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The return of Spring is synonymous with the Venice Biennale, and this year Blue Medium was on the ground supporting two visionary presentations that amplified cross-cultural narratives.
At the Australia Pavilion in the Giardini and in the Arsenale, we celebrated Khaled Sabsabi’s conference of one’s self and khalil, immersive installations that bridge spirituality and migration through the lens of Sufism. At Palazzo Mora, we worked with the Liu Shiming Art Foundation to present Intimate Unthinkables, a dialogue between the late master’s “Chinese Method” sculptures and contemporary artist Adrian Elisheva Parr Zaretsky. These projects, centering on human vulnerability and global connection, provided a profound start to the season.
The energy from Venice has propelled us into an active season, and our team is hard at work across several projects: Civic Projects’ design at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, RISD at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, the opening of the Balloon Museum in New York City, and much more.
Whether in the Giardini or the galleries of Manhattan, this season is a reminder of why we do what we do: bridging the gap between artists and the public, one story at a time.
— John, Michelle, Andy, Betsy, Dalia, Corey, Max, Katrina and Zara
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Featuring Dr. Laura Freid, President of Maine College of Art & Design
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Dr. Laura Freid Ed.D is the President of Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) and an established leader in higher education and the arts. Currently in her ninth year as President, Dr. Freid has over two decades of executive experience across higher education, publishing, and arts nonprofits.
What makes you want to come to work every day?
I love walking into the College and seeing the student art on the walls. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, video games and animations, illustrations, graphic design, and ceramics are currently on display in our Merit and Thesis shows. There is so much creativity here; no two shows are the same. I feel so fortunate to see students’ work in progress and to see the evolution of their ideas.
How does the Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA&D contribute to the art and design communities?
The Institute of Contemporary Art starts the curatorial process with a conversation – usually a question, but not always. We don’t have a standing collection, so artists are invited to participate, and each show presents a brand new visual conversation that is shared with our community. Since we are a teaching institution, students and faculty are intimately involved with the curatorial process and the actual technical challenges of presenting shows. I think it gives us a chance to introduce audiences to work and ideas they are unfamiliar with and perhaps provoked by.
What’s another passion of yours outside the academic world?
I am passionate about the environment; I love the ocean and wind, and I enjoy windsurfing. I am a storyteller at heart, and truly like the emotional stories art evokes. I started my career as a writer and magazine editor. I wanted to help change the world by sharing ideas. In the past decades, I have been most passionate about bypassing logic and communicating straight to the heart through art and music.
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03/ THE BEVERLEY ART WRITERS TRAVEL GRANT
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Sustainaibility in Austrlian Art at the Beverley Discussion 2026
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In April, we gathered for a discussion featuring Annabel Keenan, the 2025 recipient of The Beverley Art Writers Travel Grant. Having recently returned from Australia, Annabel shared her findings on how artists and curators are pioneering environmentally sustainable operations within their practices. The evening was moderated by Aruna D’Souza, bringing her own first-hand experience as The Beverley 2024 recipient. We extend a sincere thank you to the American Australian Association for hosting this event and continuing to foster such essential cultural exchanges between our creative communities.
The Beverley Art Writers Travel Grant is a USD $10,000 grant awarded annually to an established American freelance writer who has an outstanding reputation for art journalism. The purpose of the grant is to foster cultural exchange, discussion and coverage of the Australian contemporary visual arts community and its programs.
While applications for the current cycle have recently closed, this remains a premier opportunity for art journalists. If you did not apply this year, now is the perfect time to begin planning your application for 2027.
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04/ WHAT’S ON | VISUAL ARTS
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[THE AUSTRALIA PAVILION AT THE VENICE BIENNALE]
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conference of one’s self, May 9 – November 22, 2026
conference of one’s self, an immersive artwork created by Khaled Sabsabi, is currently on view at Australia Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Commissioned by Creative Australia, the exhibition is curated by Michael Dagostino, Director of the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney. In conference of one’s self, Sabsabi has transformed the Australia Pavilion into a contemplative environment that explores spiritual inquiry, migration, and the vastness of shared humanity. Drawing on more than thirty-five years of artistic practice, the installation reflects Sabsabi’s enduring exploration of identity, displacement, and collective experience. In a historic first for an Australian artist, Sabsabi is simultaneously presenting work in the Biennale’s main exhibition In Minor Keys at the Arsenale, a large scale installation titled khalil.
