Art News Of The Week
Stories Every Artist And Art Lover Should Know
The art world never really stands still. Every week brings new exhibitions, exciting opportunities, fresh perspectives, and stories about artists whose work deserves to be seen and appreciated. Sometimes, these stories take us back to important chapters of art history, while others introduce us to contemporary artists finding new ways to express their ideas and connect with audiences.
This week, we are looking at a little bit of everything. From a major art fair in Lagos celebrating the legacy of Nigerian ceramic artist Ladi Kwali to a new curatorial appointment at the Whitney Museum of American Art, there are some lovely developments worth catching up on. We also have an exciting opportunity to share with women artists who would like to become part of our growing creative community.
Whether you are an artist looking for new opportunities, someone who enjoys discovering exhibitions, or simply interested in the people and ideas shaping the art world, here are five stories worth knowing from November 1 to November 8, 2026.
1. ART X Lagos Celebrates The Legacy Of Nigerian Ceramic Artist Ladi Kwali
November 3, 2026 | Lagos, Nigeria
Some artists leave behind more than a collection of beautiful objects. They open doors for others, preserve cultural traditions, and change how the world looks at an entire artistic practice. Nigerian ceramic artist Ladi Dosei Kwali is one such figure, and this year’s ART X Lagos is giving her legacy the attention it deserves.
The 11th edition of ART X Lagos, taking place from November 5 to 8 at the Federal Palace in Lagos, has dedicated its flagship ART X ICON exhibition to Kwali. Titled Ladi Kwali: Beyond the Vessel, the exhibition brings together ceramics and archival materials that explore her remarkable contribution to African pottery.
Born in 1925 in Kwali, a village in northern Nigeria, Ladi Kwali learned pottery-making from her aunt. She became particularly known for her mastery of traditional hand-building and coil-building techniques, creating beautifully decorated vessels that eventually attracted international recognition.
Her journey also helped open opportunities for other women potters from her community. After joining a pottery training centre established by British potter Michael Cardew in 1951, she became an important figure in introducing Nigerian pottery traditions to wider audiences.
What makes this exhibition particularly meaningful is that it does not present Kwali as an isolated success story. It also features the work of Kande Ushafa and Asibi Ido, alongside traditional Gbari, Nupe, and Bida pottery, acknowledging the wider community of makers and traditions connected to her practice.
For those unfamiliar with her work, Kwali is also the woman whose portrait appears on Nigeria’s 20 naira banknote. Yet, as the exhibition reminds us, there is so much more to her artistic legacy than a familiar face on currency.
It is encouraging to see a major international art fair make space for an artist whose contribution to ceramics and cultural heritage deserves continued recognition. It also reminds us how important it is to celebrate the artistic traditions and women makers who have shaped creative practices across generations.
ART X Lagos 2026 runs from November 5 to 8, 2026, with Ladi Kwali: Beyond the Vessel as its flagship ART X ICON exhibition.
2. Women In Arts Magazine Issue 02 Is Now Open For Submissions
Open Call | Submission Deadline: November 30, 2026
We have some lovely news for women artists who have been thinking about getting their work published in print. Following the encouraging response to our inaugural Women In Arts Magazine, Women In Arts Network is back with its second issue, and submissions are now officially open!
When we introduced the magazine last month, the idea was to create another space where women artists could share their work, introduce audiences to their creative practices, and become part of a publication celebrating artistic voices from around the world. The response to Issue 01 gave us even more reason to continue this initiative, and we are excited to welcome artists to the next edition.
For Issue 02, we are exploring the theme Home Is Wider Than A House.
Home can mean many different things to different people. It might be a physical place, a childhood memory, a familiar landscape, a relationship, a sense of belonging, or even an imagined space that exists only in our minds. We are interested in seeing how artists interpret this theme through their own experiences, memories, and creative perspectives.
The open call welcomes women and non-binary artists aged 18 and above from anywhere in the world. Artists working across all visual art mediums are encouraged to participate, and you can submit up to three original artworks for consideration.
Selected artists will be featured in the printed magazine, with space for their artworks, artist biography, and statement. They will also receive an artist index listing, publication credit, promotional features across Women In Arts Network’s platforms, and opportunities to be featured in our newsletter.
There is also an exciting award for this edition. One selected artist will receive a $500 cash award, a four-page feature in the magazine, and a published interview. All selected artists will automatically be considered for the award.
The submission fee is $35, and there are no additional fees after selection.
If you have been looking for an opportunity to bring your work into print and share it with an international audience, this is a lovely opportunity to consider. We would love to see the different ways artists interpret the idea of home.
Submission deadline: November 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM New York time.
3. Meg Onli Appointed Co-Curator Of The 2028 Whitney Biennial
November 6, 2026 | New York, USA
One of the most anticipated events in the American contemporary art calendar is already looking ahead to its next edition. The Whitney Museum of American Art has announced that curator Meg Onli and acclaimed director Zack Winokur will co-organise the 2028 Whitney Biennial.
For those who may not be familiar with it, the Whitney Biennial is one of the longest-running exhibitions dedicated to contemporary American art. Established in 1932, it brings together artists working across different mediums and disciplines, offering a snapshot of the ideas, conversations, and creative practices shaping the art world.
