
Ann Patchett and Crying at The Met
Art and grief in the author’s new novel, “Whistler,” plus shows to see in Upstate New York this month.
Ever shed a tear in a museum? You’re not alone, my friend. There’s something cathartic about that rare moment, when you find yourself in front of a work of art that seems tailor-made for the very grief or joy or uncertainty you’re experiencing. Critic Lavinia Liang tries to locate this emotional connection with art — or a lack thereof — in Ann Patchett’s new novel, Whistler, which follows a single family’s unraveling and reunion bookended by the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Our reports on ICE’s seizure of 22,000 smuggled artifacts in Florida, coverage of the Chinese Pavilion’s withdrawal from the Gwangju Biennale in South Korea in protest of the Taiwan Pavilion, guide to Upstate New York art shows this month, and more in this edition.
—Lakshmi Rivera Amin, associate editor
10 Art Shows to See in Upstate New York This September
September welcomes the rituals of renewal — back to school! — and recognition, as the end of the year approaches. While the seasonal light and shadows cast dramatic beauty across the Hudson Valley, galleries and museums match the mood with robust exhibitions. | Taliesin Thomas
Read More
“Radiant Geometries” Opens at Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts
Contemporary Indigenous and Latin American artists illuminate the convergence of math, metaphysics, and art in this new exhibition opening September 4.
Learn more
News
- ICE seizes over 22,000 ancient artifacts in Florida as part of a trafficking probe as the agency and Trump administration face criticism for escalating violence and threats to cultural heritage.
- China withdraws from South Korea’s Gwangju Biennale just nine days after event organizers restored the title of “Taiwan Pavilion” to a group show featuring Taiwanese artists.
- Art Movements: Mildred Howard wins the Artists’ Legacy Foundation Award, artists receive funding from the Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants, Art Gallery of Ontario director steps down, Alex Katz on PBS, and more.
- The High Museum of Art in Atlanta will mark its centennial this October with nearly 200 acquisitions and reinstallations of its American and African collections, including a section dedicated to 20th-century Nigerian art. [Atlanta Voice]
- Christie’s and Bonhams both hiked their premiums — the fees buyers pay on top of a work’s hammer price. [Artnews]
From Our Critics
In “Whistler,” Ann Patchett Tackles Loss and Art
The beloved author’s new novel tells a story of familial loss and reconnection, beginning with a chance encounter at The Met. But why does it seem to imply that grief and art are at odds? | Lavinia Liang
Read More
Member Comment
—Willa Lewis on “The Missing Colors of Black American Pigment-Making”
Hyper Links
- Researcher and cultural theorist Flavia Dzodan writes about the need for art institutions to center “duration and longevity” in their conception of care, noting that she is “increasingly intolerant of ‘care’ as cultural programming” without tangible support.
- Nerd out with this riveting anatomy of a somewhat cloudy Edgar Degas self-portrait by the Getty Museum’s conservation team.
- In a tender new review of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” for Pitchfork, Lily Goldberg writes, “I hear a simple yet radical answer to this question in Dolly’s version of ‘I Will Always Love You’: Loving people, even flawed people, can be its own self-rewarding, freeing act, a choice that need not be at odds with cultivating self-respect or demanding respect from others.”
- Inconvenient truths: Is printmaking better than painting?
From the Archive
The Children’s Book Author Who Was Also an Artist
Leo Lionni’s wide-ranging practice was kaleidoscopic and rooted in a strong sense of justice. | Lauren Moya Ford
Read More
2027 Erie Canal Artists in Residence — Erie Canal Museum & New York State Canal Corporation
Seeking projects that reflect on the Erie Canal’s past, contemplate its present, and consider its future. All visual mediums welcome. Local and Indigenous artists preferred. Two selected artists will each receive a $10,000 stipend.
Deadline: September 6, 2026 | eriecanalmuseum.org
Daily Newsletter
Ann Patchett and Crying at The Met
Art and grief in the author’s new novel, “Whistler,” plus shows to see in Upstate New York this month.
