ancient rock art australia woodside energy burrup peninsula

The Australian government has conditionally approved a 40-year extension for Woodside Energy's North West Shelf gas plant on the Burrup Peninsula (Murujuga), home to an estimated one million petroglyphs dating back 50,000 years. Environment Minister Murray Watt announced the decision on May 28 after a six-year review, imposing strict conditions on air emissions and cultural heritage management, though the specific conditions remain confidential. Archaeologist Benjamin Smith of the University of Western Australia has warned that pollutants from the extended operations pose a grave risk to the rock art, which includes the world's earliest depictions of human faces.

Newcastle Art Gallery set to make its mark with opening weekend celebrations

Newcastle Art Gallery is launching its opening weekend celebrations with a street party, live music, and interactive art experiences. A unique highlight offers three attendees the chance to win a bespoke tattoo inspired by the Gallery's collection, to be inked by a local artist during the festivities.

Untitled: Artist Takeover Oct 2025

The Denver Art Museum hosted "Untitled: Artist Takeover Oct 2025," a Halloween-themed evening event featuring performances, art installations, and interactive activities across its Hamilton Building, Martin Building, and Sturm Grand Pavilion. Highlights included a memorial installation series "Death of Baddy" by artist Moe Gram, classic horror film screenings, tarot readings, shadow puppet theater, mask-making, and a dance party with DJ 2AND2. Participating artists and performers included Justy Robinson, Miguel Garcia, Kendall Bennett, Patty McCrystal, Zora Beglarian, Lisa Frank 666, Karma Leigh, Joe Oliver, Medicine Mama Kia, Shaunie Berry, Elle Hong, and Rafael & Kristina Maldonado Bad Hand.

parties artists and mothers gala wsa

Over 250 supporters gathered at downtown creative hub WSA on Sunday for the first annual gala of the nonprofit Artists & Mothers, a sold-out fundraiser for the organization’s hallmark $25,000 childcare grants supporting artists with children under three. The event featured interactive installations by Ei Arakawa-Nash, Lisa Alvarado, and Maia Ruth Lee, performances by DJ Cardamami, Sophie Becker, Zeena Parkins, and others, and was attended by co-founders Julia Trotta and Maria De Victoria, incoming First Lady of New York Rama Duwaji, numerous artists, curators, patrons, and gallerists.

john gachot shelter island studio

John Gachot, a Manhattan-based designer, has transformed a shed on his Shelter Island property into a studio where he can finally pursue drawing and painting after decades of relegating his practice to notebooks and bar napkins. The space also houses sculptures by his late father, Richard Gachot, an artist who worked out of an ice house on the family's Long Island estate and created animated, politically charged works. The article, structured as an interview, explores how the shed became a creative sanctuary for John and a continuation of his father's artistic legacy.

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The Serpentine Summer Party took place in London's Kensington Gardens, drawing a glamorous crowd to celebrate Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum's 25th Anniversary Serpentine Pavilion, titled "A Capsule in Time." Co-hosted by actor Cate Blanchett, the event featured musical performances by Caroline Polachek and GALLiVANTER, along with exhibitions by Giuseppe Penone and Sir Peter Cook. Notable attendees included Serpentine Board Chairman Michael Bloomberg, Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist, CEO Bettina Korek, and a host of celebrities and cultural figures.

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CULTURED editor-in-chief Sarah Harrelson and Legacy Investing co-founder Daniel English hosted an intimate dinner at Jean's in New York, bringing together leaders from art, finance, and real estate. Guests included Frieze's Julie Kim, Wells Group founder George Wells, Art Intelligence global director Rick Cappellazzo, and others. The evening featured Oscar Wilde's quote about artists and money printed on bookmarks, and guests received copies of Michael Craig-Martin's On Being an Artist and Michael Findlay's The Value of Art, along with CULT100 totes filled with magazines and products.

