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Museum Moves 1 – 7 May 2026

Tate has appointed Daisy Desrosiers as its Britton Family Curator at Large, North America, based in the US, focusing on developing North American art in Tate’s collection through research and acquisitions. Meanwhile, Lycia Lobo, chief operating officer at the Design Museum, has been confirmed as chair of the board of trustees of Chiswick House & Gardens Trust. Several new exhibitions are opening across UK museums, including 'Colour' at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery in Exeter, 'Aleksandra Kasuba: Shelters for the Senses' at Tate St Ives, 'Wildlife Photographer of the Year' at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, and 'Helios' by Luke Jerram at National Museum Cardiff. Additionally, the Museum of Archaeology at Palace Green Library has received a £217,844 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for gallery redevelopment.

Stories That Shape Us: Building Stories Reflections

Staff at the National Building Museum share their favorite children's books in celebration of World Book Day, as part of the exhibition 'Building Stories.' Each staff member selects a book that has influenced their imagination or professional work, ranging from century-old illustrated alphabets like C.B. Falls' 'ABC Book' to contemporary picture books such as Christian Robinson's 'Another' and Tony Hillery's 'Harlem Grown.' The selections highlight how storytelling and the built environment intersect, with books like 'Goodnight Moon,' 'Eloise,' and 'The Snowy Day' offering personal and professional insights.

SILSILA: Highlights from the Dalloul Collection Including Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern Art - Christie's

Christie’s has announced a major auction titled "SILSILA: Highlights from the Dalloul Collection," scheduled for November 6, 2025, in London. The sale features 20 exceptional works from the Beirut-based Dalloul Collection, a premier repository of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern art, alongside pieces from other private owners. Key highlights include masterpieces by Paul Guiragossian, Mahmoud Saïd, and Samia Halaby, with a specific focus on Lebanese and Palestinian artistic heritage.

Cosmos: The Art of Observing Space

The Royal West of England Academy in Bristol is hosting "Cosmos: The Art of Observing Space," an expansive exhibition curated by artist Ione Parkin. The show bridges the gap between hard science and artistic imagination, featuring works that range from Susan Derges’s lunar photography to Christopher Le Brun’s monumental 12-panel painting of the moon’s phases. By blending scientific inquiry with creative expression, the exhibition explores how celestial phenomena, NASA data, and planetary movements inspire contemporary visual art.

Hawai‘i Ceramic Artist Toshiko Takaezu Retrospective Exhibit Opens This February

A major retrospective of Hawai‘i-born ceramic artist Toshiko Takaezu opens at the Honolulu Museum of Art on February 14, 2026. Titled 'Worlds Within,' the exhibition features over 100 works, including her signature closed ceramic forms, textiles, paintings, and a bronze bell, and marks the final stop of a two-year national tour that began at The Noguchi Museum in New York in 2024.

Cosmos: The Art of Observing Space Art and Science Symposium

A symposium titled "Cosmos: The Art of Observing Space Art and Science Symposium" will take place at the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) headquarters in Burlington House, London, celebrating the major exhibition "Cosmos: The Art of Observing Space" at the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) in Bristol (24 January–19 April 2026). Curated by visual artist Ione Parkin RWA, the exhibition features over 30 contemporary artists alongside loan items from public collections, all inspired by astronomy, cosmology, astrophysics, and space exploration. The symposium includes talks by astronomers, archivists, and exhibiting artists, with a catalogue published by Sansom & Company featuring contributions from Professor Chris Lintott, Professor Amaury Triaud, Dr Sian Prosser, and Ione Parkin RWA.

The art world pays tribute to Martin Parr, an ‘extraordinary photographer of people and life in the UK’

Martin Parr, the renowned British photographer known for his vivid, satirical documentation of British life and class, has died at age 73 at his home in Bristol, as announced by the Martin Parr Foundation on 7 November. Tributes have poured in from across the art and photography worlds, including from the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and fellow artists such as Grayson Perry and Joel Meyerowitz. Parr's major projects include *The Last Resort* (1983-85) and *The Cost of Living* (1987-89), and an exhibition of his work, *Global Warning*, is scheduled to open at Jeu de Paume in Paris in January 2026.

