Bildmuseet opens the MFA exhibition from Umeå Academy of Fine Arts.

Bildmuseet in Umeå, Sweden, will host the Master's exhibition "Of Love and Care" from the Umeå Academy of Fine Arts at Umeå University, opening on 22 May 2026 with an Art Friday event featuring talks, performances, tours, live music, and a DJ. The exhibition showcases works by ten graduating artists—Christian Abrahamsson, Amanda Angeli Blombäck, Time Bohlin, Renan De Menezes Anan, Elna Dani Liljedahl, Joanne Löfling, Måns Palmberg, Sofia Tien, Fanny Åberg, and Tin Åling—whose pieces explore themes of love, care, mysticism, and the wonder of existence, moving beyond overtly political and consumerist messages. A media preview will be held on 20 May, and the exhibition runs through 23 August 2026.

In the Curator’s Words: James Hubbell and his brother Bert still united through art

The Oceanside Museum of Art has opened "Brothers in Arts: James Hubbell and Bert Hubbell," a poignant exhibition curated by Brennan Hubbell, the son of James and nephew of Bert. The show explores the parallel creative lives of the two brothers, who lived on opposite sides of the Pacific for sixty years—James in San Diego and Bert in Japan—yet maintained a deep spiritual and artistic connection through letters and shared philosophies. Both artists passed away within weeks of each other in 2024, shortly after a final video call that reconnected them after a period of silence.

Denver Art Museum announces major exhibition of Australian Indigenous Art

The Denver Art Museum has announced a major touring exhibition of Australian Indigenous Art, set to open in April 2026. The show is a collaborative effort organized by the National Gallery of Victoria and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and will also travel to the Portland Art Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum.

Portland Art Museum opens gallery focused on Black artists, named for local trailblazer

The Portland Art Museum has opened a new permanent gallery dedicated to Black artists, named for local artist, dancer, and educator Thelma Johnson Streat. The gallery, which opened on the first day of Black History Month, features a variety of works by Black Oregon artists, including multimedia installations, paintings, drawings, and a large photographic grid.

Emerging painter shows what it means to be a Maine artist | Column - Portland Press Herald

Dean McCrillis, an emerging painter from Rumford, Maine, is the subject of a solo exhibition titled "Dog Years" at Cove Street Arts in Portland, running through January 17. The show features oil paintings that depict distinctly Maine activities—hunting, fishing, camping—while employing layered, translucent brushstrokes to evoke the ephemerality of time and experience. McCrillis, who also works as a framer at Greenhut Galleries, uses a bright, saturated palette and techniques that make his images appear to simultaneously emerge and dissolve, capturing fleeting moments in the state's rugged landscape.

Best of the Year: Check Out the Most Voted Exhibitions of 2025

A public poll with over 8,500 votes has determined the top ten exhibitions of 2025 in Brazil. The number one spot went to conceptual artist Ana Amorim's show at MAC USP, followed by Goya Lopes' exhibition at MAM Bahia in second place. Other notable entries include a group show "Floresta de Espíritos" in Salvador, Thiago Martins de Melo's first solo exhibition in his hometown São Luís, and the Monet exhibition at Masp, which broke visitation records with 502,642 visitors. A special highlight is "Memórias do Inconsciente" by Jhonyson Nobre at Sesc Arapiraca, the only exhibition outside the initial shortlist to make the top ten. Maria Bonomi at Paço Imperial received the most votes according to public comments as a bonus.

Portland Art Museum's new addition set to open November 20

The Portland Art Museum has previewed its new four-story addition, which will open to the public on November 20, 2025. The 100,000-square-foot expansion connects the museum's two existing buildings and adds new gallery and public spaces, featuring a complete reinstallation of the collection with nearly 300 new acquisitions that have rarely or never been displayed before.

Sasha Fishman '24 Fixates on Fish in Solo Exhibition at ILY2 Gallery

Sasha Fishman '24, an alum and adjunct assistant professor at Columbia, presents her solo exhibition 'Shad Mode' at ILY2 Gallery in Portland, Oregon. The show, which culminates her summer residency at ILY2, features sculptures made from materials like egg yolk-tanned sturgeon skin, ceramics, and lamprey teeth, exploring the relationships between fish, their ecosystems, and human intervention. Works such as 'Immortal by Wifi' and 'Each Time You Bathe Me' blend natural and synthetic elements, while a fish cannon encircles the gallery to highlight modern technologies used to transport fish over dams.

Ceramics exhibition opens Dowd Gallery 2025-26 year

Two ceramic artists, Errol Willett and Edward Feldman, opened the 2025-26 exhibition year at SUNY Cortland’s Dowd Fine Arts Gallery with the show “Creating Movement and Flow: A Conversation of Form and Utility.” The exhibition, on view through November 14, 2025, features ceramic works that emphasize motion and process over static objects. A series of free public workshops accompanies the show, including two-part sessions led by Feldman in September and Willett in October, focusing on wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques.

Artist Mashonda Tifrere Launches New Exhibitions

Mashonda Tifrere, an art collector, musician, and founder of two art-based nonprofits, has launched two new projects in San Diego. She created a mindfulness audio tour titled "Inscape: Art and Collection at the Stuart Collection" for the Stuart Collection at UC San Diego, guiding listeners through 22 site-specific artworks. She also curated a group exhibition called "Somewhere in Between" at Quint Gallery in La Jolla, featuring works by artists including Taylor Chapin, Megan Gabrielle, and Nathan Wong.

Upcoming Art Exhibition at CACHE – A Look Back

The Center for Art, Culture, and History—Exeter (CACHE) will host a solo sculpture exhibition by Edward Brown Dobson titled "A Look Back," opening August 2025 with a reception on August 2. Dobson, a 90-year-old Exeter native, combines influences from Native American culture, Egyptian history, and his work with metal, bronze, and wood, shaped by his background as a U.S. Air Force helicopter pilot and his studies in archaeology, anthropology, and art.

Shalini Le Gall named director of the Ackland Art Museum

Shalini Le Gall, deputy director for curatorial affairs at the Portland Museum of Art in Maine, has been named director of the Ackland Art Museum at UNC-Chapel Hill. She will begin her new role on September 8, 2025, bringing over 20 years of experience in museums and higher education, including expertise in exhibit curation, acquisitions, strategic planning, and community engagement. Le Gall succeeds a period of growth at the Portland Museum of Art, where she oversaw more than $10 million in acquisitions and coordinated traveling exhibitions across the U.S.

Denja Harris Plays With Yarn in New Exhibit at OMA

Fiber artist Denja Harris opens her solo exhibition "The Space Between: Texture Studies" at the Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) on June 28. The show features large-scale tufted works that Harris describes as "painting with yarn," alongside three-dimensional soft sculptures stuffed with scrap materials. Harris, who began repurposing fabrics as a middle schooler and later taught herself tufting during the pandemic, uses primarily deadstock and vintage yarn to create layered, colorful pieces that blend high-pile textures with smooth organic shapes.

Cayman Art Week returns with new events

Cayman Art Week returns for its fifth edition from 20-25 May 2025, featuring over 40 events including pop-up exhibitions, studio visits, and extended gallery hours across all three Cayman Islands. New additions this year include the CAW Little Cayman Bike Around and CAW East curated bus tours. The National Gallery is hosting three distinct exhibitions: 'TimeBack' with archival photographs, 'Evolutions: Continuity & Change in Caymanian Art', and 'From the Mind's Eye' exploring dreams and the subconscious. The event was founded in 2021 to stimulate the commercial art market and support artists post-COVID-19.

Whitney Biennial Between Cuteness and Panic

Whitney-Biennale zwischen Niedlichkeit und Panik

The Whitney Museum of American Art has unveiled its latest Biennial, a sprawling survey of contemporary art that navigates the tension between playful aesthetics and existential dread. Curators have embraced an expanded definition of American art, incorporating global perspectives and diverse media to reflect a nation grappling with political instability and social change. The exhibition oscillates between moments of "cuteness" and "panic," utilizing strong visual narratives to address the complexities of the current era.

