Graduate art and design students exhibit their work at Krannert Art Museum

The Krannert Art Museum is currently hosting the annual Master of Fine Arts Exhibition, showcasing the thesis work of eight graduate students from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Art & Design. The exhibition features a diverse range of media, including sculptural 3D collages by Samantha Jones that critique the hypersexualization of Black girlhood, and a mixed-media experimental classroom by Anthony Obayomi that explores social justice and educational metrics. Other works, such as Emily Tomlinson’s text-based drawings, highlight themes of cataloging and observational study.

Anime, Manga and Traditional Japanese Art Come Together at an Upcoming Auction—From Hokusai's 'The Great Wave' to Miyazaki's 'My Neighbor Totoro'

Christie’s is set to host a landmark auction in New York titled “Anime Starts Here: Japanese Subculture Imagines Tradition,” marking the first sale of its kind dedicated to the intersection of anime, manga, and traditional Japanese art. The auction features a diverse range of items, from Katsushika Hokusai’s iconic 19th-century woodblock print "The Great Wave" to original production materials and posters from modern masterpieces like Studio Ghibli’s "My Neighbor Totoro" and Osamu Tezuka’s "Astro Boy."

The V&A's David Bowie Centre opens this week—here's what visitors can expect to see

The David Bowie Centre opens on 13 September at the V&A East Storehouse in Stratford, east London, offering free timed-entry access to a 90,000-piece archive acquired from the Bowie estate. Lead curator Madeleine Haddon highlights discoveries like Bowie's paint palette and a framed photo of Little Richard, alongside an interactive installation tracing his influence on pop culture. The centre features nine rotating curated displays, including guest-curated ones by Nile Rodgers and The Last Dinner Party, and connects to the upcoming V&A East Museum exhibition 'The Music Is Black: A British Story'.

Noah Davis, a Painter Gone Too Soon, Takes a Seat in Posterity

Noah Davis, a painter who died at age 32 in 2015, is the subject of a posthumous retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and a concurrent exhibition at the Underground Museum, the institution he co-founded with his wife, artist Karon Davis. The article traces his brief but influential career, highlighting his figurative paintings that blend everyday Black life with surrealist and spiritual undertones, and his role as a community builder in the Los Angeles art scene.

Exhibition Tour—Arts of the Ancient Americas | Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

The Metropolitan Museum of Art celebrated the renovation and reopening of the Arts of the Ancient Americas galleries in the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing with a special exhibition tour. Curators Joanne Pillsbury and Laura Filloy Nadal, along with museum director Max Hollein and special guest Alejandro de Avila, led the event, highlighting new scholarship on the Mesoamerican ballgame, the roles of women of power, and Moche metalworking technology.

Millais treasure trove goes on long-term loan to Scottish gallery

More than 150 works on paper and 19 paintings by Pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais, along with personal correspondence, brushes, palettes, jewelry, and family heirlooms belonging to his wife Effie Gray, have been placed on long-term loan to Perth Art Gallery in Scotland. The collection, donated by Millais’s great-grandson Geoffroy Millais, includes highlights such as the painting *Halcyon Weather* (1892) and an 1853 watercolor portrait of Effie Gray. A free exhibition titled *Millais in Perthshire* will open on 25 July, featuring over 25 key objects from the loan alongside works from the gallery’s own holdings, including *Waking (Just Awake)* (1865) and *Portrait of Effie Millais* (1873).

The legacy of the Baghdad Modern Art Group is explored in first major US show

The Hessel Museum of Art at Bard College in New York State has opened "All Manner of Experiments: Legacies of the Baghdad Modern Art Group," the first major US survey of the influential Iraqi collective. Organized by curators Nada Shabout, Tiffany Floyd, and Lauren Cornell, the exhibition brings together 64 works by 30 artists—including Dia al-Azzawi, Jewad Selim, and Mohammed Ghani Hikmat—spanning from 1951 to 2023. Many pieces have not been publicly displayed in decades, and the show draws from private collections and major Arab institutions such as the Barjeel Art Foundation, the Dalloul Art Foundation, the Ibrahimi Collection, and Qatar Museums. The exhibition also addresses the devastating loss of modern Iraqi art during the Iraq War, with an estimated 85% of 8,000 works from the Saddam Arts Centre looted or damaged.

