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Arts and Culture

Yayoi Kusama 1929–2026

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yayoi kusama photo courtesy david zwirner galleryYayoi Kusama creating paintings for her My Eternal Soul series in her studio, 2014 (© YAYOI KUSAMA This Image Courtesy of David Zwirner Gallery, all other Photos By Gail)

August 26, 2026 – David Zwirner is saddened to announce the passing of Yayoi Kusama. The artist passed away from multiple organ failure at a hospital in Tokyo on August 14, 2026, at the age of 97.

Kusama devoted her life to an international career as an avant-garde artist, working primarily in the visual arts while also extending her practice to performance, novels, poetry, and other forms of expression. She continued to paint until shortly before her passing, never setting aside her brush, and remained steadfast in her lifelong belief that love can save the world.

kusama infinity rooms installation red room 2017
Infinity Rooms Installation Red Mirror Room 2017
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Arts and Culture

Farewell Sir Brian Clarke: Master of Light and Line

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brian clarke assorted photos photo by gail worley
Brian Clarke in the ’80s, Lower Left (All Photos By Gail)

The art world mourns the loss of Sir Brian Clarke, the visionary British stained-glass artist and painter, who passed away from cancer on July 1, 2025 — just one day shy of his 72nd birthday. Born in Oldham, Lancashire, Clarke transformed stained glass from ecclesiastical embellishment into a breathtaking architectural medium.

Clarke’s artistic journey began as a scholarship student at age 13. Over the decades, he pioneered works that blurred art and space —from majestic church windows to public installations and freestanding glass screens.
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Film and Television, Pop Culture

Pink Thing of the Day: Tribute to Miss Yvonne by El Gato Gomez

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miss yvonne by el gato gomez
Art By El Gato Gomez

Lynne Marie Stewart, the actress best known for her role as Miss Yvonne on Pee-wee’s Playhouse, passed away peacefully at her Los Angeles home on February 21, 2025, at the age of 78, after a brief illness.

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Arts and Culture

Remembering Native American Artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith

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indian madonna enthroned 1974 photo by gail worley
Indian Madonna Enthroned, 1974 (All Photos By Gail)

Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, a pioneering Native American artist and activist, passed away on January 24, 2025, after a prolonged battle with pancreatic cancer. She had just celebrated her 85th birthday.

An enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Smith was renowned for her dynamic artworks that intricately mapped the Native American experience, blending abstraction, collage, and mixed media to address themes of identity, oppression, and environmental issues.

mcflag 1996 photo by gail worley
McFlag, 1996
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Arts and Culture

First Street Green Art Park’s Tribute to Patti Astor

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patti astor mural by call her al photo by gail worley
Patti Astor Mural By @Call_Her_Al (All Photos By Gail)

First Street Green Art Park is currently celebrating the life of Patti Astor, who was known as NYC’s First Lady of Graffiti Art. Astor cofounded the Fun Gallery in the East Village in 1981 with partner Bill Stelling, where she helped to introduce a range of graffiti artists to the wider art world. Contemporary artists Kenny Scharf, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Keith Haring also had solo exhibitions at Fun Gallery. Astor died of unspecified causes in early April at age 74.
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