Mindy N. Besaw appointed new director for Eskenazi Museum of Art at IU Bloomington

Indiana University Bloomington has appointed Mindy N. Besaw as the next Wilma E. Kelley Director of the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, effective August 15. Besaw, who brings over two decades of curatorial and museum leadership experience, currently serves as director of fellowships, research and university partnerships and curator of American art at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. She succeeds interim director Mariah Keller and will oversee all facets of the museum's strategy, operations, and engagement, including exhibitions, collections, teaching partnerships, and public programming.

British Museum faces internal criticism over private Israel independence day event

The British Museum (BM) in London hosted a private event on 16 May marking the anniversary of the founding of Israel, organized by the Israeli embassy. Speakers included Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely and UK minister Maria Eagle, with attendees such as comedian Jimmy Carr and politicians Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage. The event has sparked anger among museum staff and external critics, who argue it is insensitive given the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has led to widespread famine and civilian deaths. Staff have organized a petition demanding the museum cease relations with Israeli cultural institutions, gathering 250 signatures.

UC Davis Graduate Exhibition Showcases Next Generation of Artists, Thinkers

The University of California, Davis, will host the Arts & Humanities 2025 Graduate Exhibition from June 5–22 at the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. The multidisciplinary showcase features 31 graduate students from art studio, art history, design, comparative literature, English, environmental science and policy, music, and performance studies. Works include photography, painting, sculpture, video, performance, and textiles, with live performances and awards on opening night. Participants explore themes such as human-technology relationships, environmental resilience, African diaspora, and emotional healing.

María Lucía Alemán: Cultural Expressions Are Uniting the Region More

MARIA LUCIA ALEMAN CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS ARE UNITING THE REGION MORE

A panel discussion titled "Building Institutional Narratives" was held as part of the FORO initiative during Pinta Panama Art Week. It featured museum directors María Lucía Alemán (MAC Panama), Manuel Segade Lodeiro (Museo Reina Sofía, Spain), and Rafael Tamayo Franco (MAMM, Colombia), moderated by Elena González. The conversation focused on how museums construct their institutional stories and programming to better represent and connect with their local and regional contexts.

Local Artists Showcase at Jones Coffee Roasters | South Pasadena Arts & Music Crawl 2026

The South Pasadena Spring Arts and Music Crawl is set to return on April 25, 2026, featuring a significant group art exhibition at Jones Coffee Roasters. Curated by Sector Seven Contemporary Art Gallery (S7CAG), the showcase includes a mix of medium-to-large format paintings, ceramics, and woodworking from local artists such as Stephen Dudro and Elisa Quiñonez. The event transforms the city's historic downtown into a walkable festival with live music, artisan vendors, and interactive pop-up galleries.

Pennswood Art Gallery exhibit features plants and animals of the Poconos

Pennswood Art Gallery in Newtown announces the May 10 opening of its new exhibit, “Contemplative Observation,” featuring the work of artist Albina P. Herron. Herron paints plants and animals native to the Pocono Mountains, using gouache on cotton paper to emphasize texture and presence. The exhibit includes works such as “Bleeding Heart” (Dicentra eximia) and runs until July 1, with an artist talk and reception on opening day.

Park Soo-keun's Early Recognition and Record-Breaking Art Sales

A newly discovered 1931 newspaper article reveals that the renowned Korean artist Park Soo-keun (1914–1965) received early public recognition as a teenager in the Chosun Ilbo, which described him as the "only painter in Yanggu." The article traces his artistic journey from his first selection at the Chosun Art Exhibition in 1932 with his watercolor *Spring Arrives* to his later success in the 1950s and 1960s, including winning awards at the National Art Exhibition and being appointed a judge. It also notes that his painting *The Laundry Place* recently sold for 4.7 billion won, setting a record at a domestic art auction.

Youth Art Exhibition award winners announced

The 33rd Annual Creative Youth Art League exhibition opened at the LaGrange Art Museum on April 26, 2026, with award winners announced for student-created artworks. Jackson Rakestraw, a 9th grader from Heard County High, won the Morrill Hutchinson Award for Best of Show, while Taylor Norred, an 11th grader from Troup High, received the Wates Keller Award for Best of Show in Troup County. The exhibition features over 384 students from 30 schools and homeschool groups across four Georgia counties, with categories spanning drawing, painting, mixed media, sculpture, ceramics, and photography.

Paradise Mobile Heritage Month Art Showcase

Paradise Mobile has announced the return of its Heritage Month Art Showcase, a local art exhibition running throughout May at its 24 Reid Street store in Bermuda. The exhibition features nearly 50 works from 20 Bermudian artists, selected through an open call around the theme 'For de Culture' set by the Department of Culture. Pieces span paintings, ceramics, photography, music, embroidery, woodwork, sculpture, model boats, and poetry, and are available for purchase with all proceeds going to the artists. A public opening reception will be held on May 8th with live music and refreshments, and visitors can vote for the 'Paradise People's Choice Award' winner.

