State Museum Announces Finalists for 58th Annual “Art of the State” Exhibition

The State Museum of Pennsylvania has announced the finalists for the 58th annual "Art of the State" exhibition, featuring 96 artists from over 30 counties across the Commonwealth. Selected from 2,344 entries submitted by 696 artists, the finalists' works span five categories: paintings, photography/digital media, crafts, sculptures, and works on paper. A panel of selection jurors—Brenton Good, Shin-hee Chin, and Lauren Whearty—chose the finalists, while awards juror Denise Ryner will determine first, second, and third place winners in each category. Cash prizes totaling $5,300 will be awarded, including the Art Docents’ Choice Award. The exhibition opens June 8, 2025, with free admission on opening day, and runs through September 14, 2025.

Explore diverse artworks at Peer Studios with Ventnor Artists Collective Open Studios exhibition

Four members of the Ventnor Artists Collective—Melanie Ayres, Robert Carter, Mary King, and Marilyn Mittelheuser—will exhibit their work at Peer Studios in Ventnor as part of the Isle of Wight Open Studios. The exhibition runs daily from 11am to 4pm between Friday 16th and Monday 26th May, offering visitors the chance to meet the artists, learn about their creative processes, and purchase original artworks. Each artist brings a distinct style: Ayres focuses on nature-inspired printmaking, Carter paints traditional oils, King explores emotion through mixed media, and Mittelheuser creates colorful textured works on canvas.

'Everyone soaked up the art' - North Yorkshire pop up gallery success

Keeble Gateway Academy in Sowerby, North Yorkshire, celebrated World Art Day on May 1 by hosting a one-day pop-up art exhibition featuring work created by pupils aged 3-10. The exhibition, now in its third year, focused on the artist William Morris, with children producing prints inspired by his techniques and natural themes. Head teacher Jenny Rogers, marking her first anniversary at the school, and curriculum lead Lucy Anderson highlighted the event's growing popularity and community engagement.

ART06870 Gallery Announces Opening Reception for “Recycle Reuse Repurpose” on Saturday

ART06870 Gallery in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, will host the opening reception for "Recycle Reuse Repurpose" on Saturday, May 3, from 6:00–8:00 PM. The exhibition features artists working with recycled and repurposed materials such as plastics, discarded newspapers, and found objects. It is timed with Earth Day celebrations at Old Greenwich School and the annual beach cleanup by the Live Like Luke Foundation. The gallery partnered with the Developing Artist Program and the Greenwich Alliance for Education to host a creative workshop where students created art from washed-up plastics, guided by artist Alejandro Durán.

Juried art exhibition opens at Surrey Art Gallery for a summer showcase of local talent

Surrey Art Gallery is hosting the Arts Council of Surrey's annual summer juried exhibition ARTS 2025 from May 3 to July 27, with free admission. The show features fifty works selected by a jury across five categories: painting; drawing, mixed media, and printmaking on paper; sculpture and fibre art; photography; and digital, performative, and new media art. The jury included photography-based artist Brian Howell, artist and Kwantlen Polytechnic University faculty member Jason Wright, and Surrey Art Gallery Curator of Art and Education Initiatives Alanna Edwards. Visitors can vote for the People's Choice Award, and the exhibition will conclude with a Summer Opening Art Party on July 5.

In Phibsborough Tower, artist Oisín Tozer prepares a fleeting exhibition

Artist Oisín Tozer is preparing a fleeting exhibition titled "Yearn" as part of Phizzfest 2025, a local festival in Phibsborough, Dublin. The exhibition is held in his studio at Richmond Road Studios, located within the brutalist Phibsborough Tower. Tozer, a 2023 fine art graduate of TU Dublin, has carved a large orchid design directly into the wall, emphasizing site-specificity and impermanence. The show is part of Phizzfest's visual arts strand, which also includes Jim Donnelly's "The Walk to the Workhouse" and Eileen Ferguson's "Area C." Tozer's work draws on philosophers Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari, and Mark Fisher, exploring desire and the political potential of inaccessible, temporary art.

