This Austin Art Show Is the Mirror America Needs Right Now

Artists Autumn Mae and Chris Tobar have launched a collaborative exhibition titled 'The Neon Republic' at The Cathedral in Austin, Texas. The show features Mae’s resin and mirror-based works that deconstruct American iconography alongside Tobar’s 'The Neon Rodeo,' an immersive installation exploring Afro-Latino cowboy culture. A central feature of the exhibition is K-RDEO 88.8 FM, a pirate radio station broadcasting live from within the gallery space to provide a sonic layer to the visual narrative.

“Year of the Snake is the year of us doing our work”: Leith arts collective open up ahead of exhibition this month

Hot Snakes Studio, a six-member arts collective based in Leith's Custom House in Edinburgh, is preparing for its second exhibition, titled "Year of the Snake," opening later this month. The group, composed of working creators including Phil Morrell (Surface Ritual), Robbie McKay (Whisky Kuts), Matt Sloe (Sinclair), Ross MacRae, Rhory Gardiner (Hungry Window), and Tom Hatch (Journeyman Signs), will showcase personal work that explores themes such as folklore, African traditions, and environmental issues. The show is entirely self-funded and grassroots, with support from local businesses like Pizza Geeks.

“Jamea Richmond-Edwards: Another World and Yet the Same” at Hamilton College’s Wellin Museum of Art

The article announces the exhibition “Jamea Richmond-Edwards: Another World and Yet the Same” at Hamilton College’s Wellin Museum of Art. The show presents the work of contemporary artist Jamea Richmond-Edwards, whose practice explores themes of Black womanhood, mythology, and Afrofuturism through mixed-media works on paper and large-scale installations.

‘Rightstarter’ art exhibit at Antioch revisits hip-hop’s golden era

The Herndon Gallery at Antioch College is opening a group exhibition titled 'Rightstarter: Resistance, Rap and the Golden Era,' curated by artist Joshua Whitaker. The show, launching with a reception on May 9, explores the rap counterculture of the late 1980s and early 1990s, featuring works by artists from Dayton and beyond. It includes drawings, paintings, sculpture, installations, video, and performance, with a live jazz performance by G. Scott Jones and the Freedom Ensemble. The exhibition highlights how hip-hop served as a platform for social commentary against the backdrop of Reaganomics, the crack epidemic, the war on drugs, and the AIDS crisis.

La MansA Launches Its Magazine

La MansA lance son magazine

La MansA – Maison des mondes africains has launched MansA Magazine, a bilingual (French/English) semiannual cultural publication. The magazine, available at newsstands, bookstores, and online, features essays, interviews, and portfolios focused on African and Afro-diasporic art scenes, adopting a critical and documentary approach. The cover of the inaugural issue features Guillaume Diop, the first Black male principal dancer at the Paris Opera.

Nigeria At Venice: Speaking on Our Own Terms.

Nigeria is preparing for its return to the Venice Biennale in 2028 with a fundamentally different approach, framing its participation as a structural intervention rather than mere inclusion. Curator Richard Vedelago, in conversation with Suzette Bell-Roberts, outlines a strategy focused on ownership, authorship, and building a self-sustaining cultural ecosystem, moving beyond seeking validation from global art structures.

The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art Opens First & Largest Exhibition of LGBTQ+ African Art

The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art has opened "Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art," the largest exhibition of LGBTQ+ African art to date, featuring nearly 60 artworks by 30 queer artists from across Africa and its diasporas. Curated by Kevin D. Dumouchelle and Serubiri Moses, the exhibition was originally scheduled to coincide with WorldPride DC 2025 but was delayed to early winter 2026, shortly after President Donald Trump issued an executive order targeting the Smithsonian for material deemed "divisive ideology," including discussions of gender identity. Museum officials attributed the postponement to budget and fundraising challenges rather than political pressure.

Equatorial Guinea debuts at the Venice Biennale with Paraguayan artist Ingrid Seall and the theme of undergrowth

Equatorial Guinea makes its debut at the Venice Biennale with a national pavilion at Palazzo Donà dalle Rose, featuring Paraguayan artist Ingrid Seall and her work "Manar." The pavilion, titled "The Forest: The Undergrowth," runs from May 9 to November 22, 2026, and presents an immersive journey inspired by Equatorial Guinea's forests. Seall's piece uses materials like paper, cellulose, iron, and cassava paste to create a vertical, living organism that transforms waste into vital matter. The exhibition includes works by multiple international artists and is curated by Joan Abelló, with Brazilian commissioner Paulo Speller.

“Rodney Demps: The Surrealist of the Highwaymen" exhibition opening

The Cornell Art Museum will host the opening of "Rodney Demps: The Surrealist of the Highwaymen" on Friday, May 1, 2026. The exhibition highlights the work of Rodney Demps, a contemporary artist whose surrealist style connects to the legacy of the Florida Highwaymen, a group of African American landscape painters active in the mid-20th century.

