Beyond the body: Jess Self’s emotive power at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art

Jess Self, a Decatur-based sculptor and educator, presents *Celestial Perspectives* at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, an immersive textile environment that explores autobiography through figurative form. The exhibition features works in resin, plaster, felted wool, fiber, and rope, including the large-scale installation *The Veil* and the compelling *She Who Ties Magic Knots*, a resin and plaster cast of the artist's pregnant torso. Self's practice draws on Jungian archetypes and spiritual traditions, and the show communicates themes of connectivity, motherhood, bodily experience, and transcendence without relying on wall text.

Charlotte professor brings voice to African artists, reshaping the mold of contemporary art

Lisa Homann, an Associate Art & Art History Professor at UNC Charlotte, will participate in the 2024 Venice Biennale (May 9–Nov. 22) alongside West African Masquerade artist David Sanou. Homann co-curated the traveling exhibition "New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations," which opened in New Orleans and will conclude at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. She was invited by Kevin Dumouchelle, the museum's main curator, to join the African Art in Venice Forum, a critical dialogue aimed at giving voice to contemporary African artists often excluded from mainstream contemporary art narratives. Homann's work with the Sanou family spans nearly two decades, beginning with David's father, Andre Sanou, in 2008.

Crimson Coast Dance Society, artist host male intimacy event at Nanaimo Art Gallery

The Crimson Coast Dance Society is hosting a keynote presentation and film screening at the Nanaimo Art Gallery featuring artist Kevin Jesuino. The event focuses on Jesuino’s "Tender City: The Slow Dance Project," a socially engaged initiative that invites queer, trans, and bisexual men to perform partnered silent slow dances in public urban spaces.

Silverlens Presents “Topographies Of Seeing” And “PLAY” This April 2026

Silverlens Manila is set to debut two distinct exhibitions in April 2026: a solo show by Is Jumalon titled "Topographies of Seeing" and a group exhibition titled "PLAY." Jumalon’s work utilizes mixed media to reimagine landscapes through the lens of her childhood memories of Zamboanga’s rock formations, blending natural beauty with an underlying sense of danger. Meanwhile, "PLAY" features artists Jenifer K Wofford, Jake Verzosa, and Aze Ong, focusing on the concept of place-making and postcolonial spatial realities, specifically highlighting the cultural significance of basketball courts across the Philippines.

Adam Art Gallery Autumn Exhibition Focuses On The Voice - Scoop

Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery has announced its autumn exhibition, "Peal the Bells," featuring five projects that explore the human voice as a medium for collective action, lament, and political critique. The group show includes paintings, sonic installations, and moving image works by artists Noor Abed, Anoushka Akel, Qianye and Qianhe Lin, Maree Sheehan, and Mo H. Zareei. The exhibition investigates how speech and listening function in an era of digital chatter and bureaucratic evasion, highlighting the voice as a vital index of contemporary social dynamics.

Jo Ann Block Exhibition Opens April 4 | Studio Channel Islands

Southern California-based artist Jo Ann Block will debut a new solo exhibition titled "The Meaning of Life: A Self Portrait" at the Studio Channel Islands Art Center on April 4, 2026. The multidisciplinary showcase features sculpture, video, and painting organized into immersive installations that trace the artist's personal history and lived experiences.

Experiment, revolve, create: Redfern’s new artist-run space

A new multi-use artist-run gallery called Revolve Gallery has opened in Redfern, Sydney. Founded by Daryl Lo, the space combines a coffee shop, art supply store, workshop, and studio hire with an exhibition area, aiming to provide a dynamic, experimental environment for young and emerging artists to develop and present their work.

Lisa Jarrett: Tenderhead

Lisa Jarrett's first solo museum exhibition in Oregon, "Tenderhead," opens at an unspecified venue on May 21, 2026. The show features new works and site-responsive installations that explore Beauty Supply stores and salons as critical intersections of Black life, migration, and diaspora. Jarrett uses materials like pink kanekalon hair, pigment prints, foam rollers, and lace, treating the Beauty Supply as her art supply store and a living archive of memory and community.

New works by well-known Wichita artists marry the couple’s talents

The Wichita Eagle reports on a new collaborative body of work by a well-known married couple of Wichita artists. The article highlights how their individual artistic practices merge in these new pieces, blending their distinct styles and techniques into a unified creative output.

Art Galleries Debut Dynamic Exhibitions Showcasing Local and Western U.S. Artists

Four new exhibitions open at the TMCC Art Galleries on the Dandini Campus from October 13 to November 6, 2025. The TMCC Main Gallery presents "Beyond Printmaking: The Artistic Journey of Candace Nicol Garlock (2004–2025)," a retrospective curated by Tamara Scronce tracing Garlock's evolution from traditional printmaking into experimental forms. The Red Mountain Gallery and Student Gallery feature "Communities West VI," a collaborative print folio exchange co-curated by Andrew Rice and Sukha Worob, connecting printmakers across the western U.S. The Erik Lauritzen Gallery hosts two print exchanges: "MashUP!" organized by Candace Garlock and Sarah Whorf, and "Fear Factory: Technology and the Culture of Fear," organized by Jim McCormick and Candace Nicol Garlock, exploring media-driven fear.

New art center in Chauncey highlights local creators

A new independent art center called Tend Space has opened in Chauncey, Ohio, in the historic former Chauncey Library building. Run by Len Loomis, who also co-runs galleries and teaches at Ohio University's School of Art and Design, the space held its inaugural exhibition on September 5, 2025, featuring local artists from Athens County. The show included works in paper, sculpture, animation, and other media by artists such as Aneek Mustafa Anwar, Gene Deubler, Lilah Mae Gagne, Erin McKenna, Caroline Murphy, and Moss Nash. Murphy displayed a digitally hand-drawn animation and postcards supporting Palestinian relief. Loomis plans monthly events, including a community salon on October 3, and has opened calls for exhibitions through May 2026.

The Rise in Artist-Led Withdrawals from Museums and Galleries

Contemporary museums and galleries are increasingly facing artist-led withdrawals from exhibitions, as living artists pull their work over disagreements about how their messages are presented. The trend reflects a growing tension between artists' intentions and the need to satisfy other stakeholders in an increasingly politicized and polarized art world.

Column | Indian art in a global context

The article examines the evolution of the Indian Modern and Contemporary Art market over the past three decades, noting a shift in financial power from New York and London to Mumbai and New Delhi. It highlights the pivotal 1997 auction 'The Intuitive-Logic II' organized by HEART (Tuli Foundation for Holistic Education and Art) as a catalyst, and traces the market's trajectory through a boom period (2000-2007), a stagnation and decline (2010-2018), and a current sustained rise.

An ‘alternate dimension’: City’s rebranded art exhibition will invite viewers to think about public art differently

The City of Lawrence has rebranded its annual public art showcase from the 'Outdoor Downtown Sculpture Exhibition' to the 'Unmistakable Public Art Exhibition,' reflecting an expanded definition of public art beyond traditional sculptures and murals. Nine local artists were selected for this year's exhibition, including Alicia Kelly, whose piece 'Hanging In, Hanging Out' features digitally printed Tyvek banners on the Vermont Street parking garage, designed to evoke an 'alternate dimension' of playful, meditative patterns. The exhibition, opening September 26, also includes a performance piece and an artist using paper pulp to 'paint trees' in local parks.

“Chaos Osmosis” Project Announces Open Call for Artists & Scientists

Nicole Longnecker Gallery in Houston has announced an open call for the third edition of "Chaos Osmosis," an art and science exhibition centered on fluid dynamics. The project is a partnership between the gallery, the Gallery of Fluid Motion in Houston, and the Paradoxluxe curatorial collective, with locations in Greece and Puerto Rico. Selected participants will be featured in a dual exhibition at Nicole Longnecker Gallery and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, opening in October 2025. Houston-region artists and scientists from all disciplines are invited to submit works in any medium, including video, photography, painting, sculpture, installation, and mixed media. The submission deadline is July 30, 2025.