Chinese Dissident Artist Badiucao on His First Solo Gallery Show

Chinese dissident artist Badiucao has opened his first solo gallery show, titled “Disagree Where We Must,” at Goldstone Gallery in Melbourne, Australia, his adopted hometown. The exhibition features nearly three dozen works, including canvases and conceptual pieces that critique developments in mainland China and Hong Kong, as well as geopolitical tensions involving Russia and the Middle East. Badiucao, who has faced threats and censorship for his criticism of the Chinese Communist Party, previously held institutional exhibitions in Europe but had never before had a solo show at a commercial venue.

Springs Scene – Art

The Colorado Springs art community has announced its extensive 2026 spring and summer calendar, featuring a diverse range of student exhibitions, juried festivals, and monthly gallery walks. Key highlights include the Young People’s Art Exhibition at The Colorado Springs School, the UCCS Visual Art Majors exhibition titled “Chrysalis” at the Ent Center for the Arts, and the Garden of the Gods Art Festival, which will host over 150 national artists. The schedule also confirms the continuation of the popular First Friday art walks across Old Colorado City and downtown Colorado Springs through the end of the year.

Counterpublic plans sprawling, socially conscious show of public art for St. Louis in September

The St. Louis-based triennial Counterpublic has announced its artist lineup and thematic framework for its 2026 edition, set to open on September 12. Featuring more than 50 artists across five primary locations, the free public art festival will showcase newly commissioned works by major figures such as Glenn Ligon, Rebecca Belmore, and Rirkrit Tiravanija. The exhibition, titled "Coyote Time," explores themes of rapid societal change, community resilience, and the "near future," with specific installations addressing the aftermath of a 2025 tornado and the history of local landmarks like Sumner High School.

Five Women Artists Bring 'Psychedelic' Sense of Play to Pioneer Square Exhibit

The Beauty Shop collective, a group of five female artists based in the Puget Sound region, has launched a new group exhibition titled "The Party Mix" at Gallery 110 in Seattle's Pioneer Square. Featuring works by Arni Adler, Lynette Charters, Saundra Fleming, Kate Harkins, and Ingrid Sojit, the show presents a diverse array of media unified by a "psychedelic" sense of play, intuitive creative processes, and a focus on the female figure. The exhibition, which runs through March 28, was born out of a collaborative support network that began during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this Milan exhibition, the viewer can modify the spaces. The great artist-architect Gianni Pettena explains why

In questa mostra a Milano lo spettatore può modificare gli spazi. Il grande artista-architetto Gianni Pettena ci spiega perché

Gianni Pettena, a pioneer of the Italian Radical Architecture movement, has unveiled his immersive installation "Paper/Northern Lights" at the BiM urban regeneration project in Milan's Bicocca district. Originally conceived in 1971 as a pedagogical exercise at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, the work consists of 49 kilometers of white paper strips hanging from the ceiling. Visitors are invited to physically interact with the installation by cutting through the paper, effectively reshaping the architectural environment and challenging traditional notions of fixed space and authorship.

Finding art in the uncanny aesthetics of MAGA

Spielzeug gallery, founded in 2025 in Bushwick by Evan Karas and Eleanor Hicks, opened a pop-up show titled MAR-A-LAGO FACE on May 13 at a former restaurant on Allen Street in New York. The exhibition critiques the plastic-surgery aesthetics associated with Republican figures like Matt Gaetz, Laura Loomer, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Kristi Noem, featuring works by queer, trans, and Latin American artists. The opening blurred the line between exhibition and party, with a DJ, themed drinks, and a bouncer checking bags.

Director of Poland Jewish Museum Reinstated

director of poland jewish museum reinstated

Dariusz Stola has been reinstated as the director of the Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, seven years after being forced out by Poland’s former nationalist government. Stola, a respected historian who led the museum from its 2014 opening, was blocked from reappointment in 2019 by the Law and Justice party despite winning a competitive selection process. His return follows the 2023 election of a centrist coalition led by Donald Tusk and a subsequent move by Culture Minister Marta Cienkowska to reverse the previous administration's ideological purges.

belgian museum colonial records congo minerals company

The Africa Museum in Tervuren, Belgium, a museum dedicated to the country's colonial history in Africa, is at the center of a dispute over access to its historical geological records from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Congolese government and KoBold Metals, a mining company backed by billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, are seeking access to these documents, which detail rich mineral deposits, as part of a deal to digitize them and explore for critical minerals like lithium and cobalt.