Martin Parr steps out from behind the camera lens in informal autobiography

Martin Parr, the renowned British documentary photographer, has released an informal autobiography titled "Utterly Lazy and Inattentive: Martin Parr in Words and Pictures," written with author Wendy Jones. The book traces his career from early black-and-white work inspired by Garry Winogrand and Tony Ray-Jones to his signature vivid color series like "The Last Resort" (1983-85) and "Small World" (1987-94), which drew controversy for their satirical take on British leisure and global tourism. Parr, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, continues to be active, with his photographs of Bristol Pride currently on display at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery through March 2026.

Henry Moore Foundation awards £100,000 in unrestricted grants

The Henry Moore Foundation has awarded £100,000 in unrestricted grants to fifty sculptors across the UK, each receiving £2,000 through its Artist Award Scheme. The funding, announced amid the cost-of-living crisis and cultural sector cuts, can be used for materials, studio rent, or bridging gaps. Recipients were nominated by a panel of 25 arts professionals from UK regions and Northern Ireland, including Viviana Checchia of Void in Derry and Nicole Yip of Spike Island in Bristol. Notable past recipients include 2024 Turner Prize winner Jasleen Kaur and Manon Awst, who will represent Wales at the 2026 Venice Biennale.

How Banksy’s Stenciled Satire Took the Aughts by Storm

Four screenprints by Banksy from the 2000s are featured in Artnet Auctions’s Contemporary Editions sale, running through August 28, 2025. The lots include 'Bomb Love (Bomb Hugger)' (est. $25,000–$35,000), 'Welcome to Hell (Pink)' (est. $30,000–$50,000), and 'Morons (Sepia)' (est. $25,000–$35,000), tracing the artist’s rise from Bristol street graffiti to international fame. The article highlights key milestones: his 2002 Los Angeles show 'Existencilism,' his counterfeit £10 notes featuring Princess Diana, and the Oscar-nominated documentary 'Exit Through the Gift Shop.'

‘Slowing the process down’: how a bohemian Somerset art gallery is forging its own path

Close gallery, founded in 2009 by curator and art advisor Freeny Yianni in the grounds of her 17th-century home near Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset, is expanding its operations. Yianni, who previously worked at Lisson Gallery and helped Grenville Davey win the Turner Prize, recently hired sales director Richard Scarry, formerly of Coates and Scarry in Bristol. The gallery's current exhibition features previously unseen works by British abstract artist Jane Harris (1956–2022), shown both in Somerset and at a new London project space in Marylebone. Upcoming plans include presenting a monumental sculpture by Simon Hitchens at Frieze Sculpture in Regent's Park.

Behind the The Art of Banksy with Michel Boersma

The article recounts a personal visit to 'The Art of Banksy' exhibition at the Aotea Centre in Auckland, New Zealand, on July 7, 2024. The author, initially hesitant due to past awkward experiences at art shows, attends the opening and describes the immersive, gritty atmosphere of the 909 sqm space featuring 160 authenticated Banksy pieces. The exhibition includes iconic works like a girl with a heart-shaped balloon and anti-royalist pieces, and the author interviews curator Michel Boersma, who explains the show's growth from 65 pieces in 2018 to its current scale, touring 19 cities and attracting over 1.5 million visitors.

Turner painting bought last year for £500 sells for almost £2m at Sotheby's

At Sotheby's Old Master paintings evening sale in London on July 2, a Turner painting purchased last year for £500 sold for nearly £2 million, highlighting the sector's resilience. The auction achieved £11.5 million hammer total (£14.5m with fees), with 81% of lots sold, including a rediscovered 14th-century Byzantine icon that far exceeded estimates and three new artist records for Lorenzo di Credi, Corneille de Lyon, and others. The sale contrasted with Christie's previous evening's £46.2 million total driven by a record Canaletto.

UK mental health hospitals are about to get more art

More than 50 artists, including Lakwena Maciver, Veronica Ryan, Peter Liversidge, and Alberta Whittle, will create site-specific works for mental health hospitals across the UK as part of a new three-year initiative by the charity Hospital Rooms. The project, delivered in collaboration with NHS Trusts in Birmingham, Bristol, North East London, and South West Yorkshire, is backed by a £600,000 Arts Council England National Lottery grant and additional support from the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Hiscox Foundation. Hospital Rooms will also develop a National Framework for Equal Access to Arts in Mental Health Services, aiming to integrate trauma-informed, autism-friendly, and culturally competent arts programmes into mental healthcare settings.

