Comment | From restitution to confronting authoritarian regimes, here are five ways museums can be more ethical

The article previews the upcoming book "Towards the Ethical Art Museum" and outlines five key strategies for museums to become more ethical institutions. These include developing ethics codes in collaboration with advisory bodies like ICOM and the UK Museums Association, changing mindsets on restitution to focus on mutual benefit rather than loss, and addressing internal "employee activism" to build diverse and equitable workplaces.

‘Re-scoped’ Alice Springs art gallery on public exhibition

The Northern Territory government has unveiled revised plans for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery of Australia (ATSIAGA) in Alice Springs/Mparntwe. The redesigned project, led by BVN, Susan Dugdale and Associates, and Clouston Associates, has been reduced from five storeys to three, with 1,300 square metres of exhibition space. A development consent application was submitted earlier this month and is now on public exhibition until 22 August, following cost blowouts that prompted a "re-scoping" of the original scheme. Construction is expected to take 18–24 months, with an opening targeted for late 2027.

London urban oasis hosts artist’s multimedia investigation into plants’ resilience in the face of climate crisis

London-based artist Vivienne Schadinsky presents "Into the Seeds of Time" at the newly expanded OmVed Gardens in Highgate, a private urban garden and the UK's first centre for food, ecology and creativity. The exhibition, running until 3 August, features ink paintings, films, sculptures and prints created during Schadinsky's year-long residency, focusing on the life cycles of three bean varieties—puy lentil, Essex pea bean and gaia soybean—as a metaphor for climate resilience.

Enjoy new exhibitions at Bundaberg Art Gallery

Three new exhibitions—'Carbon_Dating', 'Mom Bras', and 'repeating gestures of becoming'—will open at Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery as part of its Winter Program. The shows feature sculpture, installation, photography, and textile art exploring themes of identity, environment, and the female form. Artist Charmaine Lyons will install 700 clay pears in the gallery's Vault space for her site-specific work 'repeating gestures of becoming', inspired by The Tale of the Handless Maiden. An opening night party is set for Friday 18 July, followed by public talks on Saturday 19 July, including a conversation with curator Beth Jackson and artist Cassie Arnold.

Sawtell Art Gallery’s 37th show a success

Sawtell Art Gallery's 37th Annual Show opened on June 28 with a celebratory party attended by exhibitors and community members. The exhibition featured nine prize categories, each with a $500 award, plus a $100 Youth category, sponsored by local businesses and organizations. Winners included Jordanna Hinton, Jayden Whitton, Bronwyn Fife, Helen Goldsmith, Andrea Hitchcock, Willie Berkof-Ober, Nico Reynolds, Shellie Kelly, Sharon Sykes, Lachlan Wainwright, Max Greenaway, and Stella Dodd. The People's Choice Award is pending announcement at the exhibition's close.

New National Centre for Environmental Art opens near Grampians

A new Wama Foundation has opened near the Grampians (Gariwerd) mountain range in Pomonal, western Victoria, Australia, featuring the National Centre for Environmental Art and a native Australian botanical garden. The 16-hectare project, 14 years in the making, launched on July 5 with an exhibition titled 'End & Being' by Jacobus Capone, which uses pre-recorded performance art filmed on Mont Blanc glaciers to address climate change. The site also includes a feral-proof endemic plant garden serving as a seed bank for post-bushfire revegetation.

Opening celebrations for artist-led Woy Woy gallery

A vacant retail space in Deep Water Shopping Centre, Woy Woy, Australia, has been transformed into a new artist-run gallery called Deep Water Art Space. The gallery will officially open on July 5, 2025, with a community celebration featuring free activities for children and adults, a ribbon cutting by Member for Gosford Liesel Tesch, and a roster of rotating exhibitions, workshops, and live art demonstrations by 21 local artists.

Exhibition a ‘Broad Spectrum’ into arts | The Express Newspaper | Local News covering Sport, Agricultural, Entertainment, Community & Business News for Mareeba, Atherton, Cooktown, Kuranda, the Tablelands & Far North Queensland Australia.