Lesia Vasylchenko wins the PinchukArtCentre Prize

Lesia Vasylchenko, a Kyiv-born artist, has won the 2025 PinchukArtCentre Prize, receiving 400,000 Ukrainian hryvnia (about $10,000). Her winning installation includes two video works: one reflecting on the shelling during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and another using AI to compress 30 years of sunrises into a single event. At the awards ceremony held on 18 June in Kyiv—a day after a deadly Russian drone attack killed at least 28 people—Vasylchenko announced she would donate the entire prize to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Special prizes were awarded to painter Kateryna Aliinyk and artist Yevhen Korshunov, each receiving 100,000 hryvnia and additional support.

Wonders of Nature: New nature-themed art exhibition featuring Japanese artists like Go Yayanagi and more

New Art Museum Singapore has launched 'Wonders of Nature', its first immersive exhibition designed for children and families. Curated by local creative Warren Wee, the show features works from eight international and local artists including Go Yayanagi, Go Ogawa, Yuji Kanamaru, Masato Inagaki, Osamu Watanabe, Jackson Tan, and Jesse Franklin. The exhibition includes interactive zones such as the Animal Kingdom with candy-colored sculptures, a Canyon of Cuddles playground with inflatable cacti and a ball pit, a digital ocean with life-sized projected fish, and a Garden of Senses with augmented reality games. A pop-up by Waga Waga Labs offers matcha drinks inspired by the exhibition's colors and themes. The exhibition runs until October 5, 2025, at the museum's Tanjong Pagar Distripark location.

Between Ruins: Zazou Roddam by Ben Broome

London-based artist Zazou Roddam explores the intersection of pop culture nostalgia and historical trauma through the manipulation of found objects and archival media. Her practice, rooted in a long-standing fascination with the 'detritus of history' found in London’s Portobello Road Market, gained significant attention following her debut solo exhibition at Brunette Coleman. Central to her recent work is the video piece 'Pop Inflection (The City)', which meticulously edits footage from 'Sex and the City' to track the architectural and psychological shifts in New York City before and after the 9/11 attacks.

Martha Stewart Curates JOOPITER’s Art Debut

JOOPITER, the auction platform founded to rethink collecting for a digital generation, will launch its first dedicated contemporary art sale this spring. Titled "The Contemporary Take," the online auction runs from April 28 through May 6, 2025, and is curated in collaboration with Martha Stewart. The sale features nearly fifty works by established and emerging artists, including Alex Katz, Jeff Koons, Amy Sherald, George Condo, Esther Mahlangu, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Ai Weiwei, and Damien Hirst, selected to reflect the renewal and vibrancy of the season. The auction also marks the debut of late Iranian-American artist Davood Roostaei.

In Milan, the first exhibition-market dedicated entirely to 20th-century modernariato arrives

A Milano arriva la prima mostra-mercato dedicata interamente al modernariato del Novecento

The article announces the arrival of SOMO (Solo Modernariato), Italy's only fair dedicated entirely to 20th-century modernariato, in Milan. After two years in Alzano Lombardo near Bergamo, the event will take place at Superstudio Più in Via Tortona 27 on May 23-24, 2026. It will feature over 70 exhibitors from across Italy, showcasing furniture, lamps, and objects produced between the post-war period and the 1980s, targeting collectors, architects, interior designers, and a new generation of enthusiasts.

In Lombardia la Fondazione dello scultore Giancarlo Sangregorio inaugura un nuovo spazio dentro un parco

The Fondazione Giancarlo Sangregorio in Sesto Calende, near Varese, has inaugurated a new exhibition space called Spazio Luce, created from the renovation of an old rural building. The space opens with the show "Incontri. Da Fontana a Baj, da Rotella a Mondino. Una collezione svelata," curated by Lorella Giudici, featuring 34 works from Sangregorio's personal collection, including pieces by Lucio Fontana, Enrico Baj, Mimmo Rotella, Aldo Mondino, and Giancarlo Sangregorio himself. The exhibition runs from May 16 to September 27, 2026.

Studio Art MFAs Present Thesis Exhibition “TRANSIT”

American University's 2025 Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition, titled “TRANSIT,” is on view at the AU Art Museum from April 19 to May 18. The show features the culminating works of six graduating Studio Art MFA students: Phaedra Askarinam, Pooja Campbell, Patricia Edwine Poku, Connor Gagne, Andrés Izquierdo, and Julia Cheng Zhang. Their diverse practices span painting, ceramics, installation, and performance, unified by the theme of transit—interpreted as acts of passage, transformation, and self-discovery. Curated around this shared concept, the exhibition explores life transitions such as grief and parenthood, as described by Professorial Lecturer Molly Springfield.

