Arts Council News – Fine Art Exhibition Awards

This Day in History, 1986: A Gianthropologist documents Expo 86 at new Surrey Art Gallery exhibit

The Surrey Art Gallery in British Columbia is presenting a new exhibition titled "In the Shadow of the Pavilions: Expo 86 and Contemporary Art," running from April 18 to June 7, 2026. The show features over 50 artists, including a project by Michael de Courcy who took 1,700 photos of Expo 86 visitors, and works by Henri Robideau, a self-described 'Gianthropologist' who photographed giant roadside attractions across Canada in the 1980s.

May Events at Lynden Sculpture Garden

The Lynden Sculpture Garden in Milwaukee announces its May 2026 events, including exhibitions, workshops, and outdoor installations. Featured exhibitions include Faythe Levine's "Time is Running Out," which explores the legacy of Charlotte Partridge and Miriam Frink, co-founders of the Layton School of Art, and "Slow Growing in the Time of Trees" by the mycology-focused collective mycollective. A bonsai exhibit opens on World Bonsai Day in collaboration with the Milwaukee Bonsai Society and Milwaukee Bonsai Foundation, alongside free community events like Knit @ Lynden with Sara Caron.

Lake Effect Community Arts to present ‘Vibrant Rebellion’ in May

Lake Effect Community Arts Center in Manistique, Michigan, will present 'Vibrant Rebellion,' a solo exhibition by local artist Jamie John Hider, opening May 1. The show features Hider's intricate paintings of famous musicians like The Beatles and Prince, incorporating hidden clues and Easter eggs that reflect his own background as a musician. A public reception will kick off the exhibit, which runs through May 27.

Water's Way: A Conversation with Brazilian Conceptual Artist Daniel de Paula About His Expo Chicago Debut

Brazilian conceptual artist Daniel de Paula is set to make his Expo Chicago debut with a solo presentation hosted by gallery Yehudi Hollander-Pappi. The installation features industrial thousand-liter water tanks filled with water from the San Francisco Bay, a site chosen for its symbolic and material convergence of neoliberal history and digital infrastructure. The water contains both the scattered ashes of economist Milton Friedman and chemical effluents from Silicon Valley data centers, creating a visceral link between economic theory and environmental reality.

"Glory! Glory!" exhibit showcases Black artists' perspectives on American flag

The Zhou B Art Center in Chicago is currently hosting "Glory! Glory!", an exhibition presented by Pigment International that explores the American flag through the lens of Black artists. Featuring works by figures such as Robert Lewis Clark, Reggie McFly, and Nate Austin, the collection includes provocative pieces like an 11-foot flag composed of Obama-era newspaper clippings and various deconstructed flags that signal protest and complex patriotism.

Giant Runt Announces Open Call for 2026 Juried Group Exhibition, 2027 Solo Exhibition

Giant Runt, an artist-run gallery in Fort Worth, Texas, has announced an open call for a 2026 juried group exhibition. One selected artist will receive a $500 prize and a solo exhibition at the gallery in 2027. The call is open to artists of all media and locations, with the only requirement that artworks fit through a standard seven-by-three-foot door. Co-owners Cosmo Jones and Max Marshall will jury the show, which is scheduled to run from February 23 to April 11, 2026. Applications are due January 31, 2025.

Art Talk Sunday Featuring Exhibition ’10th Street Studio’

The Humboldt Arts Council presents an Art Talk Sunday event at the Morris Graves Museum of Art on January 4th, featuring the four artists from the exhibition '10th Street Studio': Carol Andersen, Laura Corsiglia, Peggy Rivers, and Van Shields. The exhibition showcases works by these like-minded artists who recently began sharing a studio space dedicated to creativity and mutual support. Andersen, Corsiglia, and Rivers have over 110 years of combined art-making experience, with works in significant public and private collections, while Shields joins as an emerging artist. The talk will include discussions on their practices, with Andersen focusing on wildlife as metaphor, Corsiglia drawing from nature and her time in Paris, Rivers exploring color theory through series, and Shields reflecting on his post-retirement artistic awakening.

