nazi looted painting search argentina house arrest

A court in Argentina has placed Patricia Kadgien and her husband Juan Carlos Cortegoso under house arrest as police search for a Nazi-looted painting by Giuseppe Ghislandi. The work, which once belonged to Jewish dealer Jacques Goudstikker, was spotted in a real estate listing for their house in Mar del Plata by the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. The listing has been deleted, and police failed to find the painting during a raid, but prosecutors are also investigating two other works held by another of Kadgien's daughters.

erotic mosaic pompeii nazi officer

An ancient mosaic looted during World War II by a Nazi officer has been repatriated to Italy and is now on public display in Pompeii. The mosaic, which depicts an erotic bedroom scene, likely originated near Mount Vesuvius and was taken by a Wehrmacht captain who donated it to a German citizen. It was returned with the help of the Italian consulate in Stuttgart on September 16, 2023, and is now housed at the Pompeii Archaeological Park.

New exhibit at Philomath Museum explores themes of shelter, survival

The Philomath Museum's Moreland Gallery will open a new exhibition titled "Refuge: Where Life Endures" on May 2, running through July 25. The show features works from the Corvallis Art Guild, a community art group founded 80 years ago after World War II, and explores themes of shelter, safety, and survival. A public reception will be held on May 8.

Two exhibits trace the origins of the Sarasota Artist Colony

Two exhibitions in Sarasota trace the origins of the Sarasota Artist Colony, which flourished between 1945 and 1965. One is at Ringling College of Art and Design, titled “Origins: Sarasota Artist Colony, 1945-1965,” co-curated by Tim Jaeger and Bill Hartman. The other is at the downtown offices of Michael Saunders & Co. The Ringling College show features 36 works by colony artists, including Jon Corbino, Ben Stahl, Syd Solomon, and Craig Rubadoux, and places them in the context of post-World War II America, when the GI Bill and cheap rents attracted hundreds of artists to the small beach community.

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.

BUAM exhibition explores artists’ interaction with historical movements

The Binghamton University Art Museum (BUAM) has opened its fall semester exhibition, “In the American Grain: Exploring America through Art, 1919-1946,” curated by art history professor Tom McDonough. The show spans the interwar period through World War II, featuring works from BUAM’s collection—many donated by local collectors Gil and Deborah Williams—alongside loans from the BU libraries, the Roberson Museum and Science Center, and the Art Bridges Collection. Originally conceived with Chelsea Gibson of the Binghamton Codes! Program, the exhibition grew from a pandemic-era digital project and includes thematic categories such as Americans Abroad, City Life, Picturing Black Lives, and War Time, with works by artists like Jane Peterson, Chiura Obata, James Lesesne Wells, and Helen Torr.

From traditional Japanese woodblock to anime inspiration, Tacoma Art Museum exhibit has fun and fascination in store for all

The Tacoma Art Museum presents an exhibition curated by Kenji Stoll that traces the evolution of Japanese visual culture from traditional ukiyo-e woodblock prints to contemporary anime-inspired works. The show features a diverse range of artists, including Roger Shimomura, whose painting "Minidoka No.5 (442)" references the Japanese American 442nd regimental unit in World War II, alongside self-taught artists like VanVan, who contributes manga-style drawings. Stoll himself, a tattoo artist, exhibits a large mural titled "Nikkei Butterfly," which celebrates Japanese diaspora culture through patterns and a samurai warrior motif. Other artists include Ed Augai, Lauren Iida, Hanako O’Leary, and Yoshiko Yamamoto, whose works bridge historical ukiyo-e techniques with contemporary themes of identity, memory, and female empowerment.

