Artists Across America Are Creating Stunning Floral Arrangements Inspired by Paintings, Sculptures and Artifacts

Museums across the United States are hosting "Art in Bloom" exhibitions, where floral artists create custom arrangements inspired by artworks in museum collections. The Cincinnati Art Museum recently held its show with 65 arrangements alongside pieces ranging from sculptures to oil portraits, including a sugar flower installation by Amsterdam-based artist Natasja Sadi. Other institutions like the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston—which started the tradition in 1976—and the Minneapolis Institute of Art also participate, with artists like Amy Kubas drawing inspiration from works such as a Japanese block print.

Rembrandt works called into question by experts in the Netherlands

Conservators at the Mauritshuis gallery in The Hague have called into question the attribution of three paintings long believed to be by Rembrandt van Rijn. Technical analysis revealed an underdrawing beneath *Portrait of Rembrandt with a Gorget* (c. 1629), proving it is a copy and that the original is in Nuremberg. *Tronie of an Old Man* (c. 1630) may be by a student or employee, and *Study of an Old Man* (c. 1655), though signed by Rembrandt, shows less accomplished brushwork and a date applied later in different paint, suggesting studio production. All three works remain on view in the exhibition *Rembrandt?* (17 April–13 July).

As the Met’s Gorgeous New John Singer Sargent Exhibition Proves, There’s Much More to Madame X Than That Scandalous Strap

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened a major new exhibition, "Sargent and Paris," organized with the Musée d'Orsay, focusing on John Singer Sargent's formative decade in the French capital. The show culminates with his iconic portrait *Madame X* (1883–84), which caused a scandal at the 1884 Paris Salon when its jeweled strap appeared to slip off the subject's shoulder. Curator Stephanie L. Herdrich spent six years developing the exhibition, which includes approximately 100 works and aims to provide a more nuanced retelling of the painting's creation and impact. The exhibition runs from April 27 to August 3 at the Met before traveling to the Musée d'Orsay, marking the first monographic show of Sargent's work in France and the first time *Madame X* has been exhibited there in over 40 years.

Swiss Bührle Foundation reaches settlement with heirs of Jewish collector over Manet’s ‘La Sultane’

The foundation overseeing the Bührle collection has reached a settlement with the heirs of Jewish collector Max Silberberg, allowing Édouard Manet's painting 'La Sultane' (c. 1871) to remain on display at the Kunsthaus Zurich. The painting was purchased in 1953 by Emil Bührle, a Swiss arms dealer who sold to both Allies and Nazis during WWII and benefited from slave labor. Silberberg, forced to sell his villa to the SS in 1935 and later deported to Auschwitz, had consigned the work in 1932, but his heirs argue the 1937 sale to dealer Paul Rosenberg was a consequence of Nazi persecution. The settlement terms are confidential.

Art initiative brings 10 new contemporary works by local artists to Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins University has acquired 10 new contemporary artworks by local Baltimore artists as part of an initiative launched in 2023 to collect and display art by regional talents. The second round of acquisitions includes works by Brandon Donahue-Shipp, Bria Sterling-Wilson, and Jerrell Gibbs, among others. The pieces will be displayed at the Irene and Richard Frary Gallery in Washington, D.C., as part of the exhibition "Strong, Bright, Useful, and True: Recent Acquisitions and Contemporary Art from Baltimore" before being installed across Johns Hopkins campuses.

The Brooklyn Museum Announces Summer Exhibitions featuring Red Grooms, Mimi Gross, and The Ruckus Construction Co. Christian Marclay ; and Melissa Joseph

The Brooklyn Museum has announced its summer 2025 exhibition lineup, featuring a diverse range of installations. Highlights include "Red Grooms, Mimi Gross, and The Ruckus Construction Co.: Excerpts from 'Ruckus Manhattan'," which brings back the immersive 1970s tribute to New York City with works like "Dame of the Narrows" (1975) and a new addition, "42nd Street Porno Bookstore" (1976). Christian Marclay's film "Doors" (2022) will debut in New York, while fiber artist and UOVO Prize winner Melissa Joseph presents a site-specific outdoor installation titled "Tender" on the museum's plaza. Additionally, the Rubin Museum Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room will be relocated to the Brooklyn Museum's Arts of Asia galleries.

Remembering Asher Remy-Toledo, Media Art Luminary

Asher Remy-Toledo, a Colombian-born cultural producer and a central figure in New York's media art scene, died on February 22 at age 62 from Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was the founder and director of Hyphen Hub, an international art organization, and previously ran the influential Remy Toledo Gallery in Chelsea, which showcased feminist and post-feminist artists.

