Arts Mid North Coast is organizing an exhibition titled 'Balance the Scales' to coincide with International Women's Day. The show will run from February 22 to March 8 at the MAKE/SPACE gallery in Coffs Central Shopping Centre, featuring works by local artists from the Mid North Coast region that explore themes of gender balance, power, and social change.
During the fourth annual Guadalajara Art Week, Mexico's art establishment gathered in Guadalajara for five days of fairs, exhibitions, public programs, and studio tours. The 2025 edition featured standout presentations at Estación Material, a boutique fair where galleries showcased single Mexico-based artists, including Sebastián Hidalgo at Saenger Galería and Othiana Roffiel at Galería Karen Huber. New fair Temporal brought edgy programming to a dilapidated downtown building, while Salón Acme's Estudio Acme staged a performance art showcase called Holodrop. Creative venues such as a 1940s garment factory, a 19th-century cemetery, and Casa Cristo by Luis Barragán underscored the city's experimental spirit.
The U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, has launched a Section 301 investigation into 60 countries to determine if forced labor practices create unfair trade advantages. This move follows President Trump’s continued push for sweeping tariffs after previous attempts were struck down by the Supreme Court. Major art organizations, including the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) and Heritage Auctions, are formally petitioning for works of art and antiquities to be exempt from any resulting duties.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro filed an amicus brief supporting Philadelphia's lawsuit against the Trump administration's removal of an exhibit about slavery at Independence National Historical Park. The exhibit, "Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation," memorialized nine enslaved people who worked at the President's House Site and included panels on the slave trade and economy. The Interior Department removed it citing President Trump's March 2025 executive order against what it called "historical revision." Philadelphia's suit argues the removal violated a 2006 agreement requiring city approval for exhibit changes.
Rome has opened two new subway stations on Line C—Colosseo/Fori Imperiali and Porta Metronia—that double as mini museums, showcasing over 500,000 artifacts unearthed during two decades of excavation. The stations, located 100 feet underground, feature displays of ancient ceramics, frescoes, mosaic floors, and the remains of a Roman military compound and thermal baths, curated by the Colosseum Archaeological Park and Sapienza University. Commuters can view the artifacts without a ticket in the station atriums, and future stations on the line will incorporate additional archaeological finds.
A report commissioned by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), titled the RIBA Build It Together report, reveals widespread sexism and toxic workplace culture in the architecture industry. Based on a survey of 635 workers conducted by the Fawcett Society, it found that half of female respondents experienced bullying, one-third reported sexual harassment, and 83% said their careers were hindered by having children. The report describes environments where long hours are glorified, power imbalances are stark, and sexism is overt, with many victims fearing to report abuse.
Emily Kam Kngwarray, a late-blooming Aboriginal artist who rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s, is the subject of a major solo exhibition at Tate Modern in London, previously presented at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra. The show highlights her meteoric career—she painted around 2,000 works in seven years after her first painting, *Emu Woman* (1988-89), drew critical acclaim—but also exposes the fraught market dynamics that surrounded her, with dealers and entrepreneurs taking advantage of her and her community. Curators Kelli Cole and Hetti Perkins deliberately excluded some of her final works, made when she was frail, to focus on her peak period, and note the complex power dynamics in Australia's art world, where figures who benefited from land dispossession commercialized her deeply Country-connected art.
Archaeologists in Mexico discovered 16 pre-Hispanic paintings and petroglyphs along the planned route of a high-speed passenger train connecting Mexico City to Querétaro. The discovery, made in the state of Hidalgo, includes rock art dating from 4,000 years ago to the Postclassic period (900-1521 CE), with imagery linked to Aztec deities and the Toltec city of Tula. In response, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the $8 billion train project will be rerouted to preserve the ancient site.
A team of six graduates from the École des Nouvelles Images in Avignon has released 'Jour de Vent' (Windy Day), a sweeping animated short film that captures a transformative moment in a public park. The narrative follows a diverse cast of characters—ranging from a businessman to a picnicking family—whose mundane routines are abruptly upended by a powerful gust of wind. This meteorological disruption serves as a catalyst for themes of surrender and human connection, mirroring a fluid production process where the filmmakers finalized the story's conclusion just days before completion.
Guest curator Greg de Cuir Jr. interviews five prominent artist duos—including Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, and OJOBOCA—to explore the mechanics of collaborative practice and shared life. The participants discuss the origins of their partnerships, ranging from the necessity of navigating new environments like Berlin’s analog film scene to the shared political and aesthetic urgency following the Lebanese Civil Wars.
