Sotheby’s September Sale stars Indian Masters

Sotheby’s is holding a September 2025 auction in London titled 'Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art,' featuring major works by Indian modernists including Francis Newton Souza, M.F. Husain, Sayed Haider Raza, Bikash Bhattacharjee, and K.K. Hebbar. Highlights include Souza's 'Emperor' (1957) from his celebrated mid-1950s period, Husain's 'Chittore Fort' (1964) from the renowned Chester and Davida Herwitz collection, and Bhattacharjee's 'Two Sisters No. 2' (1982), which previously sold in a landmark Herwitz single-owner sale at Sotheby’s in 1995.

There are 21 artists supporting the new voyage of the Global Sumud Flotilla that set sail from Sicily with painted sails

Ci sono 21 artisti a sostegno del nuovo viaggio della Global Sumud Flotilla salpata dalla Sicilia con vele dipinte

A new humanitarian mission by the Global Sumud Flotilla set sail on April 26 from Augusta, Sicily, with 59 Italian and Spanish boats heading toward Gaza. The flotilla, which follows a first attempt in September 2025 that ended with activists arrested by the Israeli military, aims to deliver humanitarian aid by early May. Twenty-one artists have joined the initiative, called Vele d'Arte, painting the sails of the boats with symbolic artworks. Among the participating artists are Gio Pistone, Antonio Curcio, Escif, Lydia Giordano, Glenda Costa, Millo, Elia Novecento, MP5, Matteo Todeschini, Alleg, Sam3, Okuda, Antonella Santonocito, Fabrizio Foti, Igor Scalisi Palmiteri, Andrea Sposari, and Salvo Ligama. The project was conceived by Carlo Alberto Giardina, who hopes the energy painted on the sails will transform into positive forces.

reefline blue arts award ximena caminos

The ReefLine nonprofit launched its new Blue Arts Award on the Greek island of Hydra, calling on artists to create site-specific underwater sculptures that function as artificial reefs. The award is part of the larger ReefLine project, a seven-mile underwater sculpture park and hybrid reef off Miami Beach, designed by Shohei Shigematsu of OMA, with construction set to begin in September 2025. The first winning artwork will be installed in 2027. ReefLine Founder and Artistic Director Ximena Caminos envisions the project as a blend of public art, marine science, and climate action, aiming to restore the Florida Reef Tract, combat shoreline erosion, and boost biodiversity.

Bayeux Tapestry: A Blank Voyage That Tests Nothing

Tapisserie de Bayeux : un voyage à blanc qui ne teste rien

A confidential interim report obtained by La Tribune de l'Art reveals that the "blank voyage" test transport of the Bayeux Tapestry from Bayeux to London in February 2026 failed to measure actual risks to the artwork. The report admits that the vibration threshold used (2 mm/s) is arbitrary and based on paintings, not on a textile of this size and fragility. Because the tapestry has been stored and inaccessible since September 2025, no mechanical tests could be conducted beforehand to determine safe vibration levels, rendering the test meaningless. A second test took place on April 15, 2026, but its report has not yet been finalized; the actual loan is planned for July 2026, with transport via Eurostar.

Deux nouveaux tableaux français du XVIIIème siècle pour le Musée Fabre

The Musée Fabre in Montpellier has acquired two 18th-century French paintings at auctions held by Artcurial in September 2025. The first is an "Allégorie de la Poésie" (1774) by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, purchased for €250,000 with support from the museum's corporate foundation and a special grant from the Fonds du patrimoine. The painting, which depicts the early struggles of the future portraitist, was previously owned by Henry and Catherine Robert and had been exhibited in a major retrospective at the Grand Palais a decade ago.

ANTiPODE gallery holds space for any artists’ work to thrive

Two best friends, Amir Amini and Saina Heshmati, founded ANTiPODE gallery in Seattle in September 2025. The gallery prioritizes immigrant and established artists, with 70% of exhibitions dedicated to immigrant artists and 30% to local artists, aiming to act as a cultural bridge between Seattle and cities like Tehran. The founders previously curated a group exhibition called "Postcard from Tehran" at the RailSpur building, which inspired the gallery's mission. ANTiPODE also hosts events such as movie nights and experimental music and dance performances to connect with the local community.

