chicago history museum research hours cuts 1234752388

The Chicago History Museum has cut hours at its Abakanowicz Research Center by roughly 50%, reducing it to three days a week with limited hours, following staff reductions tied to a labor dispute. Employees voted to unionize in February under Chicago History Museum Workers United, and several organizers were later dismissed; remaining staff had their hours cut to part-time in July, losing health insurance and income. The cuts affect access to archival holdings including police records and personal papers of notable figures, which supported over 5,500 research requests in 2024.

‘We just wanted to do our small part’: how Texas's art community responded to deadly flash floods

Flash flooding in Texas's Hill Country over the 4 July weekend killed at least 137 people, devastating towns like Kerrville. Darrell Beauchamp, executive director of the Museum of Western Art, describes waking to evacuation efforts and later joining volunteer search groups along the river. The museum, located on high ground, was unharmed and opened the next morning as a refuge for first responders and locals, offering its parking lot and gallery space. Beauchamp received support from neighboring institutions like the Nimitz Museum, which offered archival supplies to help save art.

elizabeth street garden mamdani reconsider demolition 2723645

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.

LETTER | Wires crossed on art museum crisis

A local resident has criticized the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality and local media for their delayed response to the deteriorating state of the historic NMB Metropolitan Art Museum. The critique highlights significant factual errors in recent reporting regarding the museum's history, specifically correcting the timeline of its construction phases which date back to 1927, rather than the 70-year history recently cited by officials.

Exhibits feature local artists, including youth

The Public Works Art Center in downtown Summerville is currently hosting four concurrent exhibitions featuring local artists, including Tom Stanley, Paul Matheny, Karyn Healey, and the late Gene Merritt, as well as a showcase for student artists. The shows, which run through May 16, present a range of works from paintings reflecting Southern culture to documentary photography of the town and youth art.

Evanston Art Center’s ‘Stronger Together’ exhibit highlights teen artists

The Evanston Art Center is hosting its annual teen exhibition, titled "Stronger Together," running through April 22. Organized by the center’s teen board, the showcase features works that explore themes of peace, unity, and community resilience. This year’s display includes watercolor and digital pieces, specifically highlighting works by local students like Frances Wade, who contributed pieces reflecting on personal and communal connections.

Art in the Atrium Opens 33rd Annual Exhibit in Morris County

The 33rd annual Art in the Atrium (ATA) exhibit, titled “Another Slice of Sweet Potato Pie,” opened on June 19, 2025, at the Morris County Administration and Records Building in Morristown, New Jersey. The show features over 75 Black and Afro-Latino artists and serves as the signature event of the Juneteenth Arts Celebration, a three-day series co-organized with the Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morris Arts, and Morris Museum. Curated by Onnie Strother, the exhibit pays homage to the late Russell Murray, an original ATA curator and founding member of the Newark Art Colony, whose namesake painting greets visitors. The public reception included remarks from Morris County Commissioner John Krickus, who highlighted county support for Juneteenth as a holiday and for educational initiatives like the College Promise programs.

A Genova riapre dopo un lungo restauro la Torre Grimaldina. La visita al belvedere di Palazzo Ducale

The Torre Grimaldina, a medieval tower in Genoa's Palazzo Ducale, has reopened after extensive restoration and safety upgrades funded by Italy's PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan). Built in the late 13th century as a symbol of municipal power, the tower later served as a prison for political dissidents, including Risorgimento patriots and anti-fascist activists, as well as the violinist Niccolò Paganini. The restoration has preserved historic graffiti and inscriptions left by inmates, while reopening the tower's belvedere offering panoramic views of the city.

Photo gallery: Arts Commission showcases new space

The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo has officially unveiled its new headquarters and community art space. The move marks a significant transition for the organization, providing a modernized environment to host local exhibitions, administrative operations, and public programming in the heart of the city.

