CalArts President Booed During Commencement Speech

California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) President Ravi S. Rajan was loudly booed by students during the school's commencement ceremony on May 15, as they held signs reading “Hold the Admin Accountable” and “Save Our Faculty & Staff.” The protest stemmed from ongoing financial turmoil at the esteemed art school, including a multi-million-dollar budget deficit, significant staff and faculty layoffs, and a decline in enrollment from 1,500 to roughly 1,200. Despite Rajan's attempts to redirect focus to the graduates, the booing persisted, and board chair Charmaine Jefferson unsuccessfully appealed for calm. The incident follows a broader crisis at CalArts, where over 75% of staff sought to unionize in 2024, and faculty held a “Chop from the Top” rally in March against proposed $5 million in cuts.

dusable black history museum responds to accusations of retaliatory firing

The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center in Chicago has responded to allegations of a retaliatory firing. Former vice president of education and programs Kim Dulaney was terminated on October 3 by museum president Perri Irmer, who cited institutional restructuring. Dulaney had previously filed complaints with HR alleging retaliation after she criticized museum operations. The museum denies the allegations, calling them "outrageous and categorically false," and states the termination followed a fair review process.

Running from one image to another, from one time to another, from one hope to another: at Circolo, in Milan, an exhibition on the contemporary Lebanese scene

The article reviews "Shifting Crossroads. Beirut Contemporary," an exhibition at Circolo in Milan that surveys the contemporary Lebanese art scene. It features internationally recognized artists like Mona Hatoum and Simone Fattal alongside emerging talents, including works from the Saikalis Bay Foundation, founded in 2024 by Nicole Saikalis and Matteo Bay. The show spans historical-archival investigation, photography, installation, painting, and sculpture, with pieces such as Stéphanie Saadé's "Stage of Life" (2021), Catherine Cattaruzza's "I am Folding the Land" (2022), and Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige's "Waiting for the Barbarians" (2013) exploring themes of memory, fragility, and geopolitical instability.

Art Basel Miami Beach, Louvre crisis deepens, Helene Schjerfbeck—podcast

This episode of The Art Newspaper's 'The Week in Art' podcast covers three major stories. Ben Sutton and Kabir Jhala report from Art Basel Miami Beach, discussing top sales and the overall mood at the fair. Ben Luke speaks with Paris correspondent Vincent Noce about the deepening crisis at the Musée du Louvre following a staff strike and a recent robbery, as the museum plans to raise ticket prices for non-EU visitors by 45%. The episode also features a 'Work of the Week' segment on Helene Schjerfbeck's painting 'The Tapestry' (1914-16), with curator Dita Amory discussing the work ahead of a new exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A look inside the ‘Dreamworld’ of surrealism at the Philadelphia Art Museum

The Philadelphia Art Museum opened 'Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100,' a traveling exhibition marking the centenary of surrealism, which originated in France in 1924. The show, curated by Matthew Affron, features about 180 works from the museum's own collection and loans from Europe and the Americas, including pieces by Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Remedios Varo, and Joseph Cornell. The opening occurred the day after the museum's board abruptly fired CEO Sasha Suda, with interim director Louis Marchesano declining to comment on the termination and focusing on the exhibition instead.

Local artist Brian Farrell launching Fine Art Exhibition in Derry's UV Arts Centre

Local artist Brian Farrell is launching his latest fine art exhibition, titled 'Moods & Monochromes', at the UV Arts Centre's Garden of Reflection Gallery in Derry. The exhibition opens on May 30, 2025, and runs until June 19, 2025, featuring Farrell's black-and-white paintings that explore his personal struggles with anxiety, paranoia, and depression through bold, expressive brushwork.

art ralph deluca art market downturn recession

Art advisor Ralph DeLuca, in his 'Street Smarts' column for Cultured, observes that amid political turmoil, tariffs, and art market jitters, wealthy collectors are shifting away from blue-chip contemporary art. Instead, they are investing in pop culture icons, historic artifacts, and natural history items like fossils, viewing them as safer bets. DeLuca notes that the May auction season saw high pass rates, failed guarantees, and lower prices, while galleries continue to close this summer.