gofundme created donation pages museums

GoFundMe created approximately 1.6 million donation pages for US nonprofits, including dozens of major art museums, without informing or obtaining consent from the institutions. Museums such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art discovered these pages only when contacted by ARTnews. The pages were optimized for web searches and charged transaction fees, potentially diverting donations from the museums' own fundraising channels. After media coverage, GoFundMe apologized, switched to an opt-in model, and removed unclaimed pages.

british museum israel embassy party petitiion backlash

Staff at the British Museum have criticized the institution for allowing the Israeli embassy in London to host a party on its premises celebrating the 77th anniversary of Israel's founding. An internal petition signed by 250 staff members demands an end to relations with Israeli cultural institutions, citing concerns over perceived political bias and potential damage to curatorial partnerships. The event, held on May 13, featured Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely and other political figures, and was not publicly advertised. The museum defended the event as a commercial rental handled on a non-political basis, but former curator Venetia Porter and others argue it undermines impartiality amid the ongoing conflict.

Museum exhibitions to coffeehouse chats: How to celebrate America 250 this summer

The article outlines various events and exhibitions in Washington, D.C., celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States this summer. Highlights include the "In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness" exhibit at the National Museum of American History, featuring 250 objects from 1776 to the present; a Gen-Z-focused coffeehouse chat at Tudor Place; exhibitions at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, including "Ms. Americana" and "Burnished: Pueblo Pottery"; and the Spirit of America Festival at the National Archives, showcasing rare documents.

May First Friday: 8 shows to see this month around Missoula

Missoula artist Julia LaTray presents a solo exhibition titled "Animal Pleasures" at Bob's Your Uncle gallery in May, featuring paintings of animals on glitchy, digitized backgrounds alongside lighting and other works. The gallery is only open to the public on dedicated nights, so the exhibition is paired with performances, comedy, and readings on May 1, 8, 15, and 29. Separately, Hanis Coos artist Sara Siestreem brings her major exhibition "Acts of Love, Refusal and Resistance" to the Missoula Art Museum, filling the museum's main galleries with large-scale mixed-media paintings and sculpture, including handmade baskets and ceramic molded versions with gilded flourishes. The museum hosts a First Friday reception on May 1 and a "Coffee and Conversation" with the artist on May 2.

뉴뮤지엄 DEMO2026 Art, Design, and Technology Festival(6/3-5) - Lounge

NEW INC, the New Museum's cultural incubator, has announced the full schedule for DEMO2026, a three-day art, design, and technology festival running from June 3–5 at the New Museum's newly expanded OMA-designed building on the Bowery. The festival features keynote speakers including multimedia artist Lawrence Lek, cultural historian Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, artist and Ojas sound system founder Devon Turnbull, NTS Radio founder Femi Adeyemi, and artist-engineer Xin Liu. Public programming includes demonstrations, performances, workshops, and talks showcasing projects by 39 current NEW INC members, with a Track Showcase on view through June 10. This marks the first edition of DEMO held in the New Museum's expanded space since its reopening.

This Spring at the Everhart Museum

The Everhart Museum in Scranton has unveiled its spring and summer programming, featuring a diverse lineup of exhibitions and community events. Highlights include a NASA-developed immersive exhibition on the Hubble Space Telescope, a long-term installation of Don Clark’s miniature recreations of Scranton landmarks, and a first-of-its-kind exhibition dedicated to the television series "The Office." The season also features collaborative events such as Scranton’s 160th Birthday Block Party and the Electric City Flower Show weekend.

Wisconsin Artists Biennial exhibition opens at MOWA on Feb. 7

The Wisconsin Artists Biennial exhibition opens at the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) in West Bend from February 7 to April 19, featuring 52 works by 50 Wisconsin artists. Selected from nearly 500 artists who submitted over 1,200 entries, the show was juried by Nicole Jacquard, Taylor Jasper, and Melissa Oresky. The biennial awards $10,000 in cash prizes, including the MOWA Prize of $5,000 and a solo museum exhibition. An opening party on February 7 includes a reception, juror talk, and award presentation.