Contact: Max Kruger-Dull
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SNOWY / WINDY / SPRING ON THE PLANET Z, June 2026
This summer, Marina Abramović will inaugurate the permanent New York City location of The Balloon Museum, a global atelier for inflatable contemporary art, with her work SNOWY / WINDY / SPRING ON THE PLANET Z. In collaboration with The Balloon Museum’s design and engineering team, this commission marks Abramović’s first foray into large-scale inflatable sculpture. SNOWY / WINDY / SPRING ON THE PLANET Z will serve as the centerpiece of a group exhibition in July 2026 at the Balloon Museum, located in the Tin Building at Manhattan’s South Street Seaport.
Contact: Katrina Stewart
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[THE CLEMENTE SOTO VELEZ CULTURAL AND
EDUCATIONAL CENTER]
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Work in Progress, June 19 –June 21, 2026
THE BLANC, a contemporary art center in Midtown Manhattan, will host Work in Progress art fair this June. Led by Novo Collective and originally presented during Mexico City Art Week 2026, Work in Progress presents an alternative fair model where visitors can purchase works directly from artists and watch them create work live on site. More than 35 will activate three floors of THE BLANC, turning it into a large open studio where visitors can watch works in formation and, in some cases, participate directly in their making.
Contact: Katrina Stewart
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Artists on Art tour with Manny Vega at the MET, June 5 2026
As part of the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center’s citywide initiative, Historias, artist Manny Vega will guide visitors through a tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s American Wing. As a frequent collaborator of The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, Manny shares a passion for Nuyorican history, storytelling, and interpretations of New York City. In this tour, Vega will discuss the sculptures that have been most impactful on his work. The event will begin in Gallery 700 on Friday, June 5 at 6pm.
Contact: Katrina Stewart
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David C. Driskell Fellowship Announcement, May 2026
This month, Indigo Arts Alliance announced the next cohort of David C. Driskell Fellows, a program created to honor the life and legacy of artist, historian, and Indigo Arts Alliance Elder Advisor David C. Driskell. Beginning in June 2026, this three-month fellowship grants Maine-based Black and Brown artists time and space to advance their practices through studio access, a stipend, and a program of studio visits.
Contact: Katrina Stewart
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[LIU SHIMING ART FOUNDATION]
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Biomorphs, June 11 – August 28, 2026
Biomorphs spotlights the work of five Liu Shiming Art Foundation Artist Grant recipients, all emerging artists bringing their practices into dialogue with Liu Shiming’s as well as each other’s through their shared sensitivity to organic form and artistic transformation. The term “biomorph” refers to forms that draw from living organisms and natural processes, suggesting growth, mutation, softness, movement, and interdependence. Across installation, sculpture, and material experimentation, the recipients’ works resonate with Liu’s interest in forms that feel alive and in flux.
Contact: Max Kruger-Dull
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[MAINE COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN]
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Networks, June 26 – September 13, 2026
The Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design will present Networks, a solo exhibition by the late artist and MECA&D MFA faculty member Peter Simensky (1977-2024). The exhibition centers his sculptural pyrite radios that adapt early crystal radio technologies, using pyrite as a conductive material to receive and amplify nearby AM radio transmissions. A meditation on his collaborative process and connections to artist communities across Maine and beyond, the exhibition will be activated by radio broadcasts with artists and musicians.
Contact: Katrina Stewart
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[NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA]
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Proofs and Processes: The Kenneth Tyler Collection, through August 2, 2026
The National Gallery of Australia’s Kenneth E. Tyler Collection is the world’s most comprehensive collection of prints produced by the printmaker and publisher. Proofs and Processes: The Kenneth Tyler Collection features works on paper by six icons of Abstraction and Pop art, all of whose collaborations with Tyler are discussed in the Gallery’s recently published, three-volume catalogue raisonné, Tyler Graphics: Catalogue Raisonné, 1986–2001. Edited by Jane Kinsman, contributors include Suzanne Boorsch, Marabeth Cohen-Tyler, Jack Flam, Sally Foster, Kira Godoroja-Prieckaerts, Judith Goldman, and David Greenhalgh. The catalogue documents the final projects of the master printer, a seminal figure in the 20th‑century American print renaissance.