Nobu Hotel London Portman Square To Host Asako Iwamizu Solo Exhibition

Japanese artist Asako Iwamizu will present a month-long solo exhibition at Nobu Hotel London Portman Square's White Box gallery starting May 1, 2025. The show features her signature "Kimekomi Art," which combines traditional Japanese kimekomi techniques with fabric scraps and remnants, using both Japanese and British textiles. The exhibition includes interactive workshops on May 17 and 18, and coincides with London Craft Week (May 12–18, 2025), a major annual festival celebrating craftsmanship. Iwamizu will also collaborate with tailors from Savile Row to create new works from local fabric waste.

Guernsey Liberation Day art exhibition marks 80th anniversary

An art exhibition in Guernsey marks the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, featuring works by 12 local artists who explored the island's wartime occupation through family histories, personal recollections, and archival research. The Occupation Arts Collective organized the show, which was sponsored by Guernsey Arts.

Community Space: Celebrating Local Art with the ‘Metamorphosis’ Exhibit

The Redwood City Parks and Arts Foundation has launched its fifth art exhibition, 'Metamorphosis: Evolving Identities,' in the CZI Community Space in downtown Redwood City. The exhibition features 11 local artists from San Mateo County, including four teen artists, showcasing works in painting, wall sculpture, and mixed media that explore themes of transformation, growth, and self-discovery. The launch event on March 21 included panel discussions and artist talks, and the exhibit will remain on display through spring 2026.

A Primer on Buddhist Monuments

The New York Times Art section published a primer on three architecturally significant Buddhist stupas (reliquary mounds) located in Nepal, Thailand, and Taiwan. The article highlights the distinct design and cultural importance of each monument, serving as an educational overview for readers interested in Buddhist architecture.

Before SoHo, This Building Was at the Heart of New York’s Arts District

A West Side co-op building originally built for artists and later converted into offices is being transformed into a luxury condominium called Parc Beaufort. The building, located in a historic New York arts district, once housed a vibrant community of creatives before commercial use took over.

Dynamic Artistic Duos are on Display in New York This Spring

Three exhibitions in New York this spring are showcasing the works of artistic duos, pairing artists to highlight how their creations either complement or contrast with each other. The shows aim to explore the dynamics of collaboration and dialogue between artists, offering viewers a unique perspective on creative relationships.

A Loft with Past Lives Gets an Owner Making a New One

Jessica Helfand, an artist, has purchased and moved into a loft in an industrial building, beginning a new chapter in a space with a layered history. The article details how she transformed the loft to suit her artistic and personal needs, blending its industrial past with her creative vision.

The Vienna Climate Biennale Contrasts Chaos with Hope

The Vienna Climate Biennale, an art festival addressing ecological, social, and political crises, has opened with a focus on sparking dialogue and encouraging audiences to envision a better future. The event contrasts themes of chaos with hope, using contemporary art to engage visitors in critical conversations about climate change and societal transformation.

A Time of Growth for Museums for Children

Children's museums across the United States are entering a significant period of expansion, with new institutions opening and existing facilities undergoing major renovations. This surge in construction and programming aims to meet increasing community demand for interactive, educational spaces designed specifically for young learners.

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Puts Connecticut Artists in the Spotlight

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut, has launched a new initiative dedicated to showcasing the work of artists living and working within the state. This regional focus aims to highlight the creative output of those residing in the shadow of New York City’s dominant art scene, providing a high-profile platform for local talent.

The Thailand Biennale Brings More to Phuket Than Mass Tourism

The Thailand Biennale has opened in Phuket, featuring contemporary artists from Thailand and other countries. The exhibition aims to engage with and honor the island's deep history of applied arts, including traditional crafts and local artistic heritage.

Is Art Good for Your Health?

