New fine-art gallery to open in former Main Street Cafe building

West Winds Gallery of Fine Art is set to open in the former Main Street Cafe building in downtown Grand Junction, Colorado. Owners Cynthia Duff and Greg Tapp purchased the historic property and spent a year performing an extensive remodel to transform the space into a modern art destination. The gallery will officially launch with two grand-opening events in early March, featuring a curated selection of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and jewelry from Western Colorado’s most prominent artists.

Seventh Circle celebrates new space by championing local artists in open-call exhibition

Seventh Circle, an independent art space in Birmingham's Digbeth district, has inaugurated its new, expanded location with an open-call exhibition titled "Renaissance." Featuring works by 40 local artists across various media—including sculpture, ceramics, and fine art—the show explores themes of rebirth and renewal. To support the local creative economy, the gallery introduced a dual-award system: a Director’s Choice Award granting a solo exhibition and a People’s Choice Award providing bespoke framing services.

US National Park Service removes slavery memorial at Philadelphia historic site

The US National Park Service has removed an outdoor exhibit titled “Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation” at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. The exhibit, which focused on nine people enslaved by George Washington and explored the paradox between slavery and freedom in the nation's founding, was dismantled following a directive from President Donald Trump to eliminate “corrosive ideology” from cultural heritage sites. The removal, captured on social media on January 22, aligns with a March 2025 executive order instructing the NPS to emphasize American achievements and avoid materials that “inappropriately disparage Americans.”

New National Galleries of Scotland chair to lead opening of Edinburgh’s The Art Works

The National Galleries of Scotland has appointed Catherine Muirden as the new Chair of the Board, effective 1 November 2025, for a four-year term. Muirden brings extensive experience from corporate roles at Barclays, Marks & Spencer, the John Lewis Partnership, and The Co-operative Group, alongside two decades of arts board service in Scotland, including as Vice chair of Scottish Ballet and chair of the Fruitmarket Gallery. She succeeds Benny Higgins, who led the board through a period of significant challenges. Muirden's priorities include safeguarding the national art collection, strengthening public engagement through The Art Works development, and securing sustainable funding.

New National Galleries of Scotland chair to lead opening of Edinburgh’s The Art Works

Catherine Muirden has been appointed as the new Chair of the Board of the National Galleries of Scotland, starting 1 November 2025 for a four-year term. Muirden brings extensive experience from the corporate sector, including roles at Barclays, Marks & Spencer, and the John Lewis Partnership, as well as over two decades of arts board service in Scotland, most recently as Vice Chair of Scottish Ballet and previously as Chair of the Fruitmarket Gallery. She succeeds Benny Higgins, who led the board through a period of significant challenges.

New National Galleries of Scotland chair to lead opening of Edinburgh’s The Art Works

The National Galleries of Scotland has appointed Catherine Muirden as the new Chair of the Board, effective 1 November 2025, for a four-year term. Muirden brings extensive experience from corporate roles at Barclays, Marks & Spencer, the John Lewis Partnership, and The Co-operative Group, alongside two decades of arts board service in Scotland, including as Vice Chair of Scottish Ballet and Chair of the Fruitmarket Gallery. She succeeds Benny Higgins, who led the board through a period of significant challenges. Director-General Anne Lyden expressed enthusiasm for working with Muirden to advance The Art Works, a new state-of-the-art facility in North Edinburgh that will serve as a community space, conservation center, and art storage hub, enabling broader public access to Scotland's national collection.

Statue Removed from Delaware During Black Lives Matter Protests to Be Reinstated in Washington D.C.