Contact: Max Kruger-Dull
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[SHELLEY & DONALD RUBIN FOUNDATION]
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Gay Men’s Book Club, May 28, 2026
The Shelly & Donald Rubin Foundation will host a premiere of Matthew Lax’s documentary Gay Men’s Book Club on May 28. The film captures an unscripted, intergenerational conversation between seven diverse gay men in Los Angeles, following the group’s exploration of Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò’s concept of elite capture and their consideration of how privilege and power influence community organizing and their own internal dynamics
Contact: Max Kruger-Dull
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Trellis Art Fund Milestone Grantee Announcement, June 2026
In June 2026, the Trellis Art Fund will announce the third round of their Milestone grantees, artists recognized for their professional commitment, consistently engaged practice, and trajectory of success. Nominated by art world professionals nationwide and selected by an anonymous jury, the cohort includes a specific allocation for artists serving as caregivers to children, seniors, and others. Each artist will receive $100,000, distributed in two annual $50,000 installments, complemented by professional development resources.
Contact: Katrina Stewart
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05/ WHAT’S ON | ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
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Recently Completed – Miramar
Along Inwood’s central commercial corridor near the Harlem River, Beyer Blinder Belle designed three interconnected, mixed-use buildings to foster a diverse, vibrant, and outdoor- and wellness-focused residential community. Miramar contributes 698 modern apartments to the residential community, 40% of which are affordable, along with retail and community-based cultural facilities, including the first permanent home for The People’s Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante. Inspired by the vibrant surrounding neighborhood, BBB prioritized wellness by providing dynamic amenities spaces that support diverse lifestyle needs, access to daylight and outdoor spaces through spacious courtyards and breaks in massing, and colorful design moments throughout the modern residential units.
Contact: Dalia Stoniene
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In Progress – 1250 Maryland
Beyer Blinder Belle is collaborating with landscape architect Oehme, van Sweden | OvS and general contractor Balfour Beatty to convert an underutilized eight-story office building in Southwest DC, developed by Lowe Enterprises and Henderson Park, into a mixed-use residential building. Located at 1250 Maryland Avenue SW within the Portals development, BBB’s conversion will add 428 residential units and 53,000 square feet of retail space. BBB will redesign the facade and add three stories, set back to integrate with nearby structures.
Contact: Dalia Stoniene
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Obama Presidential Center Museum, June 2026
Civic Projects Architecture, a minority- and women-owned business, delivered community engagement workshops and exhibition design for the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Jackson Park, Chicago, collaborating with lead design architects Ralph Applebaum Associates (RAA). Opening to the public over Juneteenth weekend, the greatly anticipated world-class museum and public gathering space will celebrate our nation’s first African American President and First Lady, Michelle. Insights from workshops led by Civic Projects informed the design process. RAA’s and Civic Projects’ interactive exhibition design surrounding the American story and Obama campaigns creates space for storytelling and storymaking, enabling the museum to serve as a resource for collective civic engagement on the South Side of Chicago.
Contact: Michelle DiLello
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Architecture x Architecture: A Dialectic Book Talk and Signing, May 2026
On May 20, MAP (Metropolitan Architecture Practice) co-founders Katherine Lambert, AIA, and Christiane Robbins will hold a book talk and signing at Rizzoli Bookstore to celebrate the release of their new monograph. Created between 2022 and 2024, Architecture x Architecture: A Dialectic traces how machine vision and generative AI are shaping multidisciplinary 21st century design practice. Edited by Oscar Riera Ojeda (ORO Publishers) with project direction by Christiane Robbins, the volume includes a foreword by Kum-Kum Bhavnani, essays by Bill Seaman, Katherine Lambert, Christiane Robbins, Kyle Steinfeld, and Amanda Wasielewski, and an afterword by Aaron Betsky. An award-winning SF Bay Area-based architecture firm, MAP leads residential, commercial, and cultural projects with architectural rigor and innovative spatial and environmental strategies. MAP Studio, the firm’s research lab, investigates architecture as a media ecology shaped by AI, synthetic vision, and emerging image cultures.
