Art Papers Announces 2026 Closure After 50 Years, Hosts Final Symposium in Atlanta
On September 26, at the concluding Art Papers Art Writing & Publishing Symposium in Atlanta, executive director Sarah Higgins revealed that Art Papers, the United States' oldest not-for-profit art magazine, will shut down in 2026. The publication has a rich history dating back to the 1970s and has navigated numerous financial difficulties, notably losing a National Endowment for the Arts grant after Trump's inauguration. The closure will involve a series of public discussions, a final issue, an archival initiative, and a book titled "50 Years of ART PAPERS." Meanwhile, the SITE Art Festival showcased various installations and performances, and Ayana Ross's solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia featured large-scale oil paintings that explore themes of crisis and utopia.
Key facts
- Art Papers, the longest-running U.S. not-for-profit art magazine, will close in 2026.
- The closure was announced by executive director Sarah Higgins on September 26 at the Art Papers Art Writing & Publishing Symposium.
- The symposium was held at Ponce City Market in Atlanta and was the magazine's first and last such event.
- Art Papers faced financial challenges including diminished auction returns, supply chain issues during COVID-19, and loss of an NEA grant.
- Georgia has ranked last or near last in U.S. government arts funding for the past decade.
- The magazine's sunsetting plan includes a final issue, archival project, public talks, and a book titled "50 Years of ART PAPERS."
- Funding for the sunsetting efforts came from the Warhol Foundation, Mellon Foundation, Wagner Foundation, and Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs.
- Concurrently, the Atlanta Art Fair's SITE Art Festival featured installations and performances at the Goat Farm.
Entities
Artists
- Sarah Higgins
- TK Smith
- Tempestt Hazel
- Sergio Suárez
- Jessica Caldas
- Artemus Jenkins
- mikeflo
- Morton Feldman
- Ayana Ross
- Norman Rockwell
- Donald Trump
Institutions
- Art Papers
- Ponce City Market
- Sixty Inches from Center
- CARLA
- Boston Art Review
- Warhol Foundation
- Mellon Foundation
- Wagner Foundation
- City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs
- Atlanta Art Fair
- SITE Art Festival
- Goat Farm
- Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia
- MOCA GA
- National Endowment for the Arts
- U.S. government
Locations
- Atlanta
- Georgia
- United States
- North America
- Palmyra
- Syria
- West Africa