A statue of Caesar Rodney, a signer of the Declaration of Independence who enslaved over 200 people, is set to be reinstated in Washington D.C.'s Freedom Plaza. The National Park Service plans to place the statue as part of the nation's 250th birthday celebrations, six years after it was removed from Wilmington, Delaware, during Black Lives Matter protests.

telfair museums lays off 15 percent of staff 1234769530

Telfair Museums in Savannah, Georgia, laid off approximately 15 percent of its staff on January 9, 2025. The layoffs were announced abruptly during an afternoon Zoom call without prior warning, according to former employees, though the museum offered severance packages. Museum representatives attributed the cuts to reduced funding and stated the decision was approved by the board’s executive committee.

donald trump jeffrey epstein statue returns email release 1234761586

A controversial statue of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, originally titled *The Secret Handshake* and later renamed *Why Can't We Be Friends?*, has reappeared in Washington, D.C., outside the Busboys and Poets Art Cafe. The anonymous artists behind the work, which depicts the two men holding hands, timed its return to coincide with the release of a new tranche of Epstein-related emails by the House Oversight Committee. The statue first debuted on the National Mall in September but was removed by the National Parks Service for exceeding size regulations, before briefly returning. The artists have now renamed it *Best Friends Forever* and included plaques alluding to a birthday message allegedly written by Trump to Epstein.

art basel qatar strategic partner plans fine art storage logistics hub 1234761206

Qatar is planning to build the Gulf region's largest full-service fine art storage and logistics facility, developed by QC+ (a strategic partner of Art Basel Qatar and Qatar Sports Investments) in collaboration with Gulf Warehousing Company Q.P.S.C. The facility, located near Hamad International Airport in a designated free zone, will offer art preservation, storage, conservation, and viewing rooms, allowing artworks to be stored and traded outside customs territory. The announcement follows Qatar's broader art infrastructure expansion, including a planned museum of international modern and contemporary art and the upcoming Art Basel Qatar fair.

christies website down microsoft outage 1234759356

Christie's website experienced a temporary outage on Wednesday, October 29, due to a global Microsoft 365 and Azure cloud platform disruption. Visitors saw an error message apologizing for the inconvenience and providing contact numbers for Christie's branches in London, New York, Paris, and Hong Kong. A Christie's spokesperson confirmed the outage was caused by the Microsoft issue, and the site was restored after Microsoft pushed a recovery configuration. No live auctions were scheduled that day.

trump epstein statue dc returns national mall 1234755268

A controversial statue depicting President Donald Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has returned to Washington, D.C.'s National Mall after being removed by the National Parks Service late last month. Originally titled *The Secret Handshake*, the 12-foot-tall work was hauled away for being non-compliant with permit height regulations, during which it was damaged. The anonymous artists have since repaired the statue and retitled it *Why Can’t We Be Friends?*, reinstalling it on the National Mall. The statue includes plaques referencing a birthday note allegedly written by Trump to Epstein, which Trump has denied authoring.

Healing Through Art: The Highlands Launches Community Gallery

The Highlands, a senior living community in Decorah, has opened a new on-site art gallery. Its inaugural exhibition features acrylic paintings by tri-state area artist Corey Cleven, with all artwork available for purchase. A portion of each sale will be donated to The Highlands Foundation to support resident programs and services.

No Lost Generation Hosts Beautiful, Poignant Exhibition of Afghan Refugee Artists’ Work

Georgetown University’s student organization No Lost Generation (NLG) partnered with the Afghan artist collective ArtLords to host a five-day exhibition at the Intercultural Center galleria. Curated by Omaid Sharifi, the showcase featured works by three Afghan refugee artists—Abdul Hakim Maqsoodi, Mohammad Younus Qani, and Fatima Wojohat—centered around the theme of "nawroz" (new day). The collection spanned traditional Afghan miniatures, scenes of displacement, and portraits exploring the resilience of female refugees.

Local Notes: Art Exhibition, Chess Club, Digital Skills

Service users from Rehab Care Castlerea and Roscommon are presenting a special art exhibition at the Roscommon Library. Running from February 18th to February 28th, the showcase features a variety of creative works produced by individuals within the care program.

Sligo’s Dream Horizons – A Celebration of Local Creativity exhibition open in Sligo

An art exhibition titled "Sligo's Dream Horizons – A Celebration of Local Creativity" has opened at the ATU Library in Sligo, featuring works by artists supported by HSE Disability Services' Ballytivnan Training Centre. The exhibition, which runs from November 25 to December 12, 2025, showcases the artists' unique perspectives on Sligo's scenic beauty and cultural landmarks, guided by art tutor Jenny Cooper. The project was developed in collaboration with Johanna Archbold and the ATU Library team.

