Celebrating the return of local news

Colleen Fuller, Mayor of Gunnedah Shire, writes a column celebrating the return of the Gunnedah Times under new ownership by Times News Group. She announces several local government updates, including changes to the Small Grants Program that combine community, sports, arts, and cultural grants into a single streamlined program, and proposed amendments to water restrictions and the Drought Management Plan. The article also promotes a free art workshop for First Nations women led by Gomeroi artist Hollie Crawford, aimed at creating works for the 2026 NAIDOC Week Art Exhibition, which will open on July 3 at the Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery.

South Surrey school hosts art exhibition, fundraiser June 13

Saint John Paul II Academy in South Surrey, British Columbia, is hosting an art exhibition and fundraiser on Saturday, June 13, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event, titled "God's Creation by Banovich," features internationally recognized wildlife artist and photographer John Banovich, showcasing ten limited-edition framed wildlife pieces and 60 signed copies of his coffee-table book "BANOVICH." The evening includes a multimedia presentation by Banovich, live ambient piano, and a book signing, with all proceeds from art and book purchases contributing 20 percent to the school's bursary program.

Tim Harrier | Spheres #44 (2026) | For Sale

This is a listing for Tim Harrier's artwork "Spheres #44" from 2026, which is being offered for sale on Artsy. The listing includes the artist's name, the artwork title, the year of creation, and the platform where it is available for purchase.

Art Exhibition of Layers in Warwick

An art exhibition titled 'Layers' has opened in Warwick, as reported by WarwickshireWorld. The show focuses on the theme of layering in artistic practice, bringing together works that explore depth, texture, and multiple perspectives.

Artist Christine Somers Wins 2026 Waste 2 Art Contest

Parkes-based artist Christine Somers won the 2026 Waste 2 Art contest, taking both the Open Two-Dimensional Category and the Overall Winner prize for her hand-sewn artwork "Marie's Revolution - Take Part in the Revolution: Adopt Eco-Responsible Habits," made entirely from fabric waste. The local exhibition in Parkes, Australia, attracted 65 entries challenging artists to 'Shrink their Waste Footprint,' with all artworks required to fit into a shoe or boot box. Somers' piece will advance to the Regional Showcase at the Albert Kersten Mining and Minerals Museum in Broken Hill, opening August 15, 2026.

Delray Beach's Cornell Art Museum unveils 'Persistence of Matter' exhibit on upcycled art

The Cornell Art Museum at Old School Square in Delray Beach, Florida, has opened a new summer exhibition titled 'Persistence of Matter,' featuring artists who create sculptures, installations, and mixed media works from discarded materials. Guest curators Mavis Benson and Pamela Lambie selected artists including Autumn Kioti and Mike Silverman, whose 'Self-Reflection' series uses hard drive platters and printed circuit boards to produce reflective sculptures. The exhibition runs through September 10, 2026, with accompanying programs such as artist talks, salon discussions, and film screenings.

Five-day international group art exhibition begins Thursday

A five-day international group art exhibition is set to begin on Thursday in Dhaka, Bangladesh, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune. The event brings together multiple artists from various countries, showcasing a diverse range of contemporary artworks in a group setting.

Announcement

Liste Art Fair Basel will take place from June 15 to 21, 2026, featuring 106 galleries from 36 countries. Among them, 41 galleries are participating for the first time, and the fair will expand its curated public program to activate the entire venue as a space for exchange and engagement with contemporary art.

Wo Kunst den Weg kreuzt

The article reports on the 'Parcours' sector of Art Basel, which has been relocated by curator Stefanie Hessler from the quiet old town to the bustling Clarastrasse. This year's edition also extends into Basel's trams, featuring artworks that explore forms of coexistence, colonial history, and artificial ecosystems, turning public transit and streets into a dynamic exhibition space.

USA must temporarily reattach memories of slavery

USA müssen Erinnerungen an Sklaverei vorerst wieder anbringen

A federal judge in Boston has issued a temporary injunction ordering the U.S. government to reverse its removal of historical markers and monuments related to slavery, racism, and discrimination in national parks and public spaces. The ruling targets a directive by President Donald Trump, issued through the Department of the Interior in March 2024, which required all memorials and plaques to be reviewed for allegedly casting U.S. history in a negative light. Under the decree titled "Restoring Truth and Reason to American History," markers about slavery—including those at George Washington's former home in Philadelphia—were taken down, as were references to climate change. The judge, Angel Kelley, gave the administration 21 days to comply, just before the July 4 Independence Day celebrations.

"Man muss eben nach Basel kommen"

Maike Cruse, director of Art Basel, discusses the fair's recent strategic shifts and future plans in an interview with Monopol. She highlights the reconceptualization of 'Parcours' with site-specific installations along Clarastrasse near the Messe, now in its third edition, as part of efforts to strengthen Art Basel's profile both content-wise and within the city of Basel.