Venice Biennale previews in chaos as war follows art into world's oldest exhibition

The Venice Biennale previewed its 61st edition in chaos on Tuesday, marked by the unprecedented resignation of its jury over the participation of Israel and Russia. Ukrainian artists displayed a statue of an origami deer from the war-torn eastern front, while Russian pavilion participants danced to house music and Palestinians marched wearing the names of artists killed in Gaza. The jury had stated it would not award prizes to countries under International Criminal Court investigation, singling out Russia and Israel, and its resignation has thrown the exhibition's structure into question.

Venice Biennale Scraps “Golden Lion” Awards as Turmoil Continues

The 61st Venice Biennale has scrapped its traditional Golden Lion awards, replacing them with public-voted “Visitor Lions” after the entire award jury resigned on April 30. The jury had previously announced its intention to exclude countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, effectively targeting Russia and Israel. The Biennale Foundation, however, stated that all official national pavilions—including Russia and Israel—will be eligible for the new Visitor Lions, citing principles of inclusion and equal treatment. The awards ceremony has been moved from May 9 to November 22, the final day of the Biennale, to allow ticket holders to vote throughout the event.

Under pressure, the Venice Biennale jury resigns and is replaced by a public vote

Sous pression, le jury de la Biennale de Venise démissionne et est remplacé par un vote du public

On April 30, just days before the Venice Biennale's public opening on May 9, the entire international jury responsible for awarding the Golden and Silver Lions resigned. The jury—comprising Solange Farkas, Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi—had been caught in a escalating controversy after Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco reinstated Russia, which had been excluded since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The European Union threatened to suspend or cancel its €2 million subsidy if Russia remained included. The jury attempted to exclude countries whose leaders face International Criminal Court arrest warrants, effectively targeting Russia and Israel, but ultimately resigned under pressure from both external diplomatic turmoil and internal institutional opposition to any discrimination between pavilions.

Collapse Finance, Part 1: Introduction

The global financial landscape is undergoing a structural shift toward "collapse finance," where institutions designed to manage risk are increasingly profiting from and accelerating systemic instability. Amid geopolitical turmoil and the abandonment of green initiatives, traditional concepts of market security are unravelling, replaced by a system that monetizes uncertainty through instruments like catastrophe bonds and volatile cryptocurrencies.

How Myanmar's art community rallied after a deadly earthquake

Following the devastating 7.7 earthquake on 28 March in Myanmar, the country's art community—both at home and in exile—has mobilized fundraising efforts to support relief and rebuilding, deliberately bypassing the ruling Tatmadaw junta. Curator Kyel Sin Lin is auctioning a work by prominent artist Htein Lin depicting the epicenter Sagaing and the collapsed Ava Bridge, while galleries in Yangon such as The Collector Art Gallery, Sar Ga Gallery, and Nawaday Tharlar Gallery are holding earthquake relief sales. In Hong Kong, 10 Chancery Lane raised $13,000 through a fundraising night and online sale of works by Moe Satt and Htein Lin, and Karin Weber Gallery is selling a painting by Burmese Modernist San Win to benefit the educational non-profit Prospect Burma.

kennedy center adds trump name

The board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted on Thursday to add President Donald Trump's name to the institution, renaming it "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts." The vote was described as unanimous by spokeswoman Roma Daravi, but Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio board member, disputed this, claiming she was muted when trying to voice opposition. The move has been met with disapproval from members of the Kennedy family and legal experts who argue it violates a federal stipulation from 1963. The name change has already been reflected on the institution's website and façade, following a year of turmoil that included Trump being booed at a performance and a Washington Post exposé on staff turmoil and declining ticket sales.

Baby dolls, whale songs and swimming in urine: The Venice Biennale’s must-see national pavilions

The 61st Venice Biennale, themed 'In Minor Keys' by late curator Koyo Kouoh, has been marked by political protests against Russia and Israel's participation, pavilion closures, and threats to funding. Despite this tense atmosphere, several national pavilions quietly embody Kouoh's vision of nurture, intimacy, and reflection. Highlights include the Japan Pavilion's 'Grass Babies, Moon Babies' by Ei Arakawa-Nash, where visitors carry and care for baby dolls, and the Polish Pavilion's 'Liquid Tongues' by Bogna Burska and Daniel Kotowski, an immersive sound installation exploring Deaf culture and marginalized communication.