A new book titled 'Art Cure' by scientist Daisy Fancourt argues that engaging with the arts has significant, measurable benefits for both mental and physical health. The author, a professor of psychobiology and epidemiology, compiles extensive research to claim arts experiences can prevent suicides, help manage epidemics, increase life expectancy, reduce depression, aid trauma recovery, enhance neuroplasticity, and even encourage healthier eating habits.

Accused of Harassing Staff, Martha Ortiz Steps Down as Director of Bogotá’s MAMBO

Martha Ortiz has stepped down as director of Bogotá’s Museo de Arte Moderno (MAMBO) amid allegations of harassing staff and fostering a toxic work environment. The museum announced her retirement and will begin a search for a successor, with board president Ángela Royo and financial manager Francy Hernández assuming interim leadership. Ortiz, who had no prior museum management experience, took the role in March 2024. Her departure follows the ousting of artistic director Eugenio Viola less than three months earlier, after he raised concerns about deteriorating working conditions.

design parties design within reach panel

CULTURED, Design Within Reach (DWR), and Flos co-hosted a salon-style panel discussion in DWR's Third Avenue showroom in New York, focused on the evolving role of lighting in modern interiors. Panelists included Barber Osgerby design studio co-founder Jay Osgerby, interior designer Clive Lonstein, DWR Senior Director of Merchandising Lizzy Sullivan, and moderator Sarah Harrelson, CULTURED's Editor-in-Chief. The event featured the new Flos Bellhop Lamp Collection and drew designers, collectors, and media figures such as Sarah Solis, Gray Davis, and photographer Frank Frances.

Racine Art Museum PEEPS art exhibition winners announced; show runs through April 18

The Racine Art Museum has announced the winners of its annual PEEPS art exhibition, a community-focused event where artists create works using the iconic marshmallow candy. The exhibition, which features these whimsical, edible-art entries, is now open to the public and will run through April 18.

JEZIK AND COSTA EXPLORE MEMORY AND EXILE IN A GROUP EXHIBITION

The Miguel Hernández University in Elche, Spain, presents "Vientos del pueblo. Voices of Exile and Resistance," a group exhibition curated by Mónica Sotos. Inspired by Miguel Hernández's poem "Vientos del pueblo," the show features Argentine artists Ježik and Costa alongside Eugenio Merino, Gloria Oyarzábal, Ricardo Calero, Óscar Seco, Pierre Valls, and María Rosa Aránega. Through photography, video, installation, drawing, and archival works, the exhibition examines violence, borders, exile, and colonial legacies, challenging dominant power narratives.

THE TRANSFORMATIVE SOUND ACCORDING TO BENGOLEA AT C3A

Argentine artist Cecilia Bengolea has unveiled her latest project, "El Ruido que Habita" (The Noise That Dwells), at the Centro de Creación Contemporánea de Andalucía (C3A) in Córdoba. Developed during a residency in early 2025, the exhibition features site-specific drawings and ceramic works created in collaboration with the Dionisio Ortiz School of Art. The installation integrates visual art, technology, and performance, inviting visitors to engage with sound as a transformative language that bridges cultural and material divides.

Urban art and music unite Amsterdam and Milan for three days

L’arte urbana e la musica uniscono Amsterdam e Milano per tre giorni

MUROMi, an independent Milan-based company, is launching a special Milan edition of Here&Now, a cultural event originally created in Amsterdam by Tony Ant and Chinny Bond. Taking place May 21–23, 2026, at Spazio Diaz in Milan, the event combines live painting, music, and contemporary urban art, aiming to bring together creatives, brands, and key figures from the Milanese scene. The project is born from a collaboration between MUROMi and the Here&Now community, which is rooted in international street culture and music.

A Roma il popolare quartiere Quadraro ospita un festival d’arte diffuso. Il programma

The IPER Festival delle periferie returns to Rome's Quadraro neighborhood for its fifth edition, titled "Super Lieux (Super luoghi) Periferie. Storie e geografie." Running until May 31, the festival features conferences, roundtables, study days, talks, exhibitions, and performances. A highlight is "Überlagerungen," a diffuse art review curated by Spazio Y that animates the Quadraro Vecchio district on May 16 with actions, installations, and shows from 4 PM to 11 PM. Participating venues include Spazio Kina, vineria Moggio, and osteria Grandma, with works by artists such as Lucia Bricco, Giulio Cassanelli, Felice Levini, and many others.

