Will Arnett and Andra Day On Midlife Reckonings and Movies Without Villains
According to Arnett, his character’s breakthrough in ‘Is This Thing On?’ has nothing to do with comedy and everything to do with finding his voice.
What It Really Takes to Build Staying Power in New York’s Frenetic Food Scene
Under chef and co-owner Kelly Mencin’s leadership, Radio Bakery has become one of New York City’s most talked-about neighborhood bakeries, known for its season creativity, savory-sweet laminated doughs and community-first approach to growth. In this Expert Insights Q&A, Mencin draws on her classical training and global bakery influences to unpack the business realities behind Radio’s cult following, from sustaining demand in a trend-saturated food scene to balancing consistency with innovation at scale. She explores why systems matter as much as creativity, how leadership sets the tone in high-pressure environments and what it takes to build a bakery brand that endures beyond the hype cycle.
Four Trends in Art Buying That Dominated 2025
Editions and drawings are gaining in popularity, particularly with collectors who want to access established and blue-chip names otherwise out of reach.
Art
See AllThe Defining Art World Moments of 2025, According to the Art Daddy
Whatever comes next will demand sharper vision, real accountability and far less tolerance for business as usual.
Lina Ghotmeh Is Reimagining Cultural Architecture for a Connected World
In this Q&A, architect Lina Ghotmeh discusses how she’s reimagining the role of museums and cultural institutions through projects like the AlUla Contemporary Arts Museum, the British Museum’s Western Range and the Jadids’ Legacy Museum in Uzbekistan. She explains why art spaces must evolve into living ecosystems that reflect place, context and collective memory, and how her “archaeology of the future” approach bridges past and present to create architecture that is grounded and deeply connected to its surroundings.
Clare McAndrew On Why the Art Market’s Future Lies Beyond the $10 Million Sale
In this Q&A, Arts Economics founder Clare McAndrew explains why confidence is the art market’s most valuable currency, how generational and geographic shifts are redistributing power and why the next phase of growth will depend on transparency, diversification and redefining what counts as “art” in an expanding global economy.
The Most Anticipated Art Museum Openings and Expansions of 2026
From the launch of Refik Anadol’s DATALAND to the re-opening of Mexico City’s Museo Dolores Olmedo, there’s a lot to look forward to.
Zoë Buckman’s Intimate Embroideries Claim Space for Memory, Grief and Jewish Identity
Her works are made on repurposed textiles: bed sheets and tablecloths, often passed down through generations. “They all already hold stories, carry memories and revive the legacy of other women for me,” the artist told Observer.
Lifestyle
See AllThe Best Men’s Winter Jackets For Real Life, Not Just the Lookbook
From sharp wool overcoats to serious down puffers, these winter jackets are designed to stay comfortable indoors and out—without looking like a walking sleeping bag.
The Most Noteworthy L.A. Bar Openings of 2025
Whether you’re looking to sip a refreshing spritz in an upscale speakeasy by chef Evan Funke or dance the night away during a vinyl night in Virgil Village, these are the best L.A. bar openings of 2025.
The Best Base Layers for Guys Who Hate Being Cold
These are the first-on pieces that actually keep you warm, dry and ready to take on the coldest of winter days.
The Most Ambitious Hotels to Open Around the World in 2025
This year’s boldest new hotels are portals to experiences you’ll bore your friends talking about for decades.
Art as Infrastructure: How Cultural Programming Is Redefining Luxury Hospitality
Jennifer Findley, an international art advisor and founder of the JFiN Collective, has built a career at the intersection of curatorial rigor, market strategy and cultural stewardship. As Oram Hotels’ newly appointed Director of Arts & Culture, she brings that perspective directly into hospitality development. In this Expert Insights Q&A, Findley joins Oram Hotels co-founder Kevin Mansour—whose real estate and investment expertise has shaped the group’s Southern California portfolio—to examine how embedding artists, institutions and cultural process into hotels from the earliest stages is redefining brand value, guest engagement and long-term asset identity. Together, they explore why art, when treated as infrastructure rather than ornament, can fundamentally reshape what hospitality delivers.
Culture
See AllHow Kay Matschullat’s MAX Is Rewriting the Language of Performance in the Age of Techno Art
In her transdisciplinary Media Art Xploration series, science provides the data that art transforms into sensory and emotional experiences.
The Best Documentaries of 2025
It was a year of riches—theatrically, on streaming and awaiting distribution.
REDCAT’s 22nd NOW Festival Showcased the Breadth of L.A.’s Performance Art Scene
Performance art has a distinct urgency in Los Angeles, a city that is in a perpetual state of rehearsal.
Observer’s Guide to the Best Dance Coming to New York City This Winter
The coming months are jam-packed with fascinating festivals, classical ballets and international performances.
Old French Bores: Molière Is Blasphemed in This Tin-Eared ‘Tartuffe’
What a misguided affair from such an accomplished team.
Business
See AllMacKenzie Scott Gave Away $7.2B in 2025—Here’s Who Benefited Most
From HBCUs to climate action, MacKenzie Scott’s 2025 giving reflects a fast-growing, no-strings approach to philanthropy.
The Most Important Media Deals of Q4 2025: Apple, Netflix, Meta, Disney
Streaming, AI, sports, and news drove a wave of major media deals in late 2025. Here’s what companies like Disney and Apple are betting on.
The Payments You Don’t See: How Invisible Fintech Is Powering Your Favorite Apps
Alpesh Patel, strategic partnership director at Cartex and a veteran of the global payments industry, unpacks how invisible fintech is reshaping conversion, reliability and revenue across modern apps. With embedded payments now extending far beyond fintech into marketplaces, media and mobility, Patel explains why every company is becoming a payments company, and what it takes to get the infrastructure right.
8 Startups Sam Altman Invested in Outside OpenAI in 2025
From nuclear fusion and biosecurity to delivery robots and online college, here’s a detailed look at Sam Altman’s startup investments in 2025.
As Women Lean Out of Corporate, Many Are Finding Success as Entrepreneurs
New research suggests women aren’t losing ambition—they’re building it outside traditional corporate structures.
Art Market
See AllA Calibrated Market: How 2025 Shaped the Landscape for Collectors in 2026
Megan Fox Kelly, a leading professional art advisor, examines the divergent signals that defined the art market in 2025, from billion-dollar auction weeks in New York to the disciplined confidence seen in Paris. Fox Kelly explains why the year was not a downturn but a recalibration. She argues that the opportunities for 2026 lie in embracing quality, clarity of purpose and a more strategic, connoisseur-driven approach to collecting.
Why Most Art Galleries Don’t Offer Discounts
Price reductions generally happen behind closed doors, where private negotiations maintain the illusion of market consistency.
Lalannes Fever and the Global Demand for Design
Unlike highly choreographed fine art auctions, the results of the design sales are organic, not engineered through guarantees, irrevocable bids or elaborate staging.
Christie’s and Sotheby’s Close 2025 With a Market Rebound Fueled by Luxury and New Buyers
Year-end results show rising sales, stronger sell-through rates and growing momentum in categories that suggest a shift in who is sustaining the market and how.
What Zero 10 Can Tell Us About the Art World’s Next Chapter
The digital section artists arrived at Art Basel with their legitimacy already established through peer-to-peer platforms, tools and communities native to the scene.
Art Reviews
See AllOne Fine Show: “Henri Rousseau, A Painter’s Secrets” at the Barnes Foundation
The show provides an authoritative introduction to the artist for those unfamiliar with his unique career.
10 New York Museum Shows Worth Slowing Down for Over the Holidays
After Miami and before the new year, the art world calendar briefly loosens its grip, creating a rare pause that invites unhurried engagement with New York’s most compelling museum exhibitions.
Don’t Miss: Tatiana Trouvé’s Maps of Memory and Collapse at Palazzo Grassi
Her work, through its sustained engagement with memory and the possibilities of the future, stands as a testament to the enduring human urge to resist erasure.
Emilija Škarnulytė’s Future Archeology Dazzles at Tate St Ives
Works across the show invite viewers into ritualistic and speculative encounters with posthuman possibilities and forgotten pasts.
Don’t Miss: Bagus Pandega’s Living Laboratory of Extraction
In work that melds the natural with the technological, he foregrounds entanglements shaped by looping currents of life, depletion and reciprocity.
Luxury Travel
See AllInside Alexandra Champalimaud’s Haute Holiday Wishlist
The acclaimed designer shares her most-wanted gifts, from pilates to piano lessons.
The 10 Most Remarkable U.S. Hotel Openings of 2025
From Big Sky to the Gulf Coast, this new wave of U.S. hotel openings pairs ambitious architecture and local storytelling with the kind of programming that makes the stay as compelling as the destination.
The Best Do-Nothing Winter Hotels for People Who Want to Stay in This Season
These cozy luxury winter hotels turn staying in into the main event, with serious bathtubs, fireplaces and on-site dining that make leaving the property strictly optional.
Inside the New Après-Ski Era of Design-Forward Alpine Escapes
Across the Alps, Rockies, high Arctic and more, a new wave of mountain retreats treats après-ski as a full reset, pairing sharp architecture with hydrotherapy, serious kitchens and winter spaces engineered for deep recovery after the day in the cold.
2025 Nightlife & Dining Power Index
Humanity is still the most vital ingredient in hospitality, and that isn’t changing anytime soon.
Nightlife & Dining
See AllThe Most Over-the-Top Experience Gifts That Go Beyond the Expected
From private safaris and Formula 1 weekends to pasta classes and murder mysteries, these are the lavish experiences worth gifting this holiday season.
Marea Is Ready for Pasta-Powered Post-Powder Evenings at The Snow Lodge
Marea arrives at The Snow Lodge with hearty pastas and a relaxed take on après-ski luxury.
The 10 Most Exciting Restaurant Openings to Check Out in New York this December
A famed French bakery, a Los Angeles doughnut shop, and much more to round out the year.
The Winter Food Destinations Worth the Journey
These eight cities deliver experiences that only exist this time of year.
5 Matcha Pop-Ups That Are Actually Worth the Trip
These five pop-ups focus on serious matcha, thoughtful menus and experiences worth driving a little out of the way.
Style
See AllA Collector’s Edit of Covetable Luxury Gifts
The common thread? Uncompromising craftsmanship and enduring style.
Jet Set: Last-Minute Travel Gifts That Are Still Thoughtful
From airport lounge access to carry-ons and tech upgrades, these fast-shipping picks save the season without looking rushed.
The Puffer Jackets That Don’t Make Winter Feel Like a Chore
Proof that staying warm doesn’t require surrendering your dignity to a frumpy coat.
The End of Commodity Piercing and the Rise of the Experience Economy
Studs co-founder and CEO Anna Harman has spent the past decade building and scaling consumer businesses at the intersection of operations, technology and omnichannel retail. In this Expert Insights Q&A, Harman examines what Claire’s bankruptcy reveals about the state of the commercial jewelry industry, and why piercing is no longer a commoditized service, but an experience-driven category shaped by trust, education and self-expression. Harman explains how Studs is redefining piercing for Gen Z and millennials, and why the brands that win next will be the ones that invest in expertise, consistency and meaningful consumer connection.
37 Extraordinary Gifts for Discerning Young Minds
Because finding gifts that spark imagination instead of noise complaints can feel like panning for gold in a sea of discarded Happy Meal trinkets.
Theater
See AllReview: Michelle Williams Navigates Choppy Waters in ‘Anna Christie’
This production leans heavily on Williams to humanize a century-old script whose language can feel insistently blunt.
Elia Arce’s ‘No Time to Mourn (An Excerpt)’ Is a Monument to Grief
The piece’s enculturation rests on a certainty in its own semiotics—a stalwart belief that no matter the audience, grieving should be collective, not singular.
Review: ‘Marjorie Prime’ Tracks the Ghost in the Machine of Artificial Intelligence
As humans are periodically replaced by eager and curious Primes, the audience tumbles headlong into the uncanny valley.
Isaac Mizrahi On the Enduring Charm of “Peter & the Wolf”
“We love reactions from children. I mean, children just say things. In the times when you can actually hear a pin drop, some kid will scream out, ‘No, don’t do it!’ It’s the greatest thing in the world,” he told Observer.
The Broadway Musical Isn’t Dying—It’s Just Changing Keys
Heather A. Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing, examines why the recurring narrative that “the Broadway musical is in trouble” misses the larger transformation underway. Drawing on three decades in performing arts administration—including stewardship of the Tony Awards and major grantmaking, educational and artist-development programs—Hitchens argues that Broadway isn’t facing an artistic decline but a structural evolution, even as its financial model strains to keep pace.
Opera
See AllThe Met’s Crowd-Pleasing ‘Andrea Chénier’ Is Marred By Miscast Lovers
The opera house’s current revival, its first in nearly a dozen years, features an attractive, HD-ready cast that only sporadically rises to the occasion.
Amid Governmental Interference, Opera at the Kennedy Center is Flourishing—for the Moment
In times of crisis, the art form remains a powerful medium for connection.
Opera Traditionalists Will Adore the Met’s Opulent 1980s ‘Arabella’
Sopranos Rachel Willis-Sørensen and Louise Alder find their “Right Ones” in Strauss’s winning comedy.
Bartlett Sher On Theater as a Catalyst for Change
Known for his politically attuned revivals, the director once again uses the stage to question art’s power in moments of moral and social crisis.
Doubt, Faith and the Creative Odyssey Behind Sarah Kirkland Snider’s “Hildegard”
Produced in collaboration with Beth Morrison and directed by Elkhanah Pulitzer, the work bridges sacred tradition and modern experimentation.
Dance
See AllHans van Manen Remembers Photographer Erwin Olaf
“The last time I saw him, he had so many ideas—some serious and some scandalous—and he shared them from his hospital bed. It was deeply moving,” he told Observer.
Why Hofesh Shechter’s ‘Theatre of Dreams’ Is Such a Surreal Escape
The work pushes audiences into a world where choreography, sound and light blur the boundaries between conscious experience and the subconscious.
Fall at Paul Taylor Dance Company: ADHD, Love and Jazz
For the first time in its 71-year history, the Company has two resident choreographers, both presenting world premieres.
Shen Wei On “STILL / MOVING” and Finding Harmony Across Disciplines
A new dual-venue exhibition traces nearly three decades of artistic evolution, from early experiments in gesture to meditative explorations of form and balance.
At 85 Years Old, American Ballet Theatre Has Never Looked Better
ABT’s latest season brings 15 ballets to the stage, including a world premiere, several company premieres and a well-curated sampling of its expansive repertory from the past 85 years.
Tech
See AllMeet the Power Couple Behind Kim Kardashian’s $5B Skims
The husband-and-wife team has rewritten how celebrity fashion brands are built, operated and sustained.
Ending Healthcare’s A.I. Arms Race Before It Breaks the System
Dr. Peter Churgin, a physician and early pioneer in electronic medical records, examines the growing A.I. arms race between healthcare payers and providers, and why it threatens to deepen burnout, erode access and destabilize already fragile institutions. Drawing on decades of clinical practice, health system consulting and experience navigating billing complexity, Churgin argues that automated coding tools are a necessary response to a reimbursement system that has grown too complex. Without shared standards and regulatory modernization, he warns, A.I. risks becoming another front in a system-wide standoff, rather than a path toward clarity, fairness and patient-centered care.
Why Ford’s Electric F-150 Never Took Off
After years of bold EV promises, Ford is retreating from the F-150 Lightning and rewriting its electric future.
A.I. Is Overhyped Yet Underappreciated, Says DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis
Demis Hassabis warns of hype in A.I. startup valuations while arguing the technology’s long-term impact is still underestimated.
How A.I. Is Reshaping Consulting From the Bottom Up
As A.I. takes over analysis and research, consulting firms are being pushed to abandon billable hours and reinvent their value proposition.
Finance
See AllNostalgia Is Not a Strategy: Rethinking Competitiveness in 2026
Stéphane Garelli, Professor Emeritus at IMD and the University of Lausanne and founder of the World Competitiveness Center, examines how four decades of globalization have given way to a more fragmented, politicized world economy. Drawing on his experience at the World Economic Forum and decades of research on national and corporate competitiveness, Garelli argues that nostalgia for the past is not a strategy, and that diversification, resilience, reliability and pricing power will define which companies succeed in 2026.
Nike CEO Elliot Hill’s Turnaround Plan Hits a Roadblock In China
CEO Elliott Hill’s comeback strategy is gaining traction in key markets, but China remains a stubborn challenge.
TikTok Reaches Deal With US Investors: Here’s Who Owns What
A new deal would give U.S. investors control of TikTok’s American business, easing long-running concerns over data security and Chinese ownership.
Medline’s Blockbuster IPO Signals a Comeback for Public Offerings
A $6.3 billion Medline IPO, rising deal totals and looming tech listings are reshaping expectations for global markets.
Ray Dalio Joins Billionaires Funding ‘Trump Accounts’ for Children
Trump accounts are drawing major philanthropic backing, even as critics question their necessity.
Media
See AllWhen Philanthropy Loses Trust, Design Becomes Civic Infrastructure
Jessie McGuire, managing partner at Thought Matter, examines philanthropy’s growing crisis of public trust, arguing that transparency alone is no longer enough. McGuire argues that philanthropy must rethink design as a form of civic infrastructure, one that makes power visible, redistributes authorship and restores legitimacy in an era of deep skepticism.
Remembering the Founder of The New York Observer
Arthur Carter was devoted to quality, and he cared more about writers than their editorial opinions.
Why California’s Future as a Creative Capital Depends on Commercial Production
Darren Foldes, Emmy-winning producer and partner at the commercial production company Sibling Rivalry, examines why California’s decision to expand tax credits for film and television while excluding commercial production represents a critical gap in the state’s creative strategy. Foldes argues that commercial advertising is a fast-moving economic engine that employs thousands of Californians, and that without targeted incentives, the state risks losing a foundational part of its creative ecosystem to competing markets.
11 Executives Steering Warner Bros. Discovery’s Crown Jewel Media Assets
From Warner Bros. Pictures to DC Studios, these executives shape WBD’s future.
David Ellison’s Case for Paramount to Own Warner Bros. Discovery
The media heir says a Paramount takeover offers a more competitive future for streaming, theatrical releases and the broader entertainment industry.
Power Lists
See All2025 Nightlife & Dining Power Index
Humanity is still the most vital ingredient in hospitality, and that isn’t changing anytime soon.
Observer’s 2025 Art Power Index: The Art Market’s Most Influential People
Their acquisitions, affinities and approbations move the needle on valuation and redefine how art is made, shown and sold.
100 Leaders Shaping the Future of Artificial Intelligence
They write the script that the rest of us follow.
Latest
All LatestThe Year in Museums: A Relatively Bleak 12 Months With a Few Bright Spots
Maxwell L. Anderson, president of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation and former director of the Dallas Art Museum, worries that the current political climate will affect the policies and actions of institutions “for years to come.”
Oslo Museums Face the Contradictions in their Collections
Curating should be an adaptive process rather than a thesis to prove, Solveig Øvstebø, director of the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, tells Observer.