Is Contemporary Art’s Most Important Fair Losing Its Luster?

The New York Times examines whether Art Basel, widely regarded as the world's most important contemporary art fair, is experiencing a decline in influence and appeal. The article cites recent editions where attendance dipped, sales slowed, and major galleries expressed concerns about rising costs and diminishing returns, questioning the fair's continued dominance in the global art market.

Anxious collectors are increasingly turning to freeport havens, experts say

Rising tariffs, geopolitical instability, and extreme weather events are driving art collectors to move valuable items into secure, tax-friendly freeports, particularly in Switzerland. Experts Alexandre Ducamp of Natural le Coultre and Fritz Dietl of Delaware Freeport report a significant increase in clients over the past three years, citing the war in Ukraine, multiple ongoing conflicts, and President Trump's April 2025 'Liberation Day' tariffs as key factors. Collectors are using freeports in Geneva, Zurich, Basel, and Chiasso, as well as foreign trade zones in Delaware, to delay or avoid import duties on items like design furniture, antiques, and Chinese-origin artworks, with some purchases being cancelled due to new tariffs.

Arts of Oceania

The article explores the rich artistic traditions of Oceania, emphasizing how the vast network of islands and ocean passageways fostered a dynamic exchange of cultures, materials, and ideas over millennia. It describes Oceanic art as vessels for metaphysical journeys, with objects like fishhooks, stick charts, and carved figures serving as tangible expressions of ancestral power and cultural knowledge. The text highlights the role of artists as chiefs and orators who manipulate local materials to manifest spirits, and traces the region's entanglements with European colonial powers from the sixteenth century onward.

“Shelf Life: Senior Thesis Art Exhibition 2025”

Whitman College's Studio Art Department presents the 2025 Senior Thesis Art Exhibition, "Shelf Life," running from April 25 to May 25 across multiple campus venues including the Sheehan Gallery, Maxey Museum, and Fouts Center for Visual Arts. The exhibition features works by 22 graduating Studio Art majors, with additional outdoor displays near Fouts and Reid Campus Center. A series of thesis events includes an artist talk with visiting educators Jiemei Lin and Joe Hedges on April 24, an opening celebration on April 25, and a family and friends reception on May 24.

South Asian artists draw inspiration from heritage and identity at exhibition

The South Asian Artists Association of America held its "Vasant: A Spring Mosaic by Indian Artists" exhibition at Bridgewater Commons mall in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, from April 25 to 27, 2025. The three-day event featured 21 artists showcasing diverse works including large paintings, hand-carved candles, small sculptures, and traditional Madhubani-style art, with live painting demonstrations, workshops, Indian dance performances, and face painting for kids. The exhibition was part of the second annual Garden State Art Weekend and attracted over 60 attendees on opening day, with artworks priced under $150.

How Art Stars Are Made

The New York Times published an article titled "How Art Stars Are Made" that explores the mechanisms and processes behind the creation of celebrated artists in the contemporary art world. The piece likely examines the roles of galleries, critics, collectors, and institutions in elevating certain artists to stardom.

Hamburg Culture Prize No Longer Named After Biermann-Ratjen

Hamburger Kulturpreis heißt nicht mehr nach Biermann-Ratjen

The Hamburg Senate has renamed the Senator-Biermann-Ratjen Medal, a prestigious cultural award, to the "Medaille für Kunst und Kultur in Hamburg" (Medal for Art and Culture in Hamburg). The decision follows a 2024 review of historical records revealing that Hans Harder Biermann-Ratjen (1901–1969), the former culture senator for whom the medal was named, was a member of the Nazi Party (NSDAP). Historian Helmut Stubbe da Luz presented evidence in June 2024 that Biermann-Ratjen had disclosed his NSDAP membership in a 1943 application to the Reich Literature Chamber when seeking to publish a novel.

