Accusé de viol, le directeur du Frac Bretagne est révoqué

The director of the Frac Bretagne (Regional Contemporary Art Fund of Brittany), Étienne Bernard, has been dismissed following an internal investigation into allegations of sexual violence. The case began in October 2025 when an anonymous testimony on the Instagram account #MeTooArtContemporain accused a former art professor of sexual assault; the post noted the accused had since become a Frac director. After graffiti appeared on the Frac Bretagne building, the institution hired the external consultancy Égaé to conduct an internal inquiry. Two reports submitted in February and April 2026 documented multiple serious allegations against Bernard, including harassment and assault. The board voted unanimously to revoke his position on May 4, 2026, and the public prosecutor's office in Rennes has opened a criminal investigation for moral harassment, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and aggravated rape. Bernard denies the allegations and has filed an appeal with the administrative court.

Aristophil : Gérard Lhéritier obtient une peine aménagée

Gérard Lhéritier, founder of the investment firm Aristophil, has had his prison sentence reduced to two years under electronic monitoring after pleading guilty in a French plea-bargaining procedure. Originally sentenced in December 2025 to five years in prison for fraud, Lhéritier's scheme involved selling shares in manuscripts and historical documents, causing losses estimated at several hundred million euros to nearly 18,000 investors.

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.

In Berlin, a controversy over subsidies sweeps away the culture official

À Berlin, une polémique sur des subventions emporte l’élue à la Culture

Sarah Wedl-Wilson, Berlin's senator for culture, resigned after the Berlin Court of Auditors ruled that €2.6 million in public subsidies for 13 antisemitism-fighting projects were awarded illegally, bypassing regulatory checks and violating budget law. The controversy intensified when a parliamentary inquiry revealed that CDU politicians, including Christian Goiny and Dirk Stettner, pressured her to approve the funds immediately, coordinating with the Israeli embassy, despite warnings from state secretary Oliver Friederici, whom she later dismissed. Stefan Evers, the finance senator, has been appointed interim successor until Berlin's parliamentary elections in September.

Turin experiments with a robot guide in one of its historic palaces

Turin expérimente un robot-guide dans l’un de ses palais historiques

The Palazzo Madama in Turin, Italy, has introduced R1, a humanoid robot guide developed by the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Genoa, to accompany visitors through the historic palace. Since late March, R1 has been testing its ability to navigate the building's constrained interiors, interact with diverse audiences, and provide explanations about artworks, artists, and the palace's history. The robot uses infrared cameras, lasers, pressure sensors, and a LED matrix to move, avoid obstacles, and communicate, with over 80% of users reporting positive interactions during the six-week trial. Previous tests occurred in 2022 and May 2024.

Millon relance Pierre Bergé & Associés

Millon has taken full control of Pierre Bergé & Associés, becoming its sole shareholder. The auction house, founded in 2002 and restructured two years ago by Alexandre Landre after judicial recovery, will now operate under Millon's financial, logistical, and commercial backing while retaining its Avenue Kléber address and operational team.

Pablo Diaz, directeur de Sciences Po Rennes : « L’acte II de l’INSEAC de Guingamp »

Pablo Diaz, director of Sciences Po Rennes, announces that the Institut national supérieur de l'éducation artistique et culturelle (INSEAC) in Guingamp has been transferred from the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (Cnam) to Sciences Po Rennes as of January 1, 2026. The institute, which opened in 2021 and focuses on training, research, and resources for arts and cultural education, will now operate under public-sector governance with oversight from the French ministries of Culture, Education, and Higher Education. Diaz outlines plans to appoint a dedicated site director in Guingamp and establish a strategic orientation committee chaired by interministerial delegate Emmanuel Ethis, aiming to resolve past management and governance issues.

A U.S. agency that funds culture wins a judicial reprieve

Une agence américaine qui finance la culture gagne un répit judiciaire

A U.S. federal court has blocked the Trump administration's attempt to cut funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a key agency supporting museums and libraries nationwide. The lawsuit was brought by the American Library Association (ALA) and the AFSCME union, with support from the legal organization Democracy Forward, arguing that the executive branch cannot unilaterally reduce programs authorized by Congress. The ruling temporarily halts the funding reductions, which were part of broader efforts to slash federal cultural spending during Donald Trump's second term.

