The Art Spirit Gallery’s latest exhibition featuring AI-generated images spurs backlash from the local art community

The Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, faced backlash from the local art community after announcing an exhibition titled "No Permission Needed," featuring AI-generated images by Mike Baker, CEO of Heritage Health. The exhibition, which opened on Nov. 12, sparked nearly 200 comments on Facebook, with local artists calling the work "disgusting," "slop," and "unethical." Four artists protested outside the gallery during the city's monthly ArtWalk event on Nov. 14, and a subsequent panel discussion on Nov. 22 included Baker, gallery owner Blair Williams, former NASA scientist Denise Yost, and Jen Jackson Quintano. Williams noted that three artists have severed ties with the gallery over the show.

‘Proof that life goes on’: meet some of the people working to rescue—and re-energise—Ukrainian culture

Ukrainian cultural institutions and artists are actively restoring and creating art despite ongoing Russian attacks targeting the country's cultural identity. The Nahirna 22 arts collective in Kyiv, which runs 30 artist studios, was hit by air strikes in August that killed at least 23 people, damaging studios and forcing relocations. Meanwhile, the Mykhailo Boychuk State Academy of Decorative Applied Arts and Design in Kyiv, named after a Modernist executed in 1937, was struck by a Russian missile in 2024. Contractors in July 2025 recovered surviving works from the academy's archives, including paintings, textiles, ceramics, and student pieces, with support from UNESCO, the Japanese government, and Ukraine's culture ministry. A new conservation training program and exhibitions like Body/Fragility demonstrate ongoing cultural resilience.

Grand opening for Erin's new outdoor gallery on Sunday

A new outdoor gallery will open in downtown Erin on Sunday, October 26, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Located at 185 Main St., across from the Erin Fair Ground, the gallery features 28 artworks sponsored by local businesses and organizations. Organized by the non-profit Over Here Community Arts Adventure, the space is described as an "art-filled depiction of local experiences" and will remain along the Art Ruralz Trail until construction on the property is complete. The opening event includes artists, volunteers, and organizers on-site, with refreshments available at the Agricultural Dining Hall.

Karen Sylvester to exhibit at Studio Joli

Karen Sylvester, a self-taught Trinidadian artist known for her lush landscapes and waterscapes, will present her latest exhibition "Somewhat Familiar" at Studio Joli in St James, Trinidad, from October 18 to 30, 2025. The show features works inspired by her childhood on the banks of a river in the Northern Range of Trinidad, created through direct observation, sketches, photographs, and visual memory. Sylvester has been exhibiting since 1993 and is widely respected in the region, with her work held in the National Museum and private collections.

Possible medieval artefacts, discovered at Canadian thrift store, will form basis of university archaeology class

A group of 11 rings and two medallions, believed to be medieval, was discovered at a Thrifty Boutique charity shop in Chilliwack, British Columbia. A volunteer found the items while sorting donations, and a customer with an archaeology background alerted staff that the objects might be ancient. The manager contacted Sabrina Higgins, an associate professor at Simon Fraser University (SFU), who arranged for the artefacts to be donated to the university's Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Higgins and colleague Cara Tremain have designed a course for autumn 2026 in which students will analyze the objects' materials and designs to determine their provenance, culminating in an exhibition at the museum.

Art Works: Solomon Lewis Hunter, leader and costume maker at Inspire Urself carnival troupe

Solomon Lewis Hunter, a Black carnival artist from Nottingham, describes his costume 'Rhythm of Bay Street,' which celebrates the Bahamian Junkanoo festival. The design features cowbells, trumpets, saxophones, and horn motifs to capture the energy of Bahamian brass bands. Hunter began his carnival journey in 2013 with Zodiac Allstars, later trained with Junkanoo Commandos in the Bahamas, and in 2017 founded Inspire Urself, a carnival troupe for young people and adults, with support from Arts Council England.

US states step up to fund the arts in the wake of federal cuts

State legislatures across the US have continued to fund their arts and humanities agencies for fiscal year 2026, with aggregate spending totaling $649.2 million across 50 states and four territories—a 7.4% decrease from 2025 levels. While 29 states increased their arts funding, others saw significant cuts, including New Hampshire (90% reduction), Hawaii (74.9% drop), and Missouri (59.7% decline). The data comes from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA), which notes an uncertain fiscal environment but highlights that overall state investment in the arts is being sustained despite federal pressures.