How the Venice Biennale imploded over Israel

The 61st Venice Biennale, scheduled to open on May 9, has been thrown into turmoil after its International Jury announced that national pavilions and artists representing countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court will not be eligible for prizes. This excludes Israel, represented by sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, and Russia from competing for the Golden Lion. The decision follows an open letter signed by hundreds of artists and curators demanding Israel's exclusion over the war in Gaza, and comes amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, including Russia's absence from previous editions after its invasion of Ukraine. The Biennale's theme, 'In Minor Keys,' curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, aimed to focus on dignity and listening to marginalized voices, but the prize ban has sparked accusations that identity politics are overshadowing artistic merit.

Three exhibits: Figures, charcoal and celebration

Artist and curator Kat Knutsen has launched "Curious Figure 3," the third iteration of an exhibition series dedicated to the human form. Now hosted at the Star Store building in New Bedford, the show features 42 artists from across 21 states, including notable works by Joe Vaux and Judith Peck. The exhibition's move to the Star Store follows the displacement of the Co-Creative Center from its original location due to private development.

Dutch national photo collection opens in new Rotterdam home

The Nederlands Fotomuseum, the Dutch national photo collection, has opened in a new, purpose-built home in Rotterdam. The museum, which holds over 6.5 million images, moved from its previous mixed-use location into a converted and expanded former coffee warehouse, designed to offer public views into its conservation archives and featuring interactive displays.

'Real and abstract calm amongst chaos' art exhibition attracts Andover attention

Fine artist Serena Read recently presented her solo exhibition, "The Alignment of Peace and Chaos," at Unity Art Studio in Andover. The showcase featured works that blend realism and abstraction, utilizing materials like sparkle to explore themes of trauma, recovery, and the balance between internal tranquility and external turmoil. The exhibition included a 'Meet the Artist' event attended by local community figures, highlighting Read's transition from cross-cultural communications to a therapeutic art practice.

Iran will not participate in the Biennale

Iran nimmt nicht an Biennale teil

Iran has withdrawn from the Venice Biennale, according to an announcement by the Biennale organization reported in Italian media. No reasons were given for the decision. The withdrawal comes amid significant turmoil at the Biennale just days before its official opening on Saturday: the entire jury resigned over disputes regarding the treatment of Russia and Israel, the opening ceremony was canceled, and the traditional awarding of Golden Lions at the start has been postponed to the final day in November, with winners now to be decided by visitor vote rather than a jury.

What’s Under My Skin by Khushi Khandelwal explores anxiety through art

Artist Khushi Khandelwal has opened her first solo exhibition, "What's Under My Skin?", at the All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society (AIFACS) in New Delhi. The show, on view through July 24, 2025, explores hidden emotions such as anxiety, which Khandelwal likens to parasites growing inside the body. Using mixed media including pencils, pens, and markers, she aims to reveal the psychological and physical struggles that remain invisible beneath a composed exterior.

Leaders of former Maine syringe provider open Winterport art gallery

Abby D'Alessio and her husband Josh, former leaders of the Bangor-based Health Equity Alliance (HEAL)—which operated a syringe exchange and closed in April amid financial turmoil—have opened Selah Gallery on Main Street in Winterport, Maine. The gallery, named after a Biblical word meaning 'pause' and 'reflect,' offers a space for mindful contemplation and sells a mix of artwork, skin care products, jewelry, and accessories, with pieces priced from a few hundred dollars to $100,000. Abby D'Alessio, who stepped down as HEAL's harm reduction manager in December, curates the gallery, while Josh D'Alessio is a featured photographer. The space also includes the 'Canvas of Courage' project, which showcases artists who have faced homelessness, substance use, or mental health struggles, such as acrylic painter Ben Rasche.

Venice Biennale thrown into fresh turmoil as art jury resigns

The Venice Biennale has been thrown into fresh turmoil after its art jury resigned. The jury's departure adds to ongoing instability surrounding the prestigious international art exhibition, though specific reasons for the resignation were not detailed in the article.

Venice Biennale inaugurated in turmoil over Russian presence

The Venice Biennale, the world's largest contemporary art exhibition, opened to the press amid turmoil over Russia's return for the first time since the Ukraine war began. The event features artists from several conflict-affected nations, including Ukraine, Israel, and the US, while Iran has canceled its participation. Resignations, boycotts, and threats to cut funding have marked the lead-up to the opening.