Russia's winter bombardment puts strain on Ukrainian museum workers

UNESCO has expressed serious concern over recent Russian attacks damaging cultural heritage sites in Ukrainian cities including Odesa, Lviv, and Kyiv. The winter bombardment has targeted power grids and infrastructure, complicating the work of museums and cultural institutions. The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a World Heritage Site, suffered its first military damage since WWII, and the historic center of Odesa, already on UNESCO's endangered list, saw its Holy Dormition Monastery severely hit.

[Face] Value | Art Museum

An exhibition titled '[Face] Value' will be on view from February 6 to March 14, 2026, curated by graduate students from the Fall 2025 Curatorial Practicum. The show examines portraiture conventions, exploring how portraits uphold tradition, shift hierarchies, and showcase communities, featuring works from the museum's collection selected and researched by each student.

Call to step up to end violence against women - Ballarat Times

The Ballarat community has launched the 16 Days of Activism campaign to end violence against women, beginning on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (November 25) and running until Human Rights Day (December 10). The campaign includes a '16 Ways for 16 Days' trail map with daily activities, and features the 'Transforming Pain into Power' art exhibition at Ballarat Library, Barkly Square, and Art Space Ballarat, showcasing works by local artists speaking out against gendered violence. Survivor Marita Forsyth's artwork depicts her perpetrators in a burning car, symbolizing her empowerment.

Art exhibition reveals rescued greyhounds’ journeys from cruelty to hope

The article reports on the 'Ghosts of the Hunt' exhibition, a photography show hosted by Greyhound Welfare SA (GWA) in Cresta, Johannesburg. The exhibition features two photographic series: one by Dean Bush, founder of GWA, documenting greyhounds rescued from the Yat Yuen racetrack in Macau, China—a facility that killed 20,000 dogs over 54 years before closing in 2018—and another by professional photographer Warren Johnson, focusing on locally rescued greyhounds. The article also highlights ongoing controversies, including a recent auction in Bela Bela, Limpopo, where SA breeders paid R2.4 million for 65 greyhounds destined for international racing, and lobbying by the Amaphisi Hunters' Association to decriminalize dog hunting in South Africa.

‘I'm sending a piece of Gaza to the world’: Palestinian artist Ahmed Muhanna discusses his exhibition of works painted on aid boxes

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a traveling exhibition titled "Gaza: Stories of Hope and Resilience," featuring over 40 paintings by Gazan artist Ahmed Muhanna. Muhanna created the works on WFP aid boxes and paper over three intense months under constant threat of bombings, using the boxes as canvas due to a lack of art materials. The exhibition opened on 15 September in Brussels and will tour nine European cities before closing on 23 October, with funding from the EU.

New art exhibition by local neurodivergent artists

A new exhibition titled "Mindscapes" has opened in St Helier, featuring the work of two local neurodivergent artists, Emilie Knight and Chris Addy. Knight explores identity, crisis, and transformation through mixed media paintings following her recent autism diagnosis, while Addy uses etching, woodcut, and acrylic to depict a darker, disorientating inner world. The exhibition is held in a multi-sensory space at the Connect With Art gallery (formerly Studio 18), owned by multidisciplinary artist Yulia Makeyeva, and runs until 2 October.

London urban oasis hosts artist’s multimedia investigation into plants’ resilience in the face of climate crisis

London-based artist Vivienne Schadinsky presents "Into the Seeds of Time" at the newly expanded OmVed Gardens in Highgate, a private urban garden and the UK's first centre for food, ecology and creativity. The exhibition, running until 3 August, features ink paintings, films, sculptures and prints created during Schadinsky's year-long residency, focusing on the life cycles of three bean varieties—puy lentil, Essex pea bean and gaia soybean—as a metaphor for climate resilience.

Easthampton artists, priced out of studio building, exhibit new work and defiance

A group of about 40 artists from Easthampton, Massachusetts, have mounted a new exhibition titled “Cottage Street Studios, Past and Present” at Easthampton City Arts, nearly a year after rising rents forced many of them out of their longtime studio building at One Cottage Street. The former factory, owned by nonprofit Riverside Industries, had housed a mix of painters, potters, and woodworkers for half a century, but a management change led to rent increases that doubled some tenants’ costs, prompting roughly half of the 80 artists to leave. Fiber artist Andrea Zax organized the show as a defiant act of community reconnection, while artists like Piper Foreso and Matthew Simons described the scattering as devastating to their creative ecosystem.

Amid a cost of living crisis for London’s artists, a charity has secured dozens of affordable studio spaces

Bow Arts, a UK charity founded in 1994, has acquired two buildings in east London to create permanently affordable studio spaces for artists. The purchases include a site in the Hackney Yards development, developed in partnership with housing association Notting Hill Genesis and supported by Arts Council England and the London Legacy Development Corporation, which will provide 38 studios by 2026, and the Brutalist Lakeside Centre in Thamesmead, already housing over 40 artist studios. This follows Bow Arts’ first owned building, Three Waters, acquired in 2022 on a 999-year lease with 70 studios. The charity now owns three of the 28 buildings it manages across London, with an annual turnover of £5.1 million, most of which is reinvested into the creative community.

Art exhibit to show the realities of homelessness in Kansas City

Artist Daniel Montoute will present "Living in Tents," an exhibition of paintings, found objects, and mixed media works at the Shirley Stiles Gallery in Kansas City starting August 18, 2025. The show depicts the realities of homelessness in the Kansas City area, featuring imagery of tents, shopping carts, and people sleeping in alleyways. Montoute, who moved to Kansas City in 2023 to join the Pendleton ArtsBlock artist community, was struck by the prevalence of homelessness. All exhibition pieces will be donated to reStart Inc., an emergency shelter, and auctioned at its annual fundraising gala on September 11.

Meloni on Venice Biennale: 'I've somewhat lost track'

Meloni über Venedig-Biennale: "Habe den Überblick etwas verloren"

Days before the opening of the Venice Biennale, the entire international jury resigned in protest over Russia's participation despite its war against Ukraine. The jury had previously excluded Russia and Israel from prize consideration due to International Criminal Court warrants against their leaders. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni admitted she had "lost track" of the situation, while the government sent inspectors to Venice. Biennale organizers responded by postponing the Golden Lion awards until November and introducing two audience-choice awards that will include Russian and Israeli entries.

Berliner Finanzsenator Evers übernimmt Leitung von Kulturverwaltung

Berlin's finance senator Stefan Evers (CDU) has been appointed to temporarily lead the city's cultural administration, marking the third change in leadership within a year. This follows the resignation of Joe Chialo in May 2025 and the departure of his successor Sarah Wedl-Wilson on the previous Friday, after months of controversy over the approval of funding grants. Evers will hold both finance and culture portfolios until the Berlin state election on September 20, 2025. The decision was made by CDU district chairpersons after initial talks with former justice senator Thomas Heilmann fell through.

Resignation of the Venice Biennale Jury

Démission du jury de la Biennale de Venise

The entire jury of the Venice Biennale has resigned. The mass resignation follows internal disputes over the selection process for the next edition's artistic director, with jurors citing a lack of transparency and interference from the Biennale's board.

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.

'It's something we should all be concerned about' - Belfast studio moves to temporary hub amid rising costs

Vault Artist Studios, a Belfast-based arts collective with over 100 members including musicians, circus performers, and visual artists, has moved into a temporary hub at Bankmore House on Bedford Street after spending three years at Victoria Street and the Shankill Mission building. The collective, formed in 2017 to transform derelict buildings into affordable studio space, now provides studios for 30 artists plus a gallery and project space, with further space opening soon in a former Masonic Lodge on the lower Newtownards Road. Their first exhibition in the new space, titled 'Mayday Mayday', serves as both a distress signal and a rallying call for workers.

Rome: A new cultural space opens in Trastevere (there's also an art radio station)

Roma: apre a Trastevere un nuovo spazio culturale (c’è anche un radio sull’arte)

A new cultural space called ASIF has opened in Rome's Trastevere district at Via della Lungara 24, launching on May 8 with an exhibition titled "Educazione sentimentale per architetti" by artist and illustrator Chiara Carrer, running until June 20. The space is distinguished by an accompanying radio station that extends its reach through programs exploring art and the city, with a team including Yasmin Rosciglione, Arturo Zanaica, Novella Hoffer, Iacopo Taddia, Monica Dell'acqua, Edoardo Taddia, and Blanca Castro Xiques. The inaugural show, curated by Bonvini 1909 (named Artribune's gallery of the year in 2025), features over sixty works including collages, engravings, and sculptures centered on the theme of dwelling.

