Frank Stella in 1995. Photo by Bob Berg/Getty Images. 

Frank Stella passes away

Celebrated American painter and sculptor Frank Stella passed away in his New York City home on May 4. Known for his abstract, minimalist artwork—often employing clean, geometric forms—Stella was an extremely influential figure in the minimalist movement of the early 1960s. He pushed the envelope on what could be done with modern art and remains one of the most prominent figures in the 20th- and 21st-century art world. The artist was 87.

View of the main entry plaza of the new Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State. Architect: Allied Works. Rendering: Courtesy of MIR.

Palmer Museum reopens

The Palmer Museum of Art recently celebrated the public opening of its new home at the Arboretum at Penn State University on June 1 and 2. The weekend celebration invited guests to be a part of the official ribbon cutting with Penn State president Neeli Bendapudi, museum director Erin Coe and other distinguished guests. The new 73,000-square-foot building within the Arboretum at Penn State will be a larger facility that features educational spaces, including a teaching gallery, flexible event spaces, indoor and outdoor courtyards, and nearly twice the exhibition space of the current museum on Curtin Road, allowing for expanded access to Penn State’s growing collection of 10,500 works of art. According to the museum, “The innovative and versatile design of the new Palmer Museum features a series of interlocking pavilions clad in regional sandstone that evokes the geology of central Pennsylvania.” The new design allows for the expansion of 20 galleries across two levels.

The Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina. Credit: MCG Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Gibbes Museum receives highest recognition

The American Alliance of Museums has once again accredited the Gibbes Museum of Art, affording the South Carolina-based institution the highest national museum recognition. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum’s internal community, as well as governments, funders, outside agencies and, of course, the general public. The Gibbes Museum of Art has been accredited since 1972. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review at least every 10 years to maintain accredited status, a rigorous process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations.

Portland Art Museum renovations

Today, Portland Art Museum (PAM) in Oregon announced that its expanded and renovated campus will open to the public in late 2025. Completely transforming the existing museum, the project will add nearly 100,000 square feet of new or upgraded public and gallery space, increasing access to exhibitions and programs, offering new ways to experience the collection, and providing new amenities for PAM’s diverse audiences. The $111 million expansion, which will create a vibrant “cultural commons” in the heart of downtown Portland, is one of the most significant capital investments in the arts in the history of Oregon. The project centers around the construction of the 24,000-square-foot glass Rothko Pavilion that will bridge PAM’s two historic buildings. The pavilion will streamline circulation and improve accessibility across all four floors, and serve as a new, welcoming “front door” to the museum. Upon the project’s completion, visitors will encounter an entirely new museum experience with completely reinstalled galleries that exhibit favorite works of art alongside recent acquisitions to introduce fresh perspectives on PAM’s encyclopedic collection.

Public artwork of Achoo! by Banksy on the wall of a house in Bristol, United Kingdom. Credit: Steve Loughran, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Unveiling the Banksy Museum

The Banksy Museum in SoHo, New York City, recently opened to the public on May 15. The museum houses the world’s largest collection of Banksy’s iconic murals and artwork—more than 160 works by the anonymous street artist who has become a household name. “The Banksy Museum recreates the revolutionary and often ephemeral art that Banksy has painted on surfaces in London, Bristol, Paris, Venice, Bethlehem, New York, Los Angeles and beyond,” the Banksy Museum notes. “Visitors to the museum will immerse themselves in an environmental experience, giving viewers access to Banksy creations, much of which has long since been whitewashed or dismantled.” In addition, the museum also features some of the artist’s animated and multimedia work, as well as their studio art. The Banksy Museum is open seven days a week.

People &Places

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has named Natalia Ángeles Vieyra as associate curator of Latinx art. Vieyra’s role will include supporting the museum’s work in collecting, researching and exhibiting masterpieces across the broad spectrum of American art. The NGA has also announced that Lena Stringari will join the museum as its chief of conservation. Stringari comes to the National Gallery following a long career at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, where she most recently served as deputy director and Andrew W. Mellon as chief conservator.Lena StringariNatalia Ángeles Vieyra

Annissa Malvoisin

The Brooklyn Museum in New York has announced two new curatorial appointments. Pauline Vermare is the museum’s new Phillip and Edith Leonian curator of Photography, and Annissa Malvoisin has been named associate curator for arts of Africa. 

Claire GilmanClaire Gilman is the new Acquavella curator and department head of modern and contemporary drawings at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. Gilman’s role will oversee a major collection of drawings spanning the 20th century to the present day.

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