The Women in Art Fair (WIAF), the UK's leading fair dedicated exclusively to women artists, will return to London's OXO Gallery for its fourth edition from May 7-10, 2026. The event will showcase 80 artists selected from 600 applicants through a blind review process, featuring a program of exhibitions, awards, and events, including a Creative Health & Wellbeing Day.
sothebys lawsuit cushman wakefield commission lawsuit 1234781268
Sotheby’s is facing a lawsuit from real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield over an unpaid $10.2 million commission related to the $510 million sale of its former New York headquarters at 1334 York Avenue. The brokerage claims that its work securing Weill Cornell Medicine as a tenant in 2023 paved the way for the medical school's eventual purchase of the building, triggering a contractual 2 percent fee that the auction house has allegedly refused to pay.
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded $75.1 million to 84 projects in its first grant round since President Donald Trump dismissed nearly all members of the National Council on the Humanities. The largest grants—$10 million each—went to the University of Texas at Austin and the Foundation for Excellence in Higher Education (FEHE), with other significant awards to the Abigail Adams Institute, Grand Central Atelier, and the Museum of the American Revolution. Many funded projects emphasize American exceptionalism, classical philosophy, civics, and Western canonical texts, reflecting the Trump administration's conservative priorities.
Pemberton Asset Management, a European private credit manager, has acquired the 232-year-old auction house Bonhams from private equity firm Epiris for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition prompted the departure of Bonhams's global CEO Chabi Nouri and chief commercial officer Céline Assimon, with a new leadership team installed including Seth Johnson as CEO, Liese Thomas as CFO, and Jennifer Babington as COO. Bonhams chairman Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard remains in place, while Pemberton representatives Chris Ellerker and Mohit Agarwal join the board.
Western Washington University’s art department has opened its 2026 biennial exhibition, featuring 20 faculty and staff artists with works spanning painting, photography, sculpture, video, and installation. The show runs through May 2 in the Fine Arts Building, with free admission and interactive pieces that invite viewer participation. New gallery director Kelly Lindner curated the exhibit, which includes works such as Jennifer Anable’s “Tulip Vase (Hell Fire)” and collaborative pieces by multiple artists.
Atlanta’s cultural landscape is undergoing a significant transformation as its major museums spearhead ambitious expansions and programming shifts. Institutions like the High Museum of Art, the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, and the Atlanta Contemporary are leveraging the city's economic growth and its status as a hub for Black culture to redefine their roles within the community. These developments include physical renovations, record-breaking acquisitions, and a renewed focus on local and diverse artistic voices.
The Suffolk University Gallery recently concluded "The Long View," a three-part exhibition series dedicated to celebrating the enduring careers of Boston-based women artists. The final installation, which closed on April 3, featured abstract works by Sharon Kaitz, Alyson Schultz, Jo Ann Rothschild, and Maggi Brown. The showcase highlighted the evolution of their studio practices, ranging from Schultz’s urban-inspired "Fracture" series to Brown’s material-focused oil paintings that explore the intersection of beauty and disturbance.
Artist and author Oliver Jeffers is holding his first exhibition in his hometown of Belfast in over 20 years. The show, titled "Disasters and Interventions," is on view at the Naughton Gallery at Queen's University and features a series of works where Jeffers inserts calamitous scenes—such as an oil tanker spill or an airship crash—into tranquil vintage landscapes, transforming calm into catastrophe. The project began when he found a discarded print in New York's Chinatown and began painting into it, eventually building a collection over 14 years that balances tragedy with a wry, thoughtful humor.
Dean McCrillis, an emerging painter from Rumford, Maine, is the subject of a solo exhibition titled "Dog Years" at Cove Street Arts in Portland, running through January 17. The show features oil paintings that depict distinctly Maine activities—hunting, fishing, camping—while employing layered, translucent brushstrokes to evoke the ephemerality of time and experience. McCrillis, who also works as a framer at Greenhut Galleries, uses a bright, saturated palette and techniques that make his images appear to simultaneously emerge and dissolve, capturing fleeting moments in the state's rugged landscape.
A new exhibition titled "Living Tradition. Past. Present. Future. Colorado Women Artists" has opened in the Colorado State Capitol's Rotunda Gallery, featuring 12 mobile murals honoring past, present, and future women artists from Colorado. Organized by the Women's Caucus for Art Colorado Chapter (WCACO) over four years, the show also includes additional works in the Governor's and Lieutenant Governor's offices. The murals, created collaboratively by a team of female artists, depict black-and-white portraits of each honoree surrounded by imagery from their own work, with finishing touches applied by designated "Face Whisperers."
A report from the Cour des comptes, France's state auditing body, has deemed the Louvre's €666 million plan for a new entrance and subterranean complex around the Mona Lisa as "financially unsound." The report, released on November 6 by chairman Pierre Moscovici, criticizes the museum's management under director Laurence des Cars, highlighting severe delays in security upgrades—only 4% of an €83 million infrastructure budget has been spent since 2018. The audit follows an audacious heist of French crown jewels on October 19, which the report says was enabled by inadequate security. It urges the Louvre to prioritize a €450 million infrastructure plan over the grand renovation project, which has already seen a 45% cost overrun from its initial €450 million estimate.
