Hotel and art hub Casabianca opens on Italy's Lake Como

The De Santis family, accomplished hoteliers on Lake Como, has opened Casabianca, a new hotel and art hub in a 1930 villa designed by Piero Ponci. The property features three apartment-style suites launching later this year, while its lower floors are already open to the public for €15, displaying around 50 works from the family's collection of post-war Italian art, including pieces by Arte Povera artists such as Alighiero Boetti, Mario Merz, and Jannis Kounellis. The venture is the latest in a series of heritage hotel restorations by the family, who previously revived the Grand Hotel Tremezzo and Passalacqua.

DC Getaway: Exploring Toronto’s art scene, from galleries to murals

Toronto's visual arts landscape is highlighted as a premier destination for travelers, featuring a mix of massive institutional collections and specialized local galleries. Key attractions include the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), known for its vast natural history and ancient civilization galleries, and the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), which houses over 120,000 works ranging from Renaissance masterpieces to contemporary installations like Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room.

nyc apartment galleries

Across New York City, a growing number of artists and curators are turning their apartments into informal exhibition spaces, including Iowa in Crown Heights, Interrobang in Sunset Park, Drama in Bushwick, and Club Rhubarb near the Bowery. These home galleries, born from necessity and a rejection of the traditional art market, host shows in living rooms, kitchens, and stairwells, prioritizing intimacy and creative freedom over commercial viability. Antonia Oliver, founder of Iowa, describes her space as an "apartment gallery" that allows her to program without market pressures, exemplified by a recent performance piece by Anna Thérèse Witenberg.

What’s on now at San Francisco museums, May 2026

San Francisco museums are navigating a mix of upcoming exhibitions and financial challenges in May 2026. SFMOMA is closing "KAWS: Family" on May 3 and opening "Matisse’s Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal" from May 16 to September 13. The Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts has suspended operations due to funding issues, and SOMArts is also facing a budget gap. Meanwhile, the Museum of Craft and Design presents "Video Craft" through August 16, and the Letterform Archive hosts "Black Memory Scholar: The Language of Storytellers" and "Piet Zwart: Brand Architect." SFMOMA has announced three SECA award winners—CrossLypka, Em Kettner, and Chanell Stone—who will exhibit from December 2026 to May 2027, and the museum continues to showcase "Reimagined: The Fisher Collection at 10" and new installations by Alexander Calder, Claes Oldenburg + Coosje van Bruggen, and Rose B Simpson.

Where did the great artist Joseph Beuys live? The comic story by Gianluca Costantini

Dove viveva il grande artista Joseph Beuys? Il racconto a fumetti di Gianluca Costantini

In the summer of 2022, the author visited Düsseldorf and discovered that Joseph Beuys's former home at Drakeplatz 4 in Oberkassel was for sale, but the city's cultural department declined to purchase it. Beuys lived and worked there from 1961 until his death in 1986, using the space as both a residence and studio. The article recounts the intimate details of family life there, including how Beuys painted the main room white for his wife Eva's photography, and how the family navigated the blend of private life and artistic practice. Two years later, the Brunhilde Moll Foundation acquired the house and opened it to the public, though it was closed for renovations when the author returned. The house now displays about sixty works from Beuys's creative period and will host artist residencies and events.

elizabeth street garden mamdani reconsider demolition

For 12 years, a one-acre community garden in Manhattan's Nolita neighborhood, Elizabeth Street Garden, has been locked in a battle with New York City officials over plans to build affordable housing on the site. The city, under former Mayor Eric Adams, had scheduled an eviction for March 2024 to make way for Haven Garden, a 123-unit senior housing development. After a last-minute impasse, the Adams administration abandoned those plans in June, instead rezoning three nearby sites. However, newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who campaigned on closing the garden for housing, has revived uncertainty. Just before Mamdani took office, the Adams administration permanently dedicated the land as public parkland, requiring state legislative approval for any future development.

After 550 years, a fabric found in a Norwich bishop’s tomb is recreated

Fragments of silk from a ceremonial robe buried with Norwich Bishop Walter Lyhert in 1472 have been recreated after 550 years. The tiny pieces were discovered in 1899 during building works at Norwich Cathedral and have been on long-term loan to Norwich Castle. A project led by assistant curator Agata Gomolka used high-resolution photography, chemical fiber analysis, and dye testing by scientists at the British Museum and KIK-IRPA in Brussels to reconstruct the red and purple fabric. The recreated silk is now on display at Norwich Castle, and Norwich Cathedral plans to make ceremonial copes from it for use in services.