L’offre de formation se développe

French art training institutions are expanding their curricula to include provenance research, responding to a 2022 government report that identified gaps in conservator education. The Institut national du patrimoine (INP) now offers seminars on Nazi-era spoliation (1933-1945) and has added a five-day provenance research module for external competition students since 2024-2025. Paris-Nanterre University launched a master's-level diploma in 2022 covering legal, historical, and methodological aspects of provenance research. The École du Louvre now offers a specialized master's in "sensitive goods and provenance research" addressing spoliated works, human remains, colonial acquisitions, and illicit trafficking, while also integrating provenance methodology into its general curriculum from master's level one.

Aristophil : Gérard Lhéritier reconnaît sa culpabilité et obtient une peine réduite

Gérard Lhéritier, founder of the art investment firm Aristophil, has pleaded guilty in a French court under a procedure known as comparution sur reconnaissance préalable de culpabilité (CRPC), effectively a plea bargain. On April 14, he admitted responsibility for fraud and deceptive commercial practices after more than a decade of denial. This late admission, made just before his expected incarceration, reduces his sentence from the five years of imprisonment handed down in December 2025 to two years under electronic monitoring. The case stems from Aristophil’s collapse, which involved selling shares in manuscripts and historical documents as attractive investments, leaving thousands of investors heavily impacted.

Locky Morris, Liz Vitlin at Gertie

Locky Morris and Liz Vitlin are featured in a two-person exhibition at Gertie, a gallery space. The show presents a selection of works by both artists, documented through 59 images on the Contemporary Art Daily platform, though no text descriptions or curatorial statements are provided in the article.

Strange Stranger at Timeshare

Contemporary Art Daily presents documentation of the exhibition "Strange Stranger at Timeshare," featuring 35 images and no videos. The page provides a visual record of the show without text descriptions or additional context about the artists, works, or venue involved.

Baumgartner Restoration Painstakingly Brings a Neglected Portrait Back to Life

Art conservator Julian Baumgartner, who runs Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration in Chicago, received an anonymous portrait that arrived severely damaged—folded inside a mangled parcel with substantial creases, tears, and worn-away paint. Using reversible, archival materials and meticulous attention to detail, Baumgartner painstakingly restored the neglected painting, giving it a second chance at life.

Mirei Monticelli’s Hand-Woven Banana Leaf Lamps Swell Between Material and Movement

Milan-based Filipina designer Mirei Monticelli creates biomorphic lighting fixtures from hand-woven Banaca fabric, made from Abacá fiber sourced from the Philippines. Her studio collaborates with a community of weavers in the Bicol province, developing the material through a long-term relationship. The lamps, which blend sculpture and utility, were recently featured in an installation titled 'Pleasure Garden' at Milan Design Week. Monticelli’s process incorporates techniques from garment construction, learned from her mother, a fashion designer.

Rachel Mentzer Transforms Discarded Cartons into Dusky Collagraphs

Ohio-based artist Rachel Mentzer creates collagraph prints using discarded cartons as printing plates, carving them with images of birds, trees, and energy infrastructure. Her process involves carving the cardboard, sealing it with polyurethane, inking it, and transferring the image via an etching press, often incorporating chine collé for color. Her work was recently shown at the Manhattan Graphics Center, and she will participate in the Suzanne Wilson Artist-in-Residence Program at Glen Arbor Arts Center this summer.

4th Friday Art Walk

The 4th Friday Art Walk has returned to downtown Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, with participating businesses on Market, Merchant, and Main Streets open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nine art venues took part last Friday, including Music Art Love, E.KleK.Tix Studio and Gallery, Only Child Originals and Rust Artisan Shop, CJoy Art Works, Two Rivers Gallery, The Art Guild, Silver Sycamore Gallery of Fine Art, and ASL Pewter. Artists such as Christine Alexander, Jean Rissover, Sam Conlon, Christina Joy Elsen, Bryan Haynes, Charles Rhinehart, Andrew Naeger, and Tom and Pat Hooper showcased and sold their work, with live music and special exhibits featured.