5 Days of Art in Hong Kong: Ancient History, Contemporary Culture and Endless Contrasts
Art in Hong Kong is everywhere, folded into daily life, not only in museums but also in hotels, on streets, in parks and in unexpected corners.
11 Essential Books Overlooked by the Literary Canon
Let’s give these landmark texts the recognition they deserve.
FIFA’s Plan for Affordable World Cup Tickets Fails to Calm Fans
FIFA introduces limited $60 tickets for the 2026 World Cup, but supporters say soaring prices still shut out most fans.
A Tribute to Luigi Bonotto, the Visionary Fluxus Patron Who Merged Art, Life and Industry
Bonotto believed strongly that “technique is essential, but technique without culture is empty.”
Museum of Tomorrow’s Fábio Scarano On Rethinking Science Through Art and Redefining Institutional Purpose
“Our job is to create experiences that make people ask new questions,” the curator tells Observer.
From Oil Reserves to Data Control: The Rise of Digital Self-Reliance
Yousef Khalili, global chief transformation officer and CEO for the Middle East and Africa at Quant, examines how digital self-reliance has emerged as the defining strategic asset of the 21st century. Khalili argues that data, cloud infrastructure and A.I. have replaced oil as the foundation of geopolitical power. As nations move to reclaim sovereignty over their digital systems, he explores why resilience and autonomy are now shaping the future of global technology and economic influence.
Wes Anderson Recreates Joseph Cornell’s Utopia Parkway Studio in Paris
A Gagosian installation translates Cornell’s secluded, obsessive working habits into a street-level experience that echoes the logic and poetry of his shadowboxes.
At the Bass in Miami, Lawrence Lek’s Odyssey for an Era Shaped by A.I.
The artist’s sentient autonomous cars are endowed with intelligence but stripped of agency, drifting through a ruined society in the throes of burnout, anxiety and existential dislocation.
The Global Branding Trap CEOs Keep Falling Into
Geoff Cook, a partner at Base Design and the creative mind behind branding work for MoMA QNS, MILK, NeueHouse, JFK Terminal 4 and other cultural landmarks, examines why global brands continue to stumble when they rely too heavily on A.I.-driven, centralized strategy. Cook argues that even in an A.I.-accelerated world, success still depends on local insight, lived experience and teams empowered to act within their own markets.
Confidential A.I. and the Trust Gap Holding Back the Next Phase of Adoption
Ahmad Shadid, founder of O.XYZ, examines why trust has become the defining constraint on A.I. adoption. Shadid argues that Confidential A.I. represents a foundational shift: a trust layer that allows sensitive data to be used without being exposed. As enterprises, governments, and regulated industries weigh whether A.I. can truly scale, he makes the case that 2026 will mark the moment when confidence, not compute, determines who moves forward.
Ken Griffin Offers $10M in Perks to Steer Citadel Employees Into Philanthropy
Ken Griffin is backing a Citadel program that encourages employees to join nonprofit boards and support civic leadership.
Joseph Wright of Derby’s Theater of Enlightenment at London’s National Gallery
The exhibition focuses on the period when the artist used concentrated sources of light to create atmosphere and build anticipation.
How David Hockney Turned His Style Into a Living Masterpiece
From polka-dot hats and seersucker suits to the lime cardigans of his iPad years, David Hockney has represented a radical style evolution.
The 2026 Whitney Biennial Aims to Map a New Geography of American Art in ‘a Moment of Profound Transition’
The chosen artists are “intergenerational and international, reflecting the many ways artists remain interconnected through their practices despite geographic distance,” co-director Marcela Guerrero told Observer.
This Startup Backed By OpenAI and the Jobs Family Is the Latest A.I. Drug Discovery Unicorn
Chai Discovery more than doubled its valuation to $1.3 billion after raising $130 million to advance A.I.-powered drug development.
Built by and for People With Paralysis, This ALS Tech Gives A.I. a Human Voice
An A.I.-powered avatar platform aims to restore speech, identity and dignity for people living with ALS and paralysis.