La loi sur les restitutions des biens culturels pillés pendant la colonisation définitivement adoptée

The French Parliament has definitively adopted a permanent law on the restitution of cultural property looted during colonization, replacing the previous case-by-case legislative approach. The Senate unanimously approved the final text on May 7, 2026, following agreement in a joint committee on April 30, and the National Assembly had approved it the day before. The law creates a general derogation from the principle of inalienability of public collections, establishing a bilateral scientific committee to examine provenance, with final decisions made by decree of the Council of State. Key amendments from the National Assembly—including binding parliamentary votes on restitution and conditions on conservation and public access—were removed by the joint committee to avoid perceptions of neocolonial tutelage.

La loi-cadre sur les restitutions définitivement adoptée par le Parlement

The French Parliament has definitively adopted a framework law on the restitution of cultural property that was illicitly acquired. The Senate unanimously approved the conclusions of the joint committee on May 7, following the National Assembly's approval on May 6, after an agreement was reached on April 30. The law establishes a general mechanism for returning objects from French public collections without requiring a specific law for each case, covering items acquired through looting, theft, forced sale, or other illicit means before the 1970 UNESCO Convention. It creates a permanent national commission and a bilateral scientific committee to assess claims, with restitution ultimately decided by government decree subject to legal review by the Council of State.

The Musée de La Poste becomes the "Musée Postal" once again

Le musée de La Poste redevient le « musée postal »

The Musée de La Poste in Paris has rebranded itself as the "Musée Postal," reclaiming its original 1946 name as it approaches its 80th anniversary. Alongside a new visual identity featuring a blue and white "M" logo, the institution is shifting its focus from a strictly corporate museum to a "museum of society" with a more universal outlook. Under the leadership of director Guillaume Goy, the museum aims to modernize its permanent collection and recover its pre-pandemic attendance figures, targeting 150,000 annual visitors.

The Nicéphore-Niépce Museum is Standing Still

Le Musée Nicéphore-Niépce fait du surplace

The Musée Nicéphore-Niépce in Chalon-sur-Saône remains in a state of stagnation as long-promised modernization plans continue to stall. Despite over twenty-five years of proposals for a new facility or a "Cité de l'image," the project has become a political "sea serpent," hampered by budget cuts, staff reductions, and shifting municipal priorities. Most recently, the city declined to renew the contract of Fannie Escoulen, a former Ministry of Culture official hired to steer the project, further signaling a lack of progress.

Even More Drawings for Versailles

Encore d'autres dessins pour Versailles

The Palace of Versailles has acquired several drawings during the Paris Drawing Week sales in March 2026, including a rare study by Charles de La Fosse for the royal chapel's dome decoration. The drawing, depicting a reclining nude man for "The Resurrection of Christ," was purchased at the Rossini auction of Paul and Florence Vercier's collection for €3,800. This acquisition adds to Versailles' growing collection of La Fosse works, following earlier purchases of an angel study in 2016 and a ceiling project in 2023.

Salomé: Henner and Moreau Confront the Myth

Salomé. Henner et Moreau face au mythe

The Musée National Jean-Jacques Henner in Paris is hosting a focused exhibition exploring the iconographic myth of Salomé through the lenses of Jean-Jacques Henner and Gustave Moreau. The show examines how these two 19th-century masters interpreted the biblical figure who demanded the head of John the Baptist, contrasting their stylistic approaches to her seductive and fatal power. While the Gospels provide no physical description of Salomé, the exhibition highlights how these artists moved away from traditional fleshy depictions to create more ethereal, haunting versions of the femme fatale.

literature kathryn scanlan audrey wollens interview

The article describes a visit to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York to see two concurrent exhibitions: Sam Contis's "Phases," featuring black-and-white motion portraits and a three-channel film of teenage girls running a five-kilometer race, and Diane Simpson's "Formal Wear," a sculptural exploration of femininity's exoskeletons using industrial materials. Literary accompaniments were commissioned for both shows—Kathryn Scanlan wrote a story for Contis's exhibition, and critic Audrey Wollen contributed an essay for Simpson's—blending visual art with prose to examine themes of adolescence, identity, and self-construction.