Charlotte professor brings voice to African artists, reshaping the mold of contemporary art

Lisa Homann, an Associate Art & Art History Professor at UNC Charlotte, will participate in the 2024 Venice Biennale (May 9–Nov. 22) alongside West African Masquerade artist David Sanou. Homann co-curated the traveling exhibition "New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations," which opened in New Orleans and will conclude at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. She was invited by Kevin Dumouchelle, the museum's main curator, to join the African Art in Venice Forum, a critical dialogue aimed at giving voice to contemporary African artists often excluded from mainstream contemporary art narratives. Homann's work with the Sanou family spans nearly two decades, beginning with David's father, Andre Sanou, in 2008.

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.

Corcoran students commemorate America’s 250th year with interactive art exhibit

Graduate students at the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design, part of George Washington University, have created an interactive exhibition titled “American Made” to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary. The exhibit, on view at the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery until May 14, combines 21 traditional artworks from GW’s collection—including photographs, pottery, and textiles—with interactive elements such as a touchscreen map and audio components. The project was developed collaboratively by students in museum studies and interactive design programs, led by professors Laura Schiavo and Sam Shelton, as part of the school’s annual NEXT Festival. Featured works include Patricia Kennedy-Zafred’s contemporary quilt “Tagged,” which addresses the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Collecting Now 2: Six Collectors exhbit at the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Arts (YSMA)

Six prominent Nigerian art collectors are exhibiting selections from their private collections at the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA) in Lagos. The exhibition, titled 'Collecting Now 2', showcases contemporary African art and highlights the personal tastes and motivations of these influential individuals.

Museum of the African Diaspora Marks 10 Years of Its Emerging Artists Program

The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Emerging Artists Program (EAP) by announcing its 2026-2027 cohort. Selected from hundreds of applicants, Bay Area artists Jasmine Ross, Demetri Broxton, Dorian Reid, and Tahirah Rasheed will each receive a fully supported solo exhibition at the museum. The program, which has supported 30 artists since 2015, provides crucial institutional backing, including curatorial guidance and production resources, to creatives at pivotal career moments.

Take in the beauty of Italy, on display at new art gallery

The "From Italy With Love" exhibition recently debuted at Il Gelato di Carlotta’s gallery space in Niagara-on-the-Lake, showcasing works created during immersive painting workshops across Italy. Led by artist and instructor Sandra Iafrate, the collection features oil, acrylic, and mixed-media pieces produced on location in regions including Tuscany, Sicily, and Puglia. The show runs through June 30, with additional works displayed at Iafrate’s local Gate Street Studio.

Amanzimtoti’s artsy talent on exhibition

The TOTALLY Art Club recently hosted a mini art exhibition at Seadoone Mall in Amanzimtoti, South Africa, featuring 11 local artists. The three-day event showcased 88 original works ranging across various styles and subjects, with artists such as Hazel Nunes, Ann Waterson, and Sylvia Holtzhausen presenting their pieces. The exhibition proved commercially successful for the local collective, resulting in the sale of 27 paintings.

New Exhibit Explores Connection Of Good Medicine And Art

Dr. Jayasimha “Jay” Murthy, a Houston-based pulmonologist, has opened a solo exhibition titled "World: Photographs" at the Houston Museum of African American Culture. The show features a collection of high-clarity digital landscapes captured across the globe, including a signature shot of a Fofoti tree in Aruba. Murthy, who pivoted from watercolor to digital photography to balance his medical career, draws a direct parallel between the precision of electron microscopy used in lung research and the composition of his artistic photography.

Is the local art industry ready for AI’s impact?

Ugandan visual artists are confronting the disruptive rise of generative artificial intelligence, which many local creators view as a tool for intellectual property theft. Prominent figures like batik artist Nuwa Wamala Nyanzi highlight the lack of consent, credit, and compensation as AI models scrape internet data to replicate unique artistic styles. The local industry is currently navigating a precarious landscape where traditional techniques meet digital automation, raising urgent questions about the future of creative labor in East Africa.

Free art exhibition “Mass Mixed Media” on display in Orlando

Orange County Arts and Cultural Affairs is presenting "Mass Mixed Media," a solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Achille “A.J.” Barbel at the Orange County Multicultural Center Art Gallery. On display through April 14, the free exhibition showcases Barbel’s exploration of Afro-surrealism and cultural identity through a variety of mediums including murals, installations, and animation.

More than 600 works by Afro-Brazilian artists returned to Brazil

A collection of 666 artworks by 135 Afro-Brazilian artists has been voluntarily repatriated to Brazil from Detroit, Michigan, marking the largest return of its kind in the nation's history. The works, which include sculptures, paintings, and ritual objects, were returned to the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (Muncab) in Salvador after being held in the United States for three decades.

