Local artists shine at Focus Art Spring Exhibition: “It’s a good turnout”

The Focus Art Association hosted its annual spring exhibition at Cornwall Square, showcasing nearly 100 works from over 30 local artists. The two-weekend event featured a diverse array of mediums, including oil painting, photography, and soft chalk pastels, and included a vernissage where the public could engage directly with the creators. Highlights included the transition of veteran photographer John Lester into painting and the personal watercolor narratives of artist Glenda Gibson.

ARTS AND HUMANITIES: Aiken Center for the Arts exhibition focuses on the shaping of identity

Artist Lucy Bailey is presenting a solo exhibition titled "Roots and Wings" at the Aiken Center for the Arts, running through April 29. The show features nearly 50 mixed-media works created on vintage early 20th-century infant gowns, exploring the complex origins of human identity through themes of genetics, genealogy, community, and nature. Bailey utilizes diverse materials—ranging from DNA-inspired patterns and family photographs to resin-dipped cicada wings—to symbolize the foundational "roots" of selfhood and the "wings" of individual expression.

LeMoyne Arts's star-studded exhibition sings nature's songs

LeMoyne Arts in Tallahassee has unveiled "The Nature of Kinship and Its Artful Connections," a major group exhibition running from April 9 to May 9, 2026. The show features the work of four acclaimed painters—Mifflin Hollyday, Lilian Garcia Roig, Alexa Kleinbard, and Mark Messersmith—whose works explore the symphonic and interconnected relationships within the natural world. A unique aspect of the exhibition is its community-driven origin, organized by a group of nearly 30 local art supporters to celebrate the return of Hollyday’s work to the public eye.

Take in the beauty of Italy, on display at new art gallery

The "From Italy With Love" exhibition recently debuted at Il Gelato di Carlotta’s gallery space in Niagara-on-the-Lake, showcasing works created during immersive painting workshops across Italy. Led by artist and instructor Sandra Iafrate, the collection features oil, acrylic, and mixed-media pieces produced on location in regions including Tuscany, Sicily, and Puglia. The show runs through June 30, with additional works displayed at Iafrate’s local Gate Street Studio.

Winnipeg Fine Art Fair gives artists much-needed exhibition space

The Winnipeg Fine Art Fair has returned for its third year at Red River Exhibition Park, featuring nearly 80 artists across a vast range of mediums. As one of the largest juried shows in Manitoba, the event operates without strict curatorial criteria, allowing for a diverse display that ranges from abstract textures to automotive renderings.

Jazlyne Sabree at Rowan University Museum of Contemporary Art

Philadelphia-based artist Jazlyne Sabree has debuted her solo exhibition, "The Spectrum of Resilience," at the newly rebranded Rowan University Museum of Contemporary Art (RUMOCA) in Glassboro, New Jersey. The show features large-scale, textured collages that utilize paint, paper, and found materials to portray members of the African Diaspora as spiritual figures and vessels of memory. The exhibition includes three new works and is scheduled to run through July 30, 2026.

Archaeologists Discover 6,000-Year-Old ‘Megastructure’ in Romania

Archaeologists in northeastern Romania have unearthed a 6,000-year-old 'megastructure' at the Stăuceni-"Holm" site, attributed to the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture. Measuring approximately 350 square meters, the building is significantly larger than typical dwellings of the period and was strategically positioned near the settlement's entrance. The absence of domestic tools or ritual statuettes suggests the space served as a communal assembly hall or administrative center rather than a private residence.

Newly Translated 2,000-Year-Old Graffiti Proves Presence of Indian Visitors to Egypt’s Valley of the Kings

Archaeologists have translated 2,000-year-old graffiti in Old Tamil, Sanskrit, and Kharosti script found on the walls of six tombs in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. The inscriptions, dating from the 1st to 3rd centuries CE, include one individual, Cikai Korran, who wrote his name eight times across five tombs, effectively 'tagging' the ancient site.

Christie’s Turns Pop Culture Into a Stadium Event With $94.5 M. Jim Irsay Sale

Christie's auction house achieved a record-breaking $94.5 million sale of the Jim Irsay Collection, a trove of pop culture memorabilia. The four-sale series set 28 world records, with every lot selling for a cumulative total nearly four times its low estimate. Top lots included David Gilmour's "Black Strat" guitar ($14.55M), Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road' typescript scroll ($12.1M), and Jerry Garcia's "Tiger" guitar ($11.56M).

Massive Cache of 42,000 Pottery Shards Reveals Daily Life in Ancient Egypt

Archaeologists from the University of Tübingen and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities have unearthed a massive collection of over 42,000 inscribed pottery shards, known as ostraca, at the ancient site of Athribis. The shards, dating from the 3rd century B.C.E. to the 11th century C.E., contain tax receipts, religious texts, school exercises, and personal notes written in Demotic, Greek, Hieratic, Coptic, and Arabic scripts, offering an unprecedented window into the daily lives of ordinary people.

Archaeologists Identify Lost Medieval Village in Polish Forest

Archaeologists from Poland's Relicta Foundation have located the lost medieval village of Stolzenberg in a dense forest near Sławoborze in northwestern Pomerania. The 15-acre site, identified through a combination of historical research, metal detecting, and advanced geophysical surveys, has yielded 1,500 surface anomalies and 400 artifacts, including coins and belt buckles from the 13th-14th centuries, confirming its medieval origins. Radiocarbon dating places the height of its activity in the 14th century.

Petroglyphs and cave paintings, some more than 4,000 years old, discovered in Mexico

Archaeologists from Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) have identified 16 petroglyphs and cave paintings near the Tula River in Hidalgo. The artworks span over 4,000 years, ranging from prehistoric times through the Mesoamerican Postclassic period and into the early colonial era. The discovery, which includes depictions of the rain god Tláloc and various anthropomorphic figures, was made during archaeological salvage work for a new passenger rail line connecting Mexico City and Querétaro.

Keep it in the family: how Johannes Vermeer’s paintings remained out of view for so long

A new biography by art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon reveals that nearly two-thirds of Johannes Vermeer's known works were commissioned and owned by a single family, the Van Ruijvens, and later inherited by their daughter Magdalena and her husband Jacob Dissius. The collection of 20 Vermeer paintings remained intact within this family for nearly 40 years after the artist's death, only being dispersed after Jacob's death in 1695.

Comment | Inside the preservation of the largest fortress in the Americas

A major 25-year conservation project at Haiti's Citadelle Laferrière, the largest fortress in the Americas and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is nearing completion. The project, involving the World Monuments Fund, UNESