Richard Hunt’s life is on exhibit in Chicago — and it’s a walk through Civil Rights history

A new exhibition titled “Freedom in Form: Richard Hunt” opens at the Loyola University Museum of Art in Chicago, exploring the 70-year career of the late sculptor Richard Hunt, who died in 2023 at age 88. The show includes his tools, workbench, personal books and photos, alongside key works such as “Hero’s Head” (1956), a welded bust created in response to the murder of Emmett Till, who was Hunt’s neighbor. The exhibition originated at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Museum in Springfield and was conceived in 2019, with curator Ross Stanton Jordan and director Lance Tawzer aiming to present Hunt as a young artist deeply engaged with Civil Rights history.

Hong Kong’s first major Islamic art exhibition set to open at Palace Museum

Hong Kong’s Palace Museum will open its first major Islamic art exhibition on Wednesday, featuring 90 works from the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, including carpets, ceramics, and manuscripts dating from the 10th to the 19th centuries. The show, titled “Wonders of Imperial Carpets: Masterpieces from the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha,” marks the Qatari institution’s debut in the city and includes treasures such as the 17th-century “Kevorkian Hyderabad carpet.”

Renowned Chicago Sculptor’s Work Comes Home to Chicago this Summer

Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) in Chicago will host "Freedom in Form: Richard Hunt" from July 11 to November 15, 2025, a major exhibition celebrating the late sculptor Richard Hunt (1935–2023). The show features sculptures, maquettes, tools, books, photographs, prints, and video interviews, tracing Hunt’s 70-year career from his early days at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to international renown. For the first time, it pairs two pivotal works: "Hero’s Head" (1956), created after the funeral of Emmett Till, and "Hero Ascending," a monument designed for Till’s childhood home. The exhibition includes a catalogue with contributions from Christina Shutt, Rev. Michael J. Garanzini, curator Ross Stanton Jordan, biographer Jon Ott, and historian Timothy J. Gilfoyle.

New ‘Of the Earth’ art exhibition opens at Detroit Lakes’ Ortenstone Gardens

A new public art exhibition titled 'Of the Earth' has opened at Ortenstone Gardens and Sculpture Park in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. The exhibition features three sculptures by Polish-American artist Olga Ziemska, who is also the park's first artist-in-residence, supported by local nonprofit Project 412. The works incorporate natural materials like river rocks, sticks, and grass, and join Thomas Dambo's troll sculpture 'Barefoot Frida' as permanent attractions at the 50-acre park, which was donated to the city by the Mark and Cindy Fritz Foundation.

Marco Island Center for the Arts and Miami museum exchange exhibitions that feature Latinx art and artists

The Marco Island Center for the Arts and the Miami Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas (MoCAA) are exchanging exhibitions focused on Latinx art and artists. The Marco Island Center is currently hosting works by 15 contemporary artists from Latin America and the Caribbean, including Ivonne Ferrer, Ruben Torres Llorca, and Luis Cruz Azaceta, on view through July 1. In exchange, MoCAA will present "Marco to Miami" from June 20 to July 20, featuring 14 artists from Collier County.

Daniel Johnston: I Think, I Draw, I Am

Daniel Johnston: I Think, I Draw, I Am is the largest New York solo exhibition of work by musician and artist Daniel Johnston (1961-2019). Curated by Lee Foster, co-owner of Electric Lady Studios and Curatorial Advisor for the Daniel Johnston Trust, the show features over 300 drawings that reveal the psychological depth and formal inventiveness of Johnston's comic-inspired art. Johnston first gained fame as a lo-fi musician in Austin, Texas, in the 1980s, and his graphic art reached a national audience when Kurt Cobain wore his Hi, How Are You? T-shirt at the 1992 MTV Music Awards.