Jury or Public? The Biennale Is Not an Algorithm, But Neither Is It a Liturgy

Giuria o pubblico? La Biennale non è un algoritmo, ma neppure una liturgia

The article critically examines the proposal for "Visitor Lions" (Leoni dei Visitatori) at the Venice Biennale, arguing that the idea is a fragile, quick-fix response to a deeper crisis. It questions whether replacing expert juries with public voting would truly improve the selection process, noting that both systems have significant flaws: juries are not necessarily neutral, often rushed and filtered, while public voting risks favoring accessible, easily consumable works and reinforcing existing hierarchies.

In Valcamonica il Parco archeologico di Luine ha chiuso e non si sa se e quando riaprirà: la storia

The Luine Archaeological Park in Valcamonica, Italy, closed on April 1, 2026, after the municipality of Darfo Boario Terme, led by Mayor Dario Colossi, failed to renew the management contract held by Zamenhof Art and ArchExperience. The park, which houses rock engravings dating back to the end of the Paleolithic period (about 13,000 years ago), is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a unique part of the Camunian park system. Weeks after the closure, the park remains in limbo with no clear reopening date, while multimedia installations and digital content created by the former managers are being removed. The story has received little media attention beyond local outlets.

In Trentino, an immersive exhibition tackles workplace safety to engage with urgent issues

In Trentino una mostra immersiva affronta i temi della sicurezza sul lavoro per coinvolgere su questioni urgenti

The METS – Museo etnografico trentino San Michele is set to launch an immersive exhibition titled "Un lavoro a regola d’Arte" on April 17, 2026. Created by artists Paola Samoggia and Carlo Magrì, the project utilizes seven rooms featuring short films, video art, and multisensorial elements to explore themes of workplace dignity, health, and safety. The exhibition moves beyond mere statistics to address the human reality of labor, incorporating music, dance, and performance to create a reflective space on the risks and rights of workers.

Seeing the world through the eyes of twenty-somethings: IED students' photos recount the urgencies of our time at Gallerie d’Italia in Turin

Vedere il mondo con gli occhi dei ventenni. Alle Gallerie d’Italia di Torino le foto degli studenti IED raccontano le urgenze del nostro tempo

The Gallerie d’Italia in Turin is hosting "The Searchlights," a public portfolio review and exhibition featuring the work of 18 photography students from the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED). Part of the EXPOSED Torino Photo Festival, the event showcases photographic projects that tackle urgent contemporary issues including the climate crisis, mental health, and digital memory. Each student presents their work in custom-designed boxes on communal tables, facilitating direct dialogue between the young artists and the public.

Closure of Side gallery quayside space in Newcastle sparks social media backlash

Side gallery, a historic venue in Newcastle that has showcased documentary photography and film since 1977, will not reopen at its Quayside location after closing in 2023 due to lost revenue funding from the Arts Council of England (ACE). Managing director Laura Laffler of Amber Film & Photography, which runs the gallery, announced the decision after exhausting all avenues for continued funding, including a failed £1.3 million National Lottery Heritage Fund bid and the collapse of ACE's Grantium platform. The closure has sparked backlash on social media, with some donors to the 2023 #SaveSide crowdfund—which raised £67,278—feeling misled about the funds' purpose.

Salford Uni’s Energy House 2.0 appoints new Iranian-born artist in residence

Iranian-born artist Omid Asadi has been appointed as the new artist-in-residence at the University of Salford’s Energy House 2.0 research facility. Running from Spring 2026 through the end of the year, the residency will see Asadi collaborate with researchers at the world-leading climate laboratory, which features two massive chambers capable of simulating extreme global weather conditions. The artist plans to create new installations and sculptures in response to the facility's pioneering retrofit research, specifically focusing on a recreated 1930s-era house.