Maine art galleries showcase dozens of artists in summer shows

A roundup of summer art exhibitions across Maine highlights dozens of artists showing at galleries and pop-up spaces from Rockport to Portland. Notable shows include Alexandre Gallery's pop-up featuring charcoal works by the late Cooper Union-trained artist Emily Nelligan, who spent decades depicting Cranberry Island; Karma's annual summer pop-up at artist Ann Craven's deconsecrated church in Thomaston; and solo exhibitions at Caldbeck Gallery, Courthouse Gallery, and Cove Street Arts. Other venues such as Carver Hill Gallery, Corey Daniels Gallery, Dowling Walsh, and Moss Galleries present group and solo shows spanning landscape painting, mythical imagery, and works addressing social resistance.

Where to see artworks in Marin

A comprehensive listing of art exhibitions and gallery shows across Marin County, California, for spring 2025. The article highlights dozens of venues including Robert Green Fine Arts in Mill Valley, which will display John Grillo's works from the 1940s beginning in May, alongside shows at Anthony Meier, Art Works Downtown, Bolinas Museum, and many local libraries and cultural centers. Exhibits range from abstract works and pop art to photography, ceramics, and sculptures by artists such as Saif Azzuz, Drew Frazier, Lenore Golub, and Sonny Smith.

LEONORA CARRINGTON THE VITRUVIAN WOMAN IN LUXEMBOURG

The Musée du Luxembourg in Paris has opened the first major exhibition in France dedicated solely to the work of surrealist artist Leonora Carrington. Titled 'The Vitruvian Woman,' the show presents 126 works and frames Carrington as a model of innovation and harmony, a deliberate counterpoint to Leonardo da Vinci's 'Vitruvian Man.' It explores her artistic journey from her Celtic origins and discovery of Italian Renaissance art to her pivotal involvement with Surrealism in France and her final years in Mexico.

At the BnF, wonderful maps to imagine new worlds

À la BnF, des merveilles de cartes pour imaginer des mondes nouveaux

The Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) is presenting an exhibition of extraordinary maps that blend imagination with cartography, tracing the evolution of maps from ancient tools of navigation to fantastical creations that fueled exploration and myth. The show features rare works including Renaissance sea monsters, cosmological paintings, and literary maps from Tolkien's Middle-earth and George R.R. Martin's Westeros, alongside contemporary artists like Alighiero Boetti, Sergio Aquindo, and Michael Druks who use maps to express personal and political visions.

Islamic Futurism Here and Now

Hyperallergic's daily newsletter highlights several key art world stories, including a protest by nearly 200 artists, curators, and staff at the 61st Venice Biennale calling for Israel's exclusion from the event. It also features a guide to New York's spring art fairs, a new exhibition on Frida Kahlo, a campaign against a Palestinian artist in Germany, and a profile on artists advancing Islamic Futurism through calligraphy and installation.

Corals as Living Geology. In Conversation with Julian Charrière by Timothée Chaillou

Julian Charrière has created two new bodies of work, *Chorals* (2025) and *Veils* (2025), in collaboration with Maison Ruinart. The projects are inspired by the Lutetian Sea, which submerged the Champagne region 45 million years ago, and explore themes of deep time, climate change, and the interconnectedness of organic and mineral life. *Chorals* is a permanent sound installation in Ruinart's cellars in Reims, featuring amplified recordings of ocean reefs, while *Veils* comprises wall works and sculptures centered on corals and fading coral imagery. The works travel to art fairs as preludes to the permanent installation.

Total Warfare. A Conversation with Luigi Alberto Cippini  by ANY

Architect Luigi Alberto Cippini, founder of Armature Globale, engages in a provocative dialogue with Michael Abel and Nile Greenberg regarding the stagnation of contemporary architecture. Cippini calls for a radical departure from traditional disciplinary boundaries, advocating for a "punk" approach that embraces low-resolution aesthetics, hyper-specialized research, and a rejection of the pedantic communication standards that currently dominate the field.

Feeling Nature According to Nicolas Poussin

Ressentir la nature d’après Nicolas Poussin

An exhibition titled "Le sentiment de la nature. L’art contemporain au miroir de Poussin" has opened at the NMNM – Villa Paloma in Monaco. Curated by Guillaume de Sardes, it places Nicolas Poussin's 1651 painting *L'Orage* in dialogue with works by over twenty contemporary artists, including Sarah Moon, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Thomas Demand, Pierre Thoretton, Ange Leccia, Marine Wallon, and Claudio Parmiggiani.

