|
|
|
|
The New Year offers us a time to start fresh, with renewed vision and maybe even some hope, despite a 2024 that at some times felt lightyears longer than its 365 days. We at Blue Medium have some terrific projects, exhibitions and programming in store for the new year to keep us buoyed and inspired by the powerful role that art and design can play in each of our lives.
Welcome to 2025. Here’s what we are up to as we look forward to the spring…
—John, Michelle, Andy, Meg, Dalia, Max, Katrina, Anna, Julia, and Pam
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Featuring Luke Scholes, Director of D’Lan Contemporary
|
|
What makes you want to come to work every day?
I genuinely believe that D’Lan Contemporary is doing meaningful work. I’m passionate about Australian First Nations art and believe that it deserves to be in dialogue with the world’s best contemporary art. The challenge of presenting a diverse, exciting, yet largely unknown art movement to an international audience is all the motivation I need to work as hard as I can to achieve what we believe in.
On a personal level, I’m motivated and challenged by the realization of the amount of learning I still have to do. I’ve been working in various roles in the Australian First Nations art sector for over 20 years and as much as I know, there’s always more to learn.
Working with historical paintings and sculptures is very humbling, and the time spent researching the cultural dimensions of the objects is fascinating and challenges my understanding of what it is to be human. I’m passionate about researching provenance, and deep down I’m a huge art nerd. The contemporary market for Australian First Nations art is incredibly dynamic and evolving. Australian artists are making work that is not only relevant to their own communities but has meaning well beyond Australian shores.
What I find most satisfying however is highlighting the unique world view that Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people bring to their art making. Give it half a chance and it’ll change your life.
How does your organization contribute to the arts community?
One of the reasons I joined D’Lan Contemporary was because of the tremendous contribution it makes to the broader First Nations arts sector in Australia. D’Lan turned the galley sector on its head with the introduction of a voluntary Resale Royalty scheme which returns 30% of the gallery’s profits to First Nations organisations, individuals and projects. It’s been an incredibly successful vehicle for creating change and opportunity. Our clients have been very supportive of the program, and without them none of this would be possible.
I’d also like to think that the international platform we provide Australian First Nations art benefits the entire sector.
What’s another passion of yours outside the art world?
I’m passionate about food, travel, and my relationships with friends and family. I’ve always been a big traveller and enjoy the insights it provides about this incredible place that we all share. I’ve also been lucky enough to travel with my two sons which I enjoy immensely and hope to do plenty more trips with them in the future.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
03/ WHAT’S ON | VISUAL ARTS
|
|
 |
|
|
Carroll Cloar: The Flowers We Gathered, January 9 – February 15
This winter, Andrew Edlin Gallery presents works by the Southern artist Carroll Cloar, spanning more than two decades of his practice. While the works on view were created after Cloar moved from New York to Memphis, they are inspired by his time embedded in the vibrancy and experimentation of the New York art scene of the mid-20th century.
Following the artist’s debut at ADAA, Andrew Edlin Gallery will also present a solo exhibition of works by Abraham Lincoln Walker, a previously-unknown painter from East St. Louis, MO.
Contact: Katrina Stewart
|
|
 |
|
|
Good Business: Andy Warhol’s Screenprints, May 23 – September 1
Facilitating experimentation and mass distribution, prints can be simultaneously challenging and accessible. Through collaborations with his studio assistants and established print publishers, Warhol generated nearly 20,000 prints throughout his career. Good Business explores how Warhol used screenprinting to explore familiar themes throughout his career while also cultivating a sustainable life for himself as an artist.
In February, The Pop District will welcome new fellows to its Warhol Academy 16-week skill-building programs. The Academy currently offers two tracks, one in filmmaking and post-production and one in digital content creation, focusing on empowering communities of people who are statistically underrepresented in the creative and technical industries.
Contact: Max Kruger-Dull
|
|
 |
|
[BILL ARNING EXHIBITIONS]
|
|
Familiar/Unfamiliar, March 8 – May 17
In Familiar/Unfamiliar, Bill Arning Exhibitions presents work by Kevin Mosca, Matthew Bede Murphy, Sue Muskat, and Erik Daniel White, all artists who use iconography and images that are or seem familiar in unfamiliar ways. From the milkman, to telenovelas, to the everyday scenes that are continuously present in one’s life, the exhibition explores the idea that subverting familiar images can penetrate the viewers’ consciousness in a uniquely profound way. These artists also seek to remind viewers that the existential challenge of understanding how we see, process, and comprehend an image is ever more crucial in an age when pictures are presented to all from every possible direction.