A new art exhibit is set to open at the Cooperative Gallery 213

Local artist Regina Losinger, a retired SUNY Broome administrator, opens her exhibition "Follow the Water" at Cooperative Gallery 213 in Binghamton, New York, on First Friday. The show features 50 works of painting and photography inspired by her kayaking and canoeing trips in the Adirondacks, Florida, and Canada, alongside her boat and paddling maps. Losinger, who returned to art after retiring a decade ago, will greet visitors during the opening reception from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Art for all: Ogden community art shows provide opportunities for creativity and connection

Ogden City’s quarterly Community Art Show at Union Station has become a staple of the local creative scene, offering a low-barrier platform for artists of all ages and skill levels. Managed by Ogden City Arts, the program accepts a diverse range of media—including poetry, textiles, and 3D works—with no entry fees for participants. The initiative, which began in 2020 as a way to activate the historic Union Station lobby during the pandemic, now showcases between 25 and 75 pieces per exhibition.

New Student Art Gallery Open to Submissions—and Conversations

The University of Vermont (UVM) has launched its first student-run art gallery and lounge on the second floor of Williams Hall. Managed by a student oversight committee and led by co-chairs Mary Tortorelli and Clare Barnett, the space serves as both an exhibition venue and a social hub for undergraduates. The initiative provides students with hands-on experience in curation, installation, and arts administration while accepting submissions from all majors across the university.

Art exhibition features Brookhaven students

Two Brookhaven College students, Victor Vera and Patch Darnell, have been selected to exhibit their artwork in the Founders’ Foyer art exhibition at Dallas College’s Administrative Office. Vera’s oil painting “Autumn Season” and Darnell’s still-life “Still-Life” are among the pieces chosen from a district-wide juried show honoring the legacy of Margaret McDermott, a founder of Dallas College. The exhibition runs until May of next year, and the artists received monetary awards and certificates; their works are available for purchase with proceeds going directly to them.

Tucson Artists Protest group unveils art exhibit on tail of No Kings Day

The Tucson Artists Protest group has launched an unjuried exhibition titled "Expression Against Repression" at the Historic Y arts space in downtown Tucson. The show opened Sunday with a parade, film screening, and poetry reading, featuring 82 works including a paper mache effigy of President Donald Trump, a comic strip about healthcare, and a portrait of a father and child. Founder Betty Harris, also first vice-chair of the LD20 Democratic Committee, organized the exhibit to merge art and politics without campaign advertising, inspired by an earlier "Roots of Resistance" show at Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery and Workshop.

Milwaukee art gallery owner working tirelessly to keep her space open amid potential foreclosure

Fatima Laster, owner of the 5 Points Art Gallery & Studios in Milwaukee’s 5 Points neighborhood, is facing potential foreclosure on the building she purchased in 2018. She acquired the property through the city’s ARCH loan program and financed it with a five-year loan from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Impact Investing program. The balloon payment of $260,000 is due by December 1, 2025. Laster has been fundraising to save the space, which has hosted hundreds of artists and thousands of visitors. Her current immersive installation, “Interrupted: Cash for Homes,” replicates her grandparents’ home and addresses gentrification and housing displacement on Milwaukee’s north side.

Turkish power plant reborn as regional cultural hub

A century-old power plant in Merzifon, northern Turkey, has been transformed into a cultural hub called Motorhane, opening late last month with a concert and an exhibition of local artists. The building retains its original generator, pressure valve, and switch room, with unplastered walls and concrete floors awaiting restoration. The project is backed by the Motorhane Culture Network (MOKA), supported by Ortaklaşa—a cultural development body administered by the Istanbul Culture and Arts Foundation (İKSV)—and funded by a €3 million EU grant. Other MOKA members include the Sinop Sustainable Development Association, which runs the Sinopale biennial.