Art among the wreckage: An artist brings new life to a long-abandoned pier

Artist George McCalman is preparing to launch his interactive exhibition “A March Through Time” on November 22 at Pier 29 in San Francisco. The exhibition is housed within a curtained-off section of the 122,000-square-foot pier, which McCalman describes as a timeworn space that reflects his belief that the past and present are intertwined. He has worked for nine years from a studio in an Outer Sunset home, a stripped-down, weathered building owned by architect Douglas Jacuzzi and ceramicist Georgia Hodges, which embodies a philosophy of material purity and reverence for process. The studio itself is filled with projects in various stages, including the 155 portraits of Black pioneers that make up his book “Illustrated Black History.”

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.

‘Heart of WeHo’ Art Exhibition Celebrates the City of West Hollywood at 40

The City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division will host an artist reception on October 24 for 'Heart of WeHo,' a new group exhibition celebrating the city’s 40th anniversary. Featuring 27 local artists, the show presents paintings, photography, sculpture, and mixed media that depict West Hollywood’s landmarks, history, and everyday spaces—from iconic nightlife and architecture to quieter corners and imagined futures. The exhibition is on view at the West Hollywood Library through May 2026.

Interview with Lisja Tërshana

Lisja Tërshana, co-founder of Khrais–Tërshana, an art dealership and production studio based in London with operations between Tirana and Krakow, discusses her unconventional path from law to the art world. After studying law in London and passing the Solicitor Qualifying Exam, she enrolled in Central Saint Martins' MA Innovation Management, where she met co-founder Sofian Khrais. The dealership operates across three distinct art markets: Poland's confident and institutionally anchored scene, Albania's emerging infrastructure with few international commercial galleries, and London's established yet innovative market. Tërshana emphasizes the importance of curation in her work, blending market instincts with curatorial vision, and draws on her legal background to ensure fairness and trust between artists and collectors.

Lansing’s gallery and museum scene lively, despite losing a big one

The Lansing area lost the Lansing Art Gallery this year, but the local arts scene remains vibrant with several other venues. The Michigan History Museum offers immersive exhibits on state history, including the special exhibition “Black Bottom Street View” about Detroit’s historic neighborhood. The MSU Museum is undergoing an 18-month renovation but hosts a pop-up exhibition “Physical Spells [The Wor(l)d in the Atom]” featuring artist Violeta López López. The Nelson Gallery in downtown Lansing continues to showcase local contemporary art and plans holiday events, while Struk Studio, founded in 2023 by David Such, offers a contemporary mixed bag of works.

In the new documentary Architecton, buildings collapse and stones dance

Victor Kossakovsky's new documentary *Architecton*, opening in US theaters on August 1, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film is a silent, drone-shot meditation on the destruction of the built environment, showing war-ravaged buildings in Ukraine, earthquake ruins in Turkey and Lebanon, and the violent process of stone being blasted for concrete. It contrasts modern structures that collapse within decades with ancient buildings that still stand, and features architect Michele di Lucchi as a quiet voice for thoughtful, enduring design. The film's score is by Russian expatriate composer Evgueni Galperine.

Local Notes: Alex is Student of the Year at Ballina school

This article from Ballina, Ireland, reports on local community events and recognitions. Alex Healy was named Student of the Year at St Muredach's College annual awards night. Upcoming events include a Sketch & Spin life drawing workshop for teens as part of Cruinniú na nÓg, a national day of free creativity for children, led by artist Mary Callaghan and featuring drag artist Miss Neon Love. Other events announced are the Gathering of the Boats on the River Moy during the Ballina Salmon Festival, a call for volunteers for the Ballina Fringe Festival, and a free DJ workshop for teens at Ballina Arts Centre.

Where the bay meets the brush: Pier 29 reimagined as a hub for SF's artists

The Community Arts Stabilization Trust (CAST) has partnered with the San Francisco Port Commission to transform Pier 29, a long-vacant warehouse on the city's waterfront, into a major cultural hub. The 47,000-square-foot indoor space and 23,000-square-foot outdoor area will house exhibitions, residencies, performances, and a new residency program called Art + Water, led by author Dave Eggers and San Francisco Arts Commission member JD Beltran, providing affordable studio space for emerging and underserved local artists. CAST is investing $300,000 and the Port $500,000, with a two-year lease and an option to extend, aiming to open in January 2026.