Meg Onli is currently the Nancy and Fred Poses Curator at the Whitney Museum. She previously co-organised the 2024 Whitney Biennial, Even Better Than the Real Thing, and has built a career around supporting contemporary artists and bringing underrepresented artistic perspectives into institutional spaces.
Before joining the Whitney, Onli served as co-director and curator of the Underground Museum in Los Angeles and worked at the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania. She also founded the Black Visual Archive, a project dedicated to documenting and examining contemporary Black visual culture.
Her appointment alongside Winokur brings together two professionals with backgrounds spanning visual art, performance, music, and interdisciplinary creative practices.
The 2028 edition will be the 83rd Whitney Biennial and is scheduled to open in March 2028. While the full artist list and exhibition details are still to come, the announcement gives us an early reason to look forward to what the next edition might bring.
For women working in curatorial and institutional roles, Onli’s appointment is also a welcome reminder of the importance of having diverse voices involved in shaping major exhibitions and deciding which artistic practices receive wider attention.
We will certainly be keeping an eye on further announcements as the 2028 Biennial takes shape.
4. A Gallery Of Their Own Brings Women Artists Together At The de Young Museum
November 8, 2026 | San Francisco, USA
What happens when an exhibition brings together artworks created exclusively by women, allowing visitors to explore their different approaches to image-making, experimentation, and artistic expression? A new exhibition at San Francisco’s de Young Museum offers an opportunity to discover just that.
A Gallery of Their Own: Women Artists from the Carr and Goldblum Gift opened on November 8, bringing together photographs, prints, and drawings by women artists from the promised gift of collectors Michael Carr and Peter Goldblum.
The exhibition includes works by internationally recognised artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Lee Krasner, and Yayoi Kusama, alongside other women whose practices explore the possibilities of working on paper.
One of the interesting aspects of this collection is the variety of approaches it brings together. Some works explore surreal and dreamlike imagery, while others investigate movement, the natural world, and the relationship between two-dimensional and sculptural forms.
Photography, drawing, and printmaking each offer different ways of approaching an image. By placing these practices together, the exhibition gives visitors an opportunity to consider how artists have continuously pushed the boundaries of these mediums.
The title, A Gallery of Their Own, feels particularly fitting. Women artists have made significant contributions to photography, printmaking, and works on paper, yet their work has not always received the same visibility in major art institutions and collections.
Exhibitions like this help bring those contributions into focus, while also giving audiences an opportunity to discover artists they may not have encountered before.
For anyone interested in exploring women’s contributions to modern and contemporary art, this is certainly one exhibition worth keeping on their radar.
A Gallery of Their Own: Women Artists from the Carr and Goldblum Gift is on view at the de Young Museum from November 8, 2026, to February 14, 2027.
5. Indigenous Artists Explore New Possibilities At The Temporal Exhibition
November 6, 2026 | Olympia, Washington, USA
Art has always been an important way for communities to preserve their histories, share their experiences, and imagine what the future might look like. A current exhibition in Olympia, Washington, is bringing these ideas together through the work of Indigenous artists exploring identity, cultural memory, and possibilities for future generations.
Titled Temporal: Stories of Indigenous Present, Re-imagining Indigenous Futures, the exhibition features work by 14 Indigenous artists and is presented through a collaboration involving the Coast Salish Museum of Fine Arts and the Thurston County Museum of Fine Arts.
Curated by Hopi artist and curator Mikaela Shafer, the exhibition challenges the familiar tendency to view Indigenous cultures only through the lens of history and tradition. Instead, it creates space for contemporary Indigenous artists to explore their present-day experiences and imagine the futures they want to see.
The exhibition brings together a wide range of creative practices, including painting, sculpture, digital art, performance, beadwork, and weaving.
Among the featured artists is Tammie Dupuis, whose beadwork-inspired sculptural pieces explore ancestral memory and the history of her community. Another artist, Ash Frantz, works with woven cedar and digital installations to consider the relationship between cultural traditions, technology, and belonging.
The exhibition also features work by Cynthia Masterson, whose interactive beadwork installations invite visitors to engage with traditional practices in unexpected ways.
One particularly interesting aspect of the exhibition is its approach to the distinction between traditional craft and fine art. Through works that combine material knowledge, cultural storytelling, and contemporary experimentation, the artists encourage visitors to reconsider how different art forms are valued and presented within museum spaces.
It is also worth noting that the exhibition is connected to Indigenous Creatives Collective, a woman-led nonprofit working to amplify Indigenous artistic voices and support land stewardship in the Pacific Northwest.
For artists and art lovers, Temporal offers a reminder that art does not simply preserve the past. It can also question the present, imagine new possibilities, and give communities the freedom to tell their own stories.
The exhibition remains on view at the Thurston County Museum of Fine Arts through December 11, 2026.
Until Next Week…
And that brings us to the end of this week’s art news! From celebrating the artists who shaped generations before us to discovering new exhibitions, creative voices, and opportunities for women artists today, there is always something happening in the art world worth paying attention to.
We hope you found something interesting to take away from this week’s stories. Keep creating, keep exploring, and keep making room for the art and artists that inspire you. Until next week, take care and keep making art!
