Mike Fredrickson, a Riverwest-based painter and musician, has released a new album titled *Sunken Treasure* and is showcasing his paintings at two Milwaukee venues. The album, recorded in Chicago with collaborators including drummer Dave Braun and guitarist Scott Ligon, features 13 songs blending catchy grooves with introspective lyrics. His vibrant cityscape and portrait paintings are on display at The Daily Bird and Beans and Barley through mid-May.
EU plant Strafe für Biennale-Teilnahme Russlands
The European Union has threatened to cut funding for the Venice Biennale if it allows Russia to reopen its national pavilion at the upcoming exhibition. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that Russia's return is "morally wrong" while the country is bombing Ukrainian museums and destroying cultural heritage. Russia, in coordination with the Biennale foundation, had announced plans to participate this year with works by Russian artists, marking its first appearance since the 2022 invasion.
Photographer Camille Lemoine presents a series titled 'Down Tower Road,' capturing the intimate landscapes and rhythms of rural life in Baldernock, Scotland. The work focuses on the atmospheric moorland, rolling fields, and the relationship between the female body and the natural environment, aiming to evoke a sense of deep connection and aliveness.
Artist Hu Yuehua presented a large-scale textile installation titled "Weaving Nature" at the 13th edition of Design Shanghai. The work is a dense, wall-like garden composed of stitched and dyed cotton and linen elements in indigo and ochre, forming leaves, blooms, and growths that highlight the artist's hand through loose threads, raw edges, and pleats.
Smithsonian Magazine has announced the winners of its 23rd annual photography contest, selecting top honors from over 17,000 submissions spanning 108 countries. The Grand Prize was awarded to Jacqueline Burke, a veterinarian and photographer, for her image "The Punk Rockers," which captures three egret chicks with mohawk-like plumage at a New Jersey rookery. Other category winners highlighted diverse subjects, including an abstract portrait by Irina Denisova and a spiritual scene of a devotee in Varanasi by Arun Kumar Nalimela.
Henryk Ptasiewicz, a British-born artist who became a fixture of the St. Louis art scene, died on October 22, 2025. He moved to St. Louis in 1999, built a practice through commissions and teaching, and in 2014 was invited to paint fiberglass cake sculptures for the city's 250th birthday, featuring figures like Dred Scott and Vincent Price. He was also a founding member of the Missouri Plein Air Painters and a frequent winner on the regional plein air competition circuit.
Bowersock Gallery in Provincetown is opening its 22nd season with an exhibition titled "Master Builders: New Voices, New Works," running from May 22 through June 3, 2026. The show introduces three new female artists—Sally Fama Cochrane, Hillary Scott, and Jennifer Frank Rand—alongside new works by the gallery's returning stable artists, including Kevin Kusiolek, Steve Bowersock, Emma Ashby, and Jeanne McCartin. An opening reception will be held on May 22 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Artworks Gallery Guelph is hosting a new exhibition titled “Vision & Verse,” which explores the interplay between visual art and poetry. The show features works by gallery members Patti Collins, Diana Scott, Sharyn Seibert, Deb Stocker, and Suzanne Wakefield, with Katie Elliott-Stoyles as the featured artist. A grand opening is scheduled for Mother's Day, May 10, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the gallery located at 404 York Road in Guelph.
La Tefaf 2026, une excellente édition
The 2026 edition of TEFAF Maastricht (running until March 19) is noted as an excellent year, featuring a significant number of major artworks. The article highlights specific pieces of French patrimonial importance, including four 16th-century terracotta terms from the Château d'Oiron and a Sèvres porcelain cabaret dedicated to French painters from 1814.
The Armstrong Spallumcheen Museum & Art Gallery in British Columbia is opening a dual exhibition on May 28, 2026, featuring the Shuswap Plein Air Troupe and artist Nancy Vince. The Main Gallery presents "Together: From There to Here," a group show by Diane Akey, Maureen Howard, and Patricia L. Smith, who paint together as the Plein Air Troupe, capturing landscapes with varied textures and emotional depth. In the Freeze Gallery, "A Touch of Whimsy" showcases Vince's high-definition metal prints filled with vibrant, playful imagery of flowers, cottages, and lakeside scenes. The exhibition runs through June 27, with a reception on opening night.
