Pleating With Iris van Herpen
Iris van Herpen is making a collective garment at the Brooklyn Museum, Trump’s Smithsonian warpath, and Rice University goes tuition-free for many.
I swear, we have the luckiest writers in the world. Case in point: Livia Caligor got up close and personal with Iris van Herpen, one of the coolest fashion designers out there — you might be familiar with her dress made out of thousands of hand-formed, iridescent glass bubbles, which Olympic skier Eileen Gu wore to the 2026 Met Gala. At the Brooklyn Museum, visitors can join van Herpen in creating a garment that will evolve over the course of the exhibition. Yes, I’m jealous.
Meanwhile, Trump continues his warpath against the Smithsonian. He just proposed the smallest budget of the decade for the nation’s largest museum, education, and research complex. But in good news, Rice University in Houston, whose undergraduate arts programs have been steadily gaining traction in recent years, is now offering free tuition for families earning up to $200,000 a year.
We love to see greater accessibility in the art world, and we can’t wait to see what this next generation of artists brings to the table.
—Lisa Yin Zhang, associate editor
The Day I Pleated With Iris van Herpen
“Hands are like a language,” Iris van Herpen says as we pleat a textile together inside the recreated atelier at the center of Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses. “Each pair that joins me in creating this dress will influence the DNA of the garment.”
A first of its kind, the live installation at the Brooklyn Museum invites visitors to work alongside the Dutch fashion designer in creating a garment that will evolve over the course of the show’s run.
“I want to share the most beautiful part of my work — the craftsmanship — in a really intimate setting,” van Herpen tells Hyperallergic in an interview. “My atelier is my most sacred space.” | Livia Caligor
Read MoreNews
- The White House proposed the smallest federal budget of the decade for the institution earlier this year. But while these preliminary numbers make headlines, quieter measures may pose other funding hurdles for the museum and research network.
- After confirming its opening date for this coming December, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi names Valerie Hillings as its inaugural director.
- Rice University will extend its free tuition program to students from families earning between $100,000 and $200,000 each year.
Feature
Kimsooja Comes Full Circle
Her first exhibition in Toronto for 30 years captures her single-minded focus on the needle as a metaphor for folding and unfolding, memory and displacement. | Rea McNamara
Read MoreGuide
10 Art Shows to See in Los Angeles This August
Betye Saar’s wearable art, Alfredo Ramos Martínez’s mountain ranges, the world’s largest pop-up book, three South Asian artists redefine monumentality, and more. | Matt Stromberg
Read MoreMember Comment
As someone tasked with the liquidation of an artist’s estate, I can tell you that many, many beautiful books are going to go into the trash this year, without the help of the marauding industries of AI. Library simply do not want book donations, as a rule.
—Sally Eckhoff on “AI Companies Are Pulping Our Humanity”
From the Archive
How to Crack the Catholic Code of the Old Masters
Suzanna Ivanič’s book Catholica: The Visual Culture of Catholicism is an essential primer on how Catholicism intersects with art history. | Daniel Larkin
Read MoreArt at a Time Like This — Take One Action
Open call for brave poitical images and ideas of civic actions to save democracy. Selected artists will join a public art campaign this fall and/or be featured in an online exhibition. Honorarium up to $1,000.
Deadline: August 21, 2026 | atlt.org
See more in this month’s list of opportunities for artists, writers, and art workers!
