Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, former executive director of the Peabody Essex Museum, steps into her role as the new director at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Her early days curating Joseph Cornell's work and current appointment come at a critical time, following the museum's controversial exhibition on race and sculpture.
In other art world news, the Turner Prize shortlist for 2026 has been announced, featuring Simeon Barclay, Kira Freije, Marguerite Humeau and Tanoa Sasraku. The group exhibition will open this fall, with a £10,000 prize up for grabs.
Elsewhere, Ibrahim Mahama is set to receive the Arnold Bode Prize in 2026. Meanwhile, Indigo Arts Alliance appoints Mia Bogyo as deputy director and announces new board members. Four Bay Area artists also secure funding through the Rainin Arts Fellowship.
A surprise acquisition by Johns Hopkins University underscores the evolving role of university museums: Lindsay Adams’s ‘Kind of Blue’ diptych was purchased with funds from Dan Weiss, former Philadelphia Museum of Art CEO and now Hopkins professor.
