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.

Absa Bank showcases 2023 L’Atelier Ambassador in solo exhibition

Absa Bank Ghana, in partnership with the L’Atelier Art Programme, hosted a solo exhibition in Accra featuring Edward Lawerh Dugbartey, the 2023 Absa L’Atelier Ambassador. The event drew art enthusiasts, collectors, curators, and young creatives to celebrate Dugbartey’s work and his contribution to Ghana’s visual arts scene. Dr. Paul Bayliss, Senior Specialist for Art and Museum Curatorship at Absa, emphasized the bank’s commitment to nurturing emerging African talent through masterclasses, international residencies, mentorship, and marketing support.

Iconic Images, Local Roots: Bernie Boston Exhibit Opens at Historic Pleasant Grove Church

Megan Clarke of Good Morning Washington visited McLean’s Historic Pleasant Grove Church to report on a new exhibition featuring the work of photographer Bernie Boston. Boston, a DMV native and longtime McLean resident, was the first African American member of the White House Press Corps and covered presidents from Truman through Clinton. He is best known for his iconic “Flower Power” photograph, which earned him a runner-up spot for the Pulitzer Prize. The exhibit showcases photographs spanning his career, including both celebrated images and candid shots of the photographer himself.

Harlem’s Remarkable New Studio Museum Redefines 125th Street

The Studio Museum in Harlem has opened a striking new building on 125th Street, designed by Adjaye Associates. The museum, long a cornerstone of the neighborhood, now boasts expanded gallery spaces, a sculpture garden, and improved facilities for its artist-in-residence program, marking a major physical and symbolic transformation for the institution.

Iranian-Australian artist Yasamin Khadembashi’s debut solo exhibition celebrates resilience

Iranian-Australian artist Yasamin Khadembashi will present her debut solo exhibition, "Dreaming in Farsi," at PS Art Space (PSAS) in Perth from January 16, 2026. The two-week show features large-scale sculptural paintings that blend Persian miniature traditions with Western portraiture, using materials like piped impasto oil paint, gold leaf, and rhinestones. Khadembashi, who has been working from a subsidized studio through the PSAS Studio 7 initiative and completed a residency at WFAC, will also include a performance element, painting in the gallery to engage visitors in dialogue about her process and themes.

‘D.I.Y. in the District’ at MLK Library: An exhibition that celebrates D.C.’s artist run spaces

The article reports on the exhibition 'D.I.Y. in the District' at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (MLK Library) in Washington, D.C., which celebrates the city's artist-run spaces. The show highlights the grassroots, self-organized venues that have shaped D.C.'s visual art scene, featuring works and histories from collectives and alternative galleries that operated outside traditional institutions.

Art exhibition reveals rescued greyhounds’ journeys from cruelty to hope

The article reports on the 'Ghosts of the Hunt' exhibition, a photography show hosted by Greyhound Welfare SA (GWA) in Cresta, Johannesburg. The exhibition features two photographic series: one by Dean Bush, founder of GWA, documenting greyhounds rescued from the Yat Yuen racetrack in Macau, China—a facility that killed 20,000 dogs over 54 years before closing in 2018—and another by professional photographer Warren Johnson, focusing on locally rescued greyhounds. The article also highlights ongoing controversies, including a recent auction in Bela Bela, Limpopo, where SA breeders paid R2.4 million for 65 greyhounds destined for international racing, and lobbying by the Amaphisi Hunters' Association to decriminalize dog hunting in South Africa.

Black Mountain mural attracts crowds ahead of new art gallery's grand opening

A new mural in Black Mountain, North Carolina, is drawing crowds and boosting local business ahead of the grand opening of Cherry Street Gallery. The mural, designed by Atlanta-based designer Ben Rupp and adapted and painted by artist Jonathan Bidwell, was commissioned by the gallery and completed in late July 2025. Local residents and tourists have been stopping to take photos, with the artwork generating significant foot traffic and online visibility for nearby shops like the bookstore Sassafras.

New art space launches with exhibition by South African artist Nico Krijno

A new art space has launched with an inaugural exhibition featuring works by South African artist Nico Krijno. The exhibition marks the opening of the venue, which aims to bring contemporary art to a broader audience.

Artist John E. Dowell, Jr. explores life experiences in exhibition titled 'I Got Through It'

Philadelphia-based artist John E. Dowell, Jr., now 84, is preparing for a solo exhibition titled 'I Got Through It' at the James Oliver Gallery, opening October 18, 2025. The show features over 20 works spanning printmaking, painting, photography, and music-inspired pieces. Dowell, a professor emeritus at Temple University's Tyler School of Art and Architecture, discusses his lifelong creative journey, his use of jazz and blues as inspiration, and his experiments with translating visual art into sound.

