2026 Met Gala theme revealed, with Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams to co-host. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has unveiled the concept for its 2026 Met Gala, revealing that this year's May 4 fundraiser will center on the theme "Fashion Is Art." The 2026 gala will be led by an impressive group of co-chairs: Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and longtime event architect Anna Wintour. Beyoncé's involvement marks her return to the benefit after a decade. Philanthropists Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez will sponsor both the gala and the exhibition and serve as honorary chairs. In addition, the host committee will feature a lineup of style-savvy names, including Zoë Kravitz, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Teyana Taylor, Misty Copeland, and Lena Dunham, among others. Vogue's Chloe Malle will take on official hosting duties as a member of the 2026 host committee, joining Wintour on the Met steps. The annual event will raise funds for the Costume Institute and celebrate its upcoming spring exhibition, Costume Art, while also debuting The Met's newly built, nearly 12,000-square-foot gallery space located beside the Great Hall. The exhibition will be open to the public from May 10 through Jan. 10 and marks the Costume Institute's first presentation in the Condé M. Nast Galleries. Andrew Bolton, the curator in charge of the Costume Institute, shared insight into the vision behind the show. "For The Costume Institute's inaugural exhibition in the Condé M. Nast Galleries, I wanted to focus on the centrality of the dressed body within the Museum, connecting artistic representations of the body with fashion as an embodied art form. Rather than prioritizing fashion's visuality, which often comes at the expense of the corporeal, Costume Art privileges its materiality and the indivisible connection between our bodies and the clothes we wear. The opening of the new Galleries will mark a pivotal moment for the department, one that acknowledges the critical role that fashion plays not only within art history but also within contemporary culture. I am grateful to Max for his support and to the generous donors to the Galleries for their belief in fashion's transformative possibilities." In keeping with the exhibition's concept, the evening's dress code - also titled "Fashion Is Art" - invites attendees to think of their bodies as a creative canvas and to explore the relationship between garment and form. Bolton previously noted that the idea reflects fashion's presence throughout the museum, linking every department through the concept of the dressed body. Although the Met Gala is known for its carefully defined themes, Wintour has previously shared that she rarely knows exactly what guests will wear until they arrive at the museum's iconic staircase - leaving plenty of room for surprise when fashion's biggest night unfolds. John doe. Share a little biographical information to fill out your profile. This may be shown publicly. Such a coffee drinker, a late night sleeper, or whatever sound clumsy. * March 13, 2026 5:00 am 50 Cent is expanding his entertainment career by joining the cast of The Fifth Wheel, an... * March 12, 2026 5:20 am Lionsgate is moving ahead with The Housemaid's Secret, the follow-up to its holiday thriller The Housemaid,... * March 12, 2026 5:20 am After years away, The Comeback is making its return to HBO - with the revival marking... * March 11, 2026 5:00 am Kanye West is preparing for a major return to the U.S. stage with a newly announced...

The Met and Lego reimagine Monet's Water Lilies as a 3,179-brick art set. Now's your chance to hang a Lego version of "Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies" on your wall. * The Metropolitan Museum of Art's latest brand collaboration is a Claude Monet Lego set. * The $249.99 kit recreates Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies using 3,179 interlocking plastic bricks. * The museum hopes to teach Lego fans about the artist, and is launching an accompanying podcast starring curator Alison Hokanson. New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art is teaming up with Lego on the latest entry in the Danish toy company's Lego Art sets, featuring Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies, the 1889 masterpiece by French Impressionist Claude Monet. The best of artnet news in your inbox. "They really set themselves up for a challenge, because there's aspects of the Impressionist technique that don't necessarily lend themselves to being translated into small Lego pieces," said Alison Hokanson, a European paintings curator at the Met who specializes in 19th- and early 20th-century central and Northern European art. She was blown away by the final product, which faithfully translates Monet's vision in Lego form. The kit, which will go on sale March 4, features an intimidating 3,179 pieces, and is priced at $249.99 - the most expensive entry in the series to date. The Lego art series kicked off in 2020 with a Lego copy of the famed Andy Warhol Marilyn Monroe silkscreen, and also includes a version of Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers, designed in collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. This is Lego's first official Monet offering, although the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, a noted Lego enthusiast, previously recreated the artist's monumental Water Lilies triptych entirely out of Lego, using an astonishing 