Monarch Alumna to Lead Next Chapter for Art Museum

Alison Byrne, who began as an intern at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in 2000, has been named the museum's executive director as of late September 2024. Over 25 years, she rose through roles including curator of education and deputy director, and was named Museum Art Educator of the Year by the Virginia Art Education Association in 2020. Byrne will lead the museum's relocation in 2026 to a new 35,000-square-foot facility at Virginia Wesleyan University, featuring a 21% increase in gallery space. The inaugural exhibition will showcase works by contemporary artist Nina Chanel Abney.

UK government bans export of £10m Botticelli painting

The UK government has imposed an export bar on Sandro Botticelli's painting *The Virgin and Child Enthroned* (1470s), valued at £10.2 million. The work was sold at Sotheby’s London in December 2024 for £9.7 million (with fees). The export bar, effective until 8 August, gives a UK gallery or institution time to acquire the painting and prevent it from leaving the country. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has set a recommended price of £9,960,000 plus VAT. The painting, which had been kept at Betterton House in Berkshire since 1944, was previously owned by collector Harriet Sarah Jones Loyd (Lady Wantage) and has not been seen in public for nearly a century.

Winterthur’s ‘Almost Unknown’ offers immersive look at Black history and art

Winterthur Museum in Delaware has opened a new exhibition titled "Almost Unknown: The Afric-American Picture Gallery," which brings to life a fictional gallery imagined in 1859 by Black writer and schoolteacher William J. Wilson, writing under the pseudonym Ethiop. In a series of columns for the magazine "The Anglo-American," Wilson described an imaginary museum of Black history and art, featuring works like a depiction of a slave ship, a bust of poet Phillis Wheatley, and images of Crispus Attucks and Haitian Revolution heroes. Curator Jonathan Square has transformed Wilson's fantasy into an immersive, haunted-attraction-style exhibition using objects from Winterthur's collection, with dark lighting, sound effects, and false walls that evoke a carnival ride inspired by Jordan Peele films and "The Shining."

Art on Location

The article introduces 'Art on Location,' a curated focus on outdoor art experiences, covering public art, sculpture parks, urban and rural artist trails, and location-specific technology. It highlights examples such as Caravaggio's Rome, John Constable's Dedham Vale, and public sculptures from the Colossus of Rhodes to Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate. The piece also features a guide to all existing paintings by Leonardo da Vinci by expert Martin Kemp, a Vincent van Gogh artist trail by Martin Bailey, and discussions of exo-architecture, memorial art, land art, and virtual repatriation through location-specific technology.

In Florence, Art Creates Community and Dialogue in the Bagasseria Space: An Interview with its Founder

A Firenze l’arte crea comunità e confronto nello spazio Bagasseria. Intervista al suo fondatore

Painter Samuele Alfani has launched Bagasseria, a new independent art space and studio in the Sant’Ambrogio district of Florence. Named after the Catalan word for a house of prostitution as a gesture of reclamation and freedom, the venue functions as a porous community hub that blends artistic production with public engagement. Its inaugural exhibition, "Bau Bau Baby," is a group show curated by Luigi Presicce and Anna Capolupo featuring artists such as Francesco Lauretta, Davide Serpetti, and Thomas Berra.

UK Heritage Department feared ‘mass restitutions’ when Stone of Scone was returned to Scotland

Newly released UK government files reveal that in 1996, the Department of National Heritage strongly opposed Prime Minister John Major's decision to return the 13th-century Stone of Scone to Scotland. The department's cultural property unit head, Lynn Gates, warned that the return would set a 'precedent to mass restitution,' triggering claims from Greece for the Parthenon Marbles, Egypt for the Rosetta Stone and Sphinx's Beard fragment, and Nigeria for the Benin Bronzes, with fears of further demands from Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, and other nations. The internal memo criticized Major for failing to consult the department before agreeing to the transfer from Westminster Abbey.

Palma: The Conference of the Palm Trees. Artist Mehdi-Georges Lahlou and curator Virginie Puertolas-Syn.

French-Moroccan artist Mehdi-Georges Lahlou opened his first solo exhibition in Singapore and Asia, curated by Virginie Puertolas-Syn. The exhibition, conceptually linked to the 12th-century Sufi poem 'The Conference of the Birds,' uses the palm tree as a central motif to explore themes of displacement, colonial history, and constructed landscapes.