Mind of the Masters in collaboration with WASCA and NK Art Space set to exhibit The Spirit of Coffee

Mind of the Masters, in collaboration with the West African Specialty Coffee Association (WASCA) and NK Art Space, is hosting an art exhibition titled “The Spirit of Coffee” at The Spotlight Hub in Victoria Island, Lagos, from November 29 to December 12, 2025. The exhibition features 20 artworks curated by Mind of the Masters and NK Art Space, created by professional artist Lenrie Preks, whose works such as “The Spirit of Coffee,” “Coffee Blitz,” and “Flavour of Coffee” explore coffee culture through ritual, memory, and geometric abstraction.

33 artists showcase art from the heart

The 5th Inspired Fine Art Exhibition, themed “Kita 2.0”, is being held from September 5-21 at Capital Fine Art Gallery in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Curated by Inspired Fine Art Studio and Capital Fine Art Gallery, the show features 140 works by 33 artists from Malaysia, South Africa, China, and Hong Kong, including watercolour, oil, acrylic, sculpture, and mixed media pieces. Most works are for sale, and weekend art workshops for adults and children are scheduled for September 13-14 and 20-21. The exhibition will be officially launched on September 12 by Zulkifli Hashim, director-general of Malaysia's National Unity and Integration Department.

Popular Bottle Alley Art Market to return bigger than ever before

The Bottle Alley Art Market (BAAM) returns for its third year on August 23, transforming the 480-meter seafront walkway between Hastings and St Leonards into the UK's longest beachside art market. Featuring 70 artists from local talents to national figures, the free event includes live portrait sessions by Xinchu Zhang, performances by Jude Montague and Caroline Gregory, DJ sets from Simon and the Pope, and a fabric installation by Mew Welch, David Harris, and Zeroh. Organised by Zeroh, Daniel Hardiker, and Neil Hetherington, the market runs from 10am to 6pm on the bank holiday weekend.

Art Works: Solomon Lewis Hunter, leader and costume maker at Inspire Urself carnival troupe

Solomon Lewis Hunter, a Black carnival artist from Nottingham, describes his costume 'Rhythm of Bay Street,' which celebrates the Bahamian Junkanoo festival. The design features cowbells, trumpets, saxophones, and horn motifs to capture the energy of Bahamian brass bands. Hunter began his carnival journey in 2013 with Zodiac Allstars, later trained with Junkanoo Commandos in the Bahamas, and in 2017 founded Inspire Urself, a carnival troupe for young people and adults, with support from Arts Council England.

South Jersey artists — including a celebrity favorite — are showcased in West Deptford

Four South Jersey artists—Sydnei Smith Jordan, Gloria Gammage Davis, Quinton Greene, and Robyn Huber—are featured in a collective exhibition at the RiverWinds Community Center in West Deptford, running through August 30. Award-winning artist Sydnei Smith Jordan, a Cape May resident, will attend an artists' reception on July 10; her work is owned by celebrities including Whoopi Goldberg, Sylvester Stallone, and Denzel Washington.

Local art exhibition confronts apartheid silence

A live exhibition titled "Uncovering / Recovering the Past" was held on 21 May at the Stellenbosch University Museum in South Africa, featuring sound, sculpture, and archival material. Created by artist Haroon Gunn-Salie, the exhibition explores the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's failure to prosecute apartheid-era crimes, focusing on the reopened inquest into the 1969 death of anti-apartheid cleric Imam Abdullah Haron while in police detention. The event was presented by the Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and The Reparative Quest (AVReQ) and included speakers such as human rights lawyer Odette Geldenhuys and senior research coordinator Westley Ceasar.

Humanitas Braided art, a new interdisciplinary certificate, and a space for local artists

Yale University's latest Humanitas column highlights several arts and humanities developments: an exhibition by artist Nontsikelelo Mutiti at Schwarzman Center titled "Rusununguko," inspired by Black hair-braiding traditions and community; a new interdisciplinary certificate in Native American and Indigenous Studies approved by Yale College Faculty; and a Yale-run art space opening to local New Haven artists. Mutiti's installation uses black vinyl braids to transform the domed gallery, reflecting her experiences as a Zimbabwean graduate student finding community in Harlem's hair-braiding salons.

Che Onejoon: ‘The AfroAsia collective is now more important to me than my personal art’

Che Onejoon, a South Korean artist, has shifted his focus from documenting North Korea's Cold War-era monument-building in Africa to working directly with West African migrant communities in South Korea. His earlier projects, including the Mansudae Masterclass series and films like *Black Monument* (2017) and *My Utopia* (2018), explored the little-known history of North Korean-built statues and buildings across at least 20 African nations. More recently, he co-founded Space AfroAsia, the Afroasia Eco Museum, and the AfroAsia Artist Collective, and now lives and works in the Bosan-dong "Africa Town" near the Demilitarized Zone, creating multilingual music videos and even a K-pop girl group with a mixed Korean-African lineup.

