The process for awarding the title of Italian Capital of Culture should be rethought. Here's why.

Il processo per assegnare il titolo di Capitale Italiana della Cultura andrebbe ripensato. Ecco perché

An analysis of the selection process for Italy's "Capital of Culture" title reveals a consistent pattern: cities chosen for the prestigious designation are almost exclusively administered by political coalitions aligned with the national government in power at the time of selection. The sole exceptions were Bergamo and Brescia, which were jointly awarded the title via a special parliamentary decree in recognition of their suffering during the pandemic, bypassing the standard procedure. This political alignment has persisted across different legislatures and changes in government.

Istanbul Bets on Contemporary Art: New Space Announced During CI Bloom Fair

Istanbul scommette sull’arte contemporanea: durante la fiera CI Bloom annunciato l’arrivo di un nuovo spazio

The fifth edition of CI Bloom, the boutique contemporary art fair organized by Contemporary Istanbul, recently concluded at the Lütfi Kırdar Congress and Exhibition Hall. Featuring 28 galleries and over 300 artists, the fair introduced aggressive financial incentives to support exhibitors, including a 30% reduction in participation fees, fixed exchange rates to mitigate currency risk, and a partnership with Turkish Airlines providing free art transport and customs coverage.

In a Piacenza church, the light of designer Davide Groppi becomes a whisper suspended in time

In una chiesa di Piacenza la luce del designer Davide Groppi diventa un sussurro sospeso nel tempo

Renowned lighting designer Davide Groppi has unveiled a major anthological exhibition titled "Un’ora di luce" (An Hour of Light) at Volumnia, a gallery housed within the deconsecrated Church of Sant’Agostino in Piacenza. Curated by Marco Sammicheli, the retrospective spans forty years of Groppi’s career, featuring iconic works like Sampei and Moon alongside new site-specific debuts. The exhibition is structured in two parts: a series of enclosed "utopias" that create intimate light environments, followed by a dialogue between his minimalist fixtures and the soaring, historic architecture of the church.

Bread, Wine, and Fish: How the Archaeology of Food Tells the Story of Life in Herculaneum

Pane, vino e pesce. Tutta l’archeologia del cibo racconta che vita si faceva a Ercolano: l’itinerario gratuito

The Herculaneum Archaeological Park has launched a new thematic itinerary titled "I luoghi del cibo a Ercolano" (The Places of Food in Herculaneum), offering visitors a deep dive into the gastronomic culture of the Roman city buried by Vesuvius in 79 AD. The guided path leads through ancient street food stalls known as thermopolia, specialized wine shops, and the bakery of Sextus Patulcius Felix, where stone mills and ovens remain intact. The experience extends to the Casa dei Cervi to illustrate the social rituals of elite banqueting and includes a supplementary exhibition at Villa Campolieto featuring organic remains preserved by the eruption.

Springfield Art Museum opens annual All-School Exhibition

The Springfield Art Museum has launched its annual All-School Exhibition, a long-standing tradition that showcases artwork from public, private, parochial, and homeschool students across the Springfield area. Due to ongoing renovations at the museum’s main facility, the 2026 edition is being hosted at Missouri State University’s Brick City Gallery. The exhibition coincides with Youth Art Month and Women’s History Month, featuring a diverse range of student work selected to highlight educational depth rather than just technical skill.

OPINION: How the biennial staff and faculty exhibition benefits art students

Western Washington University's Western Gallery is hosting its biennial faculty and staff exhibition, featuring 20 artists from the art department. The show includes diverse works such as interactive sensory pieces, weavings, and photographic rings, offering students a rare glimpse into their professors' professional art practices outside the classroom. Students like printmaker Myrie Murphy and faculty such as fiber professor Seiko Purdue emphasize how the exhibition demystifies the art world and humanizes instructors as practicing artists.

Furlong Gallery showcases student artists

Furlong Gallery, a venue associated with the University of Wisconsin–Stout, is currently hosting an exhibition that highlights the work of student artists. The show features a range of visual art created by emerging student talents, providing them with a platform to display their creations to the public and campus community.

Tampa Bay Times Events - Neverne Covington: Into the Mystic Exhibition

The Tampa Bay Times is promoting a digital subscription service that offers a replica of its printed newspaper, available on desktop, mobile, and app platforms. The article highlights an exhibition titled "Neverne Covington: Into the Mystic" as part of the Tampa Bay Times Events, though no further details about the exhibition are provided in the text.

Furman Senior Studio Art Exhibition

The Furman University Department of Art is hosting its annual exhibition featuring works by graduating studio art seniors. Located in the Thompson Gallery of the Roe Art Building, the showcase runs through May 9 and includes a public opening reception on April 17.

CCM Displays the Work of Student Artists in a Summer Art Exhibition

The County College of Morris (CCM) in Randolph, New Jersey, is hosting a Summer Art Exhibition featuring works by students from its Summer Portfolio and Presentation course. A reception was held on June 20 at the Learning Resource Center on CCM’s campus. The exhibition showcases selected pieces by students including Susan Harrsch, John Lyssikatos, Lia Scherr, Sarah Sci, Kevin Testa, and Allison Zavaleta, who completed the course designed to prepare Fine Art and Design students for careers or further study.

