The Biggest Gifts to University Art Museums in 2026
Anne and Arthur Goldstein, Kay Culbreath Heller and J. Roderick Heller, Nancy Delman Portnoy and other philanthropic collectors recently placed major holdings where they can be studied, displayed and folded into the future of art education.
A Grown-Up Guide to the Ivy League College Town Weekend
From Cambridge to Morningside Heights, how to fill the hours between move-in, dinner and the football game.
As A.I. Majors Grow, Universities Race to Keep Curricula Relevant
More colleges are launching A.I. degrees as students chase future-proof skills. Schools are trying to teach fast-moving technology without sacrificing the fundamentals students will need long term.
Weekly Features
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Never Mind the Nannies, Drivers are the New Dads
Manhattan’s wealthiest families rely on drivers—often ex-cops and ex-Mossad—to chaperone, track and discipline their teenagers. Inside the K12 chauffeur economy.
11 Books That Trace the Contradictions Running Through Elite Higher Education
Spanning a century of institutional history, these titles explore how America’s universities have served as both engines of upward mobility and guardians of privilege.
Grey Art Museum’s Alison Weaver On the Breadth of the University Museum Mandate
“University museums are uniquely positioned to serve as the connective tissue between disciplines, engaging artists and audiences in unexpected ways.”
How A.I. Is Redefining the Computer Science Degree
Warp’s Zach Lloyd explores why the debate over whether A.I. will replace programmers misses a larger transformation already underway. Lloyd argues that computer science is becoming more about cultivating the technical judgment needed to direct autonomous systems.
The Tech Billionaires Funding A.I.’s Next Chapter on Campus
As the cost of serious A.I. research climbs, universities are increasingly turning to billionaire donors and tech leaders to keep pace. Michael Dell, Jensen Huang, Reed Hastings and others are funding A.I. research across American universities.
Business
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The Next Career Ladder Is Business Ownership
Citizens’ Mark Valentino argues that the next generation of entrepreneurs does not necessarily need to build a company from scratch to own one. Valentino examines the succession wave facing America’s small businesses and the opportunities it creates for younger operators willing to take on the less glamorous realities of ownership.
Higher Education Doesn’t Need a Better Story. It Needs a More Believable One.
Global Strategy Group’s Alexandra Sollberger interrogates declining public confidence in higher education. Sollberger argues that colleges must distinguish between what needs to be explained, what needs to be reframed, and what needs to change—and make their institutional practices as credible as the stories they tell.
The CEOs and Billionaire Investors Governing America’s Top Universities
Some of Wall Street and Silicon Valley’s biggest names serve unpaid trustee roles at the country’s most prestigious universities. From Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to Apple’s Tim Cook, some of corporate America’s most powerful leaders also help govern elite universities.
The College Value Proposition Is Changing in the Age of A.I.
American University’s Casey Evans asks what parents are really paying for when A.I. can deliver much of the knowledge that once defined a college education. Evans argues that the strongest programs will be those that pair A.I. fluency with judgment, communication, adaptability and problem-solving.
The Reclusive Billionaire Behind Lidl Is Germany’s Richest Person
Germany’s richest person has quietly transformed Lidl’s parent company into a sprawling business empire stretching from discount groceries to recycling, cloud computing and A.I.
Art
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How the Bayeux Tapestry Became a Tool For Diplomacy
France’s loan to the U.K. offers a roadmap for how art and mutual understanding can bring nations together. Perhaps other countries could try it.
Ho Tzu Nyen Wants the Gwangju Biennale to Honor the Past, Not Relive It
“A trauma that you suffered in the past is constantly present,” the artist-director reflected. “Revisiting Gwangju is important, but at the same time, it also repeats the trauma unless one can find a way to change—to take these histories, break the cycle or convert this energy into something positive.”
Grażyna Kulczyk Has Spent 50 Years Collecting Artists Who Were Difficult to Place
With Observer, the Muzeum Susch founder reflected on the ideal conditions for viewing art, the feminist figures she most appreciates and how artistic importance does not always dovetail with historical visibility.
In Gherdëina, Curating a Biennale Around the Politics of the Garden
“The garden is less a physical site than a conceptual space through which we could think about belonging, stewardship, memory and our shared responsibility toward the future,” curator Samuel Leuenberger told Observer.
The Case for the Campus Art Museum in an Age of Cuts
Despite financial pressures and political headwinds, university art museums sustain ambitious, ethically grounded collecting and exhibition programs reflective of an ongoing commitment to intellectual and creative freedom in academia.
Lifestyle
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The Most Anticipated L.A. Restaurant Openings Arriving in August
Upscale chop houses, refurbished French bistros and hearty Mediterranean cuisine give summer a delicious send-off.
The Shoe That Conquered Dry Land: A Brief History of the Boat Shoe
How a sole inspired by a dog’s paw went from racing decks to frat houses to the runway—and why it’s seaworthy again.