650,000-plus pieces. The toy company and the Met worked together to pick a fan favorite work from the collection that would delight art lovers and Lego enthusiasts alike when translated into the interlocking plastic brick system. Coming up with the final product was a complicated process that took over a year. Lego designers visited the museum to see the original in person, rather than having to rely on reproductions, and Met staffers traveled to Denmark to review different drafts. "The team meticulously created a tactile 3D surface by layering tiles and plates in both vertical and horizontal directions, mimicking the brushwork and carefully adapting Monet's subtle palette of hues within Lego's signature color options," Lego designer Stijn Oom said in a statement. "Reimagining the nuance of the original work in Lego bricks required certain elements of the work to be abstracted, all while preserving essential details of the composition to evoke Monet's signature artistic style, he added. "The build transforms with viewing distance: individual pixels and textures are visible up close, resolving into a peaceful Impressionist landscape from afar, mirroring the nature of Monet's later works." Hokanson was particularly impressed with the unusual Lego parts that were repurposed in the set, including tiny cherry pairs and whimsical frog elements that form part of the painting's lily pads. "I think it's a nice reference not only to this association that we have with frogs and ponds, but also to Monet's early work," she said. "Some of his most famous early, Impressionist works are of La Grenouillère, which is literally the frog pool." The Met hopes the Lego set will boost its efforts to bring its collection to life for kids and families. It's meant to make the white cube, which might traditionally feel formal and unwelcoming, engaging, and also to teach Lego lovers a little bit about art history. The Met has included a booklet about Monet's life and career, and is releasing a podcast by Hokanson on March 1 that offers more information about the artist. Article topics

Hape and The Metropolitan Museum of Art unveil art-inspired toy collection at New York Toy Fair 2026. NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Following their initial collaboration announcement last year, Hape Toys and The Metropolitan Museum of Art today announced that they will unveil their highly anticipated Hape x The Met toy collection exclusively at New York Toy Fair 2026, taking place February 14 - 17, at Booth #635. The unique collaboration brings iconic works of art to life through beautifully crafted, developmentally rich toys designed for infants, toddlers, and young children. Drawing inspiration from The Met's world-renowned holdings, spanning 5,000 years of global art, the line transforms celebrated masterpieces into engaging play experiences that encourage curiosity, creativity, and early learning. The collection includes wooden puzzles, stacking and building toys, sensory play items, and imaginative blocks inspired by renowned artists and artistic traditions such as Hokusai, Klimt, Monet, and Van Gogh, with works spanning The Met collection of over 2 million works of art. "Last year, we shared our vision to merge art and early learning. This year, we are proud to see this creative concept and shared vision come to reality," said Peter Handstein, Founder and CEO of Hape. "This series reflects Hape's commitment to thoughtful design, sustainability, and child development, while introducing families to the wonder of art in a way that feels joyful, accessible, and meaningful from the very first years of life." Each product in the collection is designed in collaboration with early-childhood experts and features museum-inspired storytelling, encouraging children to explore color, form, movement, and imagination through hands-on play. Thoughtfully designed packaging further extends the experience by sharing the story behind the artwork that inspired each toy, turning every unboxing into a cultural discovery. "Welcoming families and inspiring the next generation of creators is central to The Met's mission," said Josh Romm, Head of Global Licensing and Partnerships at The Met. "Through our collaboration with Hape, we are extending the reach of our collection beyond the Museum's walls, transforming iconic works of art into playful, educational experiences that invite children to connect with creativity, history, and storytelling in their everyday lives." Attendees of New York Toy Fair are invited to preview the Hape x The Met collection at Booth #635 About Hape Hape is one of the world's largest manufacturers of high-quality, eco-friendly wooden toys. Hape's mission is to promote the development of young minds through playful, innovative toys designed to inspire creativity and learning. With a focus on sustainability and craftsmanship, Hape brings educational play to families worldwide. About The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870 by a group of American citizens, businessmen and financiers as well as leading artists and thinkers of the day, who wanted to create a museum to bring art and art education to the American people. Today, The Met displays tens of thousands of objects covering 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City, The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online. Since its founding, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum's galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures. SOURCE Hape Toys