Culture on canvas: Kyler Pahang, ’21, exhibits work at Henry Art Gallery and Wing Luke Museum

Kyler Pahang, a 2021 University of Washington graduate and current MFA student, is exhibiting his work in two Seattle venues. His thesis exhibition, part of the UW MFA and Master of Design show, runs at the Henry Art Gallery from May 24 to June 15, 2025. Additionally, two of his paintings are on view at the Wing Luke Museum in the exhibition “Lost & Found: Searching For Home,” which continues through September 2026. Pahang’s art focuses on Filipino culture, decolonization, and double consciousness, using imagery from Seattle-area Filipino barber shops and landscapes like “A Cry for Uran” to explore cultural identity.

2025 Student Show Exhibit

Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) is presenting its 51st Annual Student Art & Design Show from April 7 to May 1, 2025, filling all four campus gallery spaces with student works in photography, drawing, painting, sculpture, and design. A special awards ceremony and reception will be held on April 16, with guest juror Tia Flores, Program Director of the Sierra Arts Foundation, selecting award-winning entries, and Mandy Medlin, owner of Nevada Fine Arts, choosing works for special recognition. Awards are funded by TMCC Art Galleries and Nevada Fine Arts.

Biennale Jury Will Not Consider Countries with ICC Allegations

Biennale-Jury will Länder mit IStGH-Vorwürfen nicht berücksichtigen

The jury of the Venice Art Biennale has announced that it will not consider countries whose heads of state or government face allegations of crimes against humanity from the International Criminal Court (ICC) when awarding prizes this year. The jury, led by Brazilian art historian Solange Farkas, cited its commitment to defending human rights. While no specific countries were named, the ICC currently has arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza. The Biennale leadership stated the jury acted in full autonomy and independence.

Turin experiments with a robot guide in one of its historic palaces

Turin expérimente un robot-guide dans l’un de ses palais historiques

The Palazzo Madama in Turin, Italy, has introduced R1, a humanoid robot guide developed by the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Genoa, to accompany visitors through the historic palace. Since late March, R1 has been testing its ability to navigate the building's constrained interiors, interact with diverse audiences, and provide explanations about artworks, artists, and the palace's history. The robot uses infrared cameras, lasers, pressure sensors, and a LED matrix to move, avoid obstacles, and communicate, with over 80% of users reporting positive interactions during the six-week trial. Previous tests occurred in 2022 and May 2024.

Pablo Diaz, directeur de Sciences Po Rennes : « L’acte II de l’INSEAC de Guingamp »

Pablo Diaz, director of Sciences Po Rennes, announces that the Institut national supérieur de l'éducation artistique et culturelle (INSEAC) in Guingamp has been transferred from the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (Cnam) to Sciences Po Rennes as of January 1, 2026. The institute, which opened in 2021 and focuses on training, research, and resources for arts and cultural education, will now operate under public-sector governance with oversight from the French ministries of Culture, Education, and Higher Education. Diaz outlines plans to appoint a dedicated site director in Guingamp and establish a strategic orientation committee chaired by interministerial delegate Emmanuel Ethis, aiming to resolve past management and governance issues.

L’offre de formation se développe

French art training institutions are expanding their curricula to include provenance research, responding to a 2022 government report that identified gaps in conservator education. The Institut national du patrimoine (INP) now offers seminars on Nazi-era spoliation (1933-1945) and has added a five-day provenance research module for external competition students since 2024-2025. Paris-Nanterre University launched a master's-level diploma in 2022 covering legal, historical, and methodological aspects of provenance research. The École du Louvre now offers a specialized master's in "sensitive goods and provenance research" addressing spoliated works, human remains, colonial acquisitions, and illicit trafficking, while also integrating provenance methodology into its general curriculum from master's level one.

Private Art Schools Enter a Period of Turbulence

Les écoles d’art privées traversent une zone de turbulence

A wave of bankruptcies and judicial reorganizations is hitting the private art education sector in France. Following the closure of the École d’art de Montreuil, the Académie des arts appliqués (AAA) in Dijon and the École supérieure de design in Troyes have both entered receivership. These institutions are struggling with severe financial deficits, unpaid staff, and a sharp decline in student enrollment, with some schools seeing their student bodies shrink by two-thirds in just four years.