A group of local artists from the Tablelands, Cassowary Coast, and Cairns in Far North Queensland has launched a new exhibition titled "Broad Spectrum" at the Tablelands Regional Gallery in Atherton. The show features works by ten artists including Angela Fielding (sculpture, leadlight, timber), Rose Knight (oil painting), Yvonne Hering (woodblock printing), and others, spanning watercolour, oil, acrylic, ceramics, weaving, and more. The exhibition runs until 9 August 2025, with an official opening on 21 June.

Arts of Oceania

The article explores the rich artistic traditions of Oceania, emphasizing how the vast network of islands and ocean passageways fostered a dynamic exchange of cultures, materials, and ideas over millennia. It describes Oceanic art as vessels for metaphysical journeys, with objects like fishhooks, stick charts, and carved figures serving as tangible expressions of ancestral power and cultural knowledge. The text highlights the role of artists as chiefs and orators who manipulate local materials to manifest spirits, and traces the region's entanglements with European colonial powers from the sixteenth century onward.

Jacky Winter Gallery opens submissions for 2025 group exhibition

Jacky Winter Gallery in Collingwood, Australia, has opened submissions for its 2025 group exhibition titled 'Assembly'. The gallery, founded in 2008 by The Jacky Winter Group, has historically showcased international and local artists including Oslo Davis, Kimberly Engwicht, and Beci Orpin. The exhibition will run from July 12 to August 16 and is curated by gallery manager Shena Jamieson with support from Tatanja Ross. Submissions are open to both emerging and established artists, and the gallery expects a high volume of entries.

Taiyo to Ame no Melody (Melody of Sun and Rain) at PALAS

Taiyo to Ame no Melody (Melody of Sun and Rain) at PALAS

The group exhibition *Taiyo to Ame no Melody (Melody of Sun and Rain)* opened at PALAS in Sydney, featuring new and recent works by artists Maureen Gallace, Trevor Shimizu, and Kazuyuki Takezaki. Curated by the Tokyo-based gallery Misako & Rosen, the show presents a contemplative dialogue between the three artists' distinct approaches to landscape and domestic scenes, running from February 7 through March 28, 2026.

Exhibition openings to enjoy in May

Bundaberg Regional Galleries in Queensland, Australia, will launch five new exhibitions in May 2025, with opening events spread across the month. The shows include 'Lost in Palm Springs', a national touring exhibition curated by Dr Greer Honeywill featuring 14 artists and thinkers from America and Australia exploring Palm Springs' landscape and mid-century modern architecture; 'Shifting Perspectives: the Self Reconciliation Project' by local artist Avi Amesbury, which uses ceramics and storytelling to examine settler-colonial family history; 'Post Truth' by Gureng Gureng/Gangalu artist Darren Blackburn, addressing the Australian Government's Close the Gap campaign through led-neon signs; 'The Nature of Silk: The Glad Not Sad Book', a family-friendly exhibition of silk art by children's book author Kim Michelle Toft; and 'Metal in Motion' by Kevin Dekker, a collection of sculptures that transform steel, wood, stone and ceramics into dynamic, fluid forms. Opening events will be held at Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery and Childers Arts Space, with free admission and no RSVP required.

Contemporary Aboriginal artist holds first exhibition

Eboney Jade Hall, a contemporary Aboriginal artist from the Barkindji and Nyampa peoples, is holding her first exhibition during Reconciliation Week. A fostered child of a fostered child, Hall turned to painting during the Covid lockdown after buying art supplies for her uninterested daughters. She taught herself to develop a symbolic, feeling-based style that explores family, reconnection, and resilience. Her work draws on memories of both Wollongong and Broken Hill, using reds, ochres, and blues to reflect her dual identity. The exhibition marks a personal milestone after years of struggle with alcoholism, domestic violence, and displacement.

Grind – Charity Skateboard Art Exhibition Ramps Up For Its Third Year In Loganholme

FIRST Disability Support & Training Service in Loganholme, Queensland, is hosting the third annual Grind skate deck art exhibition in July 2026, with over 100 entrants from across Australia. The exhibition features custom-designed skateboard decks by members of the public, school students, and people living with disabilities, under the theme 'Myths, Monsters & Mayhem'. Judges include skateboard deck artist Brett Clifton, Skate Advantage ambassador Matilda Wilson, and metalwork artist Colleen Lavender, with a live skate demonstration by professional skater Jesse Noonan.