New art gallery brings fresh perspective to Madrona

A new art gallery called Dirkse/Prim has opened in Seattle's Madrona neighborhood, founded by married couple Michelle and Jeremy. Michelle works as an interior designer, while Jeremy is a painter of seascapes. Their debut exhibition features the work of another husband-and-wife duo, Mya Kerner and Zach Helenske, whose art is inspired by their 40-acre farm in Pennsylvania. The gallery aims to offer a warm, welcoming alternative to traditional white-box spaces, emphasizing community and approachability.

"Bloom Beyond Sight" , 2026

Bonu Deji's painting "Bloom Beyond Sight" (2026) is being offered for sale through Art R us gallery in Naples, Florida. The acrylic and oil on canvas work, sized 25 × 31 inches, is priced at US$1,400 and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Deji, a Nigerian artist born in 2003 and based in Lagos, creates figurative works exploring poverty, labor, resilience, and human dignity. The piece was exhibited in 2026 at Art R us's breakout exhibition of the artist and previously in the 2025 group show "Faces of Us" at The Zebra Gallery.

"The Watchful Savior" , 2026

Bonu Deji's painting "The Watchful Savior" (2026) is being offered for sale through Art R us gallery in Naples, Florida. The acrylic and oil on canvas work, measuring 25 × 31 inches, is priced at US$1,400 and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Deji, a Nigerian contemporary visual artist born in 2003 and based in Lagos, creates figurative works exploring poverty, labor, resilience, and human dignity. The piece was previously exhibited in the gallery's 2026 solo presentation of the artist and in the 2025 group show "Faces of Us" at The Zebra Gallery.

Fulton students promote peace with art exhibit

Fulton Public Schools students displayed over 80 artworks in the "Building Peace: From Within to the World" exhibit at the Mildred M. Cox Gallery in William Woods University's Kemper Art Center. The show, open Monday through Friday, was organized in partnership with the William Woods Rotaract Club, the Fulton Rotary Club, and Fulton Public Schools, with funding from a Rotary peace project grant. Art teachers Pamela Doss and Rebecca Diekamp coordinated student submissions from kindergarten through 12th grade, with works exploring themes of inner peace, community kindness, and symbolic acts of making a difference.

Logo Stuff: Art Exhibit Featuring the Artist Quire

The Imperfecta Gallery is presenting "Logo Stuff," a new exhibition featuring a series of paintings by artist Quire (aka Leah Hugon). The works depict contemporary commercial properties—some vacant, some occupied—paired with native plants that would have thrived in those locations, such as a closed pharmacy paired with medicinal Mullein. Quire draws on her religious upbringing and biblical stories to explore themes of societal choice, connection with nature, and what is lost in modern convenience. The show runs from June 4 to June 27, with an opening reception on June 4.

Art with a heart - High Point pet portraitist schedules benefit show

Emily Cassidy, a High Point-based pet portrait artist with a background in animal science and veterinary technology, is holding a three-day solo exhibition titled "All Things Bright & Beautiful" from May 27 to May 29 at Reynolda Village in Winston-Salem. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Wake Forest University Chaplain’s Emergency Fund, which assists students, faculty, staff, and contract workers with essential expenses. Cassidy, who returned to art in 2020 after a career in cancer research, now has a two- to three-month waiting list for commissions and works in colored pencils, pastels, and oils.

London artist’s new exhibition captures quiet beauty of Southwestern Ontario’s back roads

London, Ont.-based artist Craig Guthrie has opened a new solo exhibition titled *Outskirts: Landscapes From the Road* at LAB 203 inside the TAP Centre for Creativity. The show, running from May 12 to June 6, 2026, features quiet, soft-hued paintings inspired by photographs Guthrie took while driving rural roads around the London region. Many works were shot from inside his vehicle to evoke the feeling of traveling through the landscape, capturing the overlooked beauty of fields, hydro lines, and back roads that lie between destinations.

