From the todo lists of Haring to the cutouts of Matisse as well as some stairwell drawings by Byrne (the arts on Wednesday, June 2026 edition)

Here’s the latest edition of #theartsonwednesday, a mini-newsletter within my blog highlighting recent stories on visual artists new and old that I’ve found interesting:

I love the work of Keith Haring. What I didn’t know was I would love his Ordinary, Extraordinary To-Do Lists. They are a great look into the 1980s art scene in New York, among other things.
I highly support this exhibit: Musée d’Orsay opens gallery dedicated to still-unclaimed works stolen by Nazis in WWII. One more reason this is one of the best museums in the world.
This is one you want to see: sculptor Thaddeus Mosley, who found international fame in his 90s. Always love reading stories like that.
I am a fan of arte povera, so I was fascinated by this piece on the great arte povera artist, Michelangelo Pistoletto ,and his Cittadellarte and more.
I don’t know how many galleries have a YouTube channel, but Pace Gallery does and it is great. You must check it out. Relatedly, here a video of David Byrne’s Stairwell Drawings at the Pace. Love this.
The Venice Biennale never happens without making news. Case in point: The Venice Biennale is imploding and Russia and Israel sit at the center of the crisis. On an more peaceful note, it was good to see that Patti Smith, Brian Eno and more will represent the Vatican at the Venice Biennale 2026. Never a dull moment at the Biennale.
If you thought attending a film school helmed by Werner Herzog would be …interesting…well you would be right, as this shows: 50 Artists Travel Far and Wide to Learn From Filmmaker Werner Herzog.
I have been fascinated by the YBA (Young British Artists) for some time. So recently I was reading up on Rachel Whiteread, who I really like. Sadly, here’s a story on a former YBA up to no good: Damien Hirst formaldehyde animal works dated to 1990s were made in 2017. Why am I not surprised?
If you want to know the relationship between artists and music, check out this: What songs do contemporary artists listen to while they work? Tune in to this Spotify playlist to find out, courtesy of The Art Newspaper
Finally, these Itty-Bitty Signs and Portals by Michael Pederson Reimagine Everyday Urban Details over at Colossal are clever and worth a peek.

On the complex process of electing the Doge in 14th century Venice

Last week on twitter I came across something that fascinated me: how the Venetians elected the Doge in the 14th century. It was a supremely complex process. At first I couldn’t believe it was real, but then I came across this: Electing the Doge (The Ballot Boy). Not only that, but I came across this academic article explaining why it made sense! And I thought runoff elections of modern states could be complicated.

For more on the city of Venice at that time, I recommend this site: The Ballot Boy – Venice in the 14th century. It provides a superb view of Venice at that time.

(Image link to The Ballot Boy, Diagram of Ducal Election)

A beautiful photo essay of Venice at night

That photo above is just one of the many photos over at Via Colossal of Venice at night. Far removed from the tourist busy city of day. Well worth visiting Colossal to see the rest.

Yes, there are budget restaurants in Venice

It seems hard to believe that the words “budget” and “Venice” can go together, but as this Guardian article shows, it is possible to enjoy Venice and still do it somewhat economically. Now hotels are another story. But every bit helps.

And now for something beautiful: pictures of Venice in the fog

Venice in fog

I highly recommend checking this out: Pictures of Venice in the Fog – Fubiz Media. Beautiful images of a beautiful city in a form I have rarely seen.

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