Monumental sculpture honours women’s service in US Coast Guard during Second World War

A monumental sculpture titled "Reflection" by French-born artist Prune Nourry has been installed at Ocean Terrace Park in Miami Beach, honoring the women of the U.S. Coast Guard Women’s Reserve (Spars) who served during World War II. The 21.3-foot sculpture features a half-face resting in water, completed by its reflection, with a mangrove tree sprouting from the side of the head. It was unveiled on October 30 and is Nourry’s first public art project in the U.S. The work uses the likeness of Yeoman Third Class Nellie Locust, a Cherokee woman who served in the Spars, with permission from her family. The sculpture was created in collaboration with landscape architect Raymond Jungles.

Art exhibit honors Maine’s Deaf community, victims of Lewiston shootings - Portland Press Herald

An exhibition titled “Unspoken Resilience: Healing from the Lewiston Shooting Two Years In” is on view at the University of New England Art Gallery in Portland, Maine. Co-curated by Michelle Ames and Meryl Troop, the show features work by deaf artists and craftspeople alongside color photographs of Lewiston by Michael Kolster. It was created in response to the October 2023 mass shooting at Schemengees Bar & Grille in Lewiston, which killed 18 people, four of whom were deaf. Ames, co-director of deaf services at Disability Rights Maine, was frustrated by the lack of ASL interpreters in media coverage and helped organize community support. The exhibition includes pieces that explore Deaf culture, healing, and the concept of De’VIA (Deaf View/Image Art), a term defined in 1989 by deaf artists to express the Deaf experience through high contrast, intense colors, and symbolic imagery.

Art exhibit honors Maine’s Deaf community, victims of Lewiston shootings - Portland Press Herald

The University of New England Art Gallery in Portland is hosting an exhibition titled "Unspoken Resilience: Healing from the Lewiston Shooting Two Years In," curated by Michelle Ames and Meryl Troop. The show features work by deaf artists and craftspeople, alongside color photographs of Lewiston by Michael Kolster, created in response to the October 25, 2023 mass shooting at Schemengees Bar & Grille that killed 18 people, including four deaf individuals. Ames, co-director of deaf services at Disability Rights Maine, was frustrated by the lack of ASL interpreters in media coverage and helped organize the exhibition as a space for healing and recognition of the Deaf community.

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.

The Emanent Museum

Artist and writer Farid Rakun, a member of the collective ruangrupa, offers a critical diagnosis of contemporary museums. He argues that institutions in his Indonesian context are either state-run and subject to unstable political direction, or privately owned and driven by colonialist, capital-accumulating mentalities. He laments the intertwining of these models, which prioritizes revenue and growth over genuine cultural service.

Goldsmiths Art College Staffers Will Fight Proposed Cuts

Staff and faculty at Goldsmiths, University of London, are preparing for strike action in response to a restructuring plan titled "Future Goldsmiths." The initiative aims to save £22 million by the end of the 2026/27 academic year through significant job cuts, starting with professional services staff and extending to academic positions. The Goldsmiths University and College Union (UCU) reports that 81 percent of its members voted in favor of the strike, arguing that the proposed austerity measures will devastate the institution's educational quality and its capacity for radical creative thought.

Bolton artists invited to show their work at Bolton Museum

Bolton Museum is inviting local artists to submit their work for the Open Art Exhibition, with submissions due on January 29, 2026, at Bolton Library. Three prizes are on offer: the Young Artist award (ages 16–25, sponsored by Bolton at Home), the Visitors’ Choice award (sponsored by Bromley Art Supplies), and the Winners Prize (sponsored by the Library and Museum service). The judging panel includes Amy Brunn, Professor Kirsty Fairclough, David Gledhill, and the Manchester Young People’s Panel. All mediums except installations and live performances are accepted, and entrants must be aged 16 or over and live, work, or study in Bolton.