Cubitt Artists, ‘important’ London gallery and studio space, set to lose home of more than 25 years

Cubitt Artists, a non-profit gallery and studio space in central London that has operated for over 25 years, announced it will leave its current home in Islington this spring after its lease was not renewed. The artist-run cooperative, which houses 32 studios, is launching a fundraising campaign to find a new location and continue providing affordable studios, contemporary art programming, and opportunities for early-career artists and curators.

HOPE Outdoor Gallery Sets Opening Date

The HOPE Outdoor Gallery in Austin, Texas, will open its new purpose-built location at 741 Dalton Lane near the airport on November 28, following a six-year closure after its original site off Lamar Boulevard shut down. The 8-acre space, sponsored by the Nouns DAO Community, features over 30 street artists including Miles Starkey, Emily Ding, and Kimie Flores, and is designed as a free, accessible laboratory for both budding and established artists. The opening weekend includes a special limited-edition print by Shepard Fairey for the first 50 daily visitors.

Art, Music, and Poetry Converge at Rohmer Gallery

J.C. Hopkins and Linh Luu are opening Rohmer Gallery in Saugerties, New York, this month. The 500-square-foot space on Partition Street is inspired by the cross-disciplinary energy of the New York School of the 1950s and '60s, where poets, painters, and musicians like Frank O'Hara, Jackson Pollock, and John Cage influenced each other. The gallery's debut exhibition, “Look Again,” runs from June 14 to August 13 and features works by Andrea Olivia, Rina Kim, Oneslutriot, Hopkins, and ceramicist Robbie Ginsberg. In addition to visual art, the venue will host weekly acoustic performances, monthly poetry readings, and literary events tied to the couple's imprint, Eponymous Books.

Underground Railroad stop in New York threatened by real-estate development

A hidden chute within the Merchant's House Museum in Manhattan, identified as a rare surviving stop on the Underground Railroad, is threatened by a planned real-estate development next door. The two-foot-square vertical passage, concealed behind a built-in dresser, was built in 1832 by abolitionists Joseph and Susanna Brewster to shelter Black fugitives escaping slavery. The museum's western wall, which contains the hideaway, adjoins a one-story garage slated for demolition to make way for a commercial building, prompting the museum team to oppose the development due to risk of structural damage.

AlUla Arts Showcases More than 20 Artists at 61st Venice Biennale

A contemporary art fair called "This is Normal" has been held in Kyiv, Ukraine, during wartime, organized by the Art Kyiv fair. The event features over 20 Ukrainian artists and galleries at the Lavra Gallery, deliberately avoiding any direct reference to the war in its booths or artworks. Organizers and participants describe the fair as a space for cultural continuity and psychological respite, where art helps people make sense of a reality shaped by missile strikes and loss.

Blue Sky Gallery Celebrates 50 Years of Photography in Portland

Blue Sky Gallery, a cornerstone of Portland’s photography scene, is celebrating its 50th anniversary throughout 2025. Founded in 1975 by five artists who pooled their unemployment checks to open a tiny storefront, the non-profit collective has since showcased over 1,000 photographers and expanded into a major space in the city's Pearl District. The milestone year includes a series of decade-focused exhibitions and a rooftop gala to honor its history as one of the oldest artist-run photography galleries in the United States.

Sydney Fringe Festival launches 2025 program

Sydney Fringe Festival has announced its full 2025 program, featuring over 460 events and more than 2,900 artists across four precincts and ten festival hubs this September. Highlights include the immersive theatre experience 'When Night Comes' by Broad Encounters, internationally acclaimed shows by storytelling duo Wright & Grainger, the return of the Queer and First Nations Hubs, and the reopening of the Eternity Playhouse as the home of the Off Broadway Hub. The festival kicks off with a free street party at The Rocks on 4 September, and includes SIDESHOW performances, the Cabaret Hub at Marrickville Town Hall, and a new group exhibition by Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative.

Jordan Creek renewal project isolates downtown Springfield gallery

The Renew Jordan Creek revitalization project in downtown Springfield has severely impacted Fresh Gallery, an award-winning local art space. Extensive road closures on Boonville Avenue and ongoing construction noise have cut off the gallery from its usual pedestrian and tourist traffic, leading to a drastic decline in sales and foot traffic. To combat these challenges, the gallery has launched a GoFundMe campaign and is attempting to reinvent its business model to survive until construction concludes in mid-2024.