ARTIndia and Vadehra Art Collaborate for ‘Next/Now’ Exhibition in Delhi

A group exhibition titled 'Next/Now' will open in New Delhi on 29 May 2026, organized by ARTIndia Magazine and Vadehra Art Gallery. The show features 30 emerging artists selected from ARTIndia's '30 Under 30' list, working across painting, sculpture, installation, photography, and mixed media. The opening coincides with Defence Colony Gallery Night, and partial proceeds will support the ARTIndia Care Fund, which provides medical care for young artists.

'Intersection: Kisho Kakutani and Kosuke Harasawa' at Whitestone Gallery, Hong Kong on 16 May–4 Jul 2026

Whitestone Gallery Hong Kong presents 'Intersection', a duo exhibition featuring Japanese artists Kisho Kakutani (b.1993) and Kosuke Harasawa (b.1997), running from 16 May to 4 July 2026. Kakutani's works capture bright, humid mornings with frosted, detailed depictions of beaches and cityscapes, while Harasawa focuses on rain-soaked Hong Kong night scenes populated by ghostly figures with transparent umbrellas, blending nostalgia with urban transformation.

Navajo Nation: the fight for cultural survival – photo essay

The Navajo Nation is currently navigating a complex struggle to preserve its cultural heritage against the lingering effects of colonial-era boarding schools and the modern pressures of social media and urbanization. While elders like Virginia Brown recount the trauma of forced assimilation and language suppression, a new generation is grappling with a decline in Navajo fluency, which UNESCO now classifies as a vulnerable language. Despite these hurdles, community members are utilizing local schools and traditional practices to reclaim their identity.

how sothebys institute of art is training the next generation of leaders in luxury

Sotheby's Institute of Art, the academic arm of the Sotheby's auction house, is expanding its focus on luxury business education with three M.A. programs in Luxury Business. These programs, offered in New York and London as well as online, train students in sectors such as fashion, jewelry, watches, and wines and spirits, leveraging the institute's connections to the art market and luxury brands like Chanel, Cartier, LVMH, and Tiffany & Co. Program director Natasha Degen and Dr. Federica Carlotto emphasize the blurring boundaries between art and luxury, and the need for cross-disciplinary expertise.

fashion mary katrantzou bvlgari jewelry

Mary Katrantzou has been appointed as the first-ever creative director of leather goods and accessories at Bvlgari, a role created for her after multiple successful collaborations. She designed the new Icons Minaudière Collection, a series of 10 bags reimagining Bvlgari's iconic symbols such as Serpenti, Divas' Dream, and Monete, using jewelry-making techniques like hand-enameled scales and semiprecious stones.

art asher lifrin young artist

Asher Liftin, a 27-year-old New York-based artist, is profiled as part of Cultured's 2025 Young Artists list. He gained early recognition at age 12 when Wes Anderson selected his artwork for the film *Moonrise Kingdom*. Liftin now creates trompe l'oeil paintings that resemble tapestries but are actually finely rendered pointillist compositions inspired by art-historical still lifes and history paintings. He holds degrees in cognitive science and visual art, and cites graffiti artist Christian Aldunate as a key early influence.

design literature best books of 2025

Cultured magazine has published its annual list of the best design and architecture books of 2025, featuring ten titles that span cookbooks, travelogues, political design history, photography, and architectural theory. Highlights include "Campania: Recipes & Wandering Across Italy’s Polychromatic Coast" edited by Apartamento, "Furnishing Fascism" by Ignacio G. Galán, "Synthesis" by Mari Katayama, and "Monumental" by Cat Dawson, which examines how contemporary artists are reshaping memorial landscapes.

parties national academy of design morgan library

The National Academy of Design celebrated its 200th anniversary with a gala at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York. The event honored the 2025 class of Academicians, including artists Tacita Dean, Nanette Carter, Sheila Hicks, and Nina Yankowitz, as well as architects Trey Trahan, Julie Snow, and Kim Yao. The evening featured an induction ceremony where new members were invited to contribute works to the Academy’s ongoing collection.

parties art corita art center gala melissa mccarthy kathryn hahn

The Corita Art Center held its first benefit gala at the Marciano Art Foundation in downtown Los Angeles, celebrating the legacy of artist and nun Corita Kent. The event drew a high-profile crowd including actors Melissa McCarthy and Kathryn Hahn, artists Barbara Kruger, Catherine Opie, and Laura Owens, along with patrons, chefs, and designers. Guests enjoyed a new exhibition of Kent's work, a family-style dinner, and a performance by musician Natalie Bergman, with a 'GIVE A DAMN' tote bag as a parting gift.