Ever shed a tear in a museum? You’re not alone, my friend. There’s something cathartic about that rare moment, when you find yourself in front of a work of art that seems tailor-made for the very grief or joy or uncertainty you’re experiencing. Critic Lavinia Liang tries to locate this emotional connection with art — or a lack thereof — in Ann Patchett’s new novel, Whistler, which follows a single family’s unraveling and reunion bookended by the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Our reports on ICE’s seizure of 22,000 smuggled artifacts in Florida, coverage of the Chinese Pavilion’s withdrawal from the Gwangju Biennale in South Korea in protest of the Taiwan Pavilion, guide to Upstate New York art shows this month, and more in this edition.
—Lakshmi Rivera Amin, associate editor
10 Art Shows to See in Upstate New York This September
September welcomes the rituals of renewal — back to school! — and recognition, as the end of the year approaches. While the seasonal light and shadows cast dramatic beauty across the Hudson Valley, galleries and museums match the mood with robust exhibitions. | Taliesin Thomas
Read More
“Radiant Geometries” Opens at Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts
Contemporary Indigenous and Latin American artists illuminate the convergence of math, metaphysics, and art in this new exhibition opening September 4.
Learn more
News
- ICE seizes over 22,000 ancient artifacts in Florida as part of a trafficking probe as the agency and Trump administration face criticism for escalating violence and threats to cultural heritage.
- China withdraws from South Korea’s Gwangju Biennale just nine days after event organizers restored the title of “Taiwan Pavilion” to a group show featuring Taiwanese artists.
- Art Movements: Mildred Howard wins the Artists’ Legacy Foundation Award, artists receive funding from the Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants, Art Gallery of Ontario director steps down, Alex Katz on PBS, and more.
- The High Museum of Art in Atlanta will mark its centennial this October with nearly 200 acquisitions and reinstallations of its American and African collections, including a section dedicated to 20th-century Nigerian art. [Atlanta Voice]
- Christie’s and Bonhams both hiked their premiums — the fees buyers pay on top of a work’s hammer price. [Artnews]
From Our Critics
In “Whistler,” Ann Patchett Tackles Loss and Art
The beloved author’s new novel tells a story of familial loss and reconnection, beginning with a chance encounter at The Met. But why does it seem to imply that grief and art are at odds? | Lavinia Liang
Read More
Member Comment
—Willa Lewis on “The Missing Colors of Black American Pigment-Making”
Hyper Links
- Researcher and cultural theorist Flavia Dzodan writes about the need for art institutions to center “duration and longevity” in their conception of care, noting that she is “increasingly intolerant of ‘care’ as cultural programming” without tangible support.
- Nerd out with this riveting anatomy of a somewhat cloudy Edgar Degas self-portrait by the Getty Museum’s conservation team.
- In a tender new review of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” for Pitchfork, Lily Goldberg writes, “I hear a simple yet radical answer to this question in Dolly’s version of ‘I Will Always Love You’: Loving people, even flawed people, can be its own self-rewarding, freeing act, a choice that need not be at odds with cultivating self-respect or demanding respect from others.”
- Inconvenient truths: Is printmaking better than painting?
From the Archive
The Children’s Book Author Who Was Also an Artist
Leo Lionni’s wide-ranging practice was kaleidoscopic and rooted in a strong sense of justice. | Lauren Moya Ford
Read More
2027 Erie Canal Artists in Residence — Erie Canal Museum & New York State Canal Corporation
Seeking projects that reflect on the Erie Canal’s past, contemplate its present, and consider its future. All visual mediums welcome. Local and Indigenous artists preferred. Two selected artists will each receive a $10,000 stipend.
Deadline: September 6, 2026 | eriecanalmuseum.org
Ever shed a tear in a museum? You’re not alone, my friend. There’s something cathartic about that rare moment, when you find yourself in front of a work of art that seems tailor-made for the very grief or joy or uncertainty you’re experiencing. Critic Lavinia Liang tries to locate this emotional connection with art — or a lack thereof — in Ann Patchett’s new novel, Whistler, which follows a single family’s unraveling and reunion bookended by the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Our reports on ICE’s seizure of 22,000 smuggled artifacts in Florida, coverage of the Chinese Pavilion’s withdrawal from the Gwangju Biennale in South Korea in protest of the Taiwan Pavilion, guide to Upstate New York art shows this month, and more in this edition.
