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The second edition of the Malta Biennale is facing accusations of censorship from the abortion rights nonprofit Women on Waves. The organization claims that organizers first demanded the removal of the word "pills" from a banner reading "Need Abortion Pills?" before ultimately attempting to dismantle the installation entirely, citing a failure to meet "aesthetic quality standards." While the Biennale's communications director maintains the work remains in place and frames the dispute as a matter of "curatorial direction," activists provided video evidence of an attempted removal and argue the intervention is a suppression of critical health information.

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The Vilcek Foundation announced the recipients of its 20th annual prizes, honoring Matthew Bogdanos, a former classics scholar, US Marine colonel, and assistant district attorney in New York, with the Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History. Bogdanos, who launched the Antiquities Trafficking Unit in 2017, has overseen the seizure of over 5,000 looted antiquities valued at more than $300 million from museums, auction houses, and private collectors. He declined the $100,000 cash award, directing the foundation to donate the funds to nonprofits of his choosing.

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California College of the Arts (CCA) announced it will close in 2027, shocking students and the art world. Governor Gavin Newsom reportedly had "no clue" and received "no heads up" about the closure, according to text messages reported by the San Francisco Standard. CCA president David Howse disputed this, stating Newsom was notified the Monday before the announcement. A meeting between CCA leadership and the governor's office is scheduled. The school, founded in 1907, is the last nonprofit standalone art school in San Francisco and plans to sell its campus to Vanderbilt University.

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California College of the Arts (CCA) in San Francisco will close by the end of the 2026-2027 academic year. Founded in 1907, the financially struggling nonprofit art school has entered an agreement to sell its campus to Vanderbilt University, which plans to establish undergraduate and graduate programs there, including art and design, and operate a CCA Institute that will house the Wattis Institute of Contemporary Arts and maintain CCA archives. The closure follows years of financial crisis, including a $20 million budget deficit in 2024 and declining enrollment, despite a $22.5 million gift from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's foundation in March 2025.

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A French nonprofit, For Ukraine, For Their Freedom and Ours!, has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing Russia of the systematic and organized looting of Ukrainian cultural heritage since the 2022 invasion. The complaint, submitted on July 11, calls for arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and eight senior Russian officials, alleging that the plunder was planned at the highest state level and constitutes war crimes under international law. The group identified a modus operandi involving Russia's Ministry of Culture, museum directors, and intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin.

Arts organisation enlists celebrities in fight to save Manhattan church

West Park Presbyterian Church on Manhattan's Upper West Side, a designated landmark, is seeking permission from the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission to demolish its building, citing financial hardship due to an estimated $26.6 million in repair costs. The church's sole tenant, the arts nonprofit The Center at West Park, was evicted last year and is now leading a fierce opposition campaign, arguing the building is financially viable through leasing and air rights sales.

Ancient Roman Cargo Lost for 2,000 Years Resurfaces in Swiss Lake

A team of Swiss archaeologists and the nonprofit Octopus Foundation have recovered a 2,000-year-old Roman cargo from Lake Neuchâtel. The haul consists of approximately 600 remarkably preserved artifacts, including stacks of brand-new ceramic plates, bowls, goblets, weapons, tools, chariot wheels, and a wicker basket, dating from between 50 B.C.E. and 50 C.E. The ship itself was not found.

Massive Cache of 42,000 Pottery Shards Reveals Daily Life in Ancient Egypt

Archaeologists from the University of Tübingen and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities have unearthed a massive collection of over 42,000 inscribed pottery shards, known as ostraca, at the ancient site of Athribis. The shards, dating from the 3rd century B.C.E. to the 11th century C.E., contain tax receipts, religious texts, school exercises, and personal notes written in Demotic, Greek, Hieratic, Coptic, and Arabic scripts, offering an unprecedented window into the daily lives of ordinary people.

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Researchers from Binghamton University, at the request of an indigenous community group on Easter Island, have created a high-resolution 3D model of the Rono Raraku quarry, where 95 percent of the island's moai statues were carved. Using drone flights and over 11,000 overlapping photographs stitched together via photogrammetry, the model documents the quarry in unprecedented detail, including 133 quarried voids, 400-plus unfinished moai, and evidence of 30 distinct clan-based carving areas. The model is freely available online and was motivated by a 2022 wildfire that threatened the site.