At Centquatre, Circulation(s) Highlights the Diverse Perspectives of Young European Photographers

Au Centquatre, Circulation(s)s met en lumière la diversité de regards des jeunes photographes européens

The 16th edition of the Circulation(s) festival has opened at Centquatre-Paris, showcasing the work of 26 emerging photographers from 15 European countries. Organized by the Fetart collective, this year’s festival features Ireland as the guest country and emphasizes the hybridization of photography with other mediums, such as embroidery, tapestry, and digital installations.

Young students from Kent Talents Art Studio in Broadstairs receive top honours for miniature works

Young students from Kent Talents Art Studio in Broadstairs have won top honors at the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers (RMS) Annual Exhibition for the third consecutive year. Emilia Kalnikaite, age 17, won first prize in the Young Artist Award category for her miniature painting “Ladybird,” while Maria Belousova, age 14, received the President’s Special Award for her bone china sculpture “Creature of No Ocean.” The exhibition took place from 18–22 November at Bankside Gallery in London, featuring works from leading miniature artists and emerging talents worldwide.

SCH exhibit celebrates Black artistic legacy in Philadelphia

Megan Monaghan, director of arts at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (SCH), organized an exhibition at the school's Barbara Crawford Gallery titled "Echoes of Our Future: 250 Years of Black Artistic Legacy in Philadelphia" to honor the city's Black artistic heritage ahead of America's semiquincentennial. Collaborating with Claudia Volpe, director and curator of the Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African American Art, Monaghan selected over 30 works by 27 artists—including Barbara Bullock, Eustace Mamba, Tim McFarlane, Dox Thrash, and Henry Ossawa Tanner—organized into three themes: faces and community, music and movement, and environment. The exhibition runs from Jan. 15 to March 12 and is accompanied by The Next 250, an educational project connecting students through workshops, mentorship, and visual storytelling.

How Australian Chefs and Farmers Are Rediscovering the Ingredients That Have Been There All Along

Author Bruce Pascoe and a new generation of Australian chefs are leading a movement to rediscover and commercialize native Indigenous ingredients like kangaroo grass, Kakadu plums, and wattleseeds. By revisiting historical archives and journals from 19th-century explorers, Pascoe’s research in his book *Dark Emu* challenges the colonial narrative that Indigenous Australians were solely nomadic hunter-gatherers, revealing instead a sophisticated history of permanent settlements, irrigation, and organized agriculture.

National Carpet Museum opens exhibition titled 'Images Imprinted in Memory' [PHOTOS]

The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum has launched "Images Imprinted in Memory," a solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Madina Gasimova. Supported by the .ART domain, the showcase features 28 works produced over the last five years, including five new carpets woven using the museum's traditional techniques based on the artist's contemporary sketches. The exhibition highlights the fluidity of artistic motifs as they transition across various media, including painting, stained glass, mosaic, and digital formats, accompanied by a sound installation of the carpet-weaving process.

Showcasing lasting art

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's Crossman Gallery recently hosted the BA & BSE Senior Show, a showcase of diverse artworks created by graduating students. The exhibition featured a wide range of mediums, including photography, painting, sculpture, and print design, highlighting the creative versatility of the senior class. The event served as a professional milestone for students, allowing them to navigate the gallery submission process and network with faculty and the community.

Remembering the fight for equality: Tuskegee Airmen project enters next chapter at Cleveland History Center

The Cleveland History Center has opened a new exhibition honoring local Tuskegee Airmen, featuring hand-drawn portraits by students from the Cleveland School of the Arts. The exhibition, part of the Cleveland Heroes Project, is displayed at the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum and runs through April 30. It highlights airmen with Northeast Ohio roots, including 2nd Lt. Gilbert Cargill, Capt. Erwin Bernard Lawrence Jr., and Cpl. Howard Arthur Tibbs.