Perth artist’s showcase asks guests to touch and view works

Perth-based multidisciplinary artist Lisa Principe launched her latest solo exhibition, "In Parallel Exhibition: An Atlas of Becoming," at Cleaver House in West Perth on March 13. The showcase features works that explore the evolving relationship between the self and the landscape, notably encouraging visitors to engage with the art through both touch and sight. The opening event featured a Welcome to Country by Dr. Noel Nannup, a speech by Ash Tower, and a musical performance by Tanaya Harper.

28 Texas Galleries to Participate in Affordable Art Fair Austin, May 14-17

The third annual Affordable Art Fair Austin will take place from May 14 to 17 at the Palmer Events Center, featuring 28 Texas galleries and a total of 55 galleries from locations as far as Sydney, Australia. Artworks are priced between $100 and $12,000, and the fair includes live painting, an interactive mural, family programming, and a raffle benefiting Dell Children’s Medical Center. Over 30% of participating galleries are Austin-based, with local names such as Art From the Streets, Davis Gallery & Framing, and Wally Workman among them.

Church History Museum Showcases 13th International Art Competition

The Church History Museum of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah, is presenting an exhibition of works selected from the 13th International Art Competition, running from April 24, 2025, to January 3, 2026. The exhibition features 150 artworks chosen from hundreds of submissions by five jurors, with artists from 26 countries including Angola, Argentina, Australia, and Vietnam. The theme, “Lift Up the Hands Which Hang Down,” is drawn from Doctrine and Covenants 81:5, and the show includes a variety of media such as sculpture, ceramic, chitenge, and tapa. Purchase and merit awards were announced at an April 24 ceremony, and a virtual gallery allows public voting for a Visitors’ Choice Award through November 30, 2025.

Reasoning beyond accounting: here is the first step for a valuation of cultural heritage

Ragionare oltre la contabilità: ecco il primo step per una valutazione del patrimonio culturale

Angelo Argento recently published an article examining the valuation of cultural heritage in light of ongoing public accounting reforms in Italy. The piece moves beyond iconic landmarks like the Colosseum or Uffizi to focus on smaller, territorial assets such as archives, civic museums, and lesser-known archaeological sites, questioning how and whether a specific economic value can be assigned to them. It explores different international approaches—from market-based valuations in Australia and France to symbolic €1 entries in the U.S.—highlighting the global trend toward quantifying cultural heritage.

Zig Zag Gallery marks 15 years with Art Gala

Zig Zag Gallery in Kalamunda, Western Australia, is celebrating its 15th anniversary with an Art Gala and the annual Kalamunda Art Awards exhibition. The milestone event, set for June 6–28, 2026, will feature works from artists who have exhibited at the gallery over its history, alongside new participants. The awards include judged prizes for painting, sculpture, and environmentally focused works, as well as a People’s Choice Award voted by visitors.

EOI Exhibition for 2027: Berninneit Art Gallery, Phillip Island Opportunities

Bass Coast Shire Council has officially opened the call for Expressions of Interest for the 2027 exhibition season at Berninneit Art Gallery on Phillip Island. Artists, curators, and collectives are invited to submit proposals for six-week exhibition slots in the award-winning facility, which serves as the region's first purpose-built professional visual arts space. The application window remains open until May 29, 2026, targeting a diverse range of contemporary practices from local and national creators.

These exhibits took years to plan. They’re gathering dust during the shutdown.

Daniel Soma sat alone in a pop-up art gallery in downtown Washington, D.C., surrounded by Australian Indigenous artworks that had been planned for years but remained unseen due to a government shutdown. The gallery, wedged between a bank and a men's workwear store, was fully installed but empty of visitors, highlighting the immediate impact of the shutdown on cultural programming.

