Weekly Newsletter
Exploring the Surrealist elements in a World Cup jersey, delving into Gertrude Abercrombie’s world, and celebrating Hyperallergic’s accolade from the Society of Professional Journalists!
Curious about our recent activities at Hyperallergic? Here’s a brief overview. Critic Michael Glover provided an insightful review of an exhibition on Elizabeth I, highlighting its candid portrayal of royal power. Rhea Nayyar, a staff writer, unraveled the Surrealist themes embedded in a World Cup soccer jersey. Meanwhile, Isa Farfan reported on a controversial memo from Trump targeting the Smithsonian, denouncing it as “draconian.” Sofia Thiệu D’Amico profiled the prolific painter Akira Ikezoe, while Nayyar also interviewed Justin Gignac, the artist known for selling trash from outside Taylor Swift’s wedding.
This week, one of our esteemed contributors, Noah Fischer, was honored with an award from the Society of Professional Journalists for his comic on housing and displacement, co-published with the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.
If you’re inspired by our blend of serious and curious stories and share our vision for a brighter, more ethical art world, consider becoming a Hyperallergic member.
For just $5.33 per month, with our summer promotion, you can support our work during a time when journalism faces significant challenges and independent art media is increasingly scarce.
—Valentina Di Liscia, senior editor
The Ruthless Portraits of Elizabeth I’s Reign
The focus of Elizabeth I: Queen & Court is on the strategic crafting of a royal image and its wide-reaching impact. The exhibition ranges from blunt portrayals to self-presentation that conveys grandeur, authority, and divine-like status.
Elizabeth’s journey is illustrated beginning with “The Clopton Portrait” (circa 1558) by an unknown artist, capturing her early days as queen. | Michael Glover
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News
- The Belgian men’s national soccer team’s pink-and-blue away jerseys incorporate a lesser-known motif by Magritte, along with the phrase “This is not a jersey” as a tribute to the artist.
- Following President Trump’s directive over a year ago to investigate “race-centered ideology” at the Smithsonian, a new report from the White House claims museum leaders are endorsing “extreme political activism.”
- A daring jewel heist occurred on July 5 at a French museum, where thieves smashed display cases and stole 27 pieces of fine jewelry valued at around €4 million (~$4.5 million).
- In Austin, a prominent street artwork with the message “Black Artists Matter” was destroyed last week after an order from Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott.
- Outside the Whitney Museum of American Art, messages condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza were projected over advertising screens as part of a demonstration by artist Jonathan Allen from New York City.
- Members of the Art Not Genocide Alliance plan to stage a protest during United States Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta’s visit to Venice scheduled for Friday, July 17.
- Following Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding at Madison Square Garden last week, artist Justin Gignac collected and is selling street trash from the venue in small display boxes as keepsakes.
- After Aljira’s sudden closure eight years ago, the Newark Museum of Art is organizing an exhibition that revisits the artist-led space’s 35-year legacy of supporting underrepresented artists and fostering notable careers.
- Art Movements: The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts grants $5.1 million to 78 arts organizations, Raphael sets records at The Met, the Honolulu Museum of Art announces a new director, and more.
- The New Museum in Manhattan has named Massimiliano Gioni, its artistic director for 12 years, as its next director after a 10-month search.
- A photographer from Chicago is suing artist Mickalene Thomas for alleged copyright infringement, claiming Thomas used over a dozen of her images without permission or proper credit.
From Our Critics
John Constable’s Four Seasons
Art historian Susan Owens’s beautifully illustrated new book tells the story of the painter through his connection to weather, place, and time. | Lauren Moya Ford
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Features
Queer Elders
Guides
- Required Reading: Iranian artists pay tribute to the victims of the Minab airstrike, explore Alabama’s Barn Quilt Trail, Kansas City’s past lesbian haven, Erling Haaland memes, and more.
- A View From the Easel: Arghavan Khosravi draws from Persian miniature traditions to create surreal combinations of paint, canvas, and wood.
- In Memoriam: Honoring Yervant Gianikian, a giant of 20th-century cinema; Valerie Brathwaite, a sculptor inspired by nature; Jerry Moriarty, a self-described “paintoonist,” and more.