More cases of physical assault in the cultural sector

Mehr Fälle körperlicher Übergriffe im Kulturbereich

The German cultural sector's independent complaints office Themis, established in Berlin in 2018 after the #MeToo scandal, has reported a sharp rise in cases of physical sexual assault among its first-time contacts. In 2025, experts conducted over 600 counseling sessions, including 105 initial consultations, of which 68 involved physical assault or rape—compared to 37 cases of verbal harassment. This marks a reversal from 2024, when verbal harassment cases (68) outnumbered physical ones (61). In the first three months of 2026, 20 people have already contacted Themis about physical attacks.

History Museum in Sevastopol Hit by Drone

Geschichtsmuseum in Sewastopol von Drohne getroffen

A drone struck a history museum in Sevastopol on the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula, damaging the building that houses a panorama of the city's siege during the Crimean War in the 19th century. The head of the occupation administration, Mikhail Razvozhayev, claimed on Telegram that it was a targeted attack on a cultural institution, though such a pattern would be uncharacteristic of previous Ukrainian military strikes. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army launched large-scale drone and missile attacks deep into Russia, with Moscow's defense ministry reporting 326 enemy drones intercepted, while Russian drone attacks on Kharkiv caused 26 strikes and five injuries.

La basilique de Reims en péril

The roof of the Basilica of Saint-Remi in Reims, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is at risk of collapse after a large section detached, exposing the timber frame. Emergency securing works began on May 26 and are expected to continue until June 12, with the nave and cloister closed to the public. The damage, caused by extreme temperature variations and water infiltration, has worsened rapidly in recent weeks. Mayor Arnaud Robinet estimates the total restoration cost at €65 million, with the city covering initial emergency repairs.

Funerary Practices in Prehistory

Pratiques funéraires à la préhistoire

The Musée national de Préhistoire in Les Eyzies, Dordogne, has opened an exhibition titled "Gestes d'éternité" that surveys funerary practices from the Paleolithic to the Mesolithic periods, covering approximately 8,000 years. Curated by museum director Nathalie Fourment and archaeologist Brad Gravina, the show presents archaeological finds such as the decorated skull of the Dame de Cavillon, burials from the Qafzeh cave in Israel and Krems in Austria, and a virtual tour of the Cussac cave. The exhibition aims to reveal the symbolic and complex thinking behind prehistoric mortuary rites through material evidence, including bones, ornaments, casts, and detailed educational displays.

La Galerie Maeght lourdement sanctionnée

France's National Sanctions Commission (CNS) has imposed heavy penalties on Galerie Maeght, its general director Isabelle Maeght, and deputy general director Julien Maeght for eight violations of anti-money laundering obligations. The gallery received a €100,000 fine and a one-year suspended ban from art dealing; Isabelle Maeght was fined €10,000 with a one-year suspended ban, and Julien Maeght was fined €5,000 with a six-month suspended ban. The sanctions, published nominally on the CNS website, stem from a January 2024 inspection that followed a 2020 warning, revealing systematic failures in client identification, risk mapping, and reporting suspicious transactions—including a €700,000 sale to a buyer twice convicted for receiving stolen artworks.

Olivier de Baecque, avocat à la cour : « Un signal fort envoyé au marché »

The French National Sanctions Commission (CNS) publicly fined Galerie Maeght for anti-money laundering violations, publishing the decision without anonymization in a deliberate "name and shame" strategy. Lawyer Olivier de Baecque explains that the gallery failed to conduct enhanced due diligence on two suspicious transactions: one over €100,000 involving a Turkish buyer using a flooring-powder company with no art connection, and another at €700,000 where a simple open-source check would have revealed the buyer had a criminal conviction. The penalty, representing roughly one-third to half of Maeght's annual profits, reflects multiple repeated compliance failures.

Judith Pargamin prend la direction du Muséum de Toulouse

Judith Pargamin has been appointed director of the Muséum de Toulouse (Musée d'histoire naturelle et d'ethnologie), succeeding paleontologist Francis Duranthon, who had been at the museum since 1982. Pargamin, a conservator who led the Musée d'histoire naturelle de Lille for 16 years, oversaw a major renovation project there, including the 2021 inauguration of the Gosselet wing and a second phase delayed to 2028 with a budget overrun of over 50%. She now moves to Toulouse to develop a new scientific and cultural project (PSC) by 2028, while Laurent Bruchet temporarily manages the Lille museum.

L’Académie des Arts Appliqués de Dijon ferme ses portes

L’Académie des Arts Appliqués de Dijon, a private art school in Burgundy, announced its permanent closure on April 3 via social media, just one month after being placed in receivership by the Dijon commercial court. The school, which had offered four bachelor's degrees in design and a preparatory class for competitive art school entrance exams since 2012, saw its enrollment drop from 90 to 30 students over four years. In March, several teachers revealed they had not been paid since January 2026, and the institution faced unstable governance after its founder-director Olivier Laloux went on sick leave, with interim leadership taken over by his father Gabriel Laloux, a former agricultural high school teacher.