Interview with the curators who brought Italy to London Craft Week

Intervista alle curatrici che hanno portato l’Italia alla Craft Week di Londra

Amalia di Lanno and Valeria Zerbo, founders of the London-based curatorial platform Avant Craft, are bringing Italian ceramics to the London Craft Week for the first time. Their exhibition, "Contemporary Perspectives on Italian Ceramics," showcases a selection of independent Italian artists and designers who explore ceramics as a material investigation, sculptural experimentation, and cultural continuity. The show opens on May 14 with a "Meet a Master" event featuring artist Riccardo Monachesi, marking the official kickoff of Avant Craft.

A Roma un evento per indagare le relazioni tra scienza e moda. Intervista alla curatrice Dobrila Denegri

From May 13 to 15, 2026, the MACRO – Museo d’Arte Contemporanea di Roma will host "Science Fashion," an event curated by Dobrila Denegri that explores the intersections of fashion, science, and new technologies. The program brings together international researchers and practitioners in experimental fashion to discuss urgent issues such as climate emergency, energy, and interspecies coexistence. It is part of the broader multi-year initiative "Experiments in Fashion and Art," launched in 2024 with "Critical Fashion," and involves collaborations with NABA, Sapienza University of Rome, and UnitelmaSapienza.

In che modo la rigenerazione sta provando a cambiare l’Italia? Risponde la newsletter Render

Artribune's newsletter "Render" is set to release its 57th issue on May 11, featuring stories on urban regeneration projects across Italy. Highlights include a new library under construction in Latisana near the train station, a square-shaped island in the Venice lagoon transformed into an exhibition space after decades of abandonment, participatory tactical urbanism initiatives in Torre Annunziata funded by a Ministry of Social Policies and Labor grant, and a post-war complex in Rome poised to become a cultural hub. The issue will also profile the Peruvian architecture duo Barclay & Crousse ahead of their exhibition at the Politecnico di Milano and include a reflection on contemporary green spaces inspired by a visit to a private English park.

16th-Century Rome Through the Eyes of a Foreigner: The Exhibition

La Roma del Cinquecento vista con gli occhi di uno straniero. La mostra

Fabio De Chirico has been appointed as the new director of the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica in Rome, with a mission to boost research, strengthen international dialogue, and enhance the institution's collections. His tenure opens with the exhibition "Maarten van Heemskerck e il fascino di Roma: percorsi visivi della Città Eterna," curated by Tatjana Bartsch, Rita Bernini, and Giorgio Marini, running until June 7, 2026. The show features drawings by the 16th-century Dutch artist Maarten van Heemskerck, on loan from the Kupferstichkabinett of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, alongside over sixty works from the institute's own holdings—including prints, engravings, and archival photographs—plus loans from the Bibliotheca Hertziana, the Musei Capitolini, and the Istituto Archeologico Germanico di Roma.

Future cultural professionals in Africa will be trained by six Italian museums

I futuri professionisti della cultura in Africa saranno formati da sei musei italiani

The fourth edition of the International School of Cultural Heritage (Scuola Internazionale del Patrimonio Culturale) is underway, with 23 cultural professionals from 12 African nations participating in a hands-on training program hosted by six Italian museums. After online modules and a week of lectures in Rome, the residential phase runs from April 27 to May 22, 2025, placing participants at the Museo delle Civiltà (MUCIV), the Archaeological Parks of Praeneste and Gabii, the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto (MArTA), the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN), the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria (MArRC), and the National Archaeological Museum of Agro Falisco and Forte Sangallo in Civita Castellana. The program, titled "Managing Art Collections: from ancient to contemporary," focuses on collection management, conservation, and public programming, linking archaeological heritage with contemporary practices.