Iran Absent from the Venice Biennale

L’Iran absent de la Biennale de Venise

Iran will be absent from the 2026 Venice Biennale, marking a notable gap in the international art exhibition. The decision reflects ongoing geopolitical tensions and logistical challenges that have prevented the country from participating in one of the world's most prestigious cultural events.

Painterly Figures Entwine in Soojin Choi’s Ceramic Sculptures

Ceramic artist Soojin Choi creates intricate sculptures of entangled pairs, using stoneware slabs and nylon strands to achieve a precarious balance that minimizes contact with the ground. Her painterly background is evident in the gestural marks, visible brushstrokes, and drips on the white-slipped surfaces, with the artist describing her process as a "constant negotiation with gravity."

Photographer Dr. Elliot McGucken Seizes a Rare Superbloom in Death Valley

Photographer Dr. Elliot McGucken captured images of a rare superbloom event in Death Valley National Park. The event, triggered by record rainfall, produced a vibrant display of wildflowers like Phacelia, Desert Gold, and Mojave Stars across the park's dunes and mountains, which McGucken documented after traveling from Yellowstone to ensure he didn't miss the spectacle.

Photo London 2026

Photo London 2026, the upcoming edition of the capital's premier photography fair, is being promoted with a special feature in which four artists present London through their own photographic perspectives. The article also covers feminist photo collage, a project by Thomas Duffield exploring father-son relationships, and an interview with the director of The Photographer's Gallery.

Cumbria’s largest museum gains six new trustees

Cumbria's largest museum, Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery Trust in Carlisle, has appointed six new trustees to its board, expanding the total to 15 members. The new trustees include Lord Richard Inglewood, a former government minister; Lisa Middleton, head of marketing at National Museums Liverpool; Joanne Orr, former director of Tullie and ex-chief executive of Museums Galleries Scotland; Malcolm Rogers, a banking and finance specialist; Helen Smout, chief executive of Culture Perth and Kinross; and John Stevenson, a former MP for Carlisle. The appointments were announced by Tullie chair Andrew Smith and director Andrew Mackay.

The new cultural space by Sanlorenzo Arts where design, creativity and sustainability meet

Sanlorenzo Arts has inaugurated Casa Sanlorenzo, a new cultural space in Venice adjacent to the Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, opening on June 3 during the first edition of Venice Climate Week and the Venice Architecture Biennale. Designed by Piero Lissoni's architectural firm, the space blends history and contemporary design, featuring a restored building with adaptive lighting, a monumental glass staircase, and a new bridge connecting to the surroundings. It is not a traditional museum but a dynamic platform for art, design, and sustainability, hosting initiatives that reflect on contemporary society.

The 2026 Edition of the Salon du Dessin

L'édition 2026 du Salon du Dessin

The 2026 edition of the Salon du Dessin, a specialized drawing fair, is underway at the Palais Brongniart in Paris. The fair features a new 'young collectors' pathway designed to appeal to those not spending hundreds of thousands, alongside the traditional stand for anonymous works. Major pieces, like two allegorical drawings by Grégoire Huret, sold immediately at the opening, and the event maintains its characteristic scholarly yet warm atmosphere with notable new exhibitors.

The Biennale and the Weight of Flags. What Is the Point of National Pavilions?

La Biennale e il peso delle bandiere. Che senso hanno i padiglioni nazionali?

The article examines the inherent contradiction within the Venice Biennale: its historical structure of national pavilions, a legacy of 19th-century world fairs and state-sponsored art, clashes with the transnational, post-identity vision of the international exhibition curated by Koyo Kouoh. The return of the Russia Pavilion amid geopolitical conflict and the international show titled "In Minor Keys," which rejects national belonging as an interpretive criterion, highlight this tension. The piece also addresses the controversy over the lack of Italian artists in the main exhibition, questioning whether a Biennale hosted in Italy should guarantee national representation.