The Hastings Open, a flagship exhibition founded in 2020, will return in 2026 at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery, showcasing emerging and established artists from the South East region. The open call closes on July 19, 2025, and the winner will receive a solo exhibition at the museum in 2028/29. The exhibition features work in painting, sculpture, photography, textiles, video, and other media, with partnerships including The blackShed Gallery.
The Skillern Family Art Museum in Atlantic Beach, South Carolina, has reopened for the 2026 season with a new exhibition titled “Beyond the Gaze.” The show highlights artwork and historical pieces centered on the African American diaspora and Indigenous women’s experiences, achievements, and contributions. Co-owners Carmelia Scott-Skillern and Elliot Skillern aim to share untold stories and provide deeper historical context behind the art.
The Armstrong Spallumcheen Museum and Art Gallery in British Columbia is launching a dual exhibition on May 28, 2026, running through June 27. The Main Gallery features the Shuswap Plein Air Troupe—artists Diane Akey, Maureen Howard, and Patricia L. Smith—with their show "Together: From There to Here," presenting expressive landscape paintings inspired by outdoor painting sessions. Meanwhile, the Freeze Gallery hosts Nancy Vince's "A Touch of Whimsy," a collection of high-definition metal prints filled with playful imagery like enchanted cottages and hidden creatures.
Falcon Mill, a historic Grade II-listed former cotton spinning mill in Bolton, is hosting the FaMAS Open Studios event this Friday and Saturday. Over 45 artists and creatives will open their personal studios and gallery spaces to the public, showcasing canvas art, prints, pottery, textiles, and stained-glass pieces available for viewing and purchase. The event includes live music and refreshments on Friday evening, and a cake and coffee morning on Saturday benefiting Crohn's & Colitis UK. More than 50 creatives rent studios at the mill, with additional affiliated and guest artists participating.
The article is about a mother-daughter artist duo debuting their first joint exhibition in Scottsdale, Arizona. The exhibition showcases their collaborative and individual works, highlighting their unique artistic relationship and creative dialogue.
Western Spirit Museum, Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, partnered with the Arizona Art Education Association to present a Youth Art Month exhibition from March 15 to March 28, 2025. The show featured 109 original works by students in kindergarten through 12th grade from 22 schools across Arizona, spanning multiple mediums and styles. The exhibit concluded with a student artist reception on March 28, drawing families, educators, and community members. Teachers submitted student artwork, which was reviewed and selected by the Arizona Art Education Association Youth Art Month board.
The Venice Biennale, the world's largest contemporary art exhibition, opened to the press amid turmoil over Russia's return for the first time since the Ukraine war began. The event features artists from several conflict-affected nations, including Ukraine, Israel, and the US, while Iran has canceled its participation. Resignations, boycotts, and threats to cut funding have marked the lead-up to the opening.
Historic Downtown Pocatello will host its May First Friday Art Walk on Friday, May 1, from 5 to 8 p.m., featuring local and regional art, music, food, and fashion. Participating venues include the Pocatello Art Center with its Shared Perspectives Exhibition, White Owl Books & Imports, Knotty Twist inside Elwen Cottage hosting Indiana Morris of Firefly Designs, Walrus & Carpenter Books with an open mic, Enchantments offering aura photos and tarot readings, Salty's True Tattoo, Mitera Made, Purpose Tea, The Martlet Brewery with live music by Cat Daddy, The Hygge Place hosting author Daniel Miller, Old Town Alley Outdoor Gallery, Bluebird Country Boutique, Cottonwood Junction, The Not So Starving Artist gallery owned by Jim Bacigalupi, Main Street Mercantile & Antiques featuring Annie Oakley Design Co., Wysteriasage & The Vintage Menagerie, and Brick 243 Gastropub.