The British Museum (BM) is planning to display the Bayeux Tapestry from September 2026 to July 2027, following a loan agreement with the French government. The tapestry, owned by the French state, will return to England for the first time in nearly a thousand years after its dedicated museum in Bayeux closed for renovations. The BM's Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery is long enough to display the 70-metre embroidered strip in a single straight line, a key factor in securing the loan over other contenders like the Victoria and Albert Museum. Conservators will display the tapestry at a 60-degree angle to minimize strain, with low lighting to prevent fading, and visitors will likely follow an audio-guided tour in an orderly line, similar to the Bayeux experience.
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 hands as symbols of labor and care. One artist found her video turned off, 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.
Pepperdine University, a private Christian university in Malibu, abruptly closed the exhibition "Hold My Hand in Yours" at its Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art six months early after school administrators removed or altered artworks deemed "political." The show, curated by museum director Andrea Gyorody, featured works centered on hands as symbols of labor and identity. At least a dozen artists requested to withdraw after the university turned off Elana Mann's video "Call to Arms 2015-2025" (2025), which documented performances including a 2017 May Day March in Los Angeles with chants supporting immigrants and opposing racism. Administrators also turned a fabric swatch reading "Save the Children" and "Abolish ICE" on a collaborative sculpture by Art Made Between Opposite Sides (AMBOS) so the text was hidden, and removed a sign inviting visitors to touch the work.
The Museum of Applied Arts Cologne (MAKK) in Germany is presenting an exhibition titled “From Louise Bourgeois to Yoko Ono: Jewellery by Female Artists,” featuring 101 pieces of jewelry created by 45 female artists. The show, which opened November 11 and runs through April 26, highlights works by well-known figures such as Yoko Ono and Louise Bourgeois, including Ono's yellow and white gold ring shaped like a vinyl disc inscribed with “Imagine Peace” and Bourgeois’ gold spider brooch and silver shackle neckpiece. The exhibition was curated by Lena Hoppe in collaboration with museum director Petra Hesse, and an accompanying book edited by the curators will be published by Arnoldsche Art Publishers in February 2026.
Komal Shah discusses the exhibition "Making Their Mark: Works From the Shah Garg Collection" at Washington University in St. Louis' Kemper Art Museum. The show spans nearly eight decades and features nearly 70 artists, including Howardena Pindell, Joan Mitchell, Jaune Quick-to-see Smith, Katharina Grosse, Lorna Simpson, Sarah Sze, and Mary Weatherford. Shah, who established the collection with her husband Gaurav Garg, emphasizes the importance of celebrating women artists and challenging the notion that excellence is limited to men.
Southwest Florida museums are hosting 31 exhibitions in December, including three new openings and two closings. Highlights include "Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration" at Sarasota Art Museum, featuring 100 rare posters from the Crouse Collection celebrating the Art Deco centennial; "Selina Roman: Abstract Corpulence," a photo-based installation exploring body politics and femininity; and Molly Hatch's site-specific ceramic installation "Amalgam" (2023-24), commissioned for the museum's "Inside Out" program. Other venues from Sarasota to Naples continue ongoing shows from their permanent collections and traveling exhibitions.
Réouverture des Catacombes
The Catacombs of Paris have officially reopened to the public following a five-month renovation project. These extensive works were primarily focused on upgrading the site's infrastructure to enhance the overall visitor experience and improve the flow of traffic through the historic underground ossuary.
Tenured University of South Dakota art professor Michael Hook, who faced termination after making social media comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has dropped his lawsuit after being reinstated. Hook posted remarks on September 10 calling Kirk a "hate-spreading Nazi" and expressing indifference to his death, which sparked public outcry from South Dakota political leaders including Governor Larry Rhoden. The university placed Hook on administrative leave and moved to fire him on September 12, prompting Hook to sue the school and the South Dakota Board of Regents on September 23, citing First Amendment violations. After students organized a petition with nearly 22,000 signatures, USD president Sheila Gestring withdrew the termination on October 3, citing Hook's apology and employment record, leading Hook to dismiss the lawsuit as moot.
Tenured University of South Dakota art professor Michael Hook, who faced termination for social media comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has been reinstated after dropping his lawsuit. Hook posted remarks on September 10 calling Kirk a "hate-spreading Nazi" after the activist was shot dead, then apologized and deleted the post. South Dakota political leaders including Governor Larry Rhoden called for his firing, and USD placed Hook on administrative leave on September 12. Hook sued the university and the South Dakota Board of Regents on September 23, arguing his comments were protected by the First Amendment. Students organized a petition with nearly 22,000 signatures supporting his reinstatement. On October 3, USD president Sheila Gestring withdrew the termination notice, citing Hook's apology and employment record. Hook then dismissed the lawsuit as moot.