Art Exhibition, “By Any Means Necessary”, opens to the public

The Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts in Winston-Salem is set to debut "By Any Means Necessary," a collaborative exhibition featuring local artists Owens Daniels, Leo Rucker, and Affee Vickers. Opening February 27, 2026, the show integrates digital photography, traditional portraiture, and mixed-media sculpture to explore themes of activism, personal identity, and community history. Each artist utilizes a distinct medium—from Daniels’ layered digital canvases to Rucker’s historical murals and Vickers’ engineered material studies—to address the central question of what causes individuals are willing to pursue at any cost.

Telfair Academy unveils restored gallery dedicated to African American art history

Telfair Academy in Savannah has unveiled the Walter and Linda Evans Gallery of African American Art, a permanent gallery dedicated to late 19th and early 20th-century African American artworks. The gallery is named for collectors Walter and Linda Evans, who donated 28 works from their collection in 2023. The space, originally the Dining Room, underwent a full restoration and opens to the public on February 6, 2025, after a sold-out reception. The exhibition highlights the challenges and successes of African American artists and the emergence of cultural centers in the Midwest and Northeast, while also reflecting on Telfair's historical relationships with local African American artists.

‘Life in Black Ink' art exhibition is snapshot of everyday nostalgia and culture

Artist and curator Lakeem Wilson's exhibition 'Life in Black Ink' is on display at the South Dallas Cultural Center's Arthello Beck Gallery. The show features Wilson's black ink and white watercolor paper works, which depict scenes of everyday Black life, childhood joy, Black love, mentorship, and community spaces.

Milton celebrates Black History Month with Afro-Caribbean art exhibition

The FirstOntario Arts Centre Milton has opened 'Out of Many Cultures, One People: An Afro-Caribbean Collective,' an exhibition curated by Francesca Durham in partnership with the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton. The show, featuring works that explore heritage, memory, migration, and resilience, will be on view in the Holcim Gallery throughout February 2026.

AL probate office calls for Black History Month artwork ahead of show

The Montgomery County Probate Court in Alabama has issued an open call for artists to submit original works for a Black History Month exhibition titled 'Through the Artist’s Eye: Montgomery’s Black History.' The exhibition, which will run from February 13 to 28 at the Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library, seeks works that reflect the city's African American history, culture, and experiences. Submissions are due by February 9 and should be sent to County Archivist Dallas Hanbury.

Reopening of Libya's national museum celebrated as ‘new beginning’

The National Museum of Libya in Tripoli reopened on 12 December after being closed since 2011, following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi and years of civil war. Housed in the historic Red Castle (Al-Saraya Al-Hamra), the museum was originally established by Italian colonizers in 1919 and later expanded by the British. Gaddafi opened a modernized version in 1988. A comprehensive restoration project with UNESCO assistance began in 2023 to bring the institution up to international standards.

SFO's One-of-a-Kind Art Museum

A podcast episode from The Bay takes listeners on a behind-the-scenes tour of the SFO Museum, the only museum in an airport accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Curators Daniel Calderon and Nicole Mullen explain how the museum operates 25 exhibition sites throughout the terminals, drawing from temporary collections rather than a permanent one. They highlight current displays including the AIDS Memorial Quilt, vintage telephones, women in Afrofuturism, and Chinese ceramics, and note that the museum offers free access even to non-travelers with advance notice.

Here are the exhibits honoring Black art and culture during Miami Art Week

During Miami Art Week 2025, multiple exhibitions and events are spotlighting Black art and culture. Highlights include the Point Comfort Art Fair + Show at the Historic Ward Rooming House, themed "Life & Times of Frederick Douglass," with a special installation hosted by former NBA star Alonzo Mourning. Soul Basel returns to Historic Overtown with exhibitions at the Center for Black Innovation and the Black Archives Lyric Plaza, featuring Marcus Blake's "In Art We Trust." The Art of Transformation showcase in Opa-locka explores "At the Edge of Entanglement," while Revolt Art Fair returns for its second year at Ice Palace Studios with over 50 Black artists. Additionally, historian Nadege Green's installation "The Power of Her Hands: Black Washerwomen in Early Miami" is on view at YoungArts Gallery.

Illuminating strength, poetry of African womanhood in Olamilekan’s Bloom & Essence

Nigerian contemporary artist Okunade Olamilekan has opened his debut solo exhibition, "Bloom & Essence," at the British Council in Lagos. Curated by Paul Ayihawu, the show celebrates the resilience, dignity, and evolving identity of African women through portraits that blend African heritage with classical elegance. Standout works include the two-part painting "The One Who Paints Her Future I & II," which addresses education and aspiration. Olamilekan employs a distinctive pixel technique and bold color grids to fragment forms, inviting viewers to reflect on identity and cultural memory.

Traveling Through SFO Airport? Check Out the Art Museum

The SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport offers travelers a unique cultural experience with multiple art exhibits throughout its terminals, including a permanent installation dedicated to Harvey Milk in Terminal 1, the AIDS Memorial Quilt in the International Terminal, and rotating displays on topics from vintage telephones to Afrofuturism. Curators Daniel Calderon and Nicole Mullen describe the museum’s 25 exhibition sites, its status as the only airport museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and their goal of engaging passengers to look up from their phones and explore the art.