Literature Today: The Crisis of the Novel as a Symptom of Social Change

La letteratura oggi: la crisi del romanzo come sintomo di un cambiamento sociale

The article examines the perceived crisis of the novel as a literary form, tracing its historical rise alongside the bourgeoisie in the 17th and 18th centuries. It argues the novel functioned as a mirror for a coherent social class with shared values, serving as a device for collective representation. The form's foundational premise of a recognizable community began to fracture in the 20th century, particularly after World War II, as societies atomized and grand ideological narratives collapsed.

brooklyn botanical garden bonsai collection 100 year anniversary

Brooklyn Botanic Garden's bonsai collection is celebrating its 100-year anniversary. The institution and its C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum have launched expanded offerings, added accessible signage, and arranged commemorative activations. The collection, one of the oldest and largest outside Japan, includes over 400 trees that require meticulous care. Horticulture Director Shauna Moore describes bonsai as an invitation to slow down amid New York City's bustle. The garden pioneered bonsai classes in the U.S. after World War II, when returning GIs brought the practice home, and flourished under bonsai master Frank Okamura, who became a key figure in the craft over four decades.

Grohmann Museum Exhibit Focuses on Veterans and Service

The Grohmann Museum in Milwaukee has opened a new exhibition pairing two shows by contemporary American artists focusing on military service. Ohio-born Mary Whyte's "We the People: Portraits of Veterans in America" features 50 large-scale watercolor portraits of veterans from various wars and backgrounds. Milwaukee photographer Dennis Darmek's "Boots and Sand: The Marines of 29 Palms" presents two dozen color photographs taken at the Marine Corps base in California's Mojave Desert, where Darmek himself trained in 1969. The photos capture both posed and candid moments, highlighting diversity within the modern Marine Corps, including women in combat roles.

‘An entertainment pavilion on bones’: new Russian museum opens in occupied Mariupol

A new museum called Pole Bitvy (Battlefield) has opened in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol, glorifying Russia's full-scale invasion and linking it to the Soviet Union's victory in World War II. Russian officials, including senator Vladimir Yakushev and project head Sergei Ladochkin, presented the museum as a symbol of liberation from 'neo-Nazis,' while Ukrainian officials condemn it as an 'entertainment pavilion on bones' in a city where tens of thousands died during the 2022 siege.

The Aussie ‘messenger girls’ who changed art

Nora Heysen became the first woman to win the Archibald Prize in 1938, yet the media response focused on her domestic life. This weekend, the Art Gallery of South Australia opens an exhibition highlighting Heysen and other local female artists who traveled to Europe before World War II, showcasing their portraits and still lifes that helped catalyze the modernist art movement in Australia.

Corcoran students commemorate America’s 250th year with interactive art exhibit

Graduate students at the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design, part of George Washington University, have created an interactive exhibition titled “American Made” to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary. The exhibit, on view at the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery until May 14, combines 21 traditional artworks from GW’s collection—including photographs, pottery, and textiles—with interactive elements such as a touchscreen map and audio components. The project was developed collaboratively by students in museum studies and interactive design programs, led by professors Laura Schiavo and Sam Shelton, as part of the school’s annual NEXT Festival. Featured works include Patricia Kennedy-Zafred’s contemporary quilt “Tagged,” which addresses the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Knox items feature in refreshed art gallery

The National Art Gallery at the Manx Museum in Douglas has officially reopened following a year-long hiatus, debuting a refreshed layout and new acquisitions. The updated space features a dedicated section for the celebrated Art Nouveau designer Archibald Knox, highlighted by two newly donated pieces: a rare modernist inkwell and an opal pendant. These items were gifted to the national collection in memory of Martin Moore MBE, the former chairman of the trustees for Manx National Heritage.

Local business marks 10 years of support for Martha Trust with special charity exhibition

Frames for You and the newly established New Street Gallery in Deal, Kent, are hosting a week-long charity art exhibition to celebrate a decade of partnership with Martha Trust. The event features donated artworks from acclaimed artists, including botanical illustrator Pat Joyce and painter Kate Maguire, as well as a rare World War II silk escape map. All proceeds from the donated works and gallery commissions from additional sales will be directed to the charity, which supports individuals with profound disabilities.