A powerful photo project became a love letter to the workers who built L.A. Metro's D Line

Photographer Ken Karagozian, who began documenting L.A. Metro construction workers in 1995, has collaborated with historian India Mandelkern on a photo book titled "Wilshire Subway: The Making of the D Line Subway Extension." The book chronicles the history, conflicts, and the workers behind the D Line extension along Wilshire Boulevard, ahead of its May 8 opening. A related exhibition, "Wilshire Subway: Photographed by Ken Karagozian," is on view at the 1301PE art gallery through May 14.

Special Private Tour and Luncheon Hosted by the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum

On April 25, 2026, the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum in Oradell, New Jersey, hosted a private tour and luncheon led by wildlife artist Dwayne Harty, whose exhibition "Bison Legacy" had recently concluded at the museum. The event welcomed over thirty guests, including friends of the artist and Foundation Board President James Bellis Jr. Harty, trained at the Art Students League of New York under Bob Kuhn, Robert Lougheed, and Clarence Tillenius, is known for his accurate and expressive wildlife depictions. The museum will present its Permanent Collection starting at the end of May 2026.

Gallery: NYC, Stockholm artists probe how history is staged in Tallinn show

Zody Burke and Klara Zetterholm have opened a joint exhibition titled "Ersatz Strata" at Temnikova & Kasela Gallery in Tallinn, Estonia. The show examines how history is staged and reimagined, using reliefs, sculptures, printed works, kinetic elements, and industrial residue to create a fictional archaeological site. A live performance by Los Angeles-based artist 011668 accompanied the opening. The exhibition runs through August 15.

December Exhibitions

Les Yeux du Monde presents 'GROUNDING,' the final show of 2025 featuring new oil paintings by Annie Harris Massie that explore light, memory, and place through landscapes and botanical studies of her Lynchburg, Virginia surroundings. Other December exhibitions include Randall Stoltzfus's 'To Hold The Light' at Angelo Jewelry, Judith Ely's paintings at Botanical Fare, and 'All That Glitters' by Natalie Darling at C’ville Arts Cooperative Gallery. The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA hosts three shows: 'Haiti’s Time' from the Sullivan collection, 'In Feeling: Empathy and Tension Through Disability,' and 'The World Between: Egypt and Nubia in Africa.' The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection features works from the Spinifex Arts Project and Robert Fielding, while the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center presents 'Finally Remembered: The Black Patriots of Central Virginia.'

“Jamea Richmond-Edwards: Another World and Yet the Same” at Hamilton College’s Wellin Museum of Art

The article announces the exhibition “Jamea Richmond-Edwards: Another World and Yet the Same” at Hamilton College’s Wellin Museum of Art. The show presents the work of contemporary artist Jamea Richmond-Edwards, whose practice explores themes of Black womanhood, mythology, and Afrofuturism through mixed-media works on paper and large-scale installations.

5 exhibits to see at Salem’s galleries, museums in May

Salem's galleries and museums are hosting five notable exhibitions in May, including 'Jew&' at the Salem Art Association for Jewish American Heritage Month, featuring 25 local Jewish artists; 'Courage and Compassion' at the Willamette Heritage Center, exploring Japanese-American internment through local stories; the Annual Invitational Photography Show at Elsinore Framing & Fine Art Gallery; 'Confluence – Where forms converge' at the Stefani Art Gallery, pairing geometric abstraction with woodcarving; and the third annual Keizer Riverwalk Art Fair organized by the Keizer Art Association.

Students Worked on Exhibit of Gowns Worn at La Scala by Maria Callas

Six opera gowns worn by Maria Callas onstage at La Scala in Milan are on display at the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery in Washington, D.C., as part of the exhibition “Callas at La Scala.” The exhibition, located within the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, features costumes from roles including Anna Bolena and Ifigenia, alongside costume sketches by designers Nicola Benois and Piero Tosi and photographs of Callas. Students from the Corcoran School, guided by assistant professor Tanya Wetenhall, contributed by researching, writing labels, and installing the show, while ambassadors from Greece and Italy spoke at the opening.