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Nathan Myhrvold, the former Microsoft CTO, chef, author, and photographer, has released his first series of safari photographs taken in Africa. The collection, titled 'Resting Leopard' (2025) and 'The Young King' (2025), marks a shift from his meticulously staged food and beverage photography to wildlife portraiture. In an interview, Myhrvold discusses how the project reconnects with humanity's place in the natural world, contrasting the controlled environment of studio work with the unpredictability of photographing wild animals.

‘Time and Tide’ exhibition reveals Petaluma River through local artists’ eyes

The Petaluma Historical Library and Museum is hosting 'Time and Tide,' a multimedia exhibition running through June 6 that explores the Petaluma River and its wetlands through 90 works including watercolors, photographs, poems, and sketches. The show, subtitled 'An Artful Exploration of Petaluma’s Wetlands,' opened April 9 and features contributions from local artists such as Leslie Ihrig, Zoe Caron, Dan Rogers, David Tomb, Marion Hatcher, and Sonoma County Poet Laureate Dave Seter, alongside taxidermy from the Petaluma Wildlife Museum and a video presentation.

McRae Art Studios kicks off 40th anniversary with open house this weekend

McRae Art Studios, Orlando's oldest and largest professional artist collective, is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a spring open house on April 25 at its 10,000-square-foot converted garage space in urban Orlando. Founded in 1986 by George and Marty Whipple, the studio has hosted over 100 award-winning artists across five locations. The event features studio visits, original artwork sales, live music, and a cash bar, along with a new exhibition of self-portraits titled "The Faces of McRae" created by the current 22 member artists. The collective is also reorganizing as a nonprofit to strengthen the local arts community.

Out and About: Richmond Art Gallery premieres new exhibits

The Richmond Art Gallery has launched two new exhibitions, 'I digress' and 'Side Core: under city'. The latter marks the North American debut of a show exploring the intersection of skateboarding culture and contemporary art in Tokyo, featuring work from artists Takasu Sakie, Matsushita Tohru, and Nishihiro Taishi. The former is a group exhibition curated by Zoe Chan, presenting diverse media from artists Simranpreet Anand, Jo-Anne Balcaen, August Klintberg, Anne Koizumi, Lindsay McIntyre, and Gonzalo Reyes Rodriguez.

Unprecedented Exhibition ‘Echoes of Gen X: The Art of the Fillmore (1980s–2000s)’ Will Open at LA’s Gabba Gallery on February 21

The Gabba Gallery in Los Angeles will open a major exhibition titled 'Echoes of Gen X: The Art of the Fillmore (1980s–2000s)' on February 21. The show will feature a vast collection of deadstock gig posters and ephemera from the iconic San Francisco music venue, representing over 1,000 concerts from the late 1980s through early 2000s, with works by poster artists like Chuck Sperry, Frank Kozik, and Rex Ray.

Open Call Announced for Georgetown Art Center 2027 Exhibitions

The Georgetown Art Center (GAC) has issued an open call for its 2027 exhibition season, inviting U.S.-based artists working in any medium to propose monthlong solo exhibitions featuring work created within the past three years. Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of three artists—Caroline Walker, Mark Greenwalt, and Molly Mansfield—each of whom had solo shows at GAC in 2025. Selected artists receive a $500 honorarium, promotional support, and opportunities for an opening reception, artist talk, and masterclass. The deadline for submissions is February 28, 2026, with a $45 fee.

‘Triptych’ opening brings a trifecta of talent to Grove Gallery

Grove Gallery in Evanston, Illinois, hosted the opening reception of 'Triptych,' a three-person exhibition featuring artists Kate Berry-Brown, Vanessa Filley, and Darren Oberto. The show, on view through January 31, presents a range of media including pencil portraits, figurative photography, and oil paintings, exploring themes of motherhood, belonging, environment, and the cosmos. Gallery owner Sarah Kaiser-Amaral noted a synergy among the artists in their use of geometry and treatment of parenthood, describing a concept of order versus chaos. The gallery is donating 20 percent of sales from the exhibit to Housing Opportunities for Women (HOW), a nonprofit supporting people in Chicagoland experiencing poverty and homelessness.