Emmanuel Étienne Takes the Helm of the Compiègne-Blérancourt Museums

Emmanuel Étienne prend les rênes des musées de Compiègne-Blérancourt

Emmanuel Étienne has been appointed as the director of the national museums and estates of Compiègne and Blérancourt. The 48-year-old architect and urban planner, a heritage architect trained at the École de Chaillot, succeeds Rodolphe Rapetti, who has retired. He will oversee the complex, which includes the Château and national estate of Compiègne with its three museums, as well as the estate and the Franco-American Museum of Blérancourt.

A Line of Mural Wallpapers from Astek Celebrates ‘Eterna Nouveau’

Fine wallpaper manufacturer Astek has launched a new collection of floral mural wallpapers called 'Eterna Nouveau.' The designs are a contemporary reinterpretation of the Art Nouveau movement, featuring arching stems, nature-inspired motifs like lilies and Venus fly traps, and are available in various colorways with metallic outlines.

Explore a Growing City of Meticulously Crafted Miniature Paper Buildings by Charles Young

Artist Charles Young is expanding his intricate city of miniature paper buildings, with 258 structures already completed from a series inspired by Sanzo Wada's color theory book. He is currently working on the final 90 models from the first volume, which explores two-color combinations, and has also created works featuring multiple colors.

Restrained Emotions Simmer in Shinsuke Inoue’s Tender Wood Sculptures

Japanese artist Shinsuke Inoue creates small, emotionally resonant wood sculptures of human figures. His practice began about ten years ago when he carved a likeness of his child, sparking a dedicated focus on figurative woodcarving that captures universal human essence rather than specific portraits.

Fundación Botín Opens 2026–2027 Art Grants for International Artists

The Fundación Botín has opened applications for its 2026–2027 Art Grants program, offering six grants of €23,000 each to support individual artistic projects. The nine-month grants fund research, training, or production, with selected artists' work to be featured in the Itinerarios exhibition at Centro Botín. Applications close on 8 May 2026.

2026 Art Graduates Exhibition – Cal Poly Humboldt Reese Bullen Gallery

Cal Poly Humboldt's Reese Bullen Gallery will host the 2026 Art Graduates Exhibition from April 22 to May 16, 2026, showcasing work by graduating art majors and minors. The exhibition features ceramics, painting, photography, printmaking, small metals, sculpture, and digital arts, with an Awards Presentation on April 30. The gallery, established in 1970 and named after a founding art professor, is located on the university campus.

FRC student artists present exhibition across 2 galleries

Feather River College's Studio Arts Department is holding its annual Student Art Exhibition in May across two Quincy galleries: Main Street Artists Gallery and Plumas Arts Gallery. The exhibition features student work in drawing, painting, photography, and sculpture, with an opening reception on May 1. Additionally, Main Street Artists Gallery is showcasing three resident fine jewelry creators—Robert Rose, Judy Dailey, and Michael Borofka—alongside other gallery members' work.

Greytown exhibition circles back for third year

The Greytown Art Gallery has launched the third edition of its annual "Full Circle" exhibition, featuring nearly 100 anonymous works created on small, circular formats. The opening event, officiated by South Wairarapa mayor Fran Wilde, included an auction of the pieces, which are priced at a flat rate of $200 to ensure affordability. The exhibition showcases a mix of emerging and established artists from across the Wairarapa region, challenging them to work outside traditional rectangular constraints.

Howard Architecture Students’ Work Displayed in New York Art Exhibit

Howard University third-year architecture students traveled to New York City to see their work displayed in an exhibition at Leroy Street Studio in Chinatown. The exhibit features sun shading devices for window frames, designed in an environmental systems class led by Assistant Professor Nea Maloo and Associate Professor Danny Sagan of Norwich University, integrating biophilic design principles. Students also participated in a sketching exercise led by architect Danai Metoyer and networked with professionals like Natalka Khodarchenko.

