Even More Drawings for Versailles

Encore d'autres dessins pour Versailles

The Palace of Versailles has acquired several drawings during the Paris Drawing Week sales in March 2026, including a rare study by Charles de La Fosse for the royal chapel's dome decoration. The drawing, depicting a reclining nude man for "The Resurrection of Christ," was purchased at the Rossini auction of Paul and Florence Vercier's collection for €3,800. This acquisition adds to Versailles' growing collection of La Fosse works, following earlier purchases of an angel study in 2016 and a ceiling project in 2023.

Cannes 2026 Dispatch, Part 1: Breaking False Unities

On May 8, during the pre-opening of the Venice Biennale, the independent collective ANGA (Art Not Genocide Alliance) organized a strike protesting genocide and precarity in the art world. Pro-Palestinian activists entered the Arsenale, where part of the exhibition "In Minor Keys" curated by the late Koyo Kouoh was installed, and hung posters on artworks calling for the liberation of Palestine and denouncing what they described as the Biennale's "art-washing" of Israel's reputation. The disruption blurred the line between activist intervention and the exhibition itself, as many works already addressed Palestine directly, including a poem by Refaat Alareer placed at the entrance.

A reading room for the Epstein files opens in New York

A pop-up exhibition in Tribeca, New York, has transformed Mriya Gallery into the Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Reading Room, displaying over 3,000 bound volumes of printed Epstein files. Organized by the Washington, DC-based Institute for Primary Facts, the room holds 3,437 volumes encompassing 3.5 million pages of released documents, printed over about a month. The free exhibition runs until 21 May and requires advance booking.

Fulton County launches Nigerian art exhibition connecting Africa to Atlanta

Fulton County's Department of Arts & Culture has launched a multi-week international exhibition titled “Threads of Heritage: A Cultural Confluence Connecting Africa to Atlanta” at the Peachtree Gallery, running through the end of June. The exhibition features 14 Nigerian artists and is delivered in partnership with the Nike Art & Culture Foundation of Nigeria, Nike Art USA, and UniSpectrum Inc. Led by acclaimed artist Chief Dr Nike Monica Okundaye, the program includes masterclasses, public panels, community workshops, and live demonstrations on traditional Adire textiles, with US-based textile artist Shayee Awoyomi co-leading workshops and Nigerian painter Adeleke Akeem directing narrative painting masterclasses.

Nike Okundaye leads Nigerian artists to historic U.S. show

Nike Okundaye, founder of Nike Art Gallery, is leading 13 US-based Nigerian artists in a cultural diplomacy initiative titled "Threads of Heritage: A Cultural Confluence Connecting Africa to Atlanta." Organized by Fulton County Arts and Culture under Commissioner Robb Pitts and Director David Manuel, alongside Georgia State Representative Kim Schofield, the show opened last Friday at Fulton County Arts and Culture Downtown exhibition space in Atlanta. The event features artists including Shayee Awoyomi, Lasaki Olubunmi, Adeleke Akeem, Ola Balogun, Ajibade Awoyemi, and Bimbo Samson Adenugba, among others, and includes masquerade performances, African-American dances, and cuisines. The exhibition runs through the end of June.

Kettle Art Gallery presents "OG’s Return to Deep Ellum" opening reception

Kettle Art Gallery in Dallas is hosting "OG's Return to Deep Ellum," an exhibition reuniting eight pioneering visual artists who helped shape the creative identity of the Deep Ellum district. The show features works by Bill Haveron, Brad Ellis, Brad Smith, Clay Austin, Dwayne Carter, Frank Campagna, Greg "Ozone" Contestabile, and Thor Johnson, alongside tributes to the late Albert Scherbarth and David "Mosquito" Hawley. The opening reception precedes a run through August 16.

Art on the Hill

A new gallery called the Capitol Crossing Gallery of Art has opened in Washington, D.C., within the Capitol Crossing development on Capitol Hill. The gallery features over 20 artists with local connections to the DMV area, including a large lobby commission by Katherine Tzu-Lann Mann. The space is curated by Alexandra Foxworth-Hill, senior property manager for Capitol Crossing Advisors, who selects abstract works that complement the building's modern, sustainable design.