Pajaro Valley student art exhibit showcases artistic skills of all grade levels

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District held an opening ceremony for its Annual Art Exhibition at the Watsonville Civic Plaza, showcasing hundreds of works by students from transitional kindergarten through high school seniors. The exhibition, which will remain on display for up to a year, features a variety of media including watercolors, charcoal drawings, photographs, collages, and mixed media, with subjects ranging from local landmarks to portraits of Frida Kahlo and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Art teachers like Itzel Vega of Landmark Elementary School collaborated to curate projects that represent each school, highlighting student creativity and problem-solving, such as first grader Aleyda Carrillo's collage of a crowned brontosaurus.

Anti-Russia Protests Spread Beyond the Biennale and Into Venice

Protests against the reopening of the Russian pavilion erupted at the Venice Biennale and spread across the city on the second day of the 61st edition. Visual artist Shalva Nikvashvili, who grew up in post-Soviet Georgia, began a silent performance wearing a muzzle-style mask and carrying a chair, holding a sign reading “La Biennale di Venezia” and “violence.” Shortly after, a group of about 20 protesters led by Pussy Riot co-founder Nadya Tolokonnikova gathered outside the Russian pavilion, chanting against Vladimir Putin, waving Ukrainian flags, and releasing a pink smoke flare. The protests followed the Biennale's decision to allow Russia to participate for the first time since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, despite calls from artists and politicians to exclude the country.

Picasso immersive digital exhibition at Museum of Art + Light

The Museum of Art + Light (MoA+L) in Manhattan, Kansas, will host the U.S. debut of "Picasso: Art in Motion," a landmark immersive exhibition exploring Pablo Picasso's life and work, opening May 3, 2026. Produced in agreement with the Picasso Administration, the exhibition uses large-scale projections, film, and digital environments in the museum's 21,500-square-foot Mezmereyz gallery, featuring 108 projectors and over 188 million pixels. It will be accompanied by "Picasso on Paper," a quieter exhibition of etchings, lithographs, and linocuts, and will anchor a broader season including "Interference: The Interactive Art of Daniel Rozin" and "EMULATION: Selections from the Art Blocks 500."

Paul’s Show of the Month: Cristallina Fischetti – Alchemea

Cristallina Fischetti's solo exhibition 'Alchemea' is on view at the Art Centre in the crypt of St Marylebone Parish Church, London, from 25 April to 18 May. The show presents ten works from the first two acts of a planned 33-painting cycle, incorporating unconventional materials such as coffee, wine, plastic, and leather. Fischetti's process involves ritualistic dance, drawing on her background in ballet, yoga, alchemy, and mystical healing, with influences from abstract expressionists like Frankenthaler and Motherwell, as well as Hilma af Klint.

According to the Turner Prize, one of the year’s best British artists is… French

The 2026 Turner Prize shortlist has been announced, featuring four nominees including French-born artist Marguerite Humeau, who is considered the front-runner despite the award's requirement of honoring a "British artist." Humeau, known for her futuristic biomorphic sculptures made from unusual materials like wasp venom and seaweed, lives in London but was born and raised in the Loire Valley. Other nominees include London-born Kira Freije, Simeon Barclay for his spoken-word performance "The Ruin," and Tanoa Sasraku, whose ICA show is described as "dreary" by the critic. The winner will be announced at Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art in December.

Turner Prize: Mythical shapes and the impact of oil explored in 2026 shortlist

The Turner Prize 2026 shortlist has been announced, featuring four artists: Simeon Barclay, Kira Freije, Marguerite Humeau, and Tanoa Sasraku. Their works include a spoken-word performance about industrial northern England, sculptures exploring human emotions, mythical ecological forms, and installations examining the political history of oil. The shortlisted works will be exhibited at the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, with the winner revealed on December 10. Each shortlisted artist receives £10,000, and the winner gets £25,000.

Hounslow Council announces new art prize

Hounslow Council has launched The Hogarth Prize, a new art competition inviting artists of all levels to submit wall-based works for an exhibition at Hogarth’s House. The winner will receive a £3,000 cash prize and a six-week solo exhibition at the historic venue in 2027. A selection panel including artists Robyn Graham, Hero Johnson, and Steven King will shortlist 80 works for an initial group show scheduled for July 2025.

