Article date: Thursday, February 12, 2026
Art Institute of Chicago acquires Norman Rockwell’s The Dugout

The Art Institute of Chicago acquired of The Dugout by Norman Rockwell, the first work by the artist to enter the museum’s collection.

Article date: Thursday, February 12, 2026
5,300-Year-Old ‘Bow Drill’ rewrites Story of Ancient Egyptian Tools

Researchers at Newcastle University, and the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, have re-examined a small copper-alloy object excavated a century ago from a cemetery at Badari in Upper Egypt, and concluded it is the earliest identified rotary metal drill from ancient Egypt, dating to the Predynastic period (late 4th millennium BCE), before the first pharaohs ruled.

Article date: Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Rianne Letschert appointed Dutch Minister of Culture

Rianne Letschert, President of Maastricht University and served as president of YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe) until 2024 will become the new Minister of Education, Culture and Science. As member of the D66 party, she led the coalition negotiations these past few weeks.

 

Article date: Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Cambridge University returns 116 Benin Artefacts to Nigeria

The University of Cambridge today announces it has transferred legal ownership of 116 Benin artefacts in the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) collections to Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), operating under a management agreement with the Benin Royal Palace.

Article date: Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Artists in Ireland to receive Basic Income

The Irish Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, announced the successor scheme to the Basic Income for the Arts Pilot scheme.

Article date: Wednesday, February 11, 2026
AI Image Generator Buying Guide for Art Students: What Features Matter in 2026?

Last semester a sophomore illustration major built a full concept-art portfolio over winter break. She typed vivid prompts and watched entire worlds bloom in minutes—proof that generative AI now sits beside the charcoal and Cintiqs. Search for “best AI image generator” and you’ll find generic lists that ignore student budgets and campus policies. This guide fixes that. We focus on the tools, prices, and rules that matter to art students right now and score each generator across five classroom-ready factors. Ready? Grab a coffee, open your sketchbook, and meet the new brushes at your fingertips.

Article date: Tuesday, February 10, 2026
German University Library transfers Nazi-Looted Books to Frankfurt’s Jewish Community

The Johann Christian Senckenberg University Library (UB) at Goethe University Frankfurt has been systematically reviewing its collections since 2020 to identify Nazi-looted property and return it to its rightful owners.

Article date: Tuesday, February 10, 2026
British Museum raises £3.5 Million to save Tudor Heart Pendant linked to Henry VIII

The British Museum announced it has raised the £3.5 million of funding needed to acquire the Tudor Heart Pendant for its permanent collection, ensuring it will be on public display for generations to come.

Article date: Monday, February 9, 2026
Jack Lang steps down as President of the Arab World Institute over the Epstein Files

Former French Culture Minister Jack Lang, 86, steps down as president of the prestigious Arab World Institute amid explosive revelations from Jeffrey Epstein's files.

Article date: Monday, February 9, 2026
Three Century Old Sculpture at Risk of leaving the UK

An export bar has been placed on Michael Rysbrack’s sculpture of two ‘putti’ supporting a column to allow time for a UK buyer to be found.

Article date: Monday, February 9, 2026
Gerhard Richter's Abstraktes Bild to be a Highlight of Christie's Hong Kong Evening Sale

Christie's begins a year of 40th Anniversary celebrations in Asia and commences the Hong Kong spring season with the announcement of Gerhard Richter's seminal and incandescent Abstraktes Bild (estimate: HK$78,000,000 – 98,000,000 / US$10,000,000 – 13,000,000). 

Article date: Monday, February 9, 2026
Olivia Colling and Laura Smith are appointed as Co-Directors of The Hepworth Wakefield

Today it has been announced that Olivia Colling has been appointed Executive Director with Laura Smith as Artistic Director.