Minister of Culture, Tourism, Aden Governor visit Art Exhibition at Sana’a Gallery

Yemen's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Dr. Ali Al-Yafei, and Aden Governor Tariq Salam visited an art exhibition at the Sana’a Fine Arts Gallery in Sana’a. The show features paintings and artworks by Yemeni artists that focus on the country's civilizational heritage, faith-based identity, and the Palestinian cause, particularly the suffering in Gaza. Officials toured the gallery and praised the works for expressing national and regional concerns.

The Basement Gallery and Open Walls Collective come together to celebrate graduating student artists, senior show at Pence Gallery on June 7

The Basement Gallery and Open Walls Collective, two student-led organizations at UC Davis, are collaborating to host a senior show for graduating student artists at the Pence Gallery on June 7. The exhibition will feature a wide range of mediums and voices, marking the first time The Basement Gallery has curated a space outside its usual basement venue. Open Walls Collective previously worked with the Pence Gallery on an interactive exhibition, and the event is supported by Education Director Katharine Schultz, a UC Davis alumna and former Basement Gallery member.

Taking It to the Next Level: 2025 Zuccaire Gallery Senior Show & URECA Art Exhibition

Nearly 150 pieces of student art are on display at the Zuccaire Gallery’s annual Senior Show & URECA Art Exhibition, held on the first floor of the Staller Center at Stony Brook University. The exhibition features works by students such as Hunter Moore, who created an acrylic landscape titled 'Beginning of the End' and a bronze goat sculpture exploring religious themes, and Juno Stuelke, whose piece 'Manic' addresses mental health. The show includes more sculptures than previous years, record-breaking attendance of 250 at the opening reception, and awards such as the Staller Center Award for Excellence, won by Nicholas Simms for his installation of 100 ceramic cassette tapes.

The Story of Alexey Shor: From Mathematician to Contemporary Classical Composer. The Interview

La storia di Alexey Shor: da matematico a compositore classico contemporaneo. L’intervista

Alexey Shor, a 1970-born Ukrainian-American composer who originally earned a PhD in mathematics and worked in finance, has transitioned to a full-time career in contemporary classical music. From April 28 to 30, 2026, his neo-romantic compositions were performed at the Auditorium RAI "Arturo Toscanini" in Turin, Italy, by the RAI National Symphony Orchestra under Estonian conductor Anu Tali, alongside works by Rachmaninoff, Schubert, and Grieg. The concerts featured renowned musicians including Russian conductor Mikhail Pletnev, violinist Giuseppe Gibboni, violinist Daniel Lozakovich, and pianist Arsenii Moon. In an interview with Artribune, Shor discussed his dual career, his emotional connection to audiences, and his openness to having his music used in films.

Newly Restored Roman Artifacts from Ostia Antica Installed in Rome's Hotels

I reperti romani appena restaurati di Ostia Antica vengono allestiti negli alberghi di Roma

Three Roman masterpieces from the 2nd century AD, previously hidden in the storerooms of the Ostia Antica Archaeological Park, have been installed in the lobbies of historic hotels in central Rome. The works include marble portraits of Empress Faustina the Elder and noblewoman Domizia Lucilla, alongside a restored fresco of Lachesis, one of the Fates. This initiative, titled "Ostia Antica Goes to Town," is part of the broader "Art Outside the Museum" project, which pairs cultural institutions with the hospitality sector to bring archaeological treasures into the public eye.

Montreal studio for neurodiverse artists to hold June exhibit

A Montreal art program for neurodiverse adults, called Art Seen, is preparing for an exhibition at the McClure Gallery from June 12 to 22, 2025. The program, run in partnership between the Visual Arts Centre and the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) at the Wagar Adult Education Centre, provides studio space and training in painting, printing, cartooning, and collage. Students like Victoria McIntosh, Matthew Brotherwood, Lisa Potter, Juliette Plamondon, and Jonathan Pepin are creating works for the show, which includes a theme titled 'the reconstructed' that involves repurposing old art history books to assert their place in the narrative.

Between Here and Elsewhere: A New Generation Steps Forward

The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria will host 'Between Here and Elsewhere,' an exhibition featuring the Top 10 artists from the 2025/26 Tlhagella Incubation Programme. Curated by Puleng Plessie, the show opens on 1 May 2026 and presents works that explore themes of presence, memory, and belonging through a polyphonic, multi-perspectival approach.