Leaner, nimbler and more discreet: why some art advisory firms are growing in a downturn

A growing number of "super advisory" firms are being founded by former top-level auction house executives, offering leaner, more discreet art advisory services without the high overheads of major auction houses and galleries. Notable examples include Art Intelligence Global (AIG), launched by Amy Cappellazzo and Yuki Terase after leaving Sotheby's, and Patti Wong & Associates, founded by former Sotheby's Asia chair Patti Wong. These firms leverage decades of experience and personal client relationships to compete in a cautious market where major auction houses have cut staff and digitized operations.

The Walters Art Museum Shines a Light On the Toxic History of Medieval Manuscripts

The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore has opened "If Books Could Kill," an exhibition exploring the toxic history of medieval manuscripts. The show reveals how pigments like white lead, red mercury, and arsenic were commonly used by scribes, artists, and bookbinders, exposing them to serious health risks. Co-curated by Dr. Lynley Anne Herbert and Dr. Annette S. Ortiz Miranda, the exhibition features 24 rarely displayed manuscripts from the museum's collection, including a Thai treatise on elephants with arsenic-based yellows and a 15th-century Armenian Gospel with vermillion pigments. It also includes a conservator-led video demonstrating how portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) is used to identify toxic materials.

70 of Stephen Curry’s Game-Worn NBA Sneakers to Be Sold at Sotheby’s, Including a Pair of Nike Kobe 6 Protro ‘Mambacita’

Sotheby’s has announced an online auction of over 70 pairs of sneakers worn by NBA star Stephen Curry during his 2025-26 "sneaker free agency" season. The collection features a diverse range of brands, including Nike, Jordan, Adidas, and Li-Ning, marking the first time Curry was not tied to a single footwear contract. High-profile lots include the Nike Kobe 6 Protro ‘Mambacita’ and the Nike Air Jordan 12 ‘Flu Game,’ with individual estimates reaching up to $50,000.

arar gallery

ARAR Gallery in Utrecht, Netherlands, is championing contemporary Armenian art on the global stage. Founded by Ashot Khalafyan, the gallery presents a diverse roster of artists who synthesize Armenian cultural heritage with avant-garde practices, refusing to treat the art as an isolated category. The gallery's program includes painters like Hasmik Khalafyan and Anahit Mirijanyan, photographer Aram Khalafyan, and extends to limited-edition wearable art based on original paintings.

paris art dealer found guilty harassing brigitte macron

A Paris art dealer, Bertrand Scholler, cofounder of gallery 55 Bellechasse, was among 10 people found guilty of online harassment for falsely claiming that French First Lady Brigitte Macron was born male. The court issued suspended sentences, fines, and a six-month ban from X, with the defendants also ordered to pay compensation. Scholler, who has over 108,000 followers on X, announced he would close his account for six months in compliance with the court order.

Human Connection Cuts Through Technology at Focus Art Fair

Focus Art Fair, New York's only art fair dedicated to contemporary Asian art, returned for its fourth edition at Chelsea Industrial, running through May 24, 2026. The fair's theme, 'human-technology coexistence,' was explored through works such as Hwia Kim's interactive installation 'What if two eyes don't work together?' presented by LG Electronics, and pieces by the Ukrainian-born F-Twins (Anna and Valeriia Lyshchenko), who founded the Primarealism art movement in response to AI's encroachment on critical thinking. Other highlights included Annu Yadav's political installation 'This Land is Wounded' (2025) and Taezoo Park's 'Hacked Snoopy' (2025), which memorializes neglected technologies. The fair featured more than 40 galleries and presenters, with a notable appearance by Japanese pop icon Kento Senga, who shared his FiNGA character as a means of connecting with his grandmother suffering from Alzheimer's.

Workers Push to Rename Wexner Center for the Arts Over Epstein Ties

Unionized staff at Ohio State University's Wexner Center for the Arts, organized as Wex Workers United, have officially called for the renaming of the arts center and other campus buildings named after billionaire benefactor Les Wexner. The union argues that Wexner's name, due to his decades-long association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—who had power of attorney over Wexner's fortune—harms artists and community members. The call follows similar demands from the Ohio Nurses Association regarding the Wexner Medical Center and ongoing student protests, including an April 10 action where students covered Wexner's name on the art center's façade with a black tarp. OSU spokesperson Chris Booker noted that over 500 renaming requests have been filed under the university's official review procedure, while OSU President Ted Carter has emphasized that name changes require fact-finding and cannot be based on supposition.