Hillary Waters Fayle Creates ‘Portraits of Place’ from Seeds, Foliage, and Petals

Artist Hillary Waters Fayle has developed a unique series titled 'Portraits of Place,' which utilizes foraged botanicals to create intricate cyanotypes. By collecting and drying seeds, petals, and foliage from specific locations like Grace Farms and Maymont Park, Fayle arranges them into symmetrical, mandala-like compositions on UV-sensitive paper. The resulting bright blue prints serve as a botanical record of a specific geography and moment in time.

Inside a gallery spotlighting experimental art in Fort Worth’s Near Southside

Giant Runt Gallery, an artist-run space in Fort Worth's Near Southside, was founded in September 2024 by Cosmo Jones and Max Marshall. The gallery showcases experimental, eclectic art that challenges the local norm of Western-themed work. Its latest exhibition, “Everyone is Someone’s Baby,” opens May 1 featuring artists Megan Solis and Glory West. The gallery recently held its first Juried Show, drawing over 400 applicants and awarding first prize to Jori Jori for her sculpture “The East Wind.” The space occupies a former gallery suite in the Dickson-Jenkins Lofts & Plaza, previously home to Bale Creek Allen’s gallery and Cufflink Art.

Cannes 2026 Dispatch, Part 1: Breaking False Unities

On May 8, during the pre-opening of the Venice Biennale, the independent collective ANGA (Art Not Genocide Alliance) organized a strike protesting genocide and precarity in the art world. Pro-Palestinian activists entered the Arsenale, where part of the exhibition "In Minor Keys" curated by the late Koyo Kouoh was installed, and hung posters on artworks calling for the liberation of Palestine and denouncing what they described as the Biennale's "art-washing" of Israel's reputation. The disruption blurred the line between activist intervention and the exhibition itself, as many works already addressed Palestine directly, including a poem by Refaat Alareer placed at the entrance.

African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta revisits the works of W.E.B. Du Bois

The African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta (ADAMA) has opened a new exhibition revisiting W.E.B. Du Bois' groundbreaking "Exhibit of American Negroes" from the 1900 Paris World's Fair. Developed in partnership with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), the show builds on a Black History Month project by reporter Mirtha Donastorg and photographer Natrice Miller, who revisited Du Bois' original data and photographs. The exhibition features contemporary portraits of Black Atlantans alongside historical images, asking what has changed and what has endured in Black American life over the past century.

December Exhibitions

Les Yeux du Monde presents 'GROUNDING,' the final show of 2025 featuring new oil paintings by Annie Harris Massie that explore light, memory, and place through landscapes and botanical studies of her Lynchburg, Virginia surroundings. Other December exhibitions include Randall Stoltzfus's 'To Hold The Light' at Angelo Jewelry, Judith Ely's paintings at Botanical Fare, and 'All That Glitters' by Natalie Darling at C’ville Arts Cooperative Gallery. The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA hosts three shows: 'Haiti’s Time' from the Sullivan collection, 'In Feeling: Empathy and Tension Through Disability,' and 'The World Between: Egypt and Nubia in Africa.' The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection features works from the Spinifex Arts Project and Robert Fielding, while the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center presents 'Finally Remembered: The Black Patriots of Central Virginia.'

When Creating and Collecting Art Go Hand in Hand

Award-winning local artist Brent Erickson, based in Alexandria, VA, has spent over 30 years building a personal collection of representational art, sparked by a single landscape purchase from emerging painter T. Allen Lawson. Erickson, an oil painter himself, curates his collection—now over 100 paintings and bronzes—around realism and personal passion, displaying works in his Mount Vernon home alongside his own new paintings. He recently hosted a celebration of autumn to unveil both his collection and his latest creations.

Alexandria Artist Shines in Prestigious Regional Female Art Exhibition

The Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery in Washington, D.C. hosted the opening night of "Women Artists of the DMV," a major regional exhibition featuring over 550 female artists selected from more than 4,000 applicants. The show, curated by Florencio Lennox (Lenny) Campello, spans 18 venues across DC, Maryland, and Virginia through fall 2025. Alexandria artist Amy Perlman Gura is among the participants, with her silkscreen print "Woman of Valor with Redbud" displayed at the Hisaoka Gallery. Gura's work is inspired by her grandfather's painting and her late mother, connecting to the gallery's healing mission.

Gallery Opening Reception: Rhythm of the Stage

The Gallery at the Attucks, located within Norfolk’s historic Attucks Theatre, is launching its second major exhibition titled "Rhythm of the Stage." Curated by Nyree Dowdy, the show features over 40 original works by 25 artists from the Hampton Roads region, exploring the intersection of visual art, music, and dance. A public opening reception is scheduled for April 17, 2026, marking a significant milestone for the city's newest dedicated art space.