BASE cultural center in Milan turns 10: the full program for the big celebrations

Il centro culturale BASE di Milano compie 10 anni: tutto il programma per i grandi festeggiamenti

BASE, the cultural center in Milan's former Ansaldo industrial complex, celebrates its 10th anniversary on May 23, 2025, with a 16-hour event called FIESTAS. The program runs from noon to 5 a.m. and includes performances, workshops, concerts, installations, and shared practices by artists such as MOMBAO, Stalker Teatro, Klaus, Francesca Grilli, Nazario Graziano, Michele Rizzo, and many others. The event also launches BASE's first summer season, keeping the center open throughout the summer months.

Future cultural professionals in Africa will be trained by six Italian museums

I futuri professionisti della cultura in Africa saranno formati da sei musei italiani

The fourth edition of the International School of Cultural Heritage (Scuola Internazionale del Patrimonio Culturale) is underway, with 23 cultural professionals from 12 African nations participating in a hands-on training program hosted by six Italian museums. After online modules and a week of lectures in Rome, the residential phase runs from April 27 to May 22, 2025, placing participants at the Museo delle Civiltà (MUCIV), the Archaeological Parks of Praeneste and Gabii, the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto (MArTA), the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN), the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria (MArRC), and the National Archaeological Museum of Agro Falisco and Forte Sangallo in Civita Castellana. The program, titled "Managing Art Collections: from ancient to contemporary," focuses on collection management, conservation, and public programming, linking archaeological heritage with contemporary practices.

Working in Art: Opportunities from Roma Capitale, Fondazione Cariplo, Municipality of Milan and Fucine Vulcano

Lavorare nell’arte: opportunità da Roma Capitale, Fondazione Cariplo, Comune di Milano e Fucine Vulcano

This article lists five current job and funding opportunities in Italy's cultural sector. These include a call for live performance projects for Rome's Museum Night at the Civic Museums, the "Luoghi Plurali" grant from Fondazione Cariplo for urban regeneration through cultural reuse of disused spaces, a public art commission for a new library in Milan, a call for artists to access the workshops at Fucine Vulcano in Milan, and a search for cultural mediators by the Provincial Museums of South Tyrol.

The National Choreographic Center is doing everything to involve young people in ballet

Il Centro Coreografico Nazionale sta facendo di tutto per coinvolgere i giovani nel balletto

The Centro Coreografico Nazionale Aterballetto in Reggio Emilia has launched "Alla ricerca della meraviglia" (In Search of Wonder), a year-long research and production project aimed at engaging younger audiences through contemporary dance. The initiative involves three choreographers—Fernando Melo, Jacopo Jenna, and Francesco Marilungo—who are developing works that adopt a child’s perspective rather than simply creating content for children. These studies will be presented at the Internazionale Kids Festival in May 2026, with one selected for full production later that summer.

Two spectacular libraries are under construction in Milan: photos of the construction sites

A Milano sono in costruzione due spettacolari biblioteche: le foto dei cantieri

Milan is currently undergoing a significant cultural transformation with the construction of two major public libraries: the European Library of Information and Culture (BEIC) and the Lorenteggio Library. The BEIC, a massive 30,000-square-meter project designed by Onsitestudio and funded by the PNRR, is rising in the Porta Vittoria district as a national-level cultural hub. Meanwhile, the Lorenteggio Library, designed by a team led by Grau Magaña Urtzi, is taking shape in a strategic suburban area to provide essential community services and social integration.

Super Mario Galaxy is the first true video game film

Super Mario Galaxy è il primo vero film videoludico

The article analyzes the 2023 animated film 'Super Mario Galaxy – Il film,' arguing it represents a significant evolution in video game adaptations. The film, a sequel to 'Super Mario Bros. – Il film,' abandons traditional narrative concerns and instead structures itself like a video game, constantly introducing new characters, power-ups, and scenarios directly from the Super Mario game series, as if the protagonists are moving through game levels.

Art on Main presents "Women in Art: Revealing Our Magnificence" opening reception

Art on Main in Dallas is presenting "Women in Art: Revealing Our Magnificence," a juried exhibition featuring bold, expressive works across mediums such as painting, drawing, photography, fiber art, sculpture, printmaking, and ceramics. The opening reception includes live music by the East Dallas Uke-A-Ladies and a set by DJ MISO, along with a Best in Show award presentation, and the exhibit runs through May 30.