'Retrospective' art exhibit unveils the many thrilling lives of local artist Hani Elkadi

The Iowa City Senior Center is hosting 'Retrospective,' an exhibition of over 100 works by local artist Hani Elkadi. Elkadi, a former transplant surgeon and educator, draws on his diverse life experiences—from restoring cathedrals in Italy and practicing medicine in Africa to teaching minority students in Iowa City—to create a wide-ranging body of work spanning multiple styles and mediums, including abstract mixed-media pieces and traditional oil paintings.

IU Bloomington art galleries feature works from and about South Africa

Indiana University Bloomington's art galleries are presenting two exhibitions focused on South African and Indigenous visual culture. "Illusions of Identity: The Colonial Gaze," curated by student Joshua Sinnett at the Community Gallery in the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, contrasts early 20th-century photographs of Native Americans by Joseph K. Dixon with images of Indigenous South Africans by Alfred Duggan-Cronin, examining colonial perspectives. Concurrently, "Coloured Pots (Izinkamba kwamaKhaladi)" at University Collections at McCalla features contemporary ceramics by artist Fileve Tlaloc, who uses amaZulu pottery forms to explore her mixed-race ancestry and challenge colonial racial categories, displayed alongside historical amaZulu vessels.

Looking Back to Look Forward

Blick zurück nach vorn

The Museum Rietberg in Zürich is hosting an exhibition that examines the intersection of photography and colonialism. The show highlights how early photographic techniques, introduced to Africa shortly after their invention in 1839, were historically used as tools of power, surveillance, and scientific categorization. By juxtaposing historical archives with contemporary works, the exhibition demonstrates how modern artists are reclaiming and transforming these violent visual legacies.

Amyafrique Art Gallery set for debut, founder shares story of resilience and reinvention

Amyafrique Art Gallery, founded by Nigerian entrepreneur Okpara Judith Amarachi, is set to open in Lagos next month as a platform for African creativity. Amarachi, who transitioned from careers in fashion, modeling, and aviation after a life-changing visit to a Lagos gallery, launched the brand in 2021 and has since achieved milestones including the sale of a ₦10 million sculpture.

Amyafrique Art Gallery To Unveil In Lagos Soon

Amyafrique Art Gallery is set to open in Lagos, Nigeria, marking a new addition to the city's contemporary art scene. The gallery aims to showcase African and diaspora artists, providing a platform for emerging and established talents.

Cultural Observatories: Dinosaurs or Subjects Capable of Interpreting the Present?

Osservatori culturali. Dinosauri o soggetti in grado di interpretare il presente?

The Cultural Observatory of Canton Ticino has published a study on cultural observatories worldwide, including a map and list of surveyed organizations. The analysis reveals that cultural observatories are not a global phenomenon but are concentrated mainly in Europe and South America, with occasional presence in North America (especially Canada and Hispanic-oriented organizations in the US). Africa, Asia, and Oceania are almost entirely absent from the map. The study also highlights a high rate of inactive observatories: among the top 10 countries by active observatories, only Germany shows an effective activity ratio. Spain has 26 active observatories out of about 45 total, while Italy has 11 active out of over 20 inactive. The research defines observatories as non-profit organizations that combine cultural and statistical expertise to deepen and transfer knowledge about the cultural sector, and classifies as inactive those with no recent activity on web or social channels.

Get Out There: A short list of community art spaces to check out during the shutdown

A short list of community art spaces is being promoted for people to visit during a shutdown period. The article highlights local venues where art can still be experienced, encouraging public engagement with grassroots creative hubs despite broader closures.

KABARIN-JAVAKANTO: Speaking in Many Tongues

Fondation H in Antananarivo, Madagascar, presents 'Kabarin-javakanto: A Reading of the Fondation H Collection,' an exhibition curated by Abdellah Karroum that reinterprets the foundation’s international holdings through the Malagasy oratorical tradition of kabary. Rather than a conventional display, the show activates works from Africa and its diasporas across three galleries, emphasizing dialogue, community, and relational viewing.

Between Here and Elsewhere: A New Generation Steps Forward

The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria will host 'Between Here and Elsewhere,' an exhibition featuring the Top 10 artists from the 2025/26 Tlhagella Incubation Programme. Curated by Puleng Plessie, the show opens on 1 May 2026 and presents works that explore themes of presence, memory, and belonging through a polyphonic, multi-perspectival approach.