Let me admit something: I am a grinch. The holiday season tends to make me melancholic. The pressure of buying gifts, the incessant Christmas music, and the red and green color scheme aren’t to my liking. However, I cherish the New Year. As a true Aries, I thrive on fresh starts and new beginnings. Growing up, I loved back-to-school shopping. What could be more hopeful than a blank notebook or a brand-new pink eraser?
In typical Aries fashion, I am driven by challenges, adventure, and the thrill of the unknown — a sentiment that is ever-present at Hyperallergic, where monotony is a rarity. Certainly, 2025 was marked by hardship. Those with the least continued to bear the brunt of suffering. Yet, the stories I proudly contributed to this year were unwavering in their pursuit of justice and in amplifying voices that mainstream art media often overlooks.
Today, as we look forward to the future, I want to reflect on the work that motivated me throughout the year. Staff Writer Isa Farfan’s deeply personal piece on figure-drawing models and their quest for acknowledgment exemplifies the essence of Hyperallergic: an in-depth exploration of an often-neglected community within our field. Farfan also covered artist recipients of DACA, reported on a canceled show following President Trump’s DEI ban, and persistently documented the administration’s cultural attacks. Rhea Nayyar’s on-the-ground reporting from Thomas J. Price’s new Times Square sculpture showcased the unique impact of experiencing public art firsthand, beyond online discourse.
I must also acknowledge former Staff Writer Maya Pontone for her insightful pieces on the ramifications of visa denials for artist residencies and her coverage of NYC nonprofits like Art in General and the Henry Street Settlement. The year commenced with devastating fires across Los Angeles County, which displaced thousands. Hyperallergic’s LA Correspondent Matt Stromberg captured the extent of this tragedy, interviewing affected artists and highlighting the destruction of cultural hubs like Altadena. One standout story by Stromberg focused on Jorge Cruz, a street vendor and frequent presence at art events, who was unjustly detained by ICE despite holding a green card.
Over the past year, we published stories that challenged norms and called for accountability from institutions and influential figures. These included La Tanya S. Autry’s reflections on the museum display of the gun that killed Emmett Till, Sarah Bond’s critique of the exclusion of queer history from Elon Musk’s narratives on antiquity, and Adam Broomberg’s critique of Documenta’s artistic freedom. Laurie Gwen Shapiro’s piece on an Eva Hesse painting found at a Goodwill auction and Zoë Lescaze’s tribute to Jackie Ferrara remain memorable.
I’m proud of my contributions and grateful for Hyperallergic’s platform, which allowed me to voice opinions on AI art’s lack of soul and Beeple’s Miami spectacle distracting from soulless technologies. I reported on threats to Indigenous heritage by Alligator Alcatraz and the effort to save a David Wojnarowicz mural in Kentucky. I explored Carla Stellweg’s legacy in Latin American Art and interviewed Tamara Lanier on her landmark win against Harvard University regarding her ancestors’ daguerreotypes. Today, I collaborated with Farfan and Nayyar on a piece about the year’s significant museum acquisitions, available below.
What unifies these stories is their commitment to a just and fair world, enabled by our independence as a publication. Being independent means reporting without external pressure or influence, allowing us to expose issues that others might overlook.
Thank you for your readership, and from one energetic Aries to another, Happy New Year!
— Valentina Di Liscia, senior editor