Future Fair Is a Big Artist Party

Future Fair, held at Chelsea Industrial in New York from May 13–16, 2026, brought together 69 exhibitors from nine countries. Unlike traditional art fairs with segmented booths, the fair emphasized interconnectedness and interpersonal connection, featuring artist-run booths and family-led presentations. Notable participants included Nanor Hakimian showing her brother Garo's paintings, Olivia Janna Genereaux exhibiting with her son Hans Silas Jovine, and artists Cloe Galasso, John Vitale, and Miles Ingrassia. The fair also highlighted its profit-sharing model, dedicating 15% of proceeds plus exhibitor donations to subsidize emerging galleries.

Gulag Museum rebrand marks latest phase in Kremlin’s assault on free speech

The Kremlin is systematically erasing the memory of Soviet repression under Joseph Stalin from Russian museums. The Gulag Museum in Moscow, which documented Stalin-era crimes, has been rebranded as a "Museum of Memory" focused on Nazi war crimes, with its entire website replaced and exhibitions packed up. Simultaneously, Russia's supreme court banned Memorial, a human rights organization founded to document Stalin-era atrocities, labeling it an "anti-Russian" extremist group. The Yeltsin Presidential Center in Yekaterinburg has also removed references to Memorial from its walls, and the Sakharov Center in Moscow was disbanded and evicted from its facilities.

72 Hours in Venice: Palazzos, Protests, and a Biennale on the Brink

The article recounts a journalist's 72-hour visit to the Venice Biennale, beginning with a protest by Pussy Riot and Femen at the Russian Pavilion. The action features pink smoke, chants of "Blood is Russia's art," and a guerrilla performance of the song "Disobey," set against a backdrop of internal Biennale strife—including juror resignations over countries whose leaders face ICC arrest warrants (Netanyahu and Putin). The narrative also notes the presence of alt-right figures like Ryan Coyne and sculptor Alma Allen's troubled U.S. pavilion representation.

Azerbaijan Destroys Armenian Holy Mother of God Church in Artsakh

Satellite imagery obtained by Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW) confirms that the Azerbaijani regime has demolished the Holy Mother of God Church in Stepanakert, the former capital of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). The church, consecrated in 2019 after 12 years of construction, was destroyed within the last eight weeks, as evidenced by Sentinel-2 satellite images from March 3 and April 2. The Artsakh Tourism and Cultural Development Agency announced the destruction on April 21, three days before the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. This demolition follows a pattern of damage to Armenian religious and cultural sites since the forced displacement of over 130,000 Armenians in September 2023.

Glasgow arts hub tenants condemn ‘unsustainable’ rent rises by landlord

Tenants at Glasgow's Trongate 103 cultural hub are protesting what they call "unsustainable" rent and service charge increases imposed by City Property, an arm's-length organization managing buildings for Glasgow City Council. Organizations like Transmission Gallery, Street Level Photography, and Glasgow Print Studio face potential displacement after receiving notices to quit or demands for significant cost hikes, with one group citing a £700,000 annual increase.

preservation societies lawsuit kennedy center trump

Eight preservation societies have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to halt a planned two-year closure and renovation of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The legal action alleges that the administration is bypassing federal historic preservation and environmental laws, as well as necessary Congressional approval, to fundamentally alter the modernist landmark. The suit specifically targets the administration's lack of transparency regarding the extent of the work, which plaintiffs fear could include demolition and reconstruction.

VCUarts’ 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition at the Institute for Contemporary Art

Virginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts (VCUarts) is presenting its 2026 Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition in two parts at the Institute for Contemporary Art in Richmond. The exhibition showcases the culminating work of 28 MFA candidates across disciplines including Craft/Material Studies, Graphic Design, Painting + Printmaking, and Sculpture + Extended Media, curated by Egbert Vongmalaithong of the ICA and guest curator Taylor Jasper from the Walker Art Center.

May we suggest the art you need to see this May?

Lifestyle Asia has published a curated list of art exhibitions and events to see in May, offering recommendations for art enthusiasts looking to explore new shows and installations during the month. The article serves as a guide to notable cultural happenings, likely highlighting both emerging and established artists across various venues.