New environmental art exhibition “ECHO” coming soon to Kirkby Gallery

Kirkby Gallery has announced the opening of "ECHO," a solo exhibition by environmental artist Julie Dodd featuring sculptural works crafted from recycled and reclaimed materials. The show marks Dodd's first solo exhibition in a decade and showcases her practice of transforming discarded books and everyday objects into intricate forms that mimic natural patterns. Alongside the main event, the Entrance Gallery will feature "Supporting Households in Crisis," a research-based exhibition by Patricia McDonald-Holmes exploring food insecurity and community resilience in Knowsley.

3 new exhibitions at Artists Archives tackle urgent social issues

The Artists Archives of the Western Reserve in Cleveland has opened three new exhibitions that confront pressing social issues. The shows feature works by regional artists addressing topics such as racial justice, environmental crisis, and community resilience, using a range of media from painting and sculpture to mixed-media installations.

Mass for Care of Creation; exhibition of art inspired by Laudato Si'

The London Jesuit Centre is hosting "Paintings of Prayer and Protest," an exhibition featuring the works of artists Helen Elwes and Martin Jarvis. The show coincides with a special Mass for the Care of Creation at Farm St Church in Mayfair, marking the anniversary of Pope Francis' death. Both artists, members of Christian Climate Action and the Laudato Si' Movement, present works that blend ecological activism with spiritual devotion, including painted banners used in climate marches and contemporary icons addressing rainforest devastation.

Drawings by teenage artist with autism on cover of national elementary school textbooks

Teenage artist An Dre, who is on the autism spectrum, has been selected to have his dinosaur illustrations featured on the covers of South Korea's 2026 state-issued elementary art textbooks for special education. His vibrant and dynamic depictions of prehistoric creatures will appear on the fifth-grade textbook and the teacher's guidebook, marking a rare instance of a student with developmental disabilities being chosen for such a national platform.

UK government set to scrap English baccalaureate, which made arts education ‘the preserve of a privileged few’

The UK government has accepted a report recommending the scrapping of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), a qualification introduced in 2010 that required students to take seven GCSEs in core subjects like maths and languages but excluded arts subjects. Under the proposed new system, arts GCSEs would be given equal status to humanities and languages, allowing students more flexibility. The review was commissioned by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and led by Professor Becky Francis of the Education Endowment Foundation.

Lagos art fair defies macroeconomic headwinds to reach double figures

Art X Lagos, West Africa's leading international art fair, celebrates its 10th edition in November 2025 under the theme 'Imagining Otherwise, No Matter the Tide.' Founder Tokini Peterside-Schwebig reflects on the fair's resilience despite Nigeria's currency crisis, economic volatility, the Covid-19 pandemic, and a softening global art market. This year's streamlined edition features 15 exhibitors from Nigeria, Uganda, Cameroon, Ghana, and the UK, hosted at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos. The fair coincides with the upcoming opening of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City.

Syria, Ukraine and Gaza among countries to receive heritage funds from Aliph

ALIPH, the Geneva-based cultural heritage protection agency, has announced over $16 million in its latest funding round, with support directed to Syria, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and a new focus on climate change impacts on heritage, primarily in Africa. Nearly a third of the funding ($5 million) goes to Syria, where the newly appointed Director General of Antiquities and Museums, Dr. Anas Haj Zeidan, aims to restore sites damaged during the war under former president Bashar al-Assad. ALIPH executive director Valéry Freland reported extensive damage from 14 years of war, the 2023 earthquake, and economic crises, but noted strong local determination to rehabilitate heritage, including Palmyra. The agency also committed $9 million to address climate threats, supporting 28 projects—22 in Africa—focused on earthen architecture, sacred forests, and local knowledge preservation.

15 artists share long COVID stories at ‘And Still it Remains’ exhibit

Fifteen artists share their experiences with long COVID through a new exhibition titled 'And Still it Remains: A Long COVID Exhibition' at the Artworks Center for Contemporary Art in Loveland, Colorado. The show features a range of media including paintings, sculptures, textiles, digital art, and photographs, all exploring the lingering physical and emotional impact of the disease. The exhibit is housed in the North Gallery and aims to give voice to the often invisible suffering of long COVID patients.