Contact: Max Kruger-Dull
|
|
 |
|
|
News from Historias and Flight and Faith, Spring 2025
In the coming months The Clemente will share updates on two major initiatives: Historias, a three-year project involving 45+ institutions to reveal and amplify Latinx histories in New York City, and Flight and Faith, a recently-announced five-year-long project led by a grant from the Lilly Endowment to examine the intersections of art, religion, and migration within Latinx communities in border and sanctuary cities.
Contact: Katrina Stewart
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Shaping the Landscape: Spirit Figures from Northern Australia, February 6 – March 14
An exhibition of Australian First Nations sculpture, Shaping the Landscape will present a private New York collection that is one of the most significant and comprehensive of its kind outside of Australia. The exhibition of 31 figurative works will mark the first time the collection has been shown in its entirety, and brings together the sculptural traditions of three regions in Northern Australia: the Tiwi Islands, Western Arnhem Land, and Northeast Arnhem Land.
D’Lan Contemporary Melbourne is also collaborating with Jilamara Arts to present a selection of Timothy Cook’s significant works on canvas, tutuni poles, and painting on bark, which will be shown at the Melbourne Art Fair from February 20 – 23.
Contact: Max Kruger-Dull
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
[KALLIR RESEARCH INSTITUTE]
|
|
Changing Times: Egon Schiele’s Last Years, 1914 – 1918, March 28 – July 13
Changing Times: Egon Schiele’s Last Years, 1914-1918, a major exhibition at the Leopold Museum in Vienna, opens on March 28. Co-curated by KRI president Jane Kallir, the exhibition will chronicle the second half of Schiele’s career before he succumbed to the Spanish flu in 1918—a time when Schiele’s work increasingly focused on family, a shared sense of humanism, and the spiritual.
Contact: Katrina Stewart
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Julie Mehretu: A Transcore of the Radical Imaginatory, Through April 27
Julie Mehretu: A Transcore of the Radical Imaginatory is the first exhibition of the artist’s work to be shown in Australia and the Asia-Pacific. Transcore presents over 80 paintings and works on paper dating from 1995 to the present, including new works created especially for the exhibition.
Also on view at MCA Australia, Kate Newby’s installation Hours in wind navigates thresholds between interior and exterior space, hoping to capture a sense of place and the constantly changing conditions of the harbor. In March, Warraba Weatherall will have his first major institutional exhibition at MCA Australia, exploring the histories of Kamilaroi cultural objects.
Contact: Max Kruger-Dull
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Monstrous!, Opening May 26
Monstrous! explores the history, significance, and social impact of the United States’s whaling industry. The exhibition features Jos Sances’s Or, The Whale, a massive 51-foot scratchboard drawing of a sperm whale with political scenes engraved within, and whaling objects such as blubber hooks, whale oil casks, harpoons, and scrimshaw from Mystic Seaport Museum’s incomparable collection.
Contact: Katrina Stewart
|
|
 |
|
|
33rd Outsider Art Fair, February 27 – March 2
The Outsider Art Fair, the premier fair dedicated to self-taught art, art brut, and outsider art, returns to the Metropolitan Pavillion from February 27 – March 2, featuring 66 exhibitors from 37 cities in seven countries. This edition’s special curated section is titled Follow My Moves and will present Brazilian self-taught art curated by the São Paulo-based curator, writer, and historian Mateus Nunes. This diverse selection of works will chronicle the complexity of artistic and educational dynamics in Brazil from 1950 to present.
Contact: Katrina Stewart
|
|
|
 |
|
[SHELLEY & DONALD RUBIN FOUNDATION]
|
|
Geographic Bodies March 13 – June 14
Geographic Bodies, a solo exhibition at The 8th Floor by New York City-based multidisciplinary artist Joiri Minaya, examines the complexities within Minaya’s obsessively researched and elaborately produced works by presenting multiple series made by the artist over the past ten years. Central to Geographic Bodies are Minaya’s experiences growing up in the Dominican Republic, and the exhibition features her perspectives on politics related to the body and ideas of the body-as-site, metaphorically referencing her Caribbean heritage.
Contact: Max Kruger-Dull
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Skowhegan to Welcome Resident Faculty Artists, Summer 2025
This summer, Dineo Seshee Bopape, Sandra Gamarra, Liz Magic Laser, Guadalupe Maravilla, and Anna Tsouhlarakis will join Skowhegan as 2025 Resident Faculty Artists, living and working together with participants and creating a transversal and open platform for dialogue. During the nine-week program, the Resident Faculty Artists live on campus with participants and an academic staff, creating space for an intergenerational dialogue. Skowhegan’s learning program is structured around studio visits, experimental workshops, and lectures, although most of the exchange and mentorship often happens outside of the formal studio hours.