Wonders of Nature: New nature-themed art exhibition featuring Japanese artists like Go Yayanagi and more

New Art Museum Singapore has launched 'Wonders of Nature', its first immersive exhibition designed for children and families. Curated by local creative Warren Wee, the show features works from eight international and local artists including Go Yayanagi, Go Ogawa, Yuji Kanamaru, Masato Inagaki, Osamu Watanabe, Jackson Tan, and Jesse Franklin. The exhibition includes interactive zones such as the Animal Kingdom with candy-colored sculptures, a Canyon of Cuddles playground with inflatable cacti and a ball pit, a digital ocean with life-sized projected fish, and a Garden of Senses with augmented reality games. A pop-up by Waga Waga Labs offers matcha drinks inspired by the exhibition's colors and themes. The exhibition runs until October 5, 2025, at the museum's Tanjong Pagar Distripark location.

Mohonk Mountain House Unveils a New Art Exhibition Celebrating History and Nature

Mohonk Mountain House, a historic resort in New York's Hudson Valley, has unveiled a new art exhibition titled "Essence by Design" on Earth Day (April 22). The exhibition features 41 hand-painted glass slides from 1902, originally created by artist Walter T. Weaver, depicting exotic and native flora. The slides, preserved in the resort's archives thanks to Daniel Smiley and his daughter Pril Smiley, have been digitized into large-scale prints (26×32 inches) and permanently installed in the Grove building. Pril Smiley, a fourth-generation steward and Director of Art, curated the selection to continue the legacy of founder Albert Smiley, who believed in blending indoor and outdoor experiences.

Latter-day Saint artists ‘Lift Up the Hands Which Hang Down’ in new exhibit

The Church History Museum in Salt Lake City has unveiled 150 artworks selected for the 13th International Art Competition of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, themed "Lift Up the Hands Which Hang Down" after Doctrine and Covenants 81:5. The exhibition opened on April 24, 2025, featuring works by 584 artists from 26 countries, including pieces like "Deposition" by Sarah Hawkes and "The Parable of the Gardner: The Garden of the Lord" by Pamela Salinas Bernal. Curator Laura Paulsen Howe and BYU art history professor James Swensen, a juror, highlighted how artists visualized themes of succoring the weak and strengthening others through diverse media and personal testimony.

design the winter show antiques preview

New York's art, design, and philanthropic leaders gathered at the Park Avenue Armory for the Winter Show's Opening Night Preview, marking the fair's 72nd edition and honoring Caroline Kennedy. The event featured 75 international exhibitors, with co-hosts including Executive Director Helen Allen, East Side House Settlement Executive Director Daniel Diaz, Honorary Co-Chair Wendy Goodman, and designers Noz Nozawa, Ben Pentreath, Jane Keltner de Valle, Giancarlo Valle, Michael Bargo, and CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson. Attendees included fashion designer Cynthia Rowley, interior designers Reed and Delphine Krakoff, and architect Peter Marino, among others.

Impressively harmonious artistic manifesto propels Storywork: The Prints of Marie Watt from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation exhibition at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts

The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) is hosting "Storywork: The Prints of Marie Watt from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation," an exhibition running through June 21. It features over 60 works by Marie Watt, an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation's Turtle Clan, including prints, monumental blanket stacks, hanging textiles, and small-scale sculptures. The show is drawn from the collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer, a top 200 collector recognized by ARTNews, whose foundation has supported more than 180 exhibitions and loaned works to over 130 museums at no cost.

“Double Outsider”: in the London studio of artist Pavel Otdelnov

Russian contemporary artist Pavel Otdelnov has established a home studio in London, where his domestic environment serves as an extension of his artistic practice. Following his relocation in 2022, Otdelnov has integrated Soviet-era motifs—such as wall carpets and television color grids—into his English terraced house to explore themes of memory and the 'uncanny.' His recent works, including 'Unheimlich' and 'No Signal,' utilize these familiar objects to critique how nostalgia can be weaponized and how violence often hides within the mundane.

Peter Doig is bringing a cult classic London pub back to life—here's why it matters

Artist Peter Doig and his partner, gallerist Parinaz Mogadassi, have purchased McGlynn's, a beloved London pub in King's Cross that closed after its landlord Gerry died in 2023. They submitted a planning application to restore the Grade II listed building, preserving its original character while ensuring it remains a functioning pub. Doig, who lived near the pub in the 1980s, bought the building opposite to open a gallery, with a Merry Alpern show opening October 13 organized by Tramps.