Henderson City Hall hosts exhibit to preserve siapo art

Henderson City Hall is hosting an exhibition titled 'Siapo: Continuing a Siapo Legacy Art Exhibition,' showcasing the traditional Samoan art of siapo across four generations of artists. The exhibit features works by master artist Kuulei Jakubczak, who learned from her grandmother Mary Pritchard, a key figure in preserving this dying art form. The display includes both freehand siapo mamanu and rubbed siapo 'elei, along with pieces created by students from Liberty High School during a workshop led by Jakubczak.

Pewter from the middle ages to art nouveau

Berlin's Kunstgewerbemuseum presents a special exhibition at Schloss Köpenick titled "Pewter from the Middle Ages to Art Nouveau," featuring around 100 works that trace the evolution of pewter from sacred and ceremonial objects to everyday items. The exhibition highlights the material's sophisticated use in furniture-making, including pieces by 17th-century cabinetmaker Johann Daniel Sommer, who combined pewter with tortoiseshell and horn using boulle technique.

Whimsy Art Exhibitions

The House of Creatures exhibition at Milan Design Week 2026 presents a collection of sculptural works designed to represent hybrid beings through material and form. The show brings together designers who interpret creatures as symbolic figures, translating mythology and emotion into physical pieces across furniture, lighting, and collectible formats. Each work is positioned as an individual presence within a gallery setting, forming a sequence of distinct forms rather than a single unified installation, with materials including ceramics, textiles, and metal constructions.

El Centro to host reception Sunday for Enriquez “Lotería” art show

Artist Courtney Enriquez is debuting her solo exhibition, “Mi Vida y Lotería,” at El Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos with an opening reception this Sunday. The exhibition features vibrant paintings inspired by the traditional Mexican game of Lotería, blending cultural heritage with personal family memories and humor. The show marks a significant homecoming for the artist, whose family roots in San Marcos date back generations.

Ithaca Artists Featured at Annual Auburn Arts Exhibition

Several artists from Ithaca, New York, are participating in the annual Auburn Arts Exhibition, a juried showcase for regional talent. The exhibition is being held at the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, featuring a diverse range of media including painting, sculpture, and photography from creators across the Finger Lakes region.

Owensboro Art Guild exhibition highlights regional talent, awards Best in Show to Hast

The Owensboro Art Guild recently held its 64th Annual Juried Exhibition at the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art, marking a record-breaking year for both participation and prize money. Juror Daniel Pfalzgraf selected 57 works from 81 entries across Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee, with over $8,000 in merit and purchase awards distributed. Local artist Vicki Hast secured the Best in Show title for her mixed-media sculpture "A Willow Orb," a non-utilitarian piece woven from willow she cultivates and harvests herself.

Check out these 13 brilliant photos showcasing the best of local Wigan artists at a new Pier-based exhibition

The Wigan Open Exhibition has launched at Wigan Pier Four, marking the inaugural event of the Wigan Arts Festival 2026. The showcase features a diverse array of creative disciplines, including ceramics, textiles, sculpture, and digital media, highlighting the work of both local creators and artists from further afield. Artistic director Jonny Davenport celebrated the opening night, which serves as the centerpiece for a month-long series of cultural events across the town.

Meet the new faces of Australian art

Australia's biggest annual art sales weekend, centered on the Sydney Contemporary fair held September 11 and 14, 2025, attracted a record 26,440 ticket buyers across its 12 editions. However, total booth sales fell for the third consecutive year to $16 million, down from a peak of $23 million in 2022. Gallerists report that market activity has shifted from works over $100,000 to those around the $50,000 mark, indicating a cooling in the high end of the market.

SU master’s students present their work at local gallery

Three master’s students from Stellenbosch University—Rebekah Pringle, Thabo Ngwenya, and Emily Fitzgerald—launched an exhibition titled "Matter of Self: Private fragments, public forms" on 7 August at the Gallery University Stellenbosch (GUS). The show is part of a master’s review series that highlights their academic year progress. Pringle’s work explores her domestic experience and caretaker relationship with her grandmother using repurposed furniture; Ngwenya’s pieces address alienation as a Ndebele man in Zimbabwe through pop culture references and self-portraits as "boundary objects"; Fitzgerald’s art challenges patriarchy and heteronormativity using archival photographs, clay, and photolithographic processes.

27 pix: Take a look inside York’s new street art exhibition

Vandalfest, a street art exhibition supporting the youth homeless charity SASH, has opened at 2 Low Ousegate in York. Organized by the non-profit Vandals at Work (formerly Bombsquad), the exhibition runs over three weekends in July across four floors of galleries, featuring work from over 30 artists. It includes immersive art, DJ sets, live installations, an on-site and online shop, and an auction, with a room installation by SASH that involved young people supported by the charity.

IC seeks exhibition proposals for ‘Art Macao 2025’

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) of Macau has issued an open call for exhibition proposals for the Collateral Exhibitions of 'Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2025'. Eligible applicants include Macau residents aged 18 or above, higher education institutions, commercial enterprises, and community associations registered in Macau. Proposals must be submitted by May 23, with exhibitions running between July 19 and October 12 for at least two weeks. Chief Curator Feng Boyi will evaluate proposals based on curatorial concept, quality, thematic relevance, and feasibility. The biennale is themed 'Hey, what brings you here?' and includes six sections, with a separate open call for the Local Curatorial Project closing on the same day.