Art Dubai Opens With 50 Exhibitors Amid Geopolitical Pressures

The twentieth edition of Art Dubai opened to VIP visitors on Thursday in a smaller format than originally planned, delayed from mid-April due to regional geopolitical unrest. The fair presented around fifty galleries, roughly 60% fewer than the approximately 120 exhibitors initially expected, yet drew a strong crowd of collectors primarily from the Gulf states and the wider Middle East. Separately, a new gallery, 971 Art Gallery, has opened in Dubai's Art of Living Mall, featuring international artists such as Gérard Rancinan, Isabelle Scheltjens, Riccardo Gusmaroli, Benito Cerna Leon, and Michele Tombolini, and offering curatorial advice and collection management to a growing base of newer collectors.

Will Higgins uncovers the Indy 500's wacky history in new exhibit

Former IndyStar reporter Will Higgins has opened a new exhibition titled "The Speedway's Attic" at the Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis (CAMi), running until August 16. The show presents nine quirky, true stories from the margins of the Indianapolis 500, featuring artifacts recreated by Higgins based on his own research. One highlighted tale involves a fake 1938 Mercedes Benz convertible linked to Adolf Hitler, which appeared at the 1949 Indy 500 with mannequins and alleged "Hitler's wife's underwear." Higgins, known for his gonzo journalism style, previously created exhibits like "The American Society of Presidential Urine Collectors" and "The Museum of Fabulosity."

Summer 2026 Santa Fe gallery shows are awash in new works

Santa Fe galleries are presenting a wave of new summer 2026 exhibitions, featuring works by artists such as Kate Rivers, Rick Stevens, and Guillermo Galindo. Shows range from Rivers' book-based explorations of human connection at Kay Contemporary to Stevens' landscape-inspired abstract paintings and Galindo's multimedia, border-dissolving photographic works at Aurelia Gallery. The exhibitions run from May through September, with openings and receptions scheduled across the city's historic Canyon Road and Plaza districts.

Exhibition | Tang Maohong, 'Simplified' at ShanghART, Singapore

ShanghART Singapore presents 'Simplified', a solo exhibition by Chinese artist Tang Maohong opening on 16 May 2026. The show features paintings developed over the past two years since his relocation to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and marks his return to Singapore after a 2019 solo exhibition and twenty years since his participation in the first Singapore Biennale. Tang's new works explore a technique of mixing colors directly on the painting surface rather than using a palette, collapsing the image and the palette into a single pictorial space.

At Brooklyn Creative Reuse, Art Supplies Get a Second Life

Brooklyn Creative Reuse (BCR), a nonprofit founded by jeweler Stephanie O'Brien, has opened a permanent brick-and-mortar store in Industry City, Brooklyn, after launching as a pop-up in February 2025. The store sells donated, pre-loved and unused art supplies at a price-per-pound rate, making materials affordable for low-income artists, educators, and hobbyists. Its opening party on April 18 drew large crowds, and BCR has already diverted over 1,000 pounds of art supplies from landfills in its first year.

Playable exhibition ‘The Art of Mini Golf’ at Battersea Arts Centre announces ninth hole artist - Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley

Rising Melbourne and Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) have announced that British artist and game designer Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley will design the ninth hole artwork for the playable exhibition 'The Art of Mini Golf' when it travels to London this summer. The exhibition, formerly known as 'Swingers', will take over BAC from 17 June to 26 July, featuring nine interactive golf hole artworks by leading women artists including Miranda July, Kaylene Whiskey, Saeborg, Delaine Le Bas, Natasha Tontey, BKTHERULA, Soda Jerk, and Pat Brassington. Brathwaite-Shirley's new commission, 'Enough Is Enough', uses video game language to critique technology's impact on society, addressing issues like surveillance, censorship, and wealth inequality.

971 Art Gallery Boosts Dubai's Position as a Global Hub for Luxury Contemporary Art and Investment

971 Art Gallery, a new luxury contemporary art space, has opened in Dubai, positioning the city as a growing hub for high-end art and investment. The gallery aims to attract international collectors and investors by showcasing blue-chip contemporary artists and offering a curated experience that blends art with luxury lifestyle.

