Rainforest-inspired works on show at Uki café-post office

Local artist Brenda Bryant has unveiled her latest exhibition, "Shadows and Light," at the Bastion Lane Espresso Bar in Uki. The collection features eight oil and pastel paintings inspired by the Gondwana rainforest and the remnants of the Big Scrub in Australia's Northern Rivers region. Bryant’s work utilizes a soft, misty aesthetic to capture the atmospheric tranquility of the forest, occasionally incorporating fantastical elements influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Louise Nevelson Sculpture at Long Island Synagogue for Sale

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Temple Beth El, a synagogue in Great Neck, New York, has announced the sale of a monumental 55-foot-long Louise Nevelson sculpture titled "The White Flame of the Six Million." Commissioned in the 1960s as a Holocaust memorial and functional Torah ark, the white-painted wood installation has served as the centerpiece of the congregation's sanctuary for over 50 years. Due to dwindling membership and a decision to sell the synagogue property, the congregation is seeking a new home for the massive work.

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President Donald Trump has initiated a controversial overhaul of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., renaming it the 'Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts' and appointing himself chairman. Following the dismissal of long-time president Deborah Rutter and the installation of a board led by Richard Grenell, the institution has pivoted toward conservative programming, leading to a 93% to 57% drop in ticket sales and high-profile boycotts from artists like Philip Glass. The center is now slated for a two-year closure starting after July 4 for major renovations, a move that has sparked alarm among preservationists and political figures.

New Chrysler exhibition at NSU puts Black identity front and center

The James Wise Gallery at Norfolk State University has unveiled "Define Yourself!", a traveling exhibition organized in partnership with the Chrysler Museum of Art. Inspired by James Baldwin’s "The Fire Next Time," the show features 15 works by artists including Kara Walker, Emma Amos, and Carl Van Vechten that explore themes of Black identity, media representation, and double consciousness. The initiative is part of the Atlantic Coast Cohort, a program funded by the Art Bridges Foundation to share museum collections with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

13 modern chair designs that remain utterly timeless

A recent Christie's online auction, 'Modern Collector: Design and Tiffany,' featured a range of iconic 20th-century chair designs that achieved significant sale prices. Highlights included Gaetano Pesce's 'Nobody's Perfect' series chair selling for $6,350, Hans J. Wegner's 'Valet' Chair for $8,255, and a set of four Ludwig Mies van der Rohe MR10 chairs for $5,334.

Moore Art Gallery opens “All Hands on Deck” WWII naval photography exhibit

The Moore Art Gallery has opened a new exhibition titled "All Hands on Deck: Edward Steichen and the WWII Naval Photographic Unit." The show presents black-and-white photographs taken by the influential photographer Edward Steichen and his team during World War II, offering an intimate look at the lives of sailors and aviators through dramatic and compositionally striking images. The exhibition includes prints annotated by Steichen with editorial instructions, revealing his meticulous process.

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A rare cassette tape containing one of the earliest known recordings of rapper Tupac Shakur, made in 1988 at his friend Ge-ology's home, is being auctioned by the music collecting platform Wax Poetics with an estimate of $120,000–$150,000. The sale includes other personal artifacts like handwritten lyrics and photos from Tupac's pre-fame years in Baltimore, with bidding ending February 11.

8 Must-See Exhibitions This Black History Month

Galleries and museums worldwide are presenting a series of exhibitions to mark Black History Month, highlighting the contributions of Black and African diasporic artists. These shows explore themes of identity, history, and liberation, ranging from the vibrant works of AFRICOBRA co-founder Wadsworth Jarrell to Ifeyinwa Joy Chiamonwu's intimate portraits of her Igbo community, and a major photography exhibition at MoMA.

A Nation of Artists

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has announced a major new exhibition titled "A Nation of Artists," which will showcase over 200 works of American art from its collection. The show spans from the early 19th century to the mid-20th century and features paintings, decorative arts, and folk art by artists including Georgia O'Keeffe, Edward Hopper, and Stuart Davis.

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Newly released documents from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation reveal that billionaire art collectors and Museum of Modern Art trustees Leon Black and Ronald Lauder have co-owned several major artworks for decades. The files, made public by the U.S. Department of Justice, confirm long-standing rumors of their joint acquisitions, including a Max Beckmann self-portrait and two Ernst Ludwig Kirchner works, purchased for a total of $31.6 million and later appraised at $93.5 million.

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The opening ceremony of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics featured significant art-historical references, including a flame cauldron inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's knot drawings and performances that brought to life the marble sculptures of Antonio Canova. Dancers animated recreations of works like 'Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss,' and the ceremony included symbolic representations of Italian architectural landmarks like the Colosseum and Florence's Duomo.

