A UVU student’s artwork was rejected from a school exhibition. Here’s how she made sure her work was seen.

Utah Valley University art student Jaya Betts responded to her artwork's rejection from UVU's 2025 Student Art Exhibition by creating a zine titled "Unchosen but Unstoppable: A Manifesto for Artists Who Refuse to Shrink" and distributing 75 copies throughout the Lakemount Museum on the exhibition's opening night. Betts, who had submitted a layered plaster mold called "Crimson Blossoms on a Golden Limb," documented her guerrilla art drop on social media, framing it as a protest against gatekeeping and unequal opportunity in student exhibitions.

Hundreds Protest Israel’s “Genocide Pavilion” at Venice Biennale

On May 6, 2026, the first day of previews at the Venice Biennale, hundreds of pro-Palestine activists led by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) blocked the entrance to the Israeli pavilion, demanding its immediate closure. Protesters waved Palestine flags and banners reading "No Artwashing Genocide" and "No Genocide Pavilion at Biennale," chanting accusations of genocide against Israel. The demonstration temporarily shut down access to Belu-Simion Fainaru's exhibition "Rose of Nothingness" for about half an hour. The protest followed a letter signed by over 200 artists urging the Biennale to exclude Israel, which instead moved the pavilion to an alternative location in the Arsenale due to renovations. Separately, Pussy Riot and FEMEN rallied outside the Russian pavilion, which will only open during preview days due to sanctions. Venice cultural workers plan a 24-hour strike on May 8 in solidarity with Palestinians, potentially disrupting the Biennale's schedule.

How Art Libraries Make Art Accessible

Wie Artotheken Kunst zugänglich machen

Artotheken, or art libraries, are public institutions that lend artworks to anyone with a library card, making art accessible beyond the traditional museum or gallery system. In Germany, over 100 such artotheken exist, often housed in public libraries, art associations, or museums. The Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek in Berlin, for example, has a collection of 2,000 works, with around 300 currently on loan to homes, doctors' offices, and law firms. The lending process is informal: borrowers can eat, drink, and even touch the works, and transport by bus or bike is encouraged. A jury selects up to 15 new works annually, and the collection includes major names like Roy Lichtenstein and Niki de Saint Phalle, though most users choose pieces based on personal connection rather than prestige.

I Have Always Been Drawn to the Despised

"Ich habe mich schon immer zum Verachteten hingezogen gefühlt"

Irish artist Alice Maher discusses her ongoing exploration of patriarchal structures, mythology, and the symbolic power of female hair in her practice. Her current work focuses on large-scale drawings of Sibyls—ancient female prophets—whose excessive hair serves as a metaphor for identity, power, and the 'monstrous feminine.' Maher reflects on her career-long engagement with Irish history, from collecting hair during the Troubles to her collaborative textile masterpiece, "The Map," which reclaims the legacy of Mary Magdalene from Catholic institutional narratives.

Dans les ateliers de la Maison du vitrail, où création et restauration conjuguent au présent cet art du verre et de la couleur

The article visits the Maison du vitrail, a French stained-glass workshop founded in 1973 by Christiane and Philippe Andrieux and now run by their daughter Emmanuelle. Located in a historic courtyard, the studio employs fourteen artisans who cut, paint, and assemble colored glass for both restoration and original creations. The workshop has evolved from a small space in Châtillon to a thriving enterprise that handles everything from church windows and Parisian staircases to trophies, jewelry, and commercial projects for clients like Truffaut and the Casino de Paris.

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A South African high court has dismissed artist Gabrielle Goliath’s urgent application to reinstate her selection for the 61st Venice Biennale. Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie canceled Goliath’s pavilion, titled "Elegy," labeling the work "highly divisive" just days before the official submission deadline. The artist and curator Ingrid Masondo argued the cancellation was an act of censorship and a violation of constitutional freedom of expression, but the court rejected the bid without providing immediate reasons.

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The National Portrait Gallery in London has acquired the only surviving photographs of 19th-century mathematician Ada Lovelace, a group of three daguerreotypes that were originally offered at Bonhams in June 2025 with an estimate of £80,000 to £120,000. The lot was withdrawn from auction and the museum secured it via a private treaty sale, a confidential negotiation process that allows institutions to purchase significant artworks directly from private owners. Two of the daguerreotypes were taken by French photographer Antoine Claudet around 1843, the year Lovelace published her foundational paper on Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine, while the third, by an unknown photographer, reproduces an 1852 portrait by Henry Wyndham Phillips showing Lovelace near the end of her life.