‘A nuclear explosion of happiness’: Graphic artist Jim Phillips opens first solo gallery in Santa Cruz

Graphic artist Jim Phillips, the 81-year-old creator of the iconic "Screaming Hand" logo for Santa Cruz Skateboards, has opened his first solo gallery in his hometown of Santa Cruz, California. The exhibition, titled "Jim Phillips: New Fine Art Prints and Classic ’70s and ’80s Pen and Ink Drawings," runs at the R. Blitzer Gallery and features 15 new large-scale art prints and 30 hand-drawn pen-and-ink works from 1971 to 2026. The show includes his famous "Screaming Hand" and "Hand Wave" pieces, alongside surf, skate, and rock poster art from his career, which includes work for The Doors, James Brown, and Neil Young.

The painter who pulls light from the darkness

Toronto-based artist Laura Findlay presents *Night Vision*, a solo exhibition at Glenhyrst Art Gallery in Brantford, Ontario, featuring ethereal oil paintings of nocturnal garden scenes. Using an Old Masters subtractive technique, Findlay applies dark glazes and wipes away pigment to create luminous images of birds, blooms, and bats that appear to emerge from darkness. The show runs through the spring of 2026.

Fabian Perez Gallery Showcases 20 Artists in Neo-Emotionalism Exhibition

Fabian Perez Gallery in Los Angeles is hosting the Neo-Emotionalism Group Exhibition, featuring 20 artists working in painting, photography, and sculpture. The show, running through May 23, centers on feeling and memory, with artists like Shaylen Nelson, Awadé Wade, James Smith, and Martinos Aristidou presenting works that explore personal and cultural narratives. Nelson, an Afrocentric Realism painter, uses Black figures and music to place culture within traditional painting, while Wade’s piece "Abstract Love" draws on a Prince song and uses a tree as a symbol of life and transition.

Why Italy's cultural wealth never really enters public accounts and budgets?

Perché la ricchezza culturale italiana non entra mai davvero nei conti e nei bilanci pubblici?

Italy has exceeded the European Commission's structural adjustment path by 0.1 percentage points of GDP, reopening fiscal scrutiny. Amid this debate, the article highlights a deeper issue: Italy's immense cultural heritage is drastically undervalued in public accounts. For example, the Pompeii Archaeological Park is recorded at just €48.9 million, the Colosseum at under €15 million, and the Uffizi at about €2 billion—figures based on outdated 2002 ministerial criteria that bear no relation to actual economic or cultural worth. The State General Accounting Office, with the University of Roma Tre and EU technical assistance, has proposed a new methodology to value cultural assets by discounting their future net financial flows, including direct revenues and indirect tourism-related returns.

10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Next Museum Visit

This article offers ten practical tips for enhancing museum visits, emphasizing preparation, physical comfort, and mindful engagement. It advises planning around specific artworks using online databases, addressing bodily needs like food and hydration, and timing visits to avoid crowds. The piece also recommends slowing down to spend ten minutes per work, using techniques like slow looking to deepen appreciation.

10 Open Calls To Apply for in Summer 2026: International Opportunities Shaping the Season

The article lists ten international open calls for artists and creatives to apply for in summer 2026, including residencies, grants, and exhibition opportunities. Featured programs include the Diriyah Art Futures (DAF) Emerging New Media Artists Program in Saudi Arabia, the International Digital Art Contest at the University of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Collaborative Prototyping Lab at Medialab Matadero in Spain, among others. Each call provides details on deadlines, eligibility, application links, and support.

Mythical Creatures at the Met Cloisters

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present "Creatures of Myth and Imagination: Europe and the Americas" at the Met Cloisters from May 18 to October 18, 2026. The exhibition explores hybrid mythical beings in visual arts from 500 to 1500 CE, featuring over 50 objects including paintings, sculpture, ceramics, ivories, textiles, and metalwork drawn mainly from the Met collection. It marks the first time ancient American art will be shown at the Met Cloisters, with key loans from the Museo del Templo Mayor in Mexico City, including a never-before-seen-in-New-York sculpture of the Zapotec "bat lord."

EastEnders' Jake Wood forced to close art exhibit amid 'abusive behaviour'

EastEnders actor Jake Wood has closed his art exhibition at Indelible Fine Arts in Brighton after a furious backlash over the inclusion of AI-generated imagery in his works. The gallery announced the decision, citing “abusive” messages directed at them and stating that the exhibition’s original message had been “lost.” Wood, known for playing Max Branning on the BBC soap, had curated the show to raise funds for Dementia UK, but controversy erupted when viewers discovered that some pieces—including portraits of Attenborough and Trump—incorporated pre-existing AI source imagery.