Get a first look at the immersive art exhibit that takes over 80 rooms in a shuttered downtown L.A. hospital

The 'Hospital of Emotions' is an immersive art exhibition occupying 80 rooms across four floors of the shuttered St. Vincent Medical Center in downtown Los Angeles. Running from May 27 through July 31, the 45,000-square-foot show features over 70 artists whose works are organized into emotional departments such as grief, fear, hope, joy, and sadness. Installations incorporate the hospital's existing fixtures—surgical lights, beds, IV bags—transforming former medical spaces into interactive art experiences, including a life-size Twister game, ceramic egg-covered walls, and neon-lit beds.

Wisconsin Weekend in a Minute: Egg hunts, a Holi Festival, PEEPS art exhibition, and more

A variety of weekend events are taking place across Wisconsin, including traditional Easter egg hunts, a Holi Festival celebrating the Hindu spring festival of colors, and a unique art exhibition featuring works made from or inspired by PEEPS marshmallow candies. The lineup highlights the state's diverse cultural offerings and community-focused spring activities, blending seasonal traditions with creative and cross-cultural expressions.

Lavorare nell’arte: opportunità da Civiche Scuole di Milano, Extragarbo, Bolzano Art Weeks, FAI e Aterballetto

This article from Artribune compiles five current job and opportunity listings in the Italian art and cultural sector. It announces open admissions for the 2026-27 academic year at Milan's Civiche Scuole (including schools of cinema, interpreting, music, and theater), a call for artists under 35 by Extragarbo to create a permanent public artwork at the former Centrale del Latte in Vicenza, an open call for artists for the sixth edition of Bolzano Art Weeks (BAW25) focusing on climate awareness and urban regeneration, and a job opening for a visitor services assistant at FAI's Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como. Each listing includes deadlines, contact details, and application links.

Il Museo Nazionale d’Arte dell’Ucraina di Kiev colpito e danneggiato dai bombardamenti russi. Le immagini

Between the night of May 23 and the early hours of May 24, 2026, Russia launched a massive attack on Kyiv and other areas of Ukraine using 600 drones and 90 missiles. The National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU) in Kyiv suffered severe structural damage, along with government buildings. The attack was reportedly a response to a Ukrainian bombing of a dormitory in Russian-occupied Starobilsk. The museum, founded in the late 19th century and housed in a neoclassical building opened in 1904, holds nearly 40,000 works spanning over a thousand years of Ukrainian art, including medieval icons, Baroque masterpieces, and avant-garde pieces.

We were at the Turin concert where Marlene Kuntz celebrated the 30th anniversary of their unforgettable album "Il vile"

Siamo stati al concerto di Torino dove i Marlene Kuntz festeggiavano i 30 anni del loro indimenticabile disco “Il vile”

Italian alternative rock band Marlene Kuntz recently performed two sold-out shows at the Hiroshima Mon Amour venue in Turin to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their seminal album, *Il vile*. The concert featured a near-complete performance of the 1996 record, which is widely regarded as a cornerstone of Italian noise rock. The anniversary celebration also includes a nationwide tour and a special vinyl reissue featuring new artwork by renowned illustrator Alessandro Baronciani.

An Artist and a Pastry Chef Transform Easter into an Authorial Project

Un artista e un pasticciere trasformano la Pasqua in un progetto d’autore

Artist Giovanni Gaggia and pastry chef Mattia Casabianca have collaborated to create two limited-edition Easter confections, BLU (an egg) and NUVOLA (a dove-shaped cake), that blend contemporary art, high pastry, and material research. The project moves beyond gastronomy to tell a story, with Gaggia developing the visual concept and identity, inspired by a verse from Swiss poet Franco Beltrametti.

Ashe Arts Center hosting opening reception for new exhibit this Friday

The Ashe Arts Center in Lansing, North Carolina, is hosting an opening reception for "Shadow of the Hills," a new exhibit featuring artwork created by the Blue Ridge Art Clan (BRAC). The reception will take place on Friday, May 8, from 5-7 p.m., and the exhibit will remain on display through June 6. BRAC, founded by Florence Thomas in 1978, promotes fine arts and supports artistic excellence, with members including professional and hobby artists from Ashe County and the surrounding High Country. The 2026 exhibit features 28 participating artists, including Scott Ballard, Lynn Baranowski, and Pete Benda, among others.