The Mueller Gallery at Caldwell University Presents Silent Witness, a Solo Exhibition Featuring the Work of Krista Svalbonas

The Mueller Gallery at Caldwell University has opened a solo exhibition titled 'Silent Witness' by artist Krista Svalbonas. The exhibition, curated by Savannah Hood, features a multi-disciplinary installation exploring themes of displacement, memory, and resistance, inspired by Svalbonas's family history as refugees from the Soviet-occupied Baltic states. It includes four thematic sections and incorporates photography, archival research, and audio recordings.

UK’s Hepworth Wakefield announces new co-directors

The Hepworth Wakefield in West Yorkshire has appointed Olivia Colling as executive director and Laura Smith as artistic director, filling the leadership void left by former director Simon Wallis, who departed last summer to lead the Royal Academy of Arts. Colling, who joined the gallery in 2015, previously oversaw commercial income and capital projects, while Smith, who arrived in 2022, has focused on expanding the collection and curated a Helen Chadwick retrospective in 2025; her upcoming exhibition features the late Indian sculptor Mrinalini Mukherjee.

Newport Art Museum launches the Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Society

The Newport Art Museum has launched the Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Society, a new fund to support ambitious exhibition programming. The initiative was previewed at the Members' Show Exhibition and will be announced at the Julie Keyes Gallery Pop Up at Palm Beach Modern Auctions on February 13. The fund will support major projects including 'Sheila Isham: Between Worlds' opening July 10 and a 2028 exhibition on Edward Mitchell Bannister developed with multiple partners. The society is named after Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, a charter member of the Newport Art Association and influential arts patron.

Why western Sicily is Italy’s emerging arts hub | Sicily holidays

Western Sicily is emerging as an unexpected arts hub, driven by grassroots cultural initiatives that are repurposing abandoned historic buildings. The article highlights several key projects: the Museum of World Cities in Palermo, opening in a former convent; Farm Cultural Park in Favara, which transformed a depopulated mining town into a vibrant arts destination; Fondazione RIV in a deconsecrated church; and the artist-built town of Gibellina, which was reconstructed after a 1968 earthquake with art woven into its urban fabric. These efforts are led by local figures including Andrea Bartoli and Florinda Saievi, who have rehabilitated multiple sites across the region.

Gwen John: The 'reclusive spinster' artist who shunned conformity

A major retrospective of Gwen John, one of Britain's greatest 20th-century artists, is opening at National Museum Cardiff on the 150th anniversary of her birth. The exhibition, titled 'Gwen John: Strange Beauties,' brings together works from across the UK and the USA for the first time, including a significant collection acquired from her nephew Edwin in 1976 that has never been extensively researched or exhibited. John, born in 1876 in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, was long overshadowed by her younger brother, the artist Augustus John, and was often dismissed as a 'reclusive spinster.' However, curators and biographers now challenge that myth, revealing her as a socially engaged, determined artist who pursued her own path despite Victorian-era constraints on women.

Asheville Art Museum exhibit spotlights American Impressionism

The Asheville Art Museum in North Carolina will present "In a New Light: American Impressionism 1870–1940 | Works from the Bank of America Collection," an exhibition featuring over 120 works that trace the development of American Impressionism and its break with academic tradition. The show runs from February 7 through June 29, 2026, and is made possible through the Bank of America Art in our Communities program, which loans exhibitions at no cost to nonprofit community museums.

Promotion: Diss auction expert explores the art of collecting

Elizabeth Talbot from TW Gaze explores the concept of collecting ahead of a sale of international contemporary art at Diss Auction Rooms on February 17. The auction features over 20 Australian Aboriginal works by artists like Mary Anne Nampijimpa Michaels and George Ward Tjungurrayi, six works by Chinese artist Huang Simao, and a painting by American artist Douglas Stewart, all from the estate of a Norfolk collector who sourced pieces worldwide.

Gwen John—the quiet ‘seer of strange beauties’—gets major show in Wales

The National Museum Cardiff is mounting a major survey exhibition of Gwen John (1876-1939), one of the most famous artists in its collection, titled "Gwen John: Strange Beauties." The show marks the 150th anniversary of John's birth in Wales and will be the most comprehensive exhibition of her work in decades, featuring major loans from institutions such as Tate and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It will travel to Scotland and the US, emphasizing John's interest in form, materials, and color theory, including late watercolours she never sold or exhibited. The exhibition draws on the museum's extensive archive of over 900 drawings, letters, and photographs acquired in 1976, and aims to shift focus from John's biographical narrative—her relationship with Auguste Rodin and reputation as a recluse—to her artistic dedication and technical innovations.

Telfair Academy unveils restored gallery dedicated to African American art history

Telfair Academy in Savannah has unveiled the Walter and Linda Evans Gallery of African American Art, a permanent gallery dedicated to late 19th and early 20th-century African American artworks. The gallery is named for collectors Walter and Linda Evans, who donated 28 works from their collection in 2023. The space, originally the Dining Room, underwent a full restoration and opens to the public on February 6, 2025, after a sold-out reception. The exhibition highlights the challenges and successes of African American artists and the emergence of cultural centers in the Midwest and Northeast, while also reflecting on Telfair's historical relationships with local African American artists.