Navajo Nation: the fight for cultural survival – photo essay

The Navajo Nation is currently navigating a complex struggle to preserve its cultural heritage against the lingering effects of colonial-era boarding schools and the modern pressures of social media and urbanization. While elders like Virginia Brown recount the trauma of forced assimilation and language suppression, a new generation is grappling with a decline in Navajo fluency, which UNESCO now classifies as a vulnerable language. Despite these hurdles, community members are utilizing local schools and traditional practices to reclaim their identity.

world monuments fund suzanne deal booth institute launch

World Monuments Fund (WMF) has announced the launch of the Suzanne Deal Booth Institute for Heritage Preservation, backed by $19 million in funding as part of its $60 million endowment campaign marking the organization's 60th anniversary. The institute is established through a $10 million endowment gift from philanthropist and ARTnews Top 200 collector Suzanne Deal Booth, with additional support from the Gerard B. Lambert Foundation, Denise Littlefield Sobel, and Virginia James. The institute will serve as a global hub for research, training, and innovation in heritage preservation, focusing on greenspace stewardship, digital preservation, and workforce development, including programs like the Greenspace Heritage Training initiative and Bridge to Crafts Careers.

Fort Worth African American Museum to officially open in June with joint exhibition

The Fort Worth African American Museum and Cultural Center will officially open on June 12 with its inaugural exhibition, "All ’N All: Artists Embracing Community," in partnership with Kinfolk House and the National Juneteenth Museum. The show features paintings, photographs, and mixed-media works by 11 North Texas artists exploring memory, culture, and the Black experience, and is part of the larger Freedom Vibes festival running June 11-20. The museum, which has been in development since 2020, secured its final funding from the Fort Worth City Council in January and purchased a 5,000-square-foot building on East Rosedale Street last summer.

Casa Romantica Will Present THROUGH THE DECADES: ARTISTS THAT SHAPED THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS

Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens in San Clemente, California, will present an exhibition titled "Through the Decades: Artists That Shaped the Festival of Arts." The show highlights the work of artists who have participated in the Festival of Arts, a longstanding local art event, tracing its evolution across different decades. The exhibition aims to showcase the diverse artistic styles and contributions that have defined the festival over time.

“KRANKIE II: Middle of the Food Chain” Exhibition at 81C in St. Thomas

81C in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, is presenting "Krankie II: Middle of the Food Chain," an immersive contemporary art exhibition by collaborative duo Emily Braswell (strawberriemilk) and Jenna Rees (warmmilkwithsugar). Opening on May 15, 2026, the show features painting, video, sculpture, and installation that construct a cinematic, psychologically charged world centered on a fictional 1980s movie star, offering absurdist commentary on fame in the pre-internet era versus today. The exhibition is a dual-location activation, also including a component at the XIIID Research and Strategy Innovation Center at the University of the Virgin Islands, with a free opening reception featuring DJ Carbar.

Paphos art exhibition cancelled after parties lash out over religious imagery

An art exhibition by Cypriot painter George Gavriel in Paphos was cancelled a day after its opening following public outcry over religious imagery. The show, titled “Antisystemic Art,” included paintings of Orthodox icon-style figures such as Christ and the Virgin Mary placed in explicit secular and sexually suggestive contexts. Political parties DISY and ELAM condemned the works as blasphemous, while the Blue Iris Gallery issued an apology and shut down the exhibition to avoid further unrest.

The Heseltine Gallery showcases regional artists

The Heseltine Open Exhibition 2025 is currently on view at the Heseltine Gallery in Middleton Cheney, UK, through December 14. Featuring over 60 adult artists and a record 17 youth entries, the show includes paintings, drawings, prints, pottery, glasswork, textiles, photography, and mixed media. Awards were presented by John Childs, Chief Art Examiner for OCR and gallery founder, and Tom Christy, Head of Art and Design at Chenderit School. Commended artists include ceramicists Julia Taylor and Sue Clayton, glass artist Jill Tilsbury, wire sculptor Linda Johns, and several painters and photographers. Two young artists, Lottie Clarke and Annika Dowden, received the Brian Goodey memorial prize.

