❤️ Atlanta, with love

This article from Rough Draft's Sketchbook newsletter highlights two Atlanta-focused art stories. Painter Carlos Solis, who left Venezuela for Kennesaw nearly two decades ago, curates "In the Beginning," a group exhibition opening May 9 at the Hudgens Center's Fowler Gallery in Duluth, featuring 15 artists from around the world who now call Georgia home. Separately, designer and illustrator George F. Baker III, originally from Nebraska and shaped by Detroit, was commissioned by the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs to create the key art for the 49th annual Atlanta Jazz Festival, and he discusses how the musical souls of both Detroit and Atlanta influenced his design.

Rawya El Chab Tends to the Wounds of Lebanon's Civil War

Lebanese performance artist Rawya El Chab has debuted the second installment of her trilogy, "Crossing the Water," at The Brick in Brooklyn. The performance explores the collective trauma of the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and her family's subsequent flight to the Ivory Coast, blending personal memory with political satire and mythology. By embodying various roles—from suspicious neighbors to puppet-like politicians—El Chab navigates the complexities of life under military occupation and the persistent feeling of surveillance.

Artfully Aired: Balloon Art Exhibition Opens in Dallas in November

The Balloon Museum, founded in Rome in 2021, will open its exhibition "Let's Fly—Art Has No Limits" at Dallas' South Side Studios on November 22, running through April 26. The multisensory show spans over 65,000 square feet and features large-scale inflatable and air-based installations by 18 international artists, including Sasha Frolova, Lucas Zanotto, Camilla Falsini, and Ouchhh. Created by Italy-based Lux Entertainment, the exhibition explores themes of flight, freedom, and lightness through works like Michael Shaw's 44-meter "Lava Lamp" and Christopher Schardt's 26-foot butterfly sculpture with 39,000 LEDs.

FLESH, FREQUENCY, FLIGHT: Acra’s Angels descend on the ICA

The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London is hosting 'Angels', a new exhibition of paintings by the multidisciplinary Venezuelan artist Arca. Returning to the venue where she gave her first live vocal performance over a decade ago, Arca presents a series of works created with paint, marker, and mixed media. These pieces explore themes of instability and transformation, featuring fluid forms that hover between figuration and abstraction.

Looking for art, culture? See the latest Central Illinois exhibits

Central Illinois is hosting a diverse array of art and cultural exhibitions across several key institutions and galleries this spring. Highlights include the "Art on the Offense" group show at the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, the "Lights, Camera, Fashion!" exhibition featuring the Lois Jett Historical Fashion Collection, and multiple annual student showcases at University Galleries and Merwin & Wakeley Galleries. Local spaces like the McLean County Arts Center and Eaton Studio Gallery are also actively engaging the community through regional artist spotlights and educational outreach for local students.

The Art Market’s Uneven Recovery, Explained

Global auction sales saw a 13 percent increase in 2025, signaling the first market recovery in several years. However, this growth was largely concentrated in New York through the sale of high-value masterpieces, while other regions like China continued to experience a decline in activity.

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Art Basel Qatar is set to proceed as scheduled in early February despite heightened Gulf tensions following U.S. and U.K. troop reductions near Doha. Dealers and visitors remain cautious, with some delaying travel plans, while Iran's temporary airspace closures have disrupted flights. Organizers say they are continually evaluating the security environment and remain committed to delivering a successful inaugural edition.

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Researchers from Binghamton University, at the request of an indigenous community group on Easter Island, have created a high-resolution 3D model of the Rono Raraku quarry, where 95 percent of the island's moai statues were carved. Using drone flights and over 11,000 overlapping photographs stitched together via photogrammetry, the model documents the quarry in unprecedented detail, including 133 quarried voids, 400-plus unfinished moai, and evidence of 30 distinct clan-based carving areas. The model is freely available online and was motivated by a 2022 wildfire that threatened the site.

In the Curator’s Words: At Studio Door, honoring ‘The Natural World’

Laura Green and Pierre Bounaud have co-curated a new exhibition titled "The Natural World" at The Studio Door in Hillcrest, San Diego, running from May 8 through June 12. The show features paintings by Green and ceramic and glass works selected by Bounaud, all exploring humanity's complex relationship with nature. Green's impressionistic paintings focus on animals and plants from the San Diego landscape, while Bounaud emphasizes clay and glass as materials drawn from the earth. The exhibition includes works by artists such as Oscar Romo and Kathleen Kane Murrell, who address environmental themes and conservation.