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Artist Sung Tieu has sold her 2025 work *Declaration of Donation* for €25,000, with proceeds funding a five-year term for a new board member at KW Institute of Contemporary Art in Berlin. The work, created for her exhibition “1992, 2025” at KW, consists of a contract engraved on four mirrors that criticizes the institution’s €5,000 yearly board member fee, arguing it limits board diversity. Tieu nominated curator Mi You for the position, and KW director Emma Enderby expressed gratitude for the provocation.

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A 16th-century altarpiece by Vittore Carpaccio, *Madonna and Child Enthroned with Six Saints* (1518), has been returned to the Slovenian town of Piran, where it was originally commissioned for the Church of St. Francis of Assisi. The painting was removed in 1940 and placed in Padua for safekeeping during World War II, remaining in the Basilica of Sant’Antonio for decades. Following pressure from Franciscan friars in Padua, the work was quietly transferred back to Piran on September 4, days before Italian President Sergio Mattarella’s state visit to Slovenia. Slovenian Culture Minister Asta Vrečko hailed the return as the result of long-standing efforts.

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British photographer Polly Penrose documented her changing body over seven years in a nude self-portrait series titled "A Body of Work." The project involved physically demanding poses taken on self-timer, leaving her bruised and aching, as she hammered her body into various spaces. Penrose described the process as a punishing, repetitious fight to fit into each setting, with the resulting images capturing both visible physical transformations and concealed emotional changes.

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Germany’s federal government, along with the states of Berlin and Brandenburg, has reached a settlement with the descendants of the House of Hohenzollern, ending a nearly century-long legal dispute over ownership of 27,000 artworks. The collection includes a portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder and an 18th-century table service commissioned by Emperor Frederick II. Wolfram Weimer, Germany’s new Minister of State for Culture, announced the deal in Berlin, confirming the works will remain in public museums such as the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and the German Historical Museum.

Sony world photography awards 2026 – in pictures

The 2026 Sony World Photography Awards have announced their top honors across professional, open, student, and youth categories. Notable winners include Citlali Fabián for her series on Indigenous activists in Mexico, Seungho Kim for a project exploring the intersection of parenting and pet ownership in South Korea, and Dafna Talmor for her abstracted, collaged landscapes. The winning works span a diverse range of subjects, from the documentation of a fire at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm to intimate portraits of faith at the Vatican.

Must-See Museum Exhibits Opening in Colorado in 2026

Several Colorado museums are launching new exhibitions in 2026. The Museum of Boulder presents "Blazing Trail for 150 Years at CU Boulder" (Jan 16–Mar 1), celebrating the university's sesquicentennial. The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) opens "Yes &…" (Jan 29–May 3), featuring 18 artists exploring human-made art in the age of AI. History Colorado Center mounts "Mountains Majesty: On the Summit With John Fielder" (Jan 24, 2026–Jan 10, 2027), showcasing landscape photographs by the late John Fielder. MCA Denver hosts Ana María Hernando's solo exhibition "Seguir Cantando (Keep Singing)" (Mar 5–Jul 5), featuring tulle sculptures.

An L.A. Artist Devoted to the Process of Paint

Los Angeles-based artist Sandy Rodriguez is profiled for her multifaceted practice that extends far beyond traditional painting. Her work involves deep research into art history, botany, and indigenous materials, positioning her as a scientist, historian, and alchemist as much as a painter.

Exhibition | Daniel Crews-Chubb, 'Pareidolia' at MASSIMODECARLO Pièce Unique, Pièce Unique, Paris, France

MASSIMODECARLO Pièce Unique in Paris presents 'Pareidolia,' an exhibition of new paintings by London-based artist Daniel Crews-Chubb. The show explores the psychological phenomenon of pareidolia—the brain's tendency to see faces in random patterns—through heavily layered works created with hands, ink, oil, sand, and collage. Three paintings are featured: 'Immortal XXXVIII' and 'Immortal XXXIX' (2026), large-scale works drawing on cultural memory of ancient sculpture, and 'Mask XXIV' (2026), which tests the minimal cues needed for facial recognition. Crews-Chubb's process involves building up and tearing back surfaces over weeks, with charcoal lines added last to define emergent figures.