British Art Show names Ekow Eshun as curator for upcoming 10th edition

Ekow Eshun has been named curator of the 10th edition of the British Art Show, the UK's largest recurring contemporary art exhibition. The show will open in Coventry in September 2026 and travel to four other cities—Swansea, Bristol, Sheffield, and Newcastle/Gateshead—until March 2028. Eshun, former director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London and curator of the acclaimed exhibition *In the Black Fantastic* at the Hayward Gallery, will select artists and works over the next year, with new commissions expected.

Bristol Upfest: Europe's biggest graffiti festival turns city into 'open-air art gallery'

Bristol's Upfest, Europe's largest street art festival, has returned for 2026, transforming the city into an open-air gallery. Organizers say 150 new murals will be created across Bedminster and the city center over 17 days, with five world-renowned artists—Inkie, Insane51, My Dog Sighs, Melo, and HazardOne—redesigning Quakers Friars into Quakers Art Lane. The festival, running until 31 May, includes workshops, walking tours, panel discussions, and interactive spaces, and is expected to draw over 80,000 visitors.

can art act as silent diplomacy these sculptors think so

A 4.9-meter stainless steel sculpture titled "Chaînes de Lumière" was unveiled on March 15, 2025, in Bikfaya, Lebanon, by artist duo Pierre and Cedric Koukjian. The work, composed of seven monumental links, was inaugurated in the presence of local officials including Bikfaya Mayor Nicole Gemayel, former President Amine Gemayel, Swiss Ambassador Marion Weichelt, and several UN envoys. It is part of a series of chain-motif sculptures installed globally, with previous works like "X-Link" (2022) in Geneva, Switzerland, and future installations planned for London and Bristol.

Helen Legg appointed artistic director of Royal Academy

Helen Legg has been named the new artistic director of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, starting in June. She joins from Tate Liverpool, where she served as director since 2018, and brings prior leadership experience from Spike Island in Bristol and curatorial work at Ikon Gallery in Birmingham.

UK city council launches £100,000 appeal to buy rediscovered Turner painting

Bristol City Council has launched a one-week public fundraising campaign to raise £100,000 toward purchasing a newly attributed J.M.W. Turner oil painting, *The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent’s Rock, Bristol*, which is consigned to auction at Sotheby’s London on 2 July with an estimate of up to £300,000. The painting, made in 1792 when Turner was 17, was previously sold at Dreweatts Donnington Priory for £524.80 as a work by a follower of Julius Caesar Ibbetson. If acquired, the work would go on display at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery this summer and will also be included in the upcoming *Turner and Constable* exhibition at Tate Britain.

Newly attributed Turner painting, last sold for £500, goes under the hammer at Sotheby's with £300,000 estimate

A painting attributed to JMW Turner, titled *The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent’s Rock, Bristol*, is set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s London on 2 July with an estimate of £200,000–£300,000. The work was sold last year at Dreweatts Donnington Priory for just £524.80, then catalogued as a follower of Julius Caesar Ibbetson. After a collector purchased it and arranged restoration, Turner’s signature was uncovered, and leading Turner scholars unanimously endorsed the attribution. The painting, made in 1792 when Turner was 17, depicts Hot Wells House in Bristol and was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1793.

bayeux tapestry canterbury mealtime reading

A new study by University of Bristol historian Benjamin Pohl, published in the journal *Historical Research*, proposes that the Bayeux Tapestry was originally designed as mealtime reading for monks in the refectory of St. Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury. Pohl argues that the tapestry’s moralistic episodes, inclusion of Aesop’s fables, and simple Latin text align with Benedictine rules requiring silent dining accompanied by edifying readings. The theory builds on earlier speculation that the tapestry once hung in a private school’s refectory, but Pohl provides documentary and archaeological evidence for the Canterbury location.