Helsinki museum to open new gallery dedicated to Moomin illustrator

The Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) in Finland is opening a new permanent gallery dedicated to Tove Jansson, the illustrator of the Moomins. The Tove Jansson Gallery will open on 13 February, spanning three exhibition halls, with the inaugural exhibition inspired by Jansson’s book *Comet in Moominland* and running through 24 January 2027. The gallery aims to showcase Jansson's art diversely and introduce new perspectives on her as both a Helsinki-based and international artist.

In Oregon, a One-Night Art Exhibition Within a Midcentury Home

A one-night, invitation-only exhibition titled "The Open House" took place within a private midcentury home in Oregon, designed by modernism pioneer Robert Rummer. Curated by Lena Vasilenko and Emma Strgar of the experiential agency Ethereal Reflections, and presented by Marisa Swenson of Modern Homes Collective, the group show featured works by contemporary artists including Stephanie Ketty, Christopher Belluschi, Ben Latham, Aremy Stewart, and Carvers Collective. The installation was designed to integrate the artworks with the architecture, encouraging reflection on how art enhances domestic space.

People Watching at an Auckland Art Gallery opening night

Illustrator Toby Morris attended the opening party for the 'Pop to Present: American Art' exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, as part of his regular 'People Watching' series for Sunday magazine. The exhibition is drawn from the collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and features American art from the Pop era to the present day.

How the Sienese painter Ambrogio Lorenzetti spoke truth to power

The article examines Ambrogio Lorenzetti's frescoes "Good and Bad Government" (1338-1339) in Siena's Sala dei Nove, arguing that the painter embedded a subtle critique of the ruling oligarchy. Jules Lubbock, a professor emeritus at the University of Essex, reinterprets the murals as a warning against repressive one-party rule, challenging the traditional view of Siena under the Nine as a golden age of good governance.

Milestone moment as Newcastle Art Gallery reopens its doors for first look inside expanded building

Newcastle Art Gallery in Australia has reopened its doors to the public for the first time after a major expansion project, unveiling new gallery spaces, a central atrium, and a foyer. The milestone event, held on 26 September 2025, featured a First Nations First ethos with major commissions and acquisitions on display, and was celebrated as part of the New Annual festival. The expansion has more than doubled the gallery's size, adding 1,600 square meters of exhibition space, with several areas named after major donors including Valerie and John Ryan, Margaret Olley, and Robert and Lindy Henderson.

The V&A's David Bowie Centre opens this week—here's what visitors can expect to see

The David Bowie Centre opens on 13 September at the V&A East Storehouse in Stratford, east London, offering free timed-entry access to a 90,000-piece archive acquired from the Bowie estate. Lead curator Madeleine Haddon highlights discoveries like Bowie's paint palette and a framed photo of Little Richard, alongside an interactive installation tracing his influence on pop culture. The centre features nine rotating curated displays, including guest-curated ones by Nile Rodgers and The Last Dinner Party, and connects to the upcoming V&A East Museum exhibition 'The Music Is Black: A British Story'.

Newport Art Museum to present ‘Howard Gardiner Cushing: A Harmony of Line and Color’

The Newport Art Museum will present 'Howard Gardiner Cushing: A Harmony of Line and Color' from July 12 to December 31, 2025, the first major retrospective in decades of the Gilded Age artist. Curated by Ricardo Mercado, the exhibition features over 55 paintings, many unseen publicly for over 60 years, and will be held in the museum's Cushing Gallery, named after the artist and funded by his patron Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.

Craft Contemporary celebrates a legacy of creativity

Craft Contemporary will host its 2025 Benefit & Art Auction on May 10 at the museum in Los Angeles, honoring founder Edith R. Wyle (1918–1999) and contemporary artist Bari Ziperstein. Wyle, who opened the Egg & The Eye in 1965—a hybrid gallery and omelet restaurant—will receive the Legacy Award, while Ziperstein, known for ceramics exploring consumerism and propaganda, will receive the Visionary Award. The sold-out dinner is followed by a 1960s-themed afterparty with cocktails, music, a puppet show, and a drag performance.