Two exhibitions; one shared dialogue: Weyburn Art Gallery

The Weyburn Art Gallery in Saskatchewan is presenting a dual exhibition running through the end of June, featuring two complementary shows. The first, 'Omentum: A look into the Indigenous Experience of the 21st Century- Exhibition Series, 2019' by Nehiyawak-Métis artist John Brady McDonald, comprises ten paintings that address themes such as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, cultural appropriation, residential school legacies, and the murder of Colten Boushie. Each painting was personally named by an influential Indigenous figure, including Isaac Murdoch, Rosanna Deerchild, and Dr. Evan Adams. The second exhibition draws from the City of Weyburn’s Permanent Collection, showcasing works by Indigenous artists Michael Lonechild, Ken Lonechild, and Mike Keepness, which explore identity, place, and memory.

No money, more problems: 85% of US museums in urgent need of building repairs

A recent survey by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that approximately 85% of US museums face a costly backlog of maintenance or building repairs, with 77% having at least one structural issue that puts their collections at risk. Based on a survey of around 300 museums and 17 site visits, the report reveals that institutions across the country struggle to keep buildings updated and safe due to a lack of funding, with challenges especially pronounced in rural and remote locations where shipping materials and finding skilled workers is prohibitively expensive. Many museums are housed in historic homes or sites that are part of their collections, adding further complexity, and smaller museums often lack the budget to address major problems like new roofs or HVAC systems.

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Five of seven valuable 18th-century snuffboxes stolen from Paris’s Cognacq-Jay Museum in November 2024 have been recovered. Paris Musées announced the return, crediting a police investigation with assistance from the Paris Criminal Investigation Department. The boxes were taken by masked thieves during a daylight robbery from the exhibition “Pocket Luxury.” Two of the recovered boxes were on loan from the Louvre, two from the British royal family’s Royal Collection Trust, and one from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Two more boxes, one from the V&A and one from the Royal Collection, remain missing. The stolen items, decorated with gold, precious stones, mother-of-pearl, or enamel, are estimated to be worth at least €1 million ($1.16 million).

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The Dorset Museum & Art Gallery in England has launched a fundraising campaign to acquire a rare 15th-century Netherlandish altarpiece, known as *The Master of the Sherborne Almshouse Triptych*, valued at up to £3.5 million ($4.6 million). The work is set to be auctioned by Sotheby’s in an Old Master evening sale next month, and the museum aims to prevent it from entering a private collection or being exported. The triptych, which depicts five healings of Jesus Christ, was hidden during periods of iconoclastic destruction and rediscovered in St. John’s Almshouse in Sherborne in the 19th century; it has only left the site twice, for exhibitions at the Royal Academy in 1923 and the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2003.

Hermitage Museum – the perfect day adventure and Admission is FREE

The Hermitage Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, is offering free admission again this year, a policy it began during the pandemic. The museum, housed in a turn-of-the-century mansion, features the Sloane Collection—over 5,000 years of art and objects assembled by Florence K. Sloane—and offers tours, gardens, art classes, and special events like the Bruce Munro light art exhibit.

Odyssey A First Open Exhibition For Hastings Contemporary – Jude Montague

Hastings Contemporary has launched its inaugural biennial open exhibition, titled "Odyssey," featuring 151 works selected from over 2,500 submissions by artists across Sussex. The exhibition explores themes of journeying and the local coastal landscape, showcasing a diverse range of media including enamel on aluminium, woodcuts, and ceramics. While the show has been a financial success for the gallery, it has sparked local debate regarding the high volume of rejected entries and the ethics of submission fees.

FSU's Museum of Fine Arts presents exhibit examining humanity through things we collect, keep and carry

Florida State University's Museum of Fine Arts (MoFA) will present the exhibition "Like everything alive that we try to hold forever" from January 29 to June 27, 2025. Curated by Elizabeth Diggon, Naomi Potter, and Shauna Thompson of Esker Foundation and produced by Independent Curators International (ICI), the show features seven international artists—including Larry Achiampong & David Blandy, Diane Borsato, Stephanie Dinkins, Bridget Moser, Sondra Perry, and Miya Turnbull—whose work in photography, sculpture, and video examines the complex relationship between humans and non-human objects, touching on themes of identity, colonialism, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies.

