Art Fairs 6 Galleries Changing the Conversation at New York’s 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair The fair serves to connect new audiences to African artists—but it opens new conversations around diaspora as well. By Melissa Smith, May 19, 2023
Art History What Does It Mean to Be an Afrofuturist Now? Three Contemporary Artists on What the Term Means to Them Alisha Wormsley, Mequitta Ahuja, and Cauleen Smith all help move the conversation beyond Black science fiction tropes. By Melissa Smith, Mar 6, 2023
Art World Artist Titus Kaphar on His Debut Documentary, and How It Centers the Need for Black Artists to Engage Black Communities 'Shut Up and Paint' details Kaphar's balancing of the 'dichotomy between the art world and the community I was raised in.' By Melissa Smith, Jan 9, 2023
The Burns Halperin Report For Some American Artists, Recognition by Mainstream Art Institutions Is a Means to an End: Building Their Own Alternatives Here's how a group of social-practice artists are using the art-world system to invest in their own visions for the future. By Melissa Smith, Dec 23, 2022
The Burns Halperin Report ‘It Takes Two Villages’: How the MCA Chicago Transformed Its Collection at Unprecedented Speed to Better Reflect Its Audience This Chicago museum collects work by Black female artists at seven times the national average. But it didn’t start out that way. By Melissa Smith, Dec 21, 2022
Art World What Makes for a Successful Studio Visit? 4 Veteran Art Professionals Offer Real, Actionable Advice for Young Artists Here are some tips on how to stand out from the pack. By Melissa Smith, Jul 13, 2022
Art World We Asked Leading Video Artists How Best to Enjoy the Medium—and, Yes, It’s OK to Leave in the Middle (and to Be Confused) Don't be put off by the long runtimes, uncomfortable seating, or a lack of narrative. By Melissa Smith, Jul 11, 2022
Art Fairs Here Are 5 of the Best Booths at Frieze New York, From Metaphysical Landscapes to Playful Ceramics and a Revelatory Rediscovery These galleries stood out for their abstract, thoughtful, and surreal stagings. By Melissa Smith, May 19, 2022
Shows & Exhibitions We Asked 5 Prominent Curators for the Best Way to Tackle Viewing an Art Biennial. Here’s Their Advice We checked in with Massimiliano Gioni, Francesco Bonami, Naima Keith, and others to get their advice on how to see—and absorb—a major biennial. By Melissa Smith, Apr 6, 2022
People U.K. Venice Biennale Pavilion Artist Sonia Boyce on Why She’s Already Expecting Backlash Against the Show The artist sat down with Artnet News to discuss her work and its reception. By Melissa Smith, Mar 31, 2022
Shows & Exhibitions The Art World Ignored Faith Ringgold for Decades. Her Admirers Think Her Work Is More Powerful Today Because of It The artist's New Museum retrospective offers a study in how major artists can go long overlooked. By Melissa Smith, Mar 24, 2022
On View Sadie Barnette Has Made Art From the Files the FBI Kept on Her Father. Now She’s Recreating His Path-Breaking Nightclub The artist continues her excavation of the personal and the political at the Kitchen in New York. By Melissa Smith, Feb 9, 2022
Shows & Exhibitions How an Aluminum Mine in Jamaica Became the Conceptual Core of Breakout Artist Jamilah Sabur’s New Miami Show We spoke with the artist on the occasion of her latest exhibition. By Melissa Smith, Dec 6, 2021
Art Collectors Dameon and Kimberly Fisher Pour Their Hearts Into Being ‘Cultural Caretakers’ for the Work of Southern Black Artists The Atlanta-based collectors want to share their vast trove of works by Black Southern artists with the world. By Melissa Smith, Nov 1, 2021
People ‘I Truly Feel Optimistic’: The Guggenheim’s Chief Curator Naomi Beckwith on Why She Still Has Faith in Museums—and How They Can Change In her first major interview since taking the role at the New York museum, the curator and museum leader outlines her vision. By Melissa Smith, Sep 29, 2021