Contact: Dalia Stoniene
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[RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN]
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[RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN]
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RISD at ICFF, May 2026
The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) participated in the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) + WANTED at the Jacob K. Javits Center during NYCxDESIGN 2026 from May 17–19 in New York, NY. This year in WANTED at ICFF (booth W981), RISD’s Furniture Design department presented Intrinsic Values, a selection of works from BFA and MFA students that examine the role of furniture in contemporary life and the values that shape its creation. Members of the RISD community moderated and participated in mainstage talks, and exhibited work across several satellite exhibitions. Please see the directory for a list of all known RISD community participation at NYCxDESIGN.
Contact: Dalia Stoniene
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“It Starts with a Question,” May 2026
RISD President Crystal Williams’ new video interview series, “It Starts with a Question,” launched in October 2025 and has quickly emerged as a compelling editorial platform for conversations with thought leaders, art and design luminaries, and alumni about urgent questions in contemporary art-making. The upcoming episode, featuring Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden, brings the series’ inaugural season to a close; the full lineup is available on RISD’s YouTube channel. Other featured voices include RaMell Ross, Rose B. Simpson, Brian Selznick, María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Grace Lin, and David Weeks. While their practices differ radically, each participant is drawn into a shared inquiry into the role of artists and the meaning of creative work today. As a poet, President Williams brings a distinctive lens to these conversations, grounding them in broader questions of art, culture, and higher education.
Contact: Dalia Stoniene
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07/ BLUE MEDIUM | BILLBOARD
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Art Spell: Your Morning Brew of Art-World Media
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Art Spell is now free! Art Spell is your morning brew of national and international art world media Monday to Friday at around 10am (EST). In late 2023, we were proud to have helped launch Art Spell, delivering highlights from the most trusted art world media outlets. In a world with a deluge information, this free roundup of art news and reviews is your solution to staying current with what’s being covered by the media.
Click here to subscribe today!
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FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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Blue Medium is John, Michelle, Andy, Betsy, Corey, Dalia, Max, Katrina and Zara.
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IMAGE CREDITS: BLUE MUSE
MAINE COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN: Image courtesy of MECA&D.
IMAGE CREDITS: VISUAL ARTS
AUSTRALIA PAVILION AT VENICE BIENNALE: Khaled Sabsabi, conference of one’s self, 2026, Australia Pavilion. Photo by Andrea Rossetti.
BALLOON MUSEUM: Rendering of Marina Abramović, SNOWY / WINDY / SPRING ON THE PLANET Z (2026). Image courtesy of the Balloon Museum.
THE BLANC: Installation shots from the first edition of Work in Progress, February 2026. Hosted in Mexico City. Courtesy of Novo Collective.
INDIGO ARTS ALLIANCE: Arisa White, Joan Morgan, Matt Garza and Yasmine Jameelah in conversation for The Welcome Table, a symposium presented in June 2024 by Indigo Arts Alliance. Photo by Mia Del Bene.
THE CLEMENTE: From Me to We: Jamming with Manny Vega, hosted at the MET on May 31, 2025. Image courtesy of The Clemente.
LIU SHIMING ART FOUNDATION: Manami Ishimura, In One Breath, 2025, Ant, glass, agar, sugar, water, sand, brass, steel, fan, copper, resin, PVC pipe, Dimensions Varies, Courtesy of the Artist.
MAINE COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN: Peter Simensky Pyrite Radio (Chimes), 2021. Photography by Nicholas Lea Bruno, courtesy of the Peter Simensky Archive.
NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA: Helen Frankenthaler, Tyler Graphics Ltd Mount Kisco New York, Madame Butterfly, 2000, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, purchased with the assistance of the Orde Poynton Fund 2002 © Helen Frankenthaler / Tyler Graphics Ltd. 2000.
SHELLEY & DONALD RUBIN FOUNDATION: “An Inherent Undoing” at The 8th Floor, March 2026. Photo by Adam Reich. Courtesy of the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation.
TRELLIS ART FUND: Image credit to Kisha Bari.
IMAGE CREDITS: ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
BEYER BLINDER BELLE: Images courtesy of Beyer Blinder Belle.
CIVIC PROJECTS: Obama Presidential Center. Photo by Angie McMonigal.
RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN: Erik Gould at ICFF. Photo courtesy of RISD.
RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN: Crystal Williams and RaMell Ross, It Starts With a Question. Photo Courtesy of RISD.
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