Top auction houses draw Southeast Asia’s elite art buyers

Auction houses Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams are seeing a surge in participation from wealthy Southeast Asian collectors, particularly Millennials and Gen Z. Elaine Holt of Sotheby's Asia reports significant growth in collector activity from the region, with strong bidding at recent Hong Kong sales. Christie's Asia-Pacific president Francis Belin notes Southeast Asia is now the firm's third-largest buying market in Asia-Pacific, led by Singapore and Indonesia, with notable increases from Vietnam. Bonhams' managing director for Asia, Julia Hu, reports a 67% year-on-year rise in Southeast Asian auction spending. Younger buyers are driving demand, with Millennials and Gen Z accounting for 37% of Bonhams' Hong Kong buyers and 40% of Sotheby's Hong Kong marquee sales. A Renoir painting sold for $23.56 million to a collector in their 30s, highlighting youthful buying power.

Martha Stewart’s Art Auction Is a Who’s Who of Contemporary Cool

Martha Stewart has curated her first-ever art auction with Joopiter, Pharrell Williams' auction platform, titled "The Contemporary Take." The sale features nearly 50 works by leading contemporary artists including Andy Warhol, Amy Sherald, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Damien Hirst, and Ai Weiwei, running from April 28 through May 6. Highlights include Yiadom-Boakye's "Bark Scraper" (estimated $900,000–$1.2 million), Hirst's pillcase "Up at Dawn" ($500,000–$700,000), and works by George Condo, Esther Mahlangu, and Hank Willis Thomas.

Martha Stewart Curates JOOPITER’s Art Debut

JOOPITER, the auction platform founded to rethink collecting for a digital generation, will launch its first dedicated contemporary art sale this spring. Titled "The Contemporary Take," the online auction runs from April 28 through May 6, 2025, and is curated in collaboration with Martha Stewart. The sale features nearly fifty works by established and emerging artists, including Alex Katz, Jeff Koons, Amy Sherald, George Condo, Esther Mahlangu, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Ai Weiwei, and Damien Hirst, selected to reflect the renewal and vibrancy of the season. The auction also marks the debut of late Iranian-American artist Davood Roostaei.

À Deauville, un vitrail monumental de Clara Rivault fête les cinq ans des Franciscaines

Les Franciscaines de Deauville, a former convent turned cultural center, celebrates its fifth anniversary by unveiling its first permanent commission: a monumental contemporary stained glass window by Clara Rivault. Titled "Ceux qui traversent," the double-sided work spans the entrance of the Grande Galerie, blending traditional glass techniques with photographic transfers, lead, and light. Rivault, born in 1991 and trained at Montpellier's École supérieure des beaux-arts, La Cambre in Brussels, and the Centre international d'Art verrier de Meisenthal, has previously created works for the Institut français in Paris and the church of Saint-Paterne in Saint-Pair-sur-Mer.

Art exhibits abound this fall at Pitt State

Pittsburg State University's Art Department is hosting a series of free exhibitions in its two galleries at Porter Hall this fall. Featured shows include Katie Petersen's "Centripetal: The Return to the Self" (Sept. 3–Oct. 10) at the Harry Krug Gallery, exploring balance and health through pastel colors and x-ray imagery; Diane Bronstein's "Unreal city" at the University Gallery, blending vintage photography with embroidery to address climate change; "Seeded: Art After Investment" (Oct. 15–Nov. 10) showcasing faculty and student works made possible by grant funding; and Jason Tanner Young's "Finder" (Oct. 22–Dec. 15), a sculpture exhibition examining the relationship between objects and memory. All exhibits and receptions are free and open to the public.