Black-owned art gallery slams Austin with poetry open mic night

RichesArt Gallery, the only Black-owned art gallery in Austin, hosted its Rhythms and Poetry open mic night on February 3, featuring slam poetry, rappers, and spoken word performances. The event, organized by poetry director Jonathan Ezemba in collaboration with gallery founder Richard Samuel, operated on a pay-what-you-can basis to keep it accessible. Performers like Maya Edwin shared personal poems about identity, queerness, and Blackness, emphasizing the gallery's role as a safe space for Black artists.

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Ronald Lauder, the billionaire art collector and heir to the Estée Lauder fortune, is named over 900 times in the recently released Jeffrey Epstein court documents. The emails reveal his assistants frequently scheduling meetings and calls with Epstein in 2017, though the substance of their discussions remains largely unclear. One email suggests Epstein sought to review Lauder's tax returns and will, while another indicates Epstein attempted to arrange a dinner involving filmmaker Woody Allen.

Ayala Malls turns Makati into an open-air gallery with Art Walk rollout

Ayala Malls has launched Art Walk by Ayala Land, a public art initiative transforming several of its Makati shopping centers into open-air galleries from January 30 to February 8. The program places contemporary artworks by Filipino and international artists in high-traffic mall environments, featuring large-scale installations, digital works, performance art, and wearable pieces across locations like Ayala Malls Circuit, Greenbelt, Glorietta, and One Ayala.

The Polygon Gallery maps out its 2026 programming

The Polygon Gallery in Vancouver has announced its 2026 exhibition schedule, featuring a diverse lineup of solo and group shows. The year's programming is anchored by photography but includes sculpture, installation, and beadwork, with a strong focus on local and Indigenous artists. Highlights include a major solo show by Tania Willard, a career retrospective for photographer Greg Girard, a two-person exhibition with Jeneen Frei Njootli and Catherine Blackburn, and the return of the Lind Biennial.

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Martial Raysse, the 89-year-old, reclusive giant of postwar French art, has debuted a new exhibition of recent paintings and sculptures at Galerie Templon in Paris. The show features 30 works, selected from over 50, and marks his first collaboration with the gallery, initiated by a handwritten letter from founder Daniel Templon.

15 of the Most Anticipated Museum Exhibitions Around the World in 2026

Major museums worldwide have announced their flagship exhibitions for 2026, featuring a diverse array of artists and historical periods. Highlights include a Frida Kahlo retrospective at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, exploring her rise to icon status; a survey of Ovid's influence on art from Caravaggio to Louise Bourgeois at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum; a centennial exhibition for Mary Cassatt at the National Gallery of Art; and the largest career survey to date for Tracey Emin at Tate Modern. Other key shows feature Carol Bove at the Guggenheim Museum, Korean national treasures at the Art Institute of Chicago, and exhibitions at the Whitney Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Louvre.

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The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) has announced the 77 galleries and dealers participating in its 2026 Photography Show, set for April 22–26 at New York's Park Avenue Armory. The exhibitor list includes established names like Edwynn Houk Gallery and Yancey Richardson, alongside first-time participants such as Ruiz-Healy Art and Leica Gallery New York. A new 'Focal Point' section for solo presentations will be introduced, and the fair aims for greater gender parity, with a third of exhibitors being women-led or founded.

International poster exhibition on display at UA School of Art

The University of Arkansas School of Art is hosting the United States International Poster Biennial at its Studio + Design Center in Fayetteville, featuring juried posters from designers worldwide, including works by university faculty, students, and alumni. A public reception on January 29 will include remarks by assistant professor Ryan Slone and the presentation of the Gold Award to MDES Fellow Andi Hardin for her poster "The Gratitude Magma – Yellowstone." The exhibition has also traveled to several other U.S. universities and will have international stops in 2026.

Expo Chicago lines up 130 galleries for ‘a more focused’ fair

Expo Chicago, acquired by Frieze in 2023, will return to Navy Pier’s Festival Hall this April with around 130 galleries, a 23% reduction from the 170 exhibitors in recent editions. The fair frames this as a more focused, intentionally scaled format designed to deepen engagement, and it will be the first edition under new director Kate Sierzputowski, who succeeded longtime leader Tony Karman. The fair features a strong contingent of local Chicago dealers, international galleries from South Korea, Lagos, Milan, Dublin, and elsewhere, and partnerships with the Obama Presidential Center and the Galleries Association of Korea.

Rescheduled reception for the 128th Annual Midwest Art Exhibition, Salina artist featured

The Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery in Lindsborg, Kansas, has rescheduled the reception for its 128th annual Midwest Art Exhibition to Saturday, February 7, 2026, from 2 to 4 p.m., with exhibition talks at 2:30 p.m. The show features works by Tim Stone and Marco Hernandez of Wichita, woodcarvings by Glenn Knak of Salina, mixed media pieces by Genevieve Waller of Denver, and selections by Gretchen Elliott’s art students at Smoky Valley High School.