Contact: Max Kruger-Dull
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Frieze LA Solo Booth Presentation with Almine Rech, February 20 – 23 +
FIRST LAST, March 8 – May 11
In February, Almine Rech will feature a solo presentation of Matsuyama’s work at Frieze Los Angeles. At Mori Art Museum’s new annex, FIRST LAST will be Matsuyama’s first major solo museum exhibition in Tokyo, featuring around 40 of his works from the last decade, spanning painting, sculpture, and installation.
A new large-scale series, FIRST LAST, will be presented to the public for the first time. Through his use of vivid color and monumental scale along with his mixing of cultures and time periods, Matsuyama intends for viewers to contemplate the global realities of contemporary society. Matsuyama will also have an exhibition at the SCAD Museum of Art later this year.
Contact: Max Kruger-Dull
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Milestone Grantee Announcement, June 2025
The next round of Milestone grantees, artists who demonstrate a trajectory of excellence, sustained professional commitment, and a consistently engaged practice, will be announced in June. Trellis Art Fund’s Milestone grantees are nominated by art world professionals nationwide and selected by an anonymous jury. The Fund also reserves a portion of grants for artists who are caregivers to children, seniors (such as parents), and other family members in need. The cohort will receive a total of $100,000, distributed via two $50,000 installments over the course of two years, alongside professional development resources.
Contact: Katrina Stewart
|
|
|
|
|
04/ WHAT’S ON | ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
|
|
 |
|
|
Inspīr Embassy Row
A historic DC landmark is set to be transformed into a luxury senior living community. Slated to open in early 2025, Inspīr Embassy Row reimagines Washington, DC’s iconic Fairfax Hotel, once a 1950s and ‘60s social hub for the city’s elite. BBB leads the restoration, preserving the building’s architectural grandeur while modernizing amenities to cater to senior residents. Original corridors, a vintage postal chute, and other historic elements will be retained, offering residents a unique connection to the building’s storied past. The property boasts contemporary enhancements, including improved accessibility and cutting-edge technologies. Drawing inspiration from the success of Inspīr Carnegie Hill in New York, Inspīr Embassy Row promises a vibrant, luxury living experience that honors the building’s legacy while providing a sophisticated, welcoming environment for future generations.
Contact: Dalia Stoniene
|
|
 |
92NY
Beyer Blinder Belle’s ambitious renovation of 92NY is entering its most significant phase. The $91 million project will dramatically transform the institution’s public spaces, enhancing accessibility, wayfinding, and security. Key features of Phase 3 include a stunning new entrance lobby that unites the North and South Buildings, and highly flexible spaces tailored for a variety of different programming, from fitness to early education to world-class performing arts. As 92NY evolves, BBB remains committed to fostering creativity, education, and community engagement.
Contact: Dalia Stoniene
|
|
 |
|
|
Faye Toogood: Assemblage 7: Lost and Found II, January 11 – March 15
Acclaimed designer Faye Toogood returns to Friedman Benda this winter for an expanded view of her exhibition Assemblage 7: Lost and Found II. First presented in Los Angeles in 2022, Assemblage is an exploration of ancient and medieval British craftsmanship. Toogood utilizes two historically significant materials, oak and purbeck, to craft sculptural furniture that draws on both modernist and traditional styles. Her designs are simultaneously nostalgic and current, resulting in a collection that evokes the timelessness of the English countryside.
Contact: Michelle DiLello
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Byung Hoon Choi: Voice of Silence, March 27 – May 23
Spring brings Korean artist Byung Hoon Choi to Friedman Benda New York. The master craftsman’s exhibition Voice of Silence opens March 27. Merging traditional Korean craftsmanship with contemporary design, the exhibition features new works inspired by the classical scholar ethos of the Joseon Dynasty, which governed Korea for centuries. Shown for the first time outside of the peninsula, the collection pays homage to Choi’s cultural heritage, particularly its emphasis on natural beauty and minimal design. By using wood and natural stone bases to evoke shapes and patterns found in nature, Choi honors the quiet beauty of the natural world.
