Spring 2026 Art Book Releases Highlight Diverse Histories and Artists

A selection of ten recently published art books recommended for spring 2026 reading focuses on retelling history through artistic perspectives. The list includes memoirs, catalogs, and monographs covering various movements and figures. Susan Simensky Bietila's memoir 'Front Lines: A Lifetime of Drawing Resistance,' published by PM Press in February, details her career as an environmental activist and feminist artist, featuring personal anecdotes and activist graphics. 'Chicano Camera Culture: A Photographic History, 1966 to 2026,' edited by Elizabeth Ferrer and released in March by the Riverside Art Museum and University of Washington Press, documents five decades of Mexican-American photography, coinciding with exhibitions at The Cheech and the Riverside Art Museum in California. The first comprehensive monograph on Polish surrealist painter Ewa Juszkiewicz, 'Ewa Juszkiewicz: Recent Paintings,' was published in March by Gagosian and Rizzoli, featuring over thirty works from 2019 to 2024. 'Samurai,' edited by Rosina Buckland and Oleg Benesch and released in March by The British Museum and University of Washington Press, explores Japanese warrior culture through artifacts. Adele Bertei's memoir 'No New York: A Memoir of No Wave and the Women Who Shaped the Scene,' published by Beacon Press in March, focuses on women in the 1970s New York countercultural movement. A catalog for Somali-born painter Uman's solo show at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, 'Uman: After all the things...,' was published in March by The Aldrich and Gregory R. Miller & Co. 'Theresa Hak Kyung Cha: Multiple Offerings,' edited by Victoria Sung and released in March by Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive and Delmonico Books, provides context for the late artist's work. Molly Crabapple's 'Here Where We Live Is Our Country: The Story of the Jewish Bund,' published by One World in April, chronicles the socialist Jewish Labor Bund. Virginia Mcgee Richards's 'The Inner Passage: An Untold Story of Black Resistance Along a Southern Waterway,' released by The MIT Press in April, combines photography and oral history from South Carolina. 'Raphael: Sublime Poetry' by Carmen C. Bambach, published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in April, accompanies a major exhibition featuring over 170 works. These publications offer insights into artistic practices, historical narratives, and cultural movements.