Art Gallery of Swan Hill: A Place to Gather

The Art Gallery of Swan Hill, under the Swan Hill Rural City Council, has announced the opening of its first exhibition in a new gallery space, titled 'A Place to Gather'. The exhibition features works from the gallery's permanent collection—which includes Australian printmaking, drawing, First Nations sculptural objects, and paintings by notable Australian artists—alongside loans from public and private collections. Opening night is scheduled for 28 November 2025, with additional events including a curator-led walk-through and behind-the-scenes tours through early 2026.

South West artists have come together for a new exhibition

A new group exhibition titled "Echoes of the Earth" has opened at the Bunbury Regional Art Galleries, featuring works by 12 artists from Western Australia's South West region. The show explores the artists' personal and collective experiences with the local environment, including themes of coastal erosion, bushfire recovery, and Indigenous connection to Country.

Call out to artists for upcoming Women in Art exhibition

The Nambucca Valley Women’s Business Network (NVWBN) has issued a call for entries for its fourth annual 'Women in Art' exhibition, scheduled to open at the Matilda Street Gallery in Macksville on May 16. Local female artists from the Nambucca, Macleay, Hastings, and Bellinger valleys are invited to submit expressions of interest by May 7 to participate in the showcase, which featured nearly 100 works from 44 artists in its previous iteration.

Ainsley Maclean puts 13 art pieces in his first exhibition

Albany artist Ainsley Maclean is presenting his first art exhibition, using his artwork to raise awareness about myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), a chronic illness. The exhibition marks a personal and public milestone for Maclean, who lives with the condition.

University of Sunderland Exhibition Celebrates 25 Years of Emerging Glass and Ceramics Talent

The University of Sunderland is celebrating 25 years of its Dry Run exhibition, a showcase for second-year BA Artist Designer Maker students specializing in glass and ceramics at the Shipley Art Gallery and Museum. The milestone exhibition, titled "A Celebration of Dry Run," brings together works from thirty artists who previously participated in the program, including a large ceramic bowl by recent graduate Lynn Donnelly. The show highlights the technical and conceptual evolution of the artists over the program's history.

Short Street Gallery opens it colourful new exhibition

Short Street Gallery in Broome, Western Australia, has opened a new exhibition titled "Maku Tjuta — Many Witchetty Grubs." The show was announced by the Broome Advertiser in a report by journalist Phoebe Solon on May 11, 2026. The exhibition focuses on Indigenous Australian art, drawing on cultural motifs related to witchetty grubs, a traditional food source and symbol in Aboriginal culture.

Tumut Art Exhibition entertains everyone

The Tumut Art Society recently concluded its 68th annual art exhibition in regional New South Wales, marking a successful two-week event that drew approximately 500 visitors. The show featured 39 sales across both physical and virtual platforms and distributed $15,000 in prize money across nine categories. Melbourne artist Nina Volk emerged as the primary winner, securing both the prestigious Bendigo Bank Acquisitive Award for her work "The Storm is Coming" and the People’s Choice Award for "Grazing in the Autumn Mist."

Studio A exhibition opens at Lismore gallery

Lismore Regional Gallery has launched a new exhibition featuring the work of Studio A artists Guy Fredericks and Damian Showyin. The showcase includes Fredericks’ 'Bleeding Hearts and Morning Glory,' which addresses climate change and environmental regeneration, alongside Showyin’s 'Suede Blue,' a solo presentation of rhythmic, color-focused paintings. The exhibition is part of a strategic touring program designed to bring museum-quality contemporary art by artists with intellectual disabilities to regional New South Wales.

Surf’s up at annual exhibition

The annual Surf Art exhibition at Port Noarlunga’s Arts Centre in South Australia has opened, celebrating the region’s surfing culture, lifestyle, history, and coastal environment. First held in 1993, the free exhibition runs until February 2 and features works in various media—painting, jewellery, mosaics, photography, glassware, textiles, and sculpture—by local and interstate artists. Coordinator Nerissa Galloway noted pieces referencing the recent algal bloom, including a painting by Jo Headon depicting a surfer in a hazmat suit. A separate exhibition, 'The Bloom,' will follow from February 6 to March 16, inviting community reflection on the algal bloom and coastal ecology.