Free contemporary art shows to open in the postmodern 1 Poultry building

Three temporary art galleries are opening on the ground floor of the postmodern No.1 Poultry building in the City of London, near Bank tube station. Operated by arts charity Hypha Studios and supported by the Cheapside Business Alliance, the spaces will host 24 exhibitions over the course of a year, starting in September 2025. The first three exhibitions are free and open to the public from Thursday 25th September 2025. Gallery 2, in partnership with art and architecture platform recessed.space, will focus on exhibitions relating to the living environment, while Galleries 1 and 3 will feature a range of contemporary artists and curators. The initiative is part of a meanwhile use programme during a refurbishment of the building’s interior to reduce energy consumption.

Shirley Fiterman Art Center Opening: Artists Courtney McClellan and Victoria Dugger

The Shirley Fiterman Art Center at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) will open two exhibitions on September 10: Courtney McClellan: Simulations and Victoria Dugger: Late Bloomer, running through December 20. The opening includes a discussion with both artists at 5 p.m. followed by a reception at 6 p.m. at 81 Barclay Street.

New location for Toi Pōneke Arts Centre announced

Wellington City Council has announced a new location for Toi Pōneke Arts Centre at Market Lane, offering 1,959 square meters of floor space across three levels. The facility will include artist studios, offices, a workshop space, dance and drama rehearsal rooms, a gallery, and a cultural/pōwhiri space. The move is part of the Council's Long-term Plan, with a total budget of $6 million for design and fit-out. Applications for limited-term artist studios, arts offices, and workshop space will open on 27 August 2025 and close on 28 September 2025.

Art of Manga Exhibition Heads to Brooklyn Museum in October

The "Art of Manga" exhibition, organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, will make its East Coast debut at the Brooklyn Museum in New York from October 3, 2026, to January 31, 2027. Featuring over 600 pieces of art, the show highlights works from renowned manga artists including Hirohiko Araki, Rumiko Takahashi, Gengoroh Tagame, Jiro Taniguchi, Kazumi Yamashita, and Fumi Yoshinaga. The exhibition previously ran at the de Young Museum in San Francisco from September 2025 to January 2026.

How the National Gallery of Art is Using AI to Unlock New Insights into Art and Pain Managment

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is leveraging its extensive digitization program to apply artificial intelligence to new fields, including pain management. Through partnerships like the PHAROS consortium and a collaboration with McGill University researcher Hannah Derue, the museum's open-access collection of over 61,000 high-resolution images is being used to train AI models for PAin+, a software platform that helps chronic pain patients articulate and track their experiences using art-based mindfulness and machine learning.

Faculty, students oppose censorship of artist at University of North Texas

In February 2025, the University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton abruptly canceled a solo exhibition by Brooklyn-based artist Victor “MARKA27” Quiñonez just nine days after its opening. The show, titled “Ni de Aqui, Ni de Allá,” was displayed at the College of Visual Art & Design (CVAD) Gallery and featured works from Quiñonez’s I.C.E. Scream series, including large-scale paleta sculptures embedded with handcuffs and firearms, and a cart bearing the phrase “U.S. Department of Stolen Land Security.” The exhibition was closed without notice, its street-facing windows covered with brown paper, and UNT terminated its loan agreement with Boston University Art Galleries, which had originally hosted the show in September 2025. Faculty and students responded with an open letter to UNT President Harrison Keller, condemning the censorship and demanding transparency.

From Ashes to Light, Brooklyn Arts Group Rebounds After a Fire

After a fire destroyed its home base in Red Hook in September 2025, the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC) is presenting its first in-person exhibition, "Unmoored / Unbound," at Powerhouse Arts in Gowanus, Brooklyn. The juried group show features 40 artists working across various mediums, exploring themes of loss, transition, liberation, and resilience. The exhibition runs from May 22 to August 9, 2025, with an opening reception on May 21.