—Lakshmi Rivera Amin, associate editor
10 Art Shows to See in Upstate New York This September
September welcomes the rituals of renewal — back to school! — and recognition, as the end of the year approaches. While the seasonal light and shadows cast dramatic beauty across the Hudson Valley, galleries and museums match the mood with robust exhibitions. | Taliesin Thomas
Read More
“Radiant Geometries” Opens at Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts
Contemporary Indigenous and Latin American artists illuminate the convergence of math, metaphysics, and art in this new exhibition opening September 4.
Learn more
News
- ICE seizes over 22,000 ancient artifacts in Florida as part of a trafficking probe as the agency and Trump administration face criticism for escalating violence and threats to cultural heritage.
- China withdraws from South Korea’s Gwangju Biennale just nine days after event organizers restored the title of “Taiwan Pavilion” to a group show featuring Taiwanese artists.
- Art Movements: Mildred Howard wins the Artists’ Legacy Foundation Award, artists receive funding from the Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants, Art Gallery of Ontario director steps down, Alex Katz on PBS, and more.
- The High Museum of Art in Atlanta will mark its centennial this October with nearly 200 acquisitions and reinstallations of its American and African collections, including a section dedicated to 20th-century Nigerian art. [Atlanta Voice]
- Christie’s and Bonhams both hiked their premiums — the fees buyers pay on top of a work’s hammer price. [Artnews]
From Our Critics
In “Whistler,” Ann Patchett Tackles Loss and Art
The beloved author’s new novel tells a story of familial loss and reconnection, beginning with a chance encounter at The Met. But why does it seem to imply that grief and art are at odds? | Lavinia Liang
Read More
Member Comment
—Willa Lewis on “The Missing Colors of Black American Pigment-Making”
Hyper Links
- Researcher and cultural theorist Flavia Dzodan writes about the need for art institutions to center “duration and longevity” in their conception of care, noting that she is “increasingly intolerant of ‘care’ as cultural programming” without tangible support.
- Nerd out with this riveting anatomy of a somewhat cloudy Edgar Degas self-portrait by the Getty Museum’s conservation team.
- In a tender new review of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” for Pitchfork, Lily Goldberg writes, “I hear a simple yet radical answer to this question in Dolly’s version of ‘I Will Always Love You’: Loving people, even flawed people, can be its own self-rewarding, freeing act, a choice that need not be at odds with cultivating self-respect or demanding respect from others.”
- Inconvenient truths: Is printmaking better than painting?
From the Archive
The Children’s Book Author Who Was Also an Artist
Leo Lionni’s wide-ranging practice was kaleidoscopic and rooted in a strong sense of justice. | Lauren Moya Ford
Read More
2027 Erie Canal Artists in Residence — Erie Canal Museum & New York State Canal Corporation
Seeking projects that reflect on the Erie Canal’s past, contemplate its present, and consider its future. All visual mediums welcome. Local and Indigenous artists preferred. Two selected artists will each receive a $10,000 stipend.
Deadline: September 6, 2026 | eriecanalmuseum.org
Nordic Textile Takeover: The Cold Stitch
Opening September 4 at Scandinavia House, this exhibition, workshop series, and symposium program returns in its third iteration alongside New York Textile Month.
An Unprecedented Look at Renowned Photographer Peter Hujar’s New York in “Hujar:Contact”
The Morgan Library & Museum presents “Hujar:Contact,” currently on view through October 25.
Mitchell Johnson: “Twenty-One Years in Truro (Selected Paintings 1988–2026)”
The artist’s sixth solo exhibition at Castle Hill will open to the public on September 8, 2026.
Meet with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago at Admissions Events Across the US and Online
Learn more about the graduate degrees offered at SAIC and get all of your questions answered.
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