M.Lyn Arts Invites the Community to Art Show that Focuses on New Work, Hurricane Imagery, and Community Connection

M. Lyn Arts will host its first 2026 Art Show on May 9-10 at Mystic Brew in Tillet Gardens, St. Croix, featuring original artwork for sale. The exhibition introduces new techniques, color palettes, and larger-scale works, including storm-themed pieces inspired by hurricanes Irma and Maria, with a shift toward personifying storms to convey human emotions. Food and drinks will be provided by Mystic Brew and Rock City Tacos.

Leeum's installation art exhibition explores women-led history of genre

The Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul will open the exhibition "Inside Other Spaces" on May 5, featuring 11 installation artists from Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The show reconstructs full-scale environments from 1956 to 1976, including Korean artist Jung Kang-ja's "Incorporeal Exhibition" (1970), which was forcibly dismantled by the Korean government and is being rebuilt for the first time. The exhibition previously appeared at Munich's Haus der Kunst, Rome's Maxxi, and Hong Kong's M+, with each venue expanding its scope.

Northside artists sow seeds of ancestral wisdom in Arboretum exhibit

An art exhibit titled "Where the Seed Remembers: A Celebration of Earth, Lineage and Memory" opened on March 29 at the University of Minnesota’s Landscape Arboretum’s Reedy Gallery in Chaska, featuring 10 artists of color. Co-curated by Northside artist Joshua Gillespie (Brotha Aśe), the show includes works by Ron Brown, Ayolanda Evans, Imani Mansfield, and Allena Sweats, among others, and opened with a libation ceremony by Vusumuzi Zulu and Mariama Imani. The exhibition runs through May 17.

Cledie Taylor, Detroit’s ‘First Lady’ of Art Exhibition and Education, Dies at 100

Cledie Taylor, a pioneering Detroit artist, gallerist, and educator who championed the city's Black artisans and shaped its art curriculum, has died at the age of 100. Born in Arkansas in 1926, she moved to Detroit as a child and became a central figure in the local art scene, co-founding the influential artist collective Arts Extended in the 1950s.

The power of ‘print as protest’ in new exhibition at Chicano Park museum

Multidisciplinary artist and printmaker Irie Zepeda has curated a new group exhibition titled “Print As Protest/Grafica En Resistencia” at the Chicano Park Museum & Cultural Center in San Diego. The show highlights printmaking as a vital medium for solidarity and community storytelling, drawing on Zepeda’s deep roots in Barrio Logan and their work with Por La Mano Press y Arte. The exhibition features works that position the craft of printing as a tool for visibility and collective action within marginalized communities.

‘Bándearg’ exhibition to bring bold colourful art to Mayo

The contemporary art exhibition “Bándearg” is set to open at the Books At One gallery in Louisburgh, County Mayo, featuring the work of five Ireland-based female artists. Running from April 18 to May 13, the show brings together Olivia Jones, Tina Poole, Anna Marie Savage, Nickie Harrington, and Maria Mollohan to explore the multifaceted nature of the color pink through diverse styles ranging from geometric precision to nature-inspired abstraction.

Hal Marcus Gallery marks 30th anniversary as cornerstone of El Paso arts scene

The Hal Marcus Gallery is celebrating its 30th anniversary, marking three decades as a vital cultural hub for the El Paso-Juarez border region. Founded in 1996 by local artist Hal Marcus alongside his daughter Leilainia Marcus and wife Patricia Medici, the gallery has remained a steadfast physical space for regional talent, ranging from early El Paso masters to contemporary folk artists. The milestone comes at a poignant time for the founder, who is currently navigating a terminal cancer diagnosis while continuing to produce new creative work.

The City is Our Studio: Urban Sketchers Doha bring the outdoors in

The inaugural exhibition "The City is Our Studio" by the Urban Sketchers Doha community opened at Lusail's Art Factory in Qatar. The show features works created en plein air by the group's members, who practice on-location drawing and painting to capture the essence of Doha's landscapes and everyday life.

Art exhibit shines light on Black voices, 100 years of Black History Month

An art exhibition titled "Reclaiming the Canvas: 100 Years of Black History Month" was held at the Zhou B Arts Center near 18th and Vine in Kansas City, curated by Roi Wall. The show featured Black artists including Daisha Maria Breona, Xavier Gayden, Feliz Kehinde, and Aisha Imani Sanaa, who presented works exploring themes of identity, heritage, resilience, and joy, with minimal creative constraints.

Living in Color exhibition highlights artists during Black History Month

The 'Living in Color' exhibition opened at the chapel in Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. The show, curated by the Raleigh Film and Art Festival, features work from more than 40 visual artists and performers, blending visual art with live music, spoken word, and dance. It is free to the public and will run throughout February in celebration of Black History Month.

Santa Maria’s Betteravia Gallery seeking art submissions

The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture, in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, has announced an open call for local artists to submit works for "Post-Wild: Nature in the 21st Century," a juried exhibition at the Betteravia Art Gallery in Santa Maria. The online submission window runs from January 19 to February 15, 2026, with no application fee; selected artists will be notified in early March, and a public opening reception is scheduled for May 21. The exhibition seeks small-format works across mediums—including traditional and digital art, photography, and conceptual pieces—that address themes of environmental change, urbanization, and human impact on natural spaces.