Two San Francisco Legends Will Open a Huge Cafe and Gallery at Pier 29

Mokhtar Alkhanshali, a pioneer of specialty Yemeni coffee in San Francisco, and author Dave Eggers are partnering to open a cafe and gallery at Pier 29's Art + Water, a new 70,000-square-foot arts nonprofit set to launch in late summer or fall 2026. Alkhanshali will operate a large cafe space featuring a new luxury coffee brand, while Art + Water will offer free studio space for artists and 10,000 square feet of gallery space, hosting rotating artists and workshops in collaboration with the Community Arts Stabilization Trust.

Miami Arts Organizations Respond to NEA Cuts

Miami arts nonprofits, including Dimensions Variable and Fountainhead, received termination notices from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) stating their federal funding would end May 31st because their projects did not align with presidential priorities. The cuts compound existing financial strain from state and local reductions, including Governor Ron DeSantis's veto of $32 million in state arts funding and a proposed $12.8 million cut by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who later restored $11.5 million after public backlash. Organizations now face canceled programming, raised fees, and uncertainty about reimbursing already-spent funds.

City Hall to mark 24th anniversary of 9/11 with art exhibition

City Hall in New York City will mark the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with an art exhibition organized by former NYPD officer Paul McCormack, who lost most of his sight due to chemicals at the cleanup site, and his wife Nicola McClean, a photographer. Their nonprofit, Ground Zero 360, is showcasing more than 30 works from a collection of over 120 pieces created by more than 60 international artists for the 10-year anniversary in 2011. The exhibition includes photographs, drawings, paintings, and mixed media, and features a portrait of Moira Smith, the only female NYPD officer killed on 9/11. The display will be open for two months starting Monday.

Philadelphia museum sues Trump administration over lost federal funding

The Woodmere, a museum in Philadelphia, sued the Trump administration after an executive order revoked a $750,000 federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The museum had already received roughly $195,000 of the funds, but the order targeting "unnecessary" federal bureaucracy cut the remainder. On September 4, the IMLS reinstated the full grant, leading to the dismissal of the lawsuit, which had been scheduled for a first hearing on September 12. The grant, part of the Save America's Treasures program, was intended for conservation, catalog updates, and digitization projects.

Student artwork sells for record $525K at RodeoHouston School Art Auction

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo School Art Auction set new records at its 2026 event, with student artworks attracting unprecedented bids from donor groups. The grand champion piece, a painting titled 'Between Boots and Moccasins' by Pasadena Memorial High School senior Joshua Washington, sold for a record $525,000, nearly doubling the previous year's top sale. The auction, held at NRG Arena, showcases artwork selected from a statewide competition involving over 200,000 students, highlighting the program's scale and impact on young Texas artists.

Artificial Intelligence as an Uncanny Machine is on Display in a Florence Air-Raid Shelter

L’intelligenza artificiale come macchina perturbante è in mostra in un rifugio antiaereo di Firenze

Artist and philosopher Francesco D’Isa presents "Latent Rooms" at Rifugio Digitale, a gallery located within a former air-raid shelter in Florence. The exhibition features video works created using generative AI models like Midjourney and Seedance 2.0, which D’Isa manipulates to create dreamlike, glitch-heavy sequences. Rather than aiming for cinematic realism, the artist embraces the technical errors and "hallucinations" of the AI, resulting in an aesthetic that blends Renaissance beauty with haunting, domestic melancholy.

A library of sensations in Rome in the exhibition of Gabriele Simei: The interview

Una biblioteca di sensazioni a Roma nella mostra di Gabriele Simei. L’intervista

Artist Gabriele Simei has transformed the VOLUME! art space in Rome into an immersive installation titled "LABiblioteca Sottotevere." Curated by Silvano Manganaro, the exhibition features metal sculptures shaped like books, alongside found objects such as old lace, blankets, and tools. Simei uses acid to etch the textures of leaves gathered from the banks of the Tiber River and vintage textiles onto iron and brass plates, creating a "library of sensations" that bridges the gap between nature and domestic memory.