Brussels Airlines launches traveling art exhibition between Africa and Europe

Brussels Airlines has announced a major traveling exhibition called AfriConnections, dedicated to contemporary African art, set to launch in 2026. The exhibition will tour museums and cultural venues in Kinshasa, Abidjan, Yaoundé, and Dakar before arriving in Brussels, featuring fifteen artists from across Africa whose works are drawn from the Ifitry artist residency collection. Admission will be free to maximize public access.

Ladders take flight at latest Dixon exhibition

The Dixon Gallery & Gardens in Memphis is hosting a free exhibition titled "Ladders Take Flight" featuring works by artists Dolph Smith and Colleen Couch, on view until June 29. The show presents a fantastical world of ladder-inspired sculptures and mixed-media pieces, inviting visitors to explore imaginative forms and narratives.

Hotly debated Caravaggio becomes ‘first by the artist to be shown in India’

A painting recently attributed to Caravaggio, *Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy*, has been brought to India through a partnership between the Cultural Centre of the Italian Embassy and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA). The work was unveiled on 11 April at the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre in Delhi and will be on public display at KNMA's mall outlet in Saket from 18 April to 18 May. The painting, authenticated in 2014 by Caravaggio scholar Mina Gregori, was previously known only through copies and was the subject of debate when exhibited in Paris in 2018 alongside another version.

How to Reduce the Environmental Impact of Collecting

The article outlines practical strategies for art collectors to minimize their environmental footprint. It details specific actions such as opting for commercial flights over private jets, selecting reusable and sustainably sourced packing crates, consolidating shipments, and choosing local artists or galleries to reduce transportation emissions.

Toulouse is the European capital of space travel (and knows how to celebrate it)

Tolosa è la capitale europea dei viaggi nello spazio (e sa come celebrarli)

Toulouse has solidified its status as Europe’s aerospace capital, blending industrial prowess with cultural engagement. The city, home to the Airbus headquarters and the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), celebrates the legacy of flight from Clément Ader’s 1890 steam-powered takeoff to modern satellite technology. Key institutions like the Cité de l’espace and the Envol des Pionniers museum offer immersive experiences, including flight simulators, real-scale rocket replicas, and exhibitions on the history of Air France.

Birds Flock Amid Vibrant Blooms in Vasilisa Romanenko’s Acrylic Paintings

Vasilisa Romanenko’s solo exhibition, *Flora & Flight*, is on view at Arch Enemy Arts in Philadelphia through May 31. The show features her detailed acrylic paintings, ranging from six to 28 inches tall, depicting birds like white doves, dark-eyed juncos, and lesser goldfinches amid vibrant blossoms such as peonies, poppies, and hollyhocks. The gallery notes that each bird carries a strong sense of form and character, and each leaf and flower feels varied and alive.

Art Beat Review: Artists explore flight, community and materials in Lynnwood art exhibition

The Lynnwood Event Center recently hosted a "Meet the Artists" reception for its juried exhibition, "Flight Patterns: The Art & Motion of Winged Life." Curated by Mary Adams and Julie Carlos, the show features over 45 works by 27 regional artists from the Pacific Northwest, ranging from traditional paintings and photography to innovative metal etchings and fiber arts. Highlights include Graham Schodda’s holographic bird imagery ground into stainless steel and Alexandra Nason’s participatory installation, "The True Butterfly Effect," which invited guests to decorate aluminum butterflies to contribute to a growing communal wall piece.

Experience Art in Motion at the Lynnwood Event Center’s free ‘Meet the Artists’ Reception

The Lynnwood Event Center is hosting a free 'Meet the Artists' reception on April 14 to celebrate its current exhibition, "Flight Patterns: The Art & Motion of Winged Life." The event features a diverse range of works including painting, sculpture, and glass that explore themes of migration and transformation. Highlights include a live participatory installation by artist Alexandra Nason, where guests can decorate aluminum butterflies for a modular sculpture, and an educational presence by the conservation nonprofit Birds Connect Seattle.