Immersive art: museum-goers in bikinis dive into Cezanne

An immersive art experience centered on Paul Cézanne has drawn attention after visitors were photographed wearing bikinis while interacting with the installation, as reported by the Caledonian Record. The exhibition allows museum-goers to physically engage with Cézanne's works in a pool-like setting, blending digital projections with water elements.

Obey racconta la sua mostra a Napoli ad Artbox su Sky Arte

The article covers the latest episode of Artbox on Sky Arte, focusing on the exhibition "OBEY: Power to the peaceful" at Gallerie d'Italia in Naples, running until September 6. Curator Giuseppe Pizzuto, artist Shepard Fairey (OBEY), and Michele Coppola of Intesa Sanpaolo discuss the show, which features over 130 works addressing global imbalances and peace as a political act. The episode also includes a segment on overtourism by Maria Vittoria Baravelli, a book review of "Misia e Basta" by Francesca Frigerio, and a feature on the interdisciplinary exhibition "La Maddalena di Piero di Cosimo" at Palazzo Venezia in Rome, curated by Edith Gabrielli.

L’arte vibra come un’onda. 7 artisti nell’elegante mostra a Casa Sanlorenzo a Venezia

Casa Sanlorenzo, the artistic division of the luxury yacht brand, has opened a new exhibition titled "Waves" in Venice, coinciding with the Venice Biennale. Curated by Sergio Risaliti and Cristiano Seganfreddo, the show spans 1,000 square meters across two floors plus a 600-square-meter garden, featuring works by seven artists: Alexander Calder, Lucio Fontana, Fausto Melotti, Tony Cragg, Marcello Maloberti, Christine Safa, and Friedrich Andreoni. The exhibition explores the concept of the wave as a metaphor for artistic expression, with a focus on sculpture and sound, including Melotti's poetic sculptures, Andreoni's immersive sound installation, and Calder's mobiles.

Un ciclo di mostre è allestito sotto terra in un ipogeo del quartiere Pigneto a Roma

A family of entrepreneurs acquired an ancient bar in Rome's Pigneto neighborhood in 2020, inheriting a Roman-era hypogeum dating back to the 1st century BC. Originally a pozzolana quarry, later a wine cellar and WWII air-raid shelter, the space beneath the historic bar Necci dal 1924 reopened to the public on March 12 as an exhibition venue. It now hosts "Sottoforma," a cycle of three exhibitions curated by Donatella Giordano and Agatha Jaubourg that explore the theme of the invisible through contemporary art. The first exhibition features works by Eva Marisaldi, Enrico Serotti, and Luca Vitone, running until March 31, followed by shows with Iginio De Luca and Liliana Moro in April, and José Angelino and Elena Bellantoni in May 2026.

A Venezia sta aprendo un nuovo Palazzo delle Arti e delle Culture grazie alla Fondazione Giancarlo Ligabue. L’intervista

A new Palazzo delle Arti e delle Culture – Collecto is opening in Venice at Palazzo Erizzo Ligabue, a 15th-century palace on the Grand Canal. The initiative, spearheaded by Inti Ligabue (45), son of the late paleontologist and entrepreneur Giancarlo Ligabue, will open to the public from May 7 to May 24, 2026, offering guided tours of a collection of over 400 pieces spanning from 4.5-billion-year-old fossils to contemporary works by artists such as Arcangelo Sassolino, Nico Vascellari, and Giorgio Andreotta Calò. The project builds on the Fondazione Giancarlo Ligabue, established in 2016 from the original Centro Studi founded in 1973, and will feature a residency by artist Marta Spagnoli.

A Baroque Too Baroque: Reflections on the Colossal Exhibition in Forlì

Un Barocco troppo barocco. Riflessioni sulla colossale mostra di Forlì

A massive exhibition titled "Barocco: il gran teatro delle idee" (Baroque: The Grand Theater of Ideas) is on view at the Museo Civico San Domenico in Forlì, Italy. The show, curated by a committee of six, ambitiously attempts to define the Baroque across the 17th and 18th centuries, extending its scope to include France and Spain, and even suggesting its echoes in the 20th century. It features approximately 300 works, including paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts.

A majestic former mill in Milan is about to become a new cultural hub: studios, residences, and a creative boutique hotel

In un maestoso ex mulino di Milano sta per nascere un nuovo polo culturale: studi, residenze, alberghetto creativo

A historic 1929 flour mill in Milan, originally designed by Cesare Chiodi and Gio Ponti, is being transformed into 'Mulino Factory,' a multidisciplinary creative hub. Spearheaded by Ludovica Virga, the granddaughter of the building's mid-century owner, the site eschews traditional real estate development in favor of a community-focused ecosystem. The complex already houses artist studios, including that of Lola Montes Schnabel, an art gallery, and a gym, with a boutique hotel designed by Tom Dixon set to open following the 2026 Milan Design Week.

In Rome, a festival dedicated to contemporary cinema and audiovisual experimentation: The Interview

A Roma c’è un festival dedicato al cinema contemporaneo e alle sperimentazioni audiovisive. L’intervista

The Ru-mòre Cinema and Audiovisual Experimentation Festival is launching in Rome’s San Lorenzo district from April 14 to 18. Evolving from the former Barkov Film Festival, the event features a diverse program of short films, screenwriting competitions, and a dedicated section for virtual reality. The festival utilizes multiple local venues, including Cinema Tibur and the Mercato di San Lorenzo, to host international works and industry panels.

Artist and former boxer Omar Hassan exhibits his powerful gestures in Rome

L’artista ed ex pugile Omar Hassan che è in mostra a Roma coi suoi gesti forti

Artist and former boxer Omar Hassan has debuted his first solo exhibition in Rome, titled "Tempo al Tempo," at Galleria Latina. The showcase features large-scale works from his "Breaking Through" series, where Hassan uses boxing gloves to strike canvases, alongside a massive map of Rome constructed from nearly 9,000 hand-painted spray can caps. The exhibition emphasizes the physical trace of time and action, blending street art aesthetics with the energy of action painting.

Even exhibition catalogues can become manga: The case of Yuko Mohri

Pure i cataloghi delle mostre possono diventare manga. Il caso Yuko Mohri

The Pirelli HangarBicocca has released a unique exhibition catalogue for Japanese artist Yuko Mohri following her solo show, 'Entanglements,' in Milan. The publication distinguishes itself by including a 24-page manga titled 'Yuko and the Unnamed' by artist Ran Kurumi, tucked into the book's jacket. This graphic insert serves as a biographical narrative, tracing Mohri’s journey from her formative years in Tokyo’s Akihabara electronics district to her recent representation of Japan at the 2024 Venice Biennale.

April 2026 at the Theater: A Guide to Must-See Events in Italy (Including Dance)

Aprile 2026 a teatro: guida agli appuntamenti da non perdere in Italia (anche sulla danza)

Italy’s April 2026 performing arts season features a diverse lineup of major theatrical premieres and experimental adaptations. Highlights include the Italian debut of Annie Baker’s Pulitzer-winning 'Circle Mirror Transformation' directed by Valerio Binasco, and a dark comedy by Ariel Dorfman titled 'The Other Side' exploring the absurdity of war. Other notable productions include Armando Punzo’s non-traditional 'Cenerentola' (Cinderella) moving from a high-security prison setting to the Teatro della Pergola, and a dedicated retrospective for Daria Deflorian at Milan’s Piccolo Teatro.

A new book series is born, bringing together the world of art and fairy tales

È nata una nuova collana di libri che tiene insieme il mondo dell’arte con quello delle fiabe

Rome-based publisher Bummy Edizioni has launched a new book series titled "Fiabe d’Arte" (Art Fairy Tales), which merges famous artworks with classic folklore. The debut title, "Gli stivali di Vincent" (Vincent's Boots), written by Beniamino Sidoti and illustrated by Ericavale Morello, reimagines the story of Puss in Boots within the world of Vincent van Gogh. In this narrative, the talking cat encourages the artist to express his inner emotions through painting, blending biographical elements with fantasy.