Sarasota art exhibition features items that are 'Shopliftable'

An art exhibition titled "Shopliftable" has opened at the 502 Gallery in Sarasota, Florida, featuring small-scale artworks that are intentionally easy to steal. The show, organized by co-owner and director Tim Jaeger, includes works by artists such as Nancy Hielscher, who presents a triptych from her "Yardwork" series depicting bromeliads, and Virginia Hoffman, who displays alternative-print photographs in antique negative holders. All pieces are for sale and span a variety of mediums, with many presented in sets.

Q&A: How does UVA’s ‘Fuego Eterno’ exhibit explore indigenous sovereignty?

The article is a Q&A with an artist and co-director of the Global Spanish Initiative at the University of Virginia (UVA), discussing the exhibition 'Fuego Eterno.' The show, which opened August 29, features artists from indigenous and Afro-descended communities across the Americas and its diasporas, exploring themes of indigenous sovereignty, Nahua cosmologies, border resistance, and diaspora. The exhibition includes the co-director's own artworks and is accompanied by a symposium, a workshop with Peruvian artist Venuca Evanán Vivanco, a film screening, and a closing party.

Participatory Art and Abstract Works Anchor UMW Galleries 2025 Lineup

The University of Mary Washington Galleries have announced their fall 2025 exhibition lineup, featuring four major shows at the duPont and Ridderhof Martin Galleries. Highlights include Erika Stearly's participatory installation 'Take a Painting,' where visitors exchange artworks; 'Intersection,' pairing David Carlson's abstract paintings with Chee Keong Kung's geometric sculptures; and 'Adaptation, Innovation and Tradition: Art from the Patawomeck Community,' showcasing historic and contemporary Native American art. The season also includes gallery talks, a juror lecture, and a community roundtable, all free and open to the public.

Trento, Studio Raffaelli brings Silas and Angus Borsos' painting and photography to Italy

From September 25 to December 15, 2025, Studio d'Arte Raffaelli in Trento, Italy, presents a double solo exhibition by Canadian brothers Silas and Angus Borsos, titled 'Broadway Dreams and the Vancouver Void.' Silas Borsos, a painter based in Brooklyn, shows small-format impressionistic works focused on theater, film scenes, and New York subway glimpses, alongside a large wall installation on paper. Angus Borsos, a photographer and former music video director, exhibits black-and-white analog photographs capturing Vancouver's urban landscapes and existential atmosphere. The exhibition marks the brothers' first joint presentation in Italy and includes a catalog with contributions by Virginia Raffaelli, Camilla Nacci Zanetti, and Gian Marco Montesano.

Duke Riley’s Art Exhibition at the MOCA in Virginia Beach

The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Virginia Beach is presenting "O'er the Wide and Plastic Sea," an exhibition of multimedia works by Brooklyn artist Duke Riley, running through August 31. The show spans two decades of Riley's practice, with the centerpiece artwork created from beach trash—including lighters, buoy pieces, and syringes—collected largely from Virginia Beach shores. Riley's work explores tensions between individual and collective behavior, institutional power, and nature's struggle with modern problems, blending early American styles, folklore, and sea-craft aesthetics.

Jazz in the Park, exhibits, events and more: THE DIGEST

A series of local cultural events in Staunton, Virginia, are announced for July and August 2025. Highlights include the unveiling of ten Black Historical Markers at Montgomery Hall Park on July 11, a solo exhibition of mosaic collages by artist Deborah O’Keeffe at the Staunton Augusta Art Center from July 11 through August 10, and the 37th annual Jazz in the Park summer concert series starting July 10 at Gypsy Hill Park. Additional events include the National Trappers Association Convention and a free healthcare clinic by Remote Area Medical.

Crosscurrents Art Exhibition Open at Stifel Center; Winners Announced

The annual Crosscurrents art exhibition has opened at Oglebay Institute’s Stifel Fine Arts Center in Wheeling, West Virginia, running through July 12. Now in its 46th year, the show features 92 works selected from over 250 submissions by artists across six states and Washington, D.C. Pittsburgh-based artist Michael Lotenero served as juror, awarding Best in Show to Asha Cabaca for “Unit,” with second and third prizes going to Jade-Lynn Lewis and Jesse Baggett, respectively.

Sarasota Art Museum spotlights Art Deco centennial with rare poster exhibition

The Sarasota Art Museum is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Art Deco movement with a major exhibition titled "Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration." The show features 100 rare advertising posters from the William W. Crouse Collection, many of which are the only surviving copies of their kind. The display is augmented by Prohibition-era barware and period furniture on loan from the Wolfsonian-FIU, providing a comprehensive look at the visual culture of the 1920s and 1930s.