Joni Mitchell to publish NEWS, a book of 23 political paintings, on 3 November

Joni Mitchell will publish NEWS, a book of 23 of her political paintings, on 3 November 2026. A related exhibition is due at Los Angeles Louver in Venice, California, on 29 and 30 October, according to Consequence, which credits Rolling Stone for the gallery details.

Consequence reports that the book's publicity material describes the works as Mitchell's response to the world as she sees it now. The paintings take aim at the 24-hour news cycle, power, politics and global turbulence, and the source says they include slogans and song lyrics. The book can be pre-ordered, and a limited run of signed editions is being sold through Mitchell's own website and her publisher's.

A protest song for the eyes

Mitchell's own framing, printed on the back cover as quoted by Consequence, is musical. She calls NEWS her protest song, one aimed at the eyes rather than the ears. She places it in a line of artists who answered political violence with satire or protest, citing Picasso's Guernica, Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator and Mel Brooks's The Producers.

She also links the book to an earlier body of work. By her account, she made a series of political paintings during George W. Bush's presidency and after the attacks on New York's Twin Towers, and she felt the present climate called for the same. In her words, speaking up is an artist's duty.

The retirement remark

The back-cover text also says Mitchell has "retired from music" to pursue what she calls her first love, painting. The source offers no detail on what that means in practice, such as whether it covers recording, live performance or both, or whether it is permanent. The statement is hers and has not been independently elaborated, so it is best read as her own description of where her energies are going.

Painting is not a new departure for her. Consequence notes that although she is best known as a folk singer, she has long painted, and she released a collection, Morning Glory on the Vine, in 2019.

The book follows her announcement on 13 October that she had become a US citizen, which she described as the end of a journey that began 62 years ago.

What UK readers should know

The exhibition is in California, and the signed editions and pre-order routes described by Consequence are tied to Mitchell's and her publisher's websites. The source does not say how NEWS will be distributed or priced in the UK, so British availability is unconfirmed. No UK exhibition has been announced.