Exhibition | Lin Zhipeng, 'LIN ZHIPENG (NO. 223): Relationship Duplicates' at DE SARTHE, Hong Kong

DE SARTHE gallery in Hong Kong presents 'Relationship Duplicates', the second solo exhibition by Beijing-based photographer Lin Zhipeng (No.223). The show, on view from May 16 to June 27, explores the tactile, intimate dimensions of human relationships through large-scale photoprints, a smartphone installation, and curated collages. Lin redefines 'duplicates' as supplements that extend relationships rather than mere copies, using nudity and physicality to counter the alienation of digital connectivity.

Anaheim's new $4 billion, 100-acre entertainment district will double as an open-air art gallery with 70+ free public artworks

Anaheim's $4 billion OCVIBE entertainment district, a 100-acre development around the Honda Center, has partnered with art and design studio FUTUREFORMS to create a public art program featuring over 70 original artworks. The program includes permanent and rotating installations such as sculptural landmarks, murals, and interactive pieces, with early works already taking shape in the food hall and concert hall. Notable artworks include 'Stretto' by Nataly Gattegno and Jason Kelly Johnson, 'Rhythm, Flavor, Motion' by Brian Peterson, 'Gratitude' by Carla Roque, and 'Sunrise – Sunset' by Marina Zumi. The first phase will be accessible to the public in early 2027.

Abstract painter Tom Wilson Jones featured at Provincetown gallery

Abstract Expressionist painter Tom Wilson Jones is the subject of a new exhibition at Larkin Gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The show runs through June 9, with an opening reception on May 22. Jones, a Louisville native now living in Harwich Port, studied under Robert Henry, Bill Steeves, and at the Royal Museum of Brussels School.

Plum Bottom Hosts Outdoor Art Show

Plum Bottom Gallery in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin, will host its annual outdoor art show on Memorial Day weekend, May 23–24, 2025, from 11 am to 4 pm. The event features sculpture, glass, painting, jewelry, and mixed media works by a roster of nationally collected artists, with featured artists Sue Pruss, Rose Kleman, and Curtis Hall appearing on Saturday. The gallery has also recently added Wisconsin-based photographer Tommy Nigbor to its artist roster, known for his minimalist landscapes and rural scenes.

Clark Art Invites People With Dementia, Caregivers for Gallery Talk

The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, is launching a free gallery talk program called Meet Me at the Clark on May 18, designed specifically for people living with dementia and their care partners. The tours take place on select Mondays from 1–4 pm when the museum is closed to the public, offering private access to the galleries with specially trained educators leading guided, open-ended conversations about art.

Public Tour | Graduation Weekend Tour: Looking Back Toward the Future

The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis is hosting a public tour on May 14, 2026, as part of its Graduation Weekend programming. The tour will explore the exhibition "Looking Back Toward the Future: Contemporary Photography from China," which features over forty large-scale photographs by fourteen Chinese artists created between 1993 and 2006. The exhibition is organized into three thematic sections—The Presence of the Past, East and West, and Performance and the Body—examining how artists used photography and performance to critique China's post-1989 sociopolitical and cultural shifts. This is the first time these works are on view at the museum, and they represent a significant recent addition to its contemporary Chinese art collection.

Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury to host Mystic Dead show tied to gig poster exhibit

The Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, Connecticut, will host a live performance by the Grateful Dead tribute band Mystic Dead on June 11, 2026, as a fundraiser for the museum's education and public programs. The event is tied to the upcoming exhibition "Psychedelic Splendor: The Concert Art of AJ Masthay & Helen Kennedy," which runs from June 13 to September 26 and features over 20 gig posters created for bands including Black Sabbath, Dave Matthews Band, and The Grateful Dead. The exhibit marks the first museum show for both Connecticut-based artists, who are known for their screen-printed concert posters.

Deodato Arte opens a new contemporary art gallery in L'Aquila

Deodato Arte, an Italian gallery group, has opened a new contemporary art gallery in L'Aquila, a city in the Abruzzo region of Italy. The new space aims to bring contemporary art to a historic city still recovering from the 2009 earthquake, expanding the gallery's presence beyond its existing locations in Milan and Pietrasanta.