A Glimpse of Summer Exhibitions in the Panhandle

Three exhibitions in the Texas Panhandle and Concho Valley showcased the work of artists Cody Arnall, Daryl Meador, and Ezra Tucker. At the Charles Adams Studio Project (CASP) Satellite Gallery in Lubbock, Arnall's show "Boredom and Failure (v.II)" featured sculptures and videos exploring imperfection, including an awning projecting a mirrored sky. In the same city, Daryl Meador's "Big Empty Blues" at Co-Opt Research + Projects presented textile art and quilts addressing labor, incorporating text from musicians and materials like waffle knit. The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts hosted "The Art of Ezra Tucker," a survey of the artist's transition from illustration to fine art, focusing on wildlife paintings with masterful light and color.

Simone Venturini is the new mayor of Venice: here's what he wants to do for culture (and yes, the councilor will return)

Simone Venturini è il nuovo sindaco di Venezia ecco cosa vuole fare per la cultura (e sì, tornerà l’assessore)

Simone Venturini, a 38-year-old center-right candidate, has been elected mayor of Venice in a surprise first-round victory on May 25, 2026. Born and raised in Marghera, Venturini entered politics at 22 and is seen as the protégé of outgoing mayor Luigi Brugnaro. His campaign emphasized daily belonging and crisis management experience, from the pandemic to overtourism.

“Villa Borghese è perfetta e non si tocca”. Siamo andati a vedere se è proprio così perfetta

A private company donated a design competition to the Galleria Borghese in Rome, aiming to expand the museum's exhibition spaces and services. Before any winning project was selected, associations like Italia Nostra protested, claiming the initiative would desecrate Villa Borghese. The article's author visited the park to document its current state, finding decay: a wrecked Globe Theatre, neglected ponds, graffiti, trash, dilapidated buildings, and a degraded horse-riding track. The author argues that while the park is defended as "perfect and untouchable," it is actually suffering from real neglect that goes unaddressed by the same groups opposing development.

Pond Gallery in Fayetteville, Arkansas

Pond Gallery, a new artist-run exhibition space, has opened in the basement of a former flower shop on the downtown square in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Founded in May 2024 by artist-friends Taylor Loftin, Ty Barnes, and Christian Schultz, the gallery operates on a DIY model, with the founders handling construction, curation, and rent. Its programming, including recent shows by Akeylah Imani Wellington and Natalie Conway, focuses on creating a communal hub for local artists.

10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Next Museum Visit

This article offers ten practical tips for enhancing museum visits, emphasizing preparation, physical comfort, and mindful engagement. It advises planning around specific artworks using online databases, addressing bodily needs like food and hydration, and timing visits to avoid crowds. The piece also recommends slowing down to spend ten minutes per work, using techniques like slow looking to deepen appreciation.

Clark Art Invites People With Dementia, Caregivers for Gallery Talk

The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, is launching a free gallery talk program called Meet Me at the Clark on May 18, designed specifically for people living with dementia and their care partners. The tours take place on select Mondays from 1–4 pm when the museum is closed to the public, offering private access to the galleries with specially trained educators leading guided, open-ended conversations about art.

DO Savannah: Ella Langley, TEDxSavannah, and more

This article is a local events calendar for Savannah, Georgia, covering the week of May 12–21, 2026. Highlights include a SCAD Jewelry Trunk Show, a Telfair Museums anniversary preview of Impressionism and Modernity: French and American Painting with a lecture by National Gallery of Art curator Mary Morton, the opening of the Seven Ladies Exhibit at the Davenport House Museum, the 15th annual TEDxSavannah, a country concert by Ella Langley, a brewery anniversary party, a jazz fundraiser, and several preservation-focused lectures including one by National Preservation Partners Network CEO Kim Trent and a talk on landscape architect Clermont Lee. The Courtyard Concert Series at SCAD MOA concludes with local bluegrass band Swamptooth.

Yellow Dog Art Bar and Gallery hosts artists, events in Denton

John Bramblitt, a Dallas native and Denton-based artist who lost his eyesight about 20 years ago while studying at the University of North Texas, opened Yellow Dog Art Bar and Gallery in mid-2023. The venue combines a bar with a gallery space, exhibiting and selling work from local artists, hosting open mic nights for live music and poetry, painting workshops, bad movie screenings, trivia, and karaoke. Bramblitt, who continued painting after losing his sight from complications with epilepsy and Lyme disease, also travels for speaking engagements, teaches painting to the visually impaired, and consults museums on accessibility. The gallery's name is partly inspired by the Blue Dog gallery in New Orleans and by Bramblitt's service dog, a yellow Labrador named Zuke.