Artspace111 Opens Call for 2026 Texas Juried Exhibition

Artspace111 in Fort Worth, Texas, has opened the call for its 2026 Texas Juried Exhibition, organized by the nonprofit Love Texas Art Foundation. The annual show invites artists from across the state to apply by June 1, with juror Terri Provencal, publisher of the Dallas Arts District Guide and Patron magazine, selecting participants. Prizes include the $10,000 Edmund Craig Memorial Award, a solo or group exhibition opportunity in 2027, and cash awards totaling thousands of dollars, with every selected artist receiving a $150 honorarium.

This Chelsea gallery will feature art from students as young as 6

Gallery 100 in Chelsea, Michigan, will host The Creative Corner Collection, an exhibition of children's artwork from the Manitou Beach Creative Corner's camps and workshops, running from April 27 through May 8. The show features work by students ages 6 to 15, with an opening reception on May 3 featuring violinists from the Lansing Symphony Orchestra. Gallery 100 takes no commission on sales, so all proceeds go directly to the young artists.

Mooresville Arts announces winners of 48th SpringFest Judged Show & Competition

Mooresville Arts has revealed the winners of its 48th annual SpringFest Judged Show & Competition, featuring 123 works by 66 regional artists. Tina Vincent of Charlotte secured first place for her collage titled "Black Tea," while Vanessa Thorman and Chelsea Demarest took second and third place, respectively. The exhibition, judged by Shain Gallery owner Sybil Wornall, showcases a diverse range of media including pottery, watercolor, and oil paintings.

Artspace111 Opens Call for Annual Juried Exhibition; Names Texas Artist Jon Flaming as Guest Juror

Artspace111 in Fort Worth, Texas, has opened the call for entries for its 12th annual Texas Juried Exhibition, inviting Texas artists aged 18 and over to apply by June 2. This year's guest juror is acclaimed North Texas artist Jon Flaming, known for his cubist-inflected works and cowboy identity. The exhibition will run from July 26 to August 23, with $15,000 in prizes awarded, including a $10,000 top prize named the Edmund Craig Memorial Award, which also offers a solo or group exhibition opportunity at the gallery during its 2025-2026 season.

A taster of the British Museum's Hawaii show in three objects

The British Museum in London is opening a major exhibition titled 'Hawai‘i: a Kingdom Crossing Oceans' (15 January–25 May), accompanied by a catalogue featuring over 150 works from ancient Hawaiian treasures to contemporary pieces. The show explores the historical and cultural ties between Hawaii and the UK, highlighting objects such as an 18th-century feather cloak gifted to a British captain, portraits of King Kamehameha II and Queen Kamāmalu from their 1824 London visit, and a crested helmet. The catalogue includes an inventory of the entire Native Hawaiian collection at the British Museum, the largest outside Hawaii.

Native-owned gallery and retail store to open in Downtown Las Vegas Arts District

The nonprofit IndigenousAF, founded by artist Fawn Douglas and UNLV professor A.B. Wilkinson, announced plans to open a Native-owned retail store and gallery in Downtown Las Vegas Arts District. The venue will feature 700 square feet of retail space, 1,600 square feet of gallery space, and 1,500 square feet of mixed-use space, located near Charleston Boulevard and 3rd Street. The organization has already met one-third of its three-year fundraising goal, and the store, also named IndigenousAF, is expected to open in the first quarter of 2026. A pop-up sale previewing items will take place on Black Friday, November 28, at Nuwu Art Gallery.

More than 160 Tutankhamun treasures have arrived at the Grand Egyptian Museum

More than 160 treasures from the tomb of King Tutankhamun have been transferred from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo to the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, ahead of its long-awaited opening on 3 July. The items include a ceremonial chair inlaid with ivory and gold and an accompanying footstool decorated with gilded motifs. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities states the move is part of a plan to display the entire Tutankhamun collection together for the first time. The famous golden mask and golden coffins remain at the Cairo museum for now and will be the last items moved.