An exhibition of works by Mykhailo Riasnianskyi, People’s Artist of Ukraine, is currently being held in Mykolaiv

An exhibition of works by Mykhailo Riasnianskyi, People’s Artist of Ukraine, is currently on display at the V. Vereshchahin Art Museum in Mykolaiv, marking the 100th anniversary of his birth. The show features paintings from the museum’s collection and opened with speeches from local officials and artists, including Yevhen Horburov and Dmytro Artym. Riasnianskyi, who died in 2001, was a veteran of World War II, a longtime teacher, and the first artist from the Mykolaiv region to receive the title of People’s Artist of Ukraine.

Cathedral to exhibit 80m long knitted WW2 artwork

Lichfield Cathedral will host an expansive 80-meter-long knitted and crocheted installation titled "The Longest Yarn 2: Britain at War" throughout May 2026. Created by a global community of makers, the textile artwork depicts various facets of British life during World War II, ranging from the declaration of war in 1939 to the celebrations of VE Day in 1945, including scenes of evacuation and rationing.

Theater/Arts: New exhibit at PIEAM showcases life in Guam during WWII

The Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum (PIEAM) is launching "So We Leapt – Para I Hinanao-ta Mo’na," an exhibition centered on a rare archive of photographs taken in Guam between 1944 and 1946. Captured by U.S. Army photographer Frank Buchman and curated by Pulitzer Prize-winner Manny Crisostomo, the images move beyond traditional wartime documentation to highlight the daily lives and resilience of the Indigenous CHamoru people. The show is augmented by "Hasso," a contemporary portrait series by Johnny Cepeda Gogo featuring elderly CHamoru survivors of World War II.

Haarlem Resistance hero commemorated with illicit 'stumbling stone'

Ton Witteman, grandson of Dutch resistance hero Bart Witteman, has laid an unauthorized 'stumbling stone' (stolpersteine) in front of his grandfather's former home in Haarlem, Netherlands. Bart Witteman, a policeman who sheltered two Jewish people during World War II, was arrested, deported, and murdered by the Nazis in 1945. The city council had refused to include non-Jewish resistance figures in its official memorial program, which only covers the 733 murdered Jewish, Sinti, and Roma residents. Witteman obtained the hand-stamped brass plaque from German artist Gunter Demnig's Stolpersteine project and installed it himself with the current homeowners' blessing.

The Museum of the Surrender of Reims Reopens After a Year of Renovations

Le Musée de la Reddition de Reims rouvre ses portes après un an de travaux

The Musée de la Reddition de Reims (Museum of the Surrender of Reims) reopened on May 7, the 81st anniversary of the German surrender signed in its map room, after a year-long closure. The renovation, costing approximately €2 million, focused on conservation: protective glazing, improved ventilation and lighting, and anoxic treatment of collections to halt degradation of original maps, documents, and war room objects. The museum also overhauled its scenography, designed by Belgian agency Kascen, to present a clearer chronological narrative covering the occupation, Allied presence in Reims, liberation, postwar reconstruction, and reconciliation, rather than just the surrender itself. The museum now displays 17 uniforms, 130 objects and weapons, and 65 archival documents, including the act of capitulation and General McAuliffe's jacket.

International Quilt Museum to host artist Wada, professor Dudley

The International Quilt Museum is hosting a special event titled 'An Evening of Boro' on April 24, featuring artist Yoshiko Wada and professor Sandra Dudley. The event includes a reception for the exhibition 'Boro: The Hidden and the Visible in Japanese Mended Textiles,' a lecture by Dudley, and a guided tour of the exhibition led by Wada, who served as guest curator. The event will be livestreamed for remote attendees.

‘War, Religion and Love’ collide in Sac State student’s solo art exhibition

Sacramento State fine arts student Desiree Thomas has debuted her solo exhibition, "War, Religion and Love," at the university’s R.W. and Joyce Witt Gallery. The show features oil paintings that utilize romanticized imagery to explore unsettling themes, including internal psychological struggles and the domestic lives of Nazi soldiers. Notable works like "The Fine Line Between Ambition and Insanity" and "Home" challenge viewers to confront the duality of beauty and darkness through complex religious and historical symbolism.