Cluley Projects Announces Open Call for Texas Artists & Writers

Cluley Projects in Dallas has announced concurrent open calls for Texas artists and writers. The fifth annual Artist Open Call invites proposals for solo exhibitions in the gallery’s 2026 season, while the second annual Arts Writing Mentorship pairs a selected writer with the exhibition winner to produce a publication. Past participants include Leili Arai Tavallaei, Sarita Westrup, Jacquelin Zazueta, Zak Ziebell, and Beronica Gonzales. The selected artist and writer each receive a $500 honorarium, mentorship, and support. Submissions are due November 2, 2025.

'Father' exhibit to make US debut at Armenian Museum. When it opens

The Armenian Museum of America in Watertown, Massachusetts, will debut the exhibition “Father” by internationally acclaimed artist Diana Markosian, running from May 29 to September 13. The show uses photography, archival materials, video, and text to document Markosian’s journey to reconnect with her estranged father, exploring themes of family, memory, and identity. Curated by Anahit Gasparyan, the exhibition is co-produced by Les Rencontres d’Arles and Foam, Amsterdam, and sponsored by the JHM Charitable Foundation. A private member preview on May 28 will feature a conversation between the artist and curator.

Art, museum exhibits in Kenosha, Racine counties this week

This article provides a weekly listing of art and museum exhibits in Kenosha and Racine counties in Wisconsin, including details on hours, locations, and current or permanent exhibitions. Featured venues include the Anderson Arts Center, Artists Gallery, Carthage College Art Gallery, Civil War Museum, Dinosaur Discovery Museum, Kenosha History Center, Kenosha Public Museum, Lemon Street Gallery, OS Projects, and Photographic Design Gallery & Framing.

New York art museum showcases Raphael's rare prints

The Murray Hill Art Museum in New York has opened an exhibition featuring 100 rare prints of works by Italian Renaissance master Raphael. The show includes engravings and lithographs from the museum's own collection as well as loans from private collectors across the United States, and was attended by local artists and collectors at its opening ceremony on April 25, 2026.

Pepperdine Closes Exhibit Featuring “Overtly Political” Art

Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, closed the exhibition “Hold My Hand In Yours” at the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art on October 6, after artists discovered their works had been removed or altered for being “overtly political.” The show, curated by museum director Andrea Gyorody, explored the imagery of hands in relation to labor and care. One artist found her video turned off at the university’s request, and a sculpture was modified to hide text reading “Save the Children” and “Abolish ICE.” The affected artists requested their pieces be removed, and others withdrew in solidarity. University officials cited a policy to avoid overtly political content consistent with its nonprofit status, and offered apologies while honoring compensation agreements.

Details on French museum works in Abu Dhabi

Des précisions sur les œuvres des musées français à Abu Dhabi

French museums and cultural institutions, including the Louvre, Versailles, the Centre Pompidou (Beaubourg), and the Musée d'Orsay, are refusing to disclose which specific artworks from their collections are currently on loan and on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. This lack of transparency occurs despite heightened regional security risks, including the threat of Iranian strikes. The French Ministry of Culture claims it is in close contact with UAE authorities to ensure the protection of the loaned works.

UK’s Brighton & Hove Museums to return 45 artefacts to Botswana

Brighton & Hove Museums in southern England will return 45 artefacts to Botswana. The objects, including clothing, accessories and hunting implements, were acquired by English reverend William Charles Willoughby in the 1890s and will be housed at the Khama III Memorial Museum in Serowe, where they will form part of a permanent exhibition opening on 27 May. A team from Brighton & Hove Museums is working with Botswanan curators on the return, which is scheduled for April.

Mexican President Calls for Stricter Gun Control After Deadly Shooting at Teotihuacán Pyramids

A gunman opened fire on tourists at the Teotihuacán archaeological site in Mexico, killing a Canadian woman and injuring at least 13 others. The shooter, identified as Julio César Jasso Ramírez, acted alone and later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after planning the attack over multiple visits to the site.