Phillip Lai at Spike Island

The contemporary art space Spike Island in Bristol is hosting a solo exhibition by artist Phillip Lai titled "Rain / Ruin." Running from January 30 to May 10, 2026, the exhibition features a series of sculptural installations and works that engage with the architectural environment of the gallery. The presentation is documented through a comprehensive suite of installation photography by Rob Harris, capturing the spatial relationship between Lai's objects and the industrial character of the venue.

‘Neon graveyard’: Joe Lycett’s first major solo exhibition set for Birmingham

Comedian and artist Joe Lycett will present his first major solo exhibition, 'EVERY THING MUST GO', at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in July 2026. The show features paintings on themes of things 'no longer with us', including deceased celebrities, discontinued chocolate bars, extinct animals, and destroyed buildings, displayed in a salon-style arrangement. Lycett describes the exhibition as a 'neon graveyard' meant to overwhelm, delight, and confuse visitors. The works were created over the past twelve months and were inspired by objects from Birmingham's collection.

Joe Lycett to showcase artwork via Birmingham exhibition

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery will stage the first major solo exhibition of artwork by comedian and artist Joe Lycett, titled 'EVERY THING MUST GO', opening on July 29, 2026. The exhibition will feature dozens of new, mixed-media works exploring themes of nostalgia, grief, and loss through Lycett's signature colorful and humorous style, focusing on subjects like deceased celebrities, extinct animals, and discontinued products.

Jersey Arts TV: Exploring Native Knowledge and Art at Montclair Art Museum

Jersey Arts TV has released a new episode exploring Native knowledge and art at the Montclair Art Museum. The episode highlights the museum's commitment to showcasing Indigenous perspectives through its collections and exhibitions, featuring interviews with curators and artists who discuss the cultural significance and contemporary relevance of Native American art. The segment aims to educate viewers on the intersection of traditional knowledge and modern artistic expression.

Bristol Arts & Culture Commission approves public art, museum exhibit funding

The Bristol Arts & Culture Commission has approved funding for several local initiatives, including a historic amusement exhibit titled "Laff in the Dark" by artist Charlie Burnham at the Carousel Museum. Other key developments include the announcement of a new worker-centric exhibition at the American Clock & Watch Museum and the commissioning of a public heart sculpture by artist Eva Mendoza to commemorate the upcoming America 250 celebrations.

‘Creating their own ecosystem’: Arts Council gives backing to collaboration between artists in rural Gloucestershire

Artist Alice Sheppard Fidler, a founding member of Studio Voltaire, has created The Hide, an artist retreat and residency in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, UK. In 2022, she launched The Hide Installation and Sculpture Showcase (THISS), an annual sculpture exhibition in her garden, which this year featured ten artists responding to themes of adaptable matter and environmental permanence. For the first time in 2024, Sheppard Fidler secured Arts Council funding for THISS, enabling artist fees and workshops with youth charities, and the event now attracts around 400 visitors from across the UK.

A Spring of Exhibitions in Bologna 2026

Bologna is set to host a diverse array of major art exhibitions throughout the spring 2026 season, spanning photography, street art, and contemporary installations. Key highlights include a photographic exploration of Frida Kahlo at Palazzo Pepoli, a retrospective of Italian Informal artist Mattia Moreni at MAMbo, and a significant showcase of Michelangelo Pistoletto’s Mirror Paintings at Palazzo Boncompagni. The city’s cultural institutions are also featuring international names like Banksy, Agnès Varda, and the influential German photography duo Bernd & Hilla Becher.

Artist with links to Banksy now working from new studio in north Norfolk

Arthur Buxton, a master printer who previously worked with Banksy's former manager Steve Lazarides and has produced prints for artists including Sir Peter Blake, has relocated from Bristol to the village of Corpusty in north Norfolk. There, he has established his own printmaking workshop and studio, describing the move as a dream come true. An exhibition of his recent prints, titled "Slugs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails," is currently on view at the Allen Hall Gallery in Glandford until January 18, exploring themes of dreams, nightmares, and fantasies.

Rope used to topple Colston statue to be sold

A rope used to pull down the statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol during a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest, along with a Banksy T-shirt given to one of the 'Colston Four' defendants, is being auctioned by Auctioneum Ltd. The lot is expected to fetch between £10,000 and £15,000 in a specialist sale on December 29, 2025. The four protestors were acquitted of criminal damage in 2022 after a jury trial.