This Long Beach Art Gallery Survived a Drunk Driver. But The Next Threat Could Mean Its End.

A drunk driver crashed into Open Gallery in Long Beach on February 24, 2024, destroying the space and forcing a year of renovations, financial strain, and displacement. Owners Liz Garibaldi and Artos Saucedo, who founded the gallery in 2019 as a live-work space for screen printers, have since reopened their gift shop and resumed programming, including the current photography exhibition "Physical Memory" curated by Matthew “NORDY” Nordman. However, the building owner now wants to sell, threatening the gallery's survival.

Open Art Gallery coming to Saluda on May 1

Open Art Gallery will open its doors on May 1, 2026, at 32 West Main Street, Unit C, in Saluda. Owner Hector DelCampo, a silhouette artist who moved to the area three years ago, is launching the space to foster community and showcase local talent. The inaugural featured artist is 15-year-old Sila, whose vibrant works will be on display. The grand opening runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with refreshments and meet-the-artist opportunities.

Houston’s Pioneering Artist-Owned Gallery — Archway Is Still a Creative Hub at 50

Archway Gallery, the longest-running artist-owned cooperative in Texas, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a landmark exhibition titled “Fifty Forward.” Founded in 1976 by 12 local artists seeking to bypass traditional gatekeeping, the gallery has survived five decades of economic shifts and environmental challenges through a robust cooperative structure. The anniversary programming includes a "Homecoming" show at its original location, the Jung Center, alongside concerts, poetry readings, and a juried exhibition.

Popular art exhibition at Ellesmere College makes long-awaited return

The National Art Exhibition is returning to Ellesmere College in Shropshire after a four-year hiatus, running from May 28 to May 30 in the college's Big School Hall. The event will feature over 300 works by more than 70 nationally recognized artists and sculptors, including featured artist Stephanie Eufemia, who recently appeared on Sky TV's Landscape Artist of the Year. Proceeds from this year's exhibition will support Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham, providing specialist palliative and end-of-life care.

Artapolooza 2026: Crestview student wins Best of Show at Mid-Ohio ESC regional art exhibition

Artapolooza 2026, a regional student art exhibition organized by the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center, took place from April 17 to 22 in Mansfield, Ohio. Over 3,000 student artists from 23 local school districts participated, with Gracie Gallaway of Crestview Senior High School winning Best of Show for her acrylic floral portrait. Other top honors included Kayla Mendez, Anastasia Stimens, and Aria Wright in the High School Division, and Eelyn Crist, Ariel Ramsey, and Olive Richards in the Middle School Division. The revived Rising Star Award was presented to Georgia Gantz of Highland High School, who received professional art supplies to support her artistic development.

'Daring' new gallery to open with aim of making art ‘accessible to everyone’

A new art gallery called Future Rebel Art Gallery is set to open on Canal Street in Stourbridge, UK, founded by local artist Cal. Housed beneath the vintage store Grandad’s Attic opposite the Bonded Warehouse, the space aims to display contemporary and thought-provoking works from artists aged 17 to 70, including sculptures, mixed media, audio-visual art, and interactive pieces. All works will be for sale, and the gallery plans to host around five exhibitions per year, each running for ten weeks. The opening on August 23 will feature food, drinks, live music, and creativity.

Youth Empowerment Shelter Artists Celebrate Creativity and Community with Local Exhibition

Young artists from the Youth Empowerment Shelter (YES) in The Dalles, Oregon, will showcase their work in a public exhibition and reception on June 13, 2025, at Yvonne’s Art Studio. The art program, revived by artist Yvonne Pepin Wakefield with seed funding from NW Natural and additional support from the Roundhouse Foundation, has provided a safe, joyful space for youth aged 11–17 to develop skills and create deeply personal artwork. The pieces will be permanently installed at SafeSpace in Hood River, a nonprofit supporting children affected by abuse and neglect.

East Orange Arts Council Revives Cultural Vision with ‘Gallery Under the Stairs’ Opening

The Arts Council of East Orange has officially opened the “Gallery Under the Stairs” at City Hall, marking a significant revival of the city’s cultural programming. The inaugural exhibition features the work of Warren Murray, his late brother Russell Murray, and Janette Crayne Belcher, highlighting themes of family legacy and community storytelling. The event served as a public debut for Warren Murray, who began painting to honor his brother’s artistic memory, turning a personal grieving process into a community-facing creative practice.