London art auction brings together Brian Eno, Antony Gormley and more for Gaza medics

A charity art auction in London is bringing together works by Brian Eno, Antony Gormley, and other prominent artists to raise funds for medical aid in Gaza. The auction, organized by the platform Shortlist, features a range of contemporary pieces donated by artists and collectors to support emergency healthcare for Palestinian medics and civilians affected by the conflict.

A striking turtle-shaped art gallery has just opened over the sea in Penang

A striking turtle-shaped art gallery, the Lin Xiang Xiong Art Gallery, has opened over the sea in Penang, Malaysia. Designed by Singaporean artist Lin Xiang Xiong, the eight-storey over-water museum at The Light Waterfront is the world's first of its kind, currently in its soft-opening phase. It houses four permanent galleries tracing Lin's six-decade career, plus a special exhibition titled "Picasso and Lin Xiang Xiong: A Dialogue Across Time" that pairs works by Pablo Picasso with Lin's own. The space also includes an Art Seed Garden for education and hosts international exhibitions and forums focused on peace and cross-cultural exchange.

Bill Koch’s collection could fetch $50m at Christie’s as interest in American Western art grows

Christie’s has announced the consignment of billionaire Bill Koch’s American Western art collection, estimated to fetch at least $50 million across two sales on January 20 and 21. The collection, described as the most valuable tranche of the genre ever to appear at auction, features works by Frederic Remington—including his painting *Coming to the Call* (estimated $6–8 million)—and Charles Marion Russell, among others. The sale aims to spotlight a niche but growing sector of the art market.

Forged Picasso prints sold at Stuttgart auction recovered as part of international police operation

Two forged Pablo Picasso prints from his Suite Vollard series, sold at a Stuttgart auction house, have been recovered as part of an international police operation led by Italian authorities. The Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office (LKA) announced that an Italian national, believed to be a professional art restorer, is suspected of consigning four forged works to the auction house over several years. Two prints were recovered—one in Germany's Rhineland region and one in Austria—while two others were seized before delivery. The operation, code-named "Minotauro bis," began in 2022 and has led to the seizure of 104 fake contemporary artworks, the dismantling of a forgery laboratory in Rome, and the freezing of bank accounts and vehicles. Forgers used complex methods including fake watermarks, scanned images, and aging paper with coffee or tea.

Senior art exhibition spotlights new techniques, artistic growth and community

Ten graduating seniors from Northwestern University's art, theory and practice (ATP) program are presenting a group exhibition titled "Peristeronic" at the Dittmar Gallery, running from May 22 through June 2. The show features work by Lulu Abathra, Isabella Bartling, Alex Bremauntz, Quentin Colson, Helaina Harris, Maggie Musgrave, Lucie Paul, Natalia Tapia Moreno, Grace Wang, and Julianne Zane, with faculty facilitator Lane Relyea. The artists explore themes of community, transition, and personal growth, using techniques such as screen printing, oil painting, spray paint, and digital art.

Diego Gualandris “Floralia” at ADA, Rome

Diego Gualandris presents "Floralia" at ADA gallery in Rome, an exhibition that explores themes of growth, nature, and human intervention through a poetic lens. The show features works that evoke the cycle of life and decay, using floral motifs to reflect on the fragility of existence and the tension between natural processes and external forces.

What Portland’s First New York Art Gallery Means for the City

Portland art gallery ILY2 (“I Love You Too”) has opened a permanent outpost in New York City, marking the first time a Portland gallery has established a permanent space in the city. The new gallery, located between Chinatown and Tribeca, inaugurated its space with the second installment of the group show SOFT PINK HARD LINE, which originally started at ILY2’s Portland gallery in the Pearl District. The expansion was conceived by philanthropist Allie Furlotti, who founded ILY2 during the pandemic as a series of pop-up residencies to support local artists.

Carver Hill Gallery readies new show for Camden's First Art Walk of the season

Carver Hill Gallery in Camden, Maine, will host three solo shows for the first 2025 Third Thursday Art Walk of the season on May 15. The exhibitions feature Kristen Diederich with "It’s When The Night Already Knows To Hold The Night That Gets Me," Angela Warren with "Untamed Blooms: Journey through Wild Meadows," and Giacomo Mazzari with "Forme e Colori," showcasing new works inspired by nature, wild landscapes, and Italian magical realism. The shows run through June 15.