Local artist Roz Davis is set to debut her solo exhibition, "Paintings of Whimsy," at the MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital hall gallery in Damariscotta. Running from May 2 through June 28, the show features a collection of paintings and mixed media works that transform everyday subjects—such as donuts, candies, and footwear—into playful, narrative-driven compositions.
Baltimore-born artist Mark Anthony West Jr. is debuting a new body of work titled "Seven Stars Between Two Skies" at the Lord Baltimore Hotel. Created during a residency in Rio de Janeiro, the exhibition features portraits of American and Brazilian creatives depicted as sovereign forces, utilizing signature elements like terra cotta noses, metallic leaf, and symbolic ribbons to explore Afro-diasporic themes and spiritual lineage.
The Trescott Street Gallery in Taunton has launched its "Artist's Choice" exhibition, a member-led showcase running through March 28. Featuring over 70 works across various media—including oil, acrylic, pastel, and photography—the exhibition intentionally lacks a specific theme to allow for maximum creative freedom. The show highlights a broad spectrum of talent, ranging from emerging youth artists to seasoned professionals.
The Art of the African Diaspora (AOTAD) celebrates its 29th year with a series of satellite exhibitions across the Bay Area, including a dual-gallery showcase at Studio 23 and Resistance Press 510 in Alameda. Curated by Eric Murphy and Yolanda Cotton Turner, the exhibitions feature works by artists such as George Bernard, Sonia Roberts, and Darrin Westmore. The program is supplemented by artist interviews hosted by the Tradition Café Podcast, providing deeper insight into the personal histories and cultural memories behind the contemporary Black art on display.
Indigenous Brazilian leader Ninawa Huni Kui has condemned the Science Museum in London for accepting sponsorship from BP on the eve of its new exhibition, *Water, Pantanal, Fire*, which highlights climate breakdown in Latin America. The exhibition focuses on the Pantanal wetland, a threatened ecosystem spanning Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. Huni Kui called BP's sponsorship "dirty funds stained with blood," and was joined by activists from 350.org and Culture Unstained in criticizing the museum for partnering with a major fossil fuel company while presenting a show about climate impacts.
Edinburgh's Hidden Door, an annual independent multi-arts festival, has announced an open call for visual artists to submit work for its 2026 edition, running from June 3 to June 7. The festival, which is volunteer-run, received transformative multi-year funding from Creative Scotland through 2027, enabling it to pay artists fairly and expand its ambitions. Artists based in Scotland or with a meaningful connection to the country are invited to apply by January 11, with themes including 'Out-of-Place Objects,' 'Stone Tape Theory,' and 'Myth of a Building.' The venue for 2026 remains secret, with the full program to be announced later.
Bloomfield College of Montclair State University's Scott H. Kaplan ’02 Art Gallery will open its fall exhibition, “The King Has Spoken,” on September 25, 2025. Curated by gallery director Wanda Croudy, the show features six male artists—Kervin André, José Camacho, Jo-El Lopez, Suliman Onque, Ron “Reap” Powell, and Levi Robinson—presenting deeply personal works exploring identity, resilience, and expression. The exhibition is supported by Marc and Ellen Kaplan and presented in partnership with Newark Arts.
The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art has postponed an upcoming exhibition featuring LGBTQ+ African artists until 2026, citing its "current budgetary situation." The delay comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Smithsonian by the Trump administration, raising concerns about political pressure on cultural institutions.
The Arrowtown Photography Competition, part of the Arrowtown Autumn Festival, awarded first place to Hazel Alviola for her black-and-white image 'Needhams Cottage'. Alviola, who only began photography last year, expressed disbelief at her win. Judges Todd Weeks and Leigh Jeffery also introduced a 'highly commended' award for Martin Barwood's wildlife photo 'White Faced Heron'. In the concurrent Bayleys Arrowtown Autumn Fest Art Exhibition, Jane Burdon won the $3,500 premier painting award, while Jade Barclay took the $750 best local painting award. Other winners included Lynne Fellows, Lynn Brochere Millar, Olivia Pickney, and Diana Turnbull Anderson, with merit awards given to Angus Milne, Jenny Hill, Tracey Morrow, and Jos Browning.