Exhibition by Visual Artist Aly Roshdy to Open in Sofia

Visual artist Aly Roshdy will open his solo exhibition "Inside Out" at Sofia Green Gallery in Sofia, Bulgaria, with a vernissage on May 7. The show runs through May 21 and features a series of paintings and collages inspired by the artist's travels, each depicting a specific place seen through a window. Roshdy describes the window as both a literal frame for observing different cultures and a symbolic lens for documenting his journeys, capturing moments of silence and contemplation.

αMプロジェクト2025‒2026「立ち止まり振り返る、そして前を向く vol.5 飯川雄大｜デコレータークラブ：すべて違う姿」 @ gallery αＭ

gallery αM in Tokyo is presenting the fifth edition of its αM Project 2025–2026 series, titled “Stop, Look Back, Face Forward. vol.5 Takehiro Iikawa: Decorator Crab－No Two Alike,” running from April 11 to June 13, 2026. The exhibition features works by artist Takehiro Iikawa, including pieces such as “Decorator Crab – Arrangement, Adjustment, Circulation” (2026) and “Decorator Crab – New Audience” (2026), with guest curator Aki Otsuki, a curator from the Ashiya City Museum of Art and History.

From war zones to the White House: Christopher Anderson’s photography

Christopher Anderson, a photographer known for his work in war zones, has shifted his focus to capturing intimate and emotional moments, including assignments at the White House. His approach emphasizes connecting viewers with feelings that transcend factual data, reflecting a broader evolution in his photographic practice.

New art gallery in Waikiki showcases local artists

A new art gallery and community hub called The ART House has opened in the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Honolulu, showcasing curated products from 30 small businesses and more than 20 local artists from across Hawaii. Founder Danielle Rush of Illuminated ART Hawaii announced the gallery on HNN’s Sunrise, highlighting a Featured Artist Series that rotates every two months to spotlight individual creators. The grand opening celebration is scheduled for May 30th at 6 p.m. with free parking, and featured artists include painter Lauren Roth, Kris Goto, Haunani Hess, and others from Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island, Kauai, Lanai, and Molokai.

‘Whispers of the Wild’: MD Parashar brings his unique soot art exhibition to Bengaluru

MD Parashar, a painter and wildlife photographer, is bringing his unique soot art exhibition 'Whispers of the Wild' to Bengaluru after nearly 26 years. The exhibition, curated by Artenblu in collaboration with Martial Motors Volvo, showcases his technique of using domestic lampblack (soot) and a crumpled newspaper as a nib to create artworks inspired by Ranthambore's wildlife. Parashar discovered the medium while cleaning a kerosene lamp, finding that the soot produced 10 to 12 shades of black and white.

Carnegie Hall Museum Gallery showcases textile artist Holly Lei Cole

Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg, West Virginia, has opened a new exhibition in its Museum Gallery featuring textile artist Holly Lei Cole. The show is part of the ongoing Carnegie Hall ArtWalk, a self-guided gallery experience across four spaces in the historic 1902 landmark. Cole, a Virginia-based fiber and art-quilt artist, presents works that blend drawing, painting, sewing, and mixed media, exploring themes of endangered species, animal-human relationships, and nature. Before turning to art quilting in 2016, she worked as a costume and set designer for Broadway, The Muppets, Ringling Bros. Circus, and regional theaters. The exhibition is free and runs through the end of June.

"Hungry Eyes" Opens at 49 Oak Street

"Hungry Eyes" has opened at 49 Oak Street in Portland, Maine, featuring emerging artists Cam Fox, Bets Ondrey, Sophia Sutherland, and Tom Dailey. The group exhibition explores themes of appetite, the animal, and the sensation of consuming art through layered abstraction, figurative imagery, and mixed-media works such as stitched sugar packets on canvas. A public reception is scheduled for June 5 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.