Marae to host Pātaka Ora auction

Dunedin’s Araiteuru Marae will host the inaugural Pātaka Ora Summer Art Exhibition & Auction on November 24, 2025, from 5pm to 9pm at the Shetland Street marae. The event features works from rangatahi (youth) to tohunga toi (experienced artists), including paintings, ceramics, and photography, alongside music, conversation, and food. Organized by the volunteer Pātaka Ora committee, the auction aims to raise funds for the marae’s community wellbeing kitchen, which has provided 18 meal services so far this year.

Bolton artists invited to submit work for 2026 Open Art Exhibition

Bolton Museum and Library Services is calling for entries for its 2026 Open Art Exhibition, running from February 14 to May 17, 2026. The show is open to artists and craftspeople aged 16 and over who live, work, or study in the Bolton borough, with submissions accepted in media including painting, drawing, print, textiles, ceramics, sculpture, photography, and digital art. A new Young Artist Award for ages 16–23, sponsored by Bolton at Home, offers a £250 prize, alongside the overall Winner’s Prize and the Visitors’ Choice Award sponsored by Bromleys Art Supplies. The judging panel includes Amy Brunn, Professor Kirsty Fairclough, and artist David Gledhill, with a Young People’s Panel also involved. Entry fees are £5 per work, and artists may sell their pieces with a 30% commission charged by the museum.

Two spectacular libraries are under construction in Milan: photos of the construction sites

A Milano sono in costruzione due spettacolari biblioteche: le foto dei cantieri

Milan is currently undergoing a significant cultural transformation with the construction of two major public libraries: the European Library of Information and Culture (BEIC) and the Lorenteggio Library. The BEIC, a massive 30,000-square-meter project designed by Onsitestudio and funded by the PNRR, is rising in the Porta Vittoria district as a national-level cultural hub. Meanwhile, the Lorenteggio Library, designed by a team led by Grau Magaña Urtzi, is taking shape in a strategic suburban area to provide essential community services and social integration.

Hundreds at London’s British Library go on strike, as Tate workers consider action

Around 300 workers at the British Library in London have gone on strike from 27 October to 9 November over a pay dispute, organized by the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS). The strike threatens to disrupt the opening of the major exhibition "Secret Maps" (until 18 January 2026). Meanwhile, more than 100 PCS members across Tate's four sites are being balloted for possible strike action, with a postal ballot closing on 11 November. The unions demand inflation-proof pay rises, citing low wages that force employees to take second jobs and loans, while management offers increases of 2.4% at the British Library and 3% at Tate.

Eric Ravilious and Tirzah Garwood woodblocks rescued from eBay sale go on display in UK

A collection of 27 original woodblocks hand-carved by British artists Eric Ravilious and Tirzah Garwood, dating from 1930 to 1950, was rescued from an eBay sale through collaboration between the artists' heirs and the Art Loss Register (ALR). The blocks, believed missing or stolen since the 1950s, were listed on eBay last summer, prompting the family—including daughter Anne Ullman and granddaughter Ella Ravilious—to contact the ALR to halt the sale. The blocks have now been catalogued and split between The Fry Art Gallery in Suffolk and Towner Eastbourne, where they are on public display.

Lisa Lundgren, 'Solo Exhibition' at Alzueta Gallery, Séneca, Barcelona, Spain on 9–31 Jul 2026

Alzueta Gallery in Barcelona is presenting a solo exhibition by artist Lisa Lundgren from July 9 to 31, 2026. The gallery, founded by Miquel Alzueta, is a significant player in contemporary art with multiple international locations.

Celebration of arts and community as free exhibition prepares for return

The Fairwinds Fine Art Exhibition is returning to Cowes Yacht Haven on the Isle of Wight from May 1 to 4, featuring works by 13 local artists. Entry is free, and all proceeds will support the Andrew Cassell Foundation, the Ring Daisy Bus, and Mountbatten Isle of Wight. The exhibition was inspired by the late John Garlick, a sailor and art enthusiast, and is continued by his family and artist Peter Allen.