Part 2 of Kingston Artists’ Showcase set to open in Market Wing Cultural Space

The City of Kingston has announced the opening of Part 2 of the Kingston Artists’ Showcase, a community-focused exhibition at the Market Wing Cultural Space inside Kingston City Hall. Opening May 21, 2025, and running through November 2025, this second installment features works by over 30 new local artists, including renowned artist Joanne Gervais and quilled artist Loreen Hynes. The showcase spans prints, paintings, textiles, and stained glass, selected through an open call, and follows Part 1 (October 2024–April 2025) which featured 31 artists. A free opening reception will be held May 28, 2025.

Galleries and Exhibitions

The City of Raleigh has detailed its diverse range of public art venues and exhibition programs, highlighting key spaces such as the Block Gallery, Pullen Arts Center, and Sertoma Arts Center. These sites collectively host a rotating schedule of five to six exhibitions annually, specifically designed to showcase the work of North Carolina-based creators and emerging artists from Wake County. Additionally, the city manages a Municipal Art Collection comprising over 600 pieces, including Telvin Wallace’s "Window Pain," which are integrated into the city's public infrastructure.

"Strengthening the Foundation Project" 2026 New Year Special Action — Jiangxi Provincial Artists Association and Provincial Folk Artists Association Launch "Welcome the New Year, Send Blessings" Cultural Volunteer Service Activities

“强基工程”2026新春特别行动——江西省美协、省民协“迎新春 送祝福”文艺志愿服务活动开展

The Jiangxi Provincial Artists Association and the Jiangxi Provincial Folk Artists Association organized a series of 2026 New Year cultural volunteer service activities under the "Strengthening the Foundation Project." Volunteers visited frontline locations including fire rescue brigades, enterprises, rural revitalization sites, and hospitals, offering New Year blessings through art. Activities included distributing woodblock New Year prints, organizing hands-on printing workshops for zodiac-themed prints, creating portrait caricatures for firefighters and workers, and calligraphers writing Spring Festival couplets.

Columbia High School Senior Wins Merit Award at Statewide Art Exhibition

Columbia High School senior Francie Christensen won a Merit Award for her photograph "Sarah" at the Art Administrators of New Jersey (AANJ) Emerging Artists Exhibition. The awards ceremony was held at the James Howe Gallery at Kean University, recognizing exceptional high school visual artists from across the state.

Off-campus galleries in Dallas and Denton step in as UNT art students boycott school spaces

University of North Texas (UNT) art students are boycotting on-campus exhibition spaces, prompting off-campus galleries in Dallas and Denton to step in and provide alternative venues for their work. The boycott stems from student grievances over institutional policies and conditions within the university's art program, leading to a grassroots shift in where student art is displayed.

CALLING LOCAL ARTISTS: Submissions Now Open for 2025 Hispanic Heritage Month Art Exhibit

The Hispanic Heritage Network of Orange County (HHNOC) is now accepting submissions for its 2025 Hispanic Heritage Month Art Exhibit, themed "Collective Heritage: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future." Artists are invited to submit original visual artwork inspired by Hispanic heritage, with selected pieces to be displayed at the Orange County Administration Building in Downtown Orlando from September 8 to October 23, 2025, and at Orlando International Airport from September 10 to October 28, 2025. Submissions must be completed online by August 1, 2025, and include an artist statement and high-resolution images.

Taking It to the Next Level: 2025 Zuccaire Gallery Senior Show & URECA Art Exhibition

Nearly 150 pieces of student art are on display at the Zuccaire Gallery’s annual Senior Show & URECA Art Exhibition, held on the first floor of the Staller Center at Stony Brook University. The exhibition features works by students such as Hunter Moore, who created an acrylic landscape titled 'Beginning of the End' and a bronze goat sculpture exploring religious themes, and Juno Stuelke, whose piece 'Manic' addresses mental health. The show includes more sculptures than previous years, record-breaking attendance of 250 at the opening reception, and awards such as the Staller Center Award for Excellence, won by Nicholas Simms for his installation of 100 ceramic cassette tapes.