Contact: Michelle DiLello
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Gilded Life of Richard Morris Hunt, May 30, 2025
The upcoming exhibition at Rosecliff Mansion in Newport, The Gilded Life of Richard Morris Hunt, spotlights Richard Morris Hunt’s profound contributions to American architecture, interior design, and cultural institutions. Celebrated internationally for his designs of opulent Gilded Age estates, Hunt is perhaps best known for his design of opulent mansions for the Vanderbilt family, including Biltmore, The Breakers, and Marble House. Historian Sam Watters explores how Hunt’s work helped define the conventions of American architecture and culture in the post-Civil War era, blending Old World traditions with a uniquely American vision. The exhibition examines how Hunt’s designs not only symbolized an era of unparalleled wealth and grandeur, but also how his advocacy for the arts and artisan trades played a pivotal role in shaping cultural institutions that continue to define American society today.
Contact: Michelle DiLello
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Second Annual Open House Miami, February 28 – March 2
Open House Miami (OHMIA) returns for its second annual celebration from February 28 to March 2, offering a deeper dive into the city’s design, culture, and community. This free, three-day festival showcases over 100 curated experiences from across over twenty neighborhoods in Miami-Dade County. Building on the success of its inaugural edition, OHMIA 2025 promises an exciting program featuring tours, workshops, lectures, and exclusive access to some of Miami’s most iconic and hidden spaces. Highlights include exclusive tours of American Airlines Arena, Museum of Graffiti, and Frost Museum of Science, along with a new featured experience at The Kampong, designed by Miami-based architect Max Strang.
Contact: Michelle DiLello
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
[RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN]
|
|
The Art of French Wallpaper Design, Through May 11
The RISD Museum offers a captivating look into the world of 18th and 19th-century French wallpaper design, showcasing over 100 rare samples of salvaged wallpapers, borders, fragments, and design drawings. The exhibition highlights the exceptional craftsmanship and technical innovation of the era, underscoring the beauty and fragility of a medium often overlooked in history. From repeating floral patterns to custom panels and architectural motifs, the exhibition demonstrates the diversity of French wallpaper design. It also reveals the personal touch of homeowners who modified their wallpapers, patching tears and repainting sections to create unique compositions. Curated to honor Charles and Frances Wilson Huard, whose collection was assembled in the 1920s and ’30s, the exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the design process behind these exquisite wallpapers.
Contact: Dalia Stoniene
|
|
 |
|
|
WholeTrees Builds a Greener Future for Columbus Zoo’s Wildest Exhibit Yet
WholeTrees Structures’ new Maine facility is fully operational, producing Solid Structural Timber fabrications. The team is currently creating new habitats for bald eagles and black bears as part of the Columbus Zoo’s $40 million redevelopment of its North American Trek—the zoo’s most significant investment to date. These exhibits, set to open in 2025, align with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Trends 2033 Report, emphasizing environmentally friendly design and naturalistic animal habitats. By utilizing Structural Round Timber (SRT), WholeTrees reduces the carbon footprint of these projects, contributing to the sustainability of this transformative initiative while showcasing the potential of renewable materials to elevate zoo design.
Contact: Dalia Stoniene
|
|
|
|
|
05/ BLUE MEDIUM | BILLBOARD
|
|
 |
|
The 2025 Beverley Art Writers Grant: Applications Now Open
|
|
Blue Medium, in partnership with the American Australian Association, is pleased to announce that the application portal is now open (through March 31) to apply to The Beverley Art Writers Travel Grant (The Beverley) is open in the 2025 application round! The mission of The Beverley is to facilitate American journalists and writers to travel to Australia, to explore and report on the wealth of Australian visual arts culture.
The Beverley is a $10,000 grant awarded annually to an established American freelance writer who has an outstanding reputation for arts journalism. The grantee will be given access to visual arts leadership in Australia to assist with introductions to ideas both in advance of their visit and onsite in Australia, and will be encouraged to visit museums, galleries, art schools, artists’ studios, and private collections, subject to their specific interests. In 2024, the committee——comprised of art world professionals with a working or personal connection to the visual arts community in Australia—selected Aruna D’Souza as its recipient.
Stay tuned in the coming months, as Blue Medium and AAA will host a conversation between Aruna and 2023 Beverley recipient Lauren O’Neill-Butler in March, at the AAA headquarters in Manhattan.
|
|
|
Art Spell: Your Morning Brew of Art-World Media
|
|
Introducing Art Spell, your morning brew of art world media supported by digital strategy and production agency Bower Blue. From Monday to Friday at around 10am (EST), Art Spell delivers highlights from the most trusted art world media outlets. In a world overflowing with information, this subscription-based roundup of art news and reviews is your solution to staying current with what’s being covered by the media.
By subscribing, you’re not only supporting Art Spell but also contributing to a greater cause—100% of our profits will be donated to organizations that support art journalists and writers. Click here to unlock a 7-day trial. Art Spell is free of charge for qualified media, and discounted for students. Please email us at [email protected] to verify.
|
|