Philadelphia Art Museum’s 49th Contemporary Craft Show is this weekend

The Philadelphia Museum of Art's 49th Contemporary Craft Show is taking place this weekend at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City. The event features 195 artists, including 41 newcomers, showcasing one-of-a-kind works across mediums such as fashion, jewelry, furniture, weaving, glass, and woodworking. Artists retain 100% of all sales, and attendees can connect directly with creators like collage weaver Galen Gibson-Cornell and others from across the country.

Sotheby’s Has Set a Debut Date for Its Landmark Breuer Building Headquarters

Sotheby's has announced that its new headquarters in the iconic Breuer Building at 945 Madison Avenue will open on November 8. Originally designed by Marcel Breuer for the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1966, the building later housed the Met Breuer and the Frick Collection during its renovation. Sotheby's purchased the Brutalist landmark from the Whitney two years ago and has renovated it with Pritzker Prize-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron and PBDW Architects, adding auction rooms and state-of-the-art gallery spaces while preserving original features like bluestone floors and concrete walls. The opening will coincide with a major modern and contemporary art exhibition, followed by fall marquee sales the week of November 17.

Troy, ancient site in western Turkey, hosts expansive contemporary art exhibition

The Troy Museum in western Turkey has opened a contemporary art exhibition titled "Emanet" (meaning "trust," "legacy," or "safekeeping") by Turkish artist Vuslat. The show, running from May 25 to July 25, features sculptures, drawings, installations, and sound works placed alongside ancient artifacts in the museum's main halls and gardens, marking the first time contemporary art has been integrated into the museum's primary exhibition spaces near the legendary site of Troy.

National Gallery spends £16m on altarpiece by unknown artist

The National Gallery in London has purchased a 500-year-old altarpiece, *The Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret and Two Angels*, for £16.4 million from an anonymous owner. The painting, created between 1500 and 1510, is of unknown authorship—experts cannot agree whether the artist was Netherlandish or French, with candidates including Jan Gossaert and Jean Hey. The oak panel was felled around 1483, and the work was first documented at the priory of Drongen in Ghent in 1602. It was sold through Sotheby’s with support from the American Friends of the National Gallery London and had been kept at the Lulworth Estate in Dorset, home of the Weld family.

How to Keep a Gallery Open: Lessons From One of London’s Longest-Operating Dealers

London gallerist David Juda of Annely Juda, one of the city's longest-operating dealers, shares his strategies for keeping a gallery open amid a wave of closures. He emphasizes staying small, avoiding expensive art fairs for newcomers, and planning succession—handing responsibilities to co-director Nina Fellmann as he approaches 80. The gallery is moving to a new space on Hanover Square, inaugurating with new paintings by David Hockney.

How Blue-Chip Art Markets Are Opening Up to New Collectors

The contemporary art market in 2025 is experiencing a paradox: traditional indicators show cooling, but online sales are booming and attracting new, younger collectors. According to the Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report 2025, online sales now account for 22% of dealer transactions, with 46% of online sales in 2024 going to first-time buyers—up from 35% the previous year. High-net-worth individuals increasingly prefer purchasing through digital channels like dealer websites or Instagram, and established collectors are also buying sight unseen. This shift is driven by greater access to authenticated limited editions and prints by blue-chip artists such as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Banksy, David Hockney, and Damien Hirst, offered by galleries like Calder Contemporary in London with transparent pricing and provenance.

Twelve Exhibitions, One Looming Question: Bard Student Curators Take on the Meaning of Now at Hessel Museum

The Hessel Museum at Bard College has launched its annual spring exhibition season, featuring twelve distinct curatorial projects titled "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today." Organized by graduating students from the Center for Curatorial Studies (CCS), the showcase serves as a professional debut for an emerging cohort of curators. The projects range from solo retrospectives of under-recognized artists like Brazilian painter Maria Auxiliadora Silva to explorations of feminist art history through the work of A.I.R. Gallery co-founder Anne Healy.

Post-Fair delivers by keeping it simple

Post-Fair concluded its second edition in Los Angeles, featuring a curated selection of 31 galleries including PPOW, White Columns, and Tomio Koyama Gallery. Held in a former post office, the event maintained an open floor plan and a relaxed atmosphere that attracted high-profile attendees like artist Paul McCarthy and collectors Beth Rudin DeWoody and Maja Hoffmann. Sales were reported across various price points, with Ehrlich Steinberg selling half of its presentation of Joel Otterson’s sculptures.