The Heirlooms of 2080 Are Being Made Today
Serpentine Jewels’ Ali Galgano explores how today’s jewelry becomes tomorrow’s heirlooms, examining why collectors are increasingly drawn to bespoke design, personal provenance, unusual gemstones and pieces built to endure.
Her Great-Grandfather Founded a Jewelry Dynasty. She’s Building Something It Never Had.
Haverhill Leach is a fifth-generation name and a first-generation jeweler, and the gap between those two things is her whole story.
From Newport to Watch Hill: How Rhode Island Perfected the Art of Summering
Rhode Island’s seaside towns have spent generations turning a seasonal escape into a full-fledged way of life.
Interviews
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Anne and Arthur Goldstein Reflect On the Responsibility of the Collector
The couple recently donated 70 artworks to the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University in New Jersey, bringing the total number of works they have given to the institution to 160.
Leslie Lewis Sigler On Turning Heirlooms into Portraits of a Life
She treats each object in her paintings not as a mere item but as a human-like individual with its own story and thoughts.
In Liang Fu’s Latest Work, a Vision of Humanity Touched by Relentless Entropy
“The human condition is still the main topic of my observation. It is about our living conditions today, which is something we cannot avoid, politically or geologically.”
Liwei Liao Creates a Tasting Menu of His Own at The Butcher’s Counter
Dry-aged fish guru Liwei Liao has influenced how elite chefs all over the country serve seafood. Now Liao, who’s sold
At Chishuru, Adejoké Bakare Is Cooking West African Cuisine on Her Own Terms
The chef behind Chishuru is expanding London’s idea of fine dining with a menu rooted in Nigeria, Ghana and the broader West African culinary canon.
Power Lists
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Observer’s 2026 A.I. Power Index: Who Controls the Capital Flow in A.I
Power in artificial intelligence no longer moves through the channels everyone learned to watch.
Observer New Media Power List: Call for Submissions
Nominations are open for Observer’s 2026 New Media Power List
The 50 Most Powerful PR Firms of 2026
This year’s honorees are emblematic of a notable shift in public relations from responsive publicity to proactive leadership in the moments that matter most.
Wall-to-Wall Cultural Capital: Inside Observer’s Art Power Index Party
Under the dim lights of the Lower East Side’s Maison Nur, art world luminaries gathered to celebrate Observer’s Art Power Index—and each other. From the impassioned speeches to the sharp tailoring and Damien Hirst over the bar, the evening embodied our legacy of chronicling power with style.
2025 Nightlife & Dining Power Index
Humanity is still the most vital ingredient in hospitality, and that isn’t changing anytime soon.
Latest
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A Daring Antonello da Messina Heist Raises New Questions About Museum Security
The lightning-fast theft at MuMe in Messina targeted rare works by the artist, raising new questions about museum security as art values become increasingly visible.
Why Collectors Gift Significant Artworks to University Art Museums
A growing number of collectors are gifting significant works of art to college and university museums, and for good reason.
Author Lori Gold’s Favorite Novels to Read When Contemplating the Road Not Taken
Through very different lenses, these books examine the allure of what might have been.
Safeguarding Cultural Heritage Through the Largest Art and Collectibles Transfer in History
Amidst the Great Wealth Transfer, assets of every kind, including art and collectibles, are changing hands. Private Client Select Insurance Services associate specialist of art services Maeve Zimmerman looks at how collectors can ensure that objects of cultural importance are preserved for future generations.
In the Agentic A.I. Era, Data Control Becomes a Product Advantage
Liquid AI’s Jeffrey Li unpacks why data control will become a defining competitive advantage as A.I. agents become more proactive and personalized. Li makes the case for treating data architecture as a core product decision, not an afterthought to privacy or compliance.
One Fine Show: The Holy See’s “The Ear is the Eye of the Soul” at Giardino Mistico
The exhibition is a sonic prayer organized around Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), presented by the Holy See and curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers.
The Legacy Brands Proving American Fashion Is Still a Family Business
As American fashion grows up, these eight companies show how ownership passes to the next generation after a label becomes a global business.
The Continuing Reinvention of Willem de Kooning
“Willem de Kooning Drawing” at the Art Institute of Chicago reveals the artist as a master draftsman across seven decades of work.
Nine Dynastic Sagas That Consider the Architecture of Inherited Power
Spanning Renaissance Florence, Jackie Onassis’s Manhattan and 1990s Morocco, these titles trace what happens when wealth and legacy become inseparable.
Basket Case: How the Nantucket Lightship Bag Became the Ultimate Island Status Symbol
Once an if-you-know-you-know accessory, the Nantucket lightship bag is now caught up in a broader clash over influencers, old money and island authenticity.
Art, Death and Taxes: What Collectors Need to Know About Creating a Legacy That Lasts
Without a will or a plan, even a museum-quality collection can become kindling for tax fires and family feuds.
With an Inherited Watch Collection, Doing Less Is the Smartest Move
Inherited collections are one of the places where historically or horologically significant watches tend to surface, according to specialists from Sotheby’s and Phillips, making due diligence vital.