Art Movements
The artist known for her irreverent inflatables gets the Bucksbaum Award; plus, there’s a new grant for artists living with cancer, Murmurs Gallery closes, and more news.
Art Movements, published every Thursday afternoon, is a roundup of must-know news, appointments, awards, and other happenings in today’s chaotic art world.
Pat Oleszko Gets Whitney Biennial Award
Artist Pat Oleszko, whose oversized inflatable sculpture and early film work dazzled visitors at this year’s Whitney Biennial, has received the 2026 Bucksbaum Award. The $100,000 prize is awarded by the Whitney Museum of American Art in recognition of a Biennial artist whose work captures “a singular combination of talent and imagination.” Having just closed out a major solo exhibition at the SculptureCenter in New York City and currently showing works at The Campus in Upstate New York, the artist is having a well-deserved hell of a year.
Murmurs Gallery to Shutter
The Los Angeles gallery Murmurs, which mounted shows by the likes of Sula Bermúdez-Silverman and Alison Nguyen, announced that it is closing its physical space in Downtown LA. “It is no secret that the creative landscape is facing an intense economic squeeze,” its founders wrote. “We are letting go of our space not to stop, but to discover more resilient ways to operate.” They added that a closing celebration is planned for the fall.
A New Grant for Artists Living With Cancer
Two-time cancer survivor Jacolby Satterwhite is the first recipient of the Artists Living with Cancer grant, presented by the Rema Hort Mann Fund and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. The uplifting initiative aims to provide much-needed support to visual artists undergoing treatment in the New York metro area. Following this inaugural $25,000 award, the program will dole out one-time grants of up to $10,000.
Acquisitions
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) has acquired over 90 modern and contemporary works from January to June 2026, the institution announced this week, including pieces by Rose B. Simpson, Ana Mendieta, Betye Saar, and Kishio Suga. Among the notable additions to the collection is a watercolor on paper by graphic artist Orlando Smith, who is currently incarcerated at San Quentin prison. “Aging Is A Fact!” (2025), pictured above, draws our attention to the risks and struggles of the prison’s aging population.
What Else Happened?
- James Cohan Gallery will now be known as Norr Cohan following the news that gallery partner David Norr has assumed sole ownership of the New York City space.
- Jeanette Andrews is now represented by Trotter&Sholer gallery.
- Louis Blue Newby is now represented by Ehrlich Steinberg gallery.