Moore Art Gallery showcases Navy’s role in manned spaceflight with new exhibit

The Moore Art Gallery at The Citadel has opened a new exhibition titled “From Space to Sea: The Navy’s Role in Manned Space Flight,” running from September 4 to December 10. The show features artworks on loan from the Navy Art Collection, depicting key moments from the 1960s and 1970s, including portraits of astronauts Alan Shepard and John Glenn, as well as scenes of spacecraft recovery at sea. The exhibition highlights the Navy’s contributions to early American spaceflight, from pilots and engineers to recovery crews.

PHOTOS: 50 years of Surrey Art Gallery, and where it might move

Surrey Art Gallery (SAG) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer, having opened in 1975 at Bear Creek Park in Surrey, British Columbia. The gallery, which offers free admission and parking, is showcasing a 50th-anniversary group exhibition titled "10 and 10: Story of Stories" through August 9, pairing works from its first decade of collecting (1975–1985) with those from the last decade (2014–2024). Director Alison Rajah notes that the gallery holds nearly 2,000 works in trust, including 70 cultural properties recognized as national treasures. However, the gallery has run out of storage space, prompting plans to move to a new Interactive Art Museum (IAM) in Surrey City Centre, a project first proposed in 2017. Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke confirmed on June 11 that funding has been allocated and construction could begin within the next year.

University Libraries to host exhibition of artist Karen Blessen’s journals

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries will host an exhibition titled “The Muck, the Seeds, the Weeds, the Blossoming: The Journals of Karen Blessen,” featuring 24 personal journals donated by the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic artist and UNL alumna. Opening September 18 and running through February 2026 on the second-floor link of Love Library, the show marks the first public display of Blessen’s journals, which span 2013 to 2022 and offer intimate insight into her creative process, personal struggles, and artistic strategies. The exhibition team includes Camilo Sanchez, curator of exhibitions at the International Quilt Museum, who designed the installation.

The recovery of the art market, collecting trends, and other analyses in the newly published report

La ripresa del mercato dell’arte, i trend del collezionismo e altre analisi nel nuovo report appena pubblicato

The global art market has returned to growth in 2025, recording a 4% increase compared to the previous year despite geopolitical tensions and financial uncertainty. According to the fourth edition of the "Collectors and the Value of Art in Italy 2026" report by Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking, buyers are increasingly shunning speculative assets like NFTs and ultra-contemporary art in favor of established categories. Significant growth was noted in Modern art, Impressionism, and Old Masters, signaling a flight to quality and historical stability.

BHS Senior Art showcase at Gallery 323

Bluffton High School is set to host its annual senior art exhibition at Gallery 323, showcasing the creative achievements of its graduating class. The event kicks off with an opening reception on April 23, 2026, and will remain on public display through early May.

She Takes Flight: Mosaic Art by Judy Steed: Opening Reception

The article announces the opening reception for "She Takes Flight: Mosaic Art by Judy Steed," a local exhibition featuring mosaic works by artist Judy Steed. The event is presented as a community art gathering, likely held at a local venue, and includes a call for readers to subscribe to a newsletter for local news updates.

Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport: Announces 3rd annual art exhibition celebrating America’s 250th birthday

Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB) has issued a call for artists and collectors for its third annual art exhibition, themed "Patriotic | Historic | Americana." The exhibition is timed to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States and will feature framed photography, 3-D objects, ephemera, and traditional artwork. Submissions are open until March 31, 2026, with the final installation scheduled for May 2026 to coincide with the airport’s Honor Flight for Veterans.

Sharjah Art Foundation launches Studio and Residency Programmes

Sharjah Art Foundation has launched two new programmes: a Studio Programme offering long-term and free workspace for artists, recent graduates, and PhD candidates, and a Residency Programme providing flights, accommodation, and a monthly stipend for visual artists, performers, writers, and other creatives. The programmes will be hosted across multiple venues in Sharjah, including the Collections Building, Bait Obaid Al Shamsi, Bait Al Serkal, Al Hamriyah Studios, and Kalba Ice Factory, each with distinct histories and architectural features.