Local Notes: Claremorris duo are All-Ireland handball champions

A local news column from Claremorris, Ireland, reports on multiple community items, including a new art exhibition. Claremorris Gallery will host 'Slow Heat', a solo exhibition by artist Emma Stroude, opening on September 27, 2025. Stroude, a graduate of Chelsea College of Art and Design and the Slade School of Art, is known for her work in painting, drawing, and mixed media. The column also covers the victory of Claremorris handball players Niall Joyce and Paddy Murphy in the All-Ireland Senior Hardball Doubles Championship, a visit from the No Name Club to St Colman's College, and local golf competition results.

China-Bulgaria art exhibition opens in Sofia

A joint China-Bulgaria art exhibition opened in Sofia, Bulgaria on August 18, 2025, featuring over 60 works by Chinese and Bulgarian artists. The six-day event showcases Chinese ink paintings, woodcarvings, embroidery, lacquer painting, tie-dye, batik, and digital art alongside Bulgarian works inspired by traditional textiles, felt, and contemporary interpretations of local heritage. Participants include 15-year-old Gabriela Georgieva, who presented two watercolor paintings.

No One Knows All It Takes // Haggerty

The Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University will present the exhibition "No One Knows All It Takes" from August 22 to December 20, 2025. Curated by Christopher Jobson and Grace Ebert of Colossal, the show features four artists—Bryana Bibbs, Raoul Deal, Maria Gaspar, and Swoon (Caledonia Curry)—whose work addresses the effects of concealed trauma, including addiction, incarceration, immigration, and lack of systemic support for caregivers. The exhibition aims to move beyond individual self-care to highlight root causes of trauma and systemic issues undermining collective well-being.

Local artist who starred on TV to host exhibition

Diana Parker, a fan-favorite contestant on the recent season of Channel 4's "The Great Pottery Throwdown," is hosting her first art exhibition alongside fine-art artist Maria Bolton at the Eype Centre for the Arts. The exhibition runs from August 18 to August 21, featuring Diana's ceramics—including mugs, bowls, and larger pieces like vases and jars—alongside Maria's paintings inspired by woodland, landscape, and coastal scenes. Diana's pieces made during the show will be on display but not for sale.

A grocery store turned art gallery? Only in the East Village

Village Gourmet Grocery, a corner store on 2nd Avenue and East 6th Street in New York's East Village, is hosting "EN EL KIOSCO," a solo exhibition of surreal paintings by Miami-born artist Juan Jose Heredia, through June 29. The show is organized by the nomadic Desnivel Gallery, founded by artist-curator Maria De Victoria, and features Heredia's works on soft fabrics like burlap, including pieces such as "Bunny ears of absence" and "Anemone Cerberus." The grocery store remains open for regular business from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. (3 a.m. on weekends), allowing visitors to view contemporary art while shopping for snacks.

Independent spaces in Palermo, the new path of art

The article explores the rise of independent art spaces in Palermo, Italy, where artists have formed collaborative, non-commercial studios and exhibition venues outside the official art system. These spaces prioritize shared research, community growth, and collective projects over individual achievement or market goals, creating a unique artistic ecosystem rooted in the city's social fabric.

A Curatorial Vision on View: “Iterations of Interrupted Space” at the Rubin Center, El Paso

The Rubin Center for the Visual Arts at the University of Texas at El Paso is presenting "Iterations of Interrupted Space," an exhibition curated by the duo Un Dique (Octavio Castrejón and Alonso Robles). Selected through the center's Genius Loci open call, the show features works from eight of Un Dique's projects since 2023, including a video of DJ Conejx performing in a Juárez market, Nayeli Hernandez's installation exploring masculinity and grief, and Mariana Ajo's prints on shifting beauty standards. The exhibition transforms the gallery into a space where art becomes ephemera, documenting past events and happenings.

Made in NY artists draw on personal experiences at Schweinfurth Art Center

The Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, New York, is hosting a group exhibition titled 'Made in NY,' featuring works by artists from across the state who draw on personal experiences, including themes of identity, family history, and regional landscapes. The show includes a range of media such as painting, sculpture, and mixed media, highlighting the diverse creative voices emerging from New York State.

À Florence, une transformation silencieuse pour préserver son patrimoine

Florence is undertaking a major restoration of Giotto's Campanile, the first comprehensive conservation of the 14th-century bell tower since its construction. The project, budgeted at over €7 million, addresses decades of damage from pollution, acid rain, and natural aging, including detached stone slabs, darkened facades, and microfractures. The four-year scaffolding will be designed to minimize visual impact and gradually reveal restored sections. Separately, the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore is executing a €60 million program to restore the Collegio Eugeniano (which will become its new headquarters) and expand the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo to 11,000 square meters by 2030. The Ponte Vecchio will also undergo summer cleaning and consolidation of its piles, funded equally by the municipality and the Antinori family.

Marianna Simnett “Circus” at Secession, Vienna

Marianna Simnett has opened a new multimedia exhibition titled "Circus" at the Secession in Vienna. The show features a combination of light, sound, and sculptural works that delve into her Yugoslav heritage, weaving together personal family history with folklore.