Architects at the head of ENSA Strasbourg and Montpellier

Des architectes à la tête des ENSA Strasbourg et Montpellier

As of March 1, 2026, two architects-urbanists have been appointed to lead France's national architecture schools (ENSA) in Strasbourg and Montpellier. Agnès Blondin-Carrez, previously head of the architecture and heritage units in the Ardennes and Bas-Rhin, now directs ENSA Strasbourg. Martin Chénot, who formerly led ENSA Saint-Étienne and ENSAP Bordeaux and oversaw the French Institutes in Casablanca and Madrid, takes the helm at ENSA Montpellier.

La Fondation Gandur choisit son architecte

The Fondation Gandur pour l'art has selected the architecture firm Atelier Barozzi Veiga to design its future museum in Caen, France, following an international competition among eight agencies. The museum, scheduled to open in 2030, will be built on a six-hectare site and conceived as an "inhabited atlas," integrating pavilions, gardens, and pools within an open landscape.

Le MADD se réinvente et rouvre en deux temps

The MADD – Musée des arts décoratifs et du design de Bordeaux – partially reopened at the end of April, marking the first phase of a major renovation project that will be completed in several years. Led by the city with support from the state and public and private partners, the project combines heritage restoration with ecological transition. The work, carried out by Agence Antoine Dufour, reunites an 18th-century mansion and a 19th-century former prison while improving accessibility and conservation conditions. The museum aims to reduce energy consumption by 40%, notably through the use of recycled and reused materials. Upon reopening, the public can explore the Rue Boulan wing, the rehabilitated prison, and three inaugural exhibitions, ahead of a full opening in 2027.

Catherine Nichols, nouvelle directrice artistique de Manifesta

Catherine Nichols has been appointed as the new artistic director of Manifesta, the European Nomadic Biennial. She will take over the role alongside Emilia van Lynden, who has been named general director, as the organization prepares for its 2028 edition in Coimbra, Portugal. The transition follows the departure of Hedwig Fijen, founder of the European Biennial, who will step down in October 2026 after leading the institution for over thirty years.

Landmark Solo Exhibition “Peng Kanglong: Beguiling the Eye to Open at Guangdong Museum of Art

The Guangdong Museum of Art is set to host a landmark solo exhibition titled “Peng Kanglong: Beguiling the Eye,” showcasing the work of Chinese artist Peng Kanglong. The exhibition promises a comprehensive survey of the artist's practice, highlighting his distinctive visual language and thematic explorations.

"Art in Gold: Jewellery in Hellenistic Times" exhibition held in China's Shaanxi

An exhibition titled "Art in Gold: Jewellery in Hellenistic Times" has opened at the Shaanxi History Museum in Xi'an, China. Featuring 250 pieces or sets of exhibits loaned from 25 Greek museums and archaeological institutions, the show began on June 14, 2026, and will run through November 29, 2026. The displays highlight gold jewelry and artifacts from the Hellenistic period, offering Chinese audiences a rare glimpse into ancient Greek craftsmanship.

Oran: Continuation of the Exhibition of Plastic Artist Mahmoud Taleb

The exhibition of plastic artist Mahmoud Taleb continues in Oran, Algeria, showcasing his works to the public. The event is being covered by Algerian Radio (الإذاعة الجزائرية), highlighting the ongoing cultural activities in the region.

Journalists and locals helped rescue paintings after Russian strike on Kharkiv art museum

A Russian strike on the Kharkiv Art Museum triggered a chaotic rescue effort in which journalists, passers-by, firefighters, and the mayor worked together to salvage paintings from the burning building. The attack caused severe damage, including the near-total loss of the roof and attic floors, though the most valuable exhibits had already been evacuated. Photographer Vyacheslav Madiyevsky and Hanna Chernenko of 24 Channel documented the scene, with Chernenko describing a human chain passing out artworks, some of which were smoldering or scorched.

Historic North East church hosts youth art show to secure its future

St Cuthbert’s Church in Billingham, a Grade 1-listed building with Saxon origins, is hosting a two-day summer art exhibition on June 15-16 to showcase artwork by students from Bede Sixth Form College, Northfield School and Sports College, Prior’s Mill CE Primary School, Billingham South Primary School, and The Northern School of Art. The exhibition, now in its third year and organized by the Friends of St Cuthbert’s, features drawings, paintings, sculptures, and crafts under the theme 'Enchanted', and includes collaboration between older and younger students.

Adams County Arts Council Presents Awards at 22nd Annual Juried Art Exhibition

The Adams County Arts Council presented awards at its 22nd Annual Juried Art Exhibition, as reported by Gettysburg Connection. The event recognized outstanding works from local artists in a competitive juried show.

Painting exhibition visualises collective memory

Lahore-based contemporary artist Imran Mughal's solo exhibition "Tales from the Inner Kingdom" has opened at Gallery 6 in Islamabad. The show presents a vibrant body of work that draws upon folklore, popular culture, music, and personal imagination, using intricate patterns and layered surfaces rooted in the cultural heritage of the subcontinent. Mughal, who holds a BFA and MFA in Textile Art and Design from the University of the Punjab, brings a distinctive textile sensibility to his paintings, which he describes as emerging from a process of "unconscious dictation."