8 Art Books to Reframe America’s 250th

The real story of the Declaration of Independence, the rise and fall of monuments, contemporary Indigenous artists, drag queens on Fire Island, and other titles for the year’s reading list.

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Hyperallergic

With a Little Help From My Art Friends

Gertrude Abercrombie’s crew of Magic Realists, the artist selling trash from outside Taylor Swift’s wedding, and the truth about stock photography.

Hyperallergic·Jul 9, 2026

Hyperallergic

Required Reading

This week: Iranian artists remember the victims of the Minab airstrike, a trip through Alabama’s Barn Quilt Trail, Kansas City’s bygone lesbian haven, Erling Haaland memes, and more.

Lakshmi Rivera Amin·Jul 9, 2026

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Artforum

American Museum Of Natural History To Repatriate Native American Hair Clippings

Decades after discovering samples of Native American hair within its collection, the American Museum of Natural History plans to add them to the list of items for repatriation to concerned tribes. As reported by the New York Times, the hair samples were collected for an exhibition at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The museum’s collection […]

Mika Lee·Jul 8, 2026

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Artforum

Saodat Ismailova on Ancient Forests and Collective Hallucinations

The artist and filmmaker discusses her film Amanat, and the forest that inspired it: Arslanbob.

Samuel Wilken·Jul 10, 2026

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The Conversation

‘Adaptive reuse’: how contemporary artists reuse and recycle objects to be born again

We tend to think of recycling, repair and reuse as part of an environmentally responsible way of life. But they are also key to many artists’ work.

Alex Burchmore, Senior Lecturer, Art History and Curatorial Studies, Australian National University·Jul 8, 2026

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The Conversation

The church fathers of early Christianity are showing their swag – on TikTok

Paintings of early Christian saints were designed to show worshippers what sacred authority looked like, using books, clothing and gestures as symbols.

Denva Gallant, Associate Professor of Art History, Rice University·Jul 8, 2026