'Ocean of Peace' Micronesian art exhibition opens at Honolulu Hale

The Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts, in collaboration with the East-West Center Arts Program, will present 'Ocean of Peace,' a group exhibition featuring seven artists of Micronesian heritage at Honolulu Hale from May 8 to June 11, 2026. The exhibition centers on the 'Ocean of Peace' declaration, a political and cultural framework endorsed at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ meeting in the Solomon Islands in September 2025, which envisions Pacific Island nations as sovereign and free from geopolitical conflict and coercion. Participating artists include James Bamba, Carol Ann Carl, Gillian Duenas, Kalany Omengkar, Anthony Watson, Lissette Yamase, and Manny Crisostomo, exploring themes of Indigenous Pacific knowledge, identity, and storytelling.

‘A force of nature’: Posthumous show at Lawrence gallery celebrates the feminist textile art of Becky Johnson

A posthumous exhibition at Off-Site Art Space in Lawrence, Kansas, celebrates the feminist textile art of Becky Johnson, who died in September 2025 at age 47 from bladder cancer. The show features her weavings and feltwork, including a floor loom programmed by Johnson where visitors can contribute to a communal weaving using scraps from her studio. Co-curated by Merry Sun, the exhibition spans two rooms and includes experimental pieces with materials like felt tucked into pockets, showcasing Johnson's prolific output from a brief year-and-a-half period in grad school.

Fort Worth Contemporary Arts to Open New Location in September

Fort Worth Contemporary Arts (FWCA), the contemporary art gallery of Texas Christian University (TCU), will open a new 2,000-square-foot location at 3050 Waits Avenue in September 2025, one block from its former site. The inaugural exhibition on September 5 will be "Indian Removal Act III: We are a Wounding" by San Antonio artist Joe Harjo, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma, continuing his series on Native American historical and contemporary issues. The previous location at 2900 W. Berry Street closed in November 2024 after a final memorial exhibition honoring influential faculty member Dr. Frances Colpitt, as the university repurposes the site for student housing under an $83 million development plan.

“Testing the Waters” – New art exhibition at Chichele College opens as part of the Northants & Rutland Open Studios Art Festival

Four local artists—Ashley Medlock, Emma Saul, Annabelle Benjamin, and Ellen Bletsoe—are presenting a group exhibition titled “Testing the Waters” at Chichele College, an English Heritage site in Higham Ferrers. The show runs from 20-21 September and 24-28 September 2025, as part of the Northants & Rutland Open Studios Art Festival, the largest visual arts event in the county. Each artist contributes contemporary works in painting, ceramics, and abstract forms, set against the medieval backdrop of the historic building.

Nintendo Museum Opening Art Gallery In September 2025

Nintendo announced an expansion to the Nintendo Museum in Japan, with a new Art Gallery opening on September 3, 2025, on the second floor of the museum's Exhibition Building. The gallery will display a wide range of game artwork, including character illustrations and concept art from Nintendo's video game library.

Call is out for local talent

The District Council of Grant in South Australia is launching the inaugural Art-Ability Exhibition at The Hangar Gallery in Mount Gambier, calling on local artists living with disabilities to submit their work. The exhibition, recommended by the Council’s Access and Inclusion Advisory Panel, will run from September 2025 to February 2026, with entries closing on July 28, 2025. A People’s Choice Award and a $500 prize pool will be announced on International Day of People with Disability, December 3, 2025.

Rossett School art exhibition showcases students’ talents

Rossett School's art exhibition, part of the Red Kite Learning Trust's showcase, was held on March 26th at the Trust Central Office Gallery, featuring artwork from Year 9, 10, and 12 students. Curated by Art Lead Mrs Lynda Dean, the display includes diverse styles and mediums, with an open evening that drew students, families, staff, and trustees for a celebratory event. The exhibition will run until September 2025, after which another school in the Trust will take over the gallery space.