‘Was he out there looking for me?’: the artworks that help adopted children feel seen
The powerful story of how Mary Husted was forced to give her 10-day-old son up for adoption inspired her art and its viewers, while in Guatemala women with disabilities finally get a voice
Hello sailors: what these two kissing seamen can tell us about Kamala Harris’s White House bid
With this luminous painting, Amy Sherald sought to ‘uncensor’ a passionate act that should only ever have been regarded as normal. It came to mind as I watched Harris setting her sights on the presidency
Art can change the world, but can it save us from climate extinction?
Katy Hessel
While the climate emergency endangers nature, Judy Chicago’s artworks give it a voice – she joins a great tradition of women using art to influence laws
One vision, 4000 artists and a country transformed: why the next British PM must copy Roosevelt
Roosevelt’s New Deal gave artists like Alice Neel and Lee Krasner a lifeline during a time of crisis – and it changed the face of America. Whoever wins the UK election should take heed
Female artists have always been practically invisible – a groundbreaking show is putting that right
Katy Hessel
Finally, with an exhibition spanning 400 years, female artists are getting their due. How did history get away with depriving us of these artists for so long?
Thrill me, hide me, restore me: what can we learn about artists from their gardens?
From the spectacular Tarot Garden Niki de Saint Phalle built in Tuscany to Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture oasis in St Ives, artists’ green spaces are about so much more than plants and pruning
How Judith Scott escaped a life in institutional isolation to become a great sculptor
Deaf and with Down syndrome, Scott endured horrific conditions in institutions for 35 years. Then, when her twin enrolled her at an arts centre, a remarkable artist emerged
Femicide surge: the Cycladic figures found in the Aegean show a deep respect for the female body. How did Greece lose this?
With their serene poses, beautiful curves and arms often enfolding pregnant bellies, these figurines celebrate the miracle of fertility. Sadly, I saw them during protests about violence against women
From Banksy’s green leaves to Miami’s pink islands, public art’s a party – and everyone’s invited!
Yoko Ono hung wishes from trees. Jeanne-Claude and Christo coated entire coastlines. But their work had one thing in common: it made us think about what we should cherish – and what we are losing
Why does Cleopatra always have to die nude? Male titillaters – and the artist who stood against them
From Medusa to Circe, novelists have scored hits with feminist reimaginings of Greek myths and historical figures. But Swiss-born painter Angelica Kauffman beat them to it – by 250 years
Can a painting of childbirth be blasphemous and obscene? The police seemed to think so
When God Giving Birth was first shown, it was confiscated by the police after a complaint. This was an insult to everyone who has ever given birth – read on to see the work for yourself
You can’t ban embroidery! Why Arts Council England’s crackdown is a stitch-up
Has anyone behind ACE’s warning about ‘political statements’ been to Unravel? As this tumultuous show about textile art proves, even a quilt can tell a story of outrage, exploitation and horror
Move over Saint Patrick: why the world should be celebrating beer-brewing Brigid
She opposed forced marriage, assisted pregnant women, managed 15,000 sisters – and could turn muddy water into ale. This saint should be celebrated across the globe, not just in Ireland
The monstrous old master: how Succession’s Rubens lays bare the Roy family’s brutality
Katy Hessel
The 17th-century painting The Tiger Hunt depicts a visceral battle for power that perfectly sets up the HBO series – and paintings on the walls in other TV shows hold hidden messages
Ch-ch-ch-changes! The artists who prove it’s never too late to try something new
At the outset of 2024, take inspiration from the women who pioneered collage, invented a new language or returned to their greatest passion, all in later life
‘Beauty must suffer’: the artist lifting the barre on ballet
Karon Davis’s sculptures chart the emotional and physical effects of pushing one’s body beyond its limits – and asks what it takes to be Black in a white Eurocentric industry
Seems fishy: why can’t all galleries be more like the National Museum of Women in the Arts?
The Washington DC institution has just opened after a two-year renovation – and its collection means you’ll never look at an art museum in the same way again
‘What if women ruled the world?’ Judy Chicago’s latest show feels very timely
The great artist has brought together 500 years of artworks by women and placed them under flags questioning male dominance. Given the revelations of the Covid inquiry, they feel sadly urgent
In this neverending news cycle of violence, art speaks to our shared humanity
Katy Hessel
From crushed fathers and their waiting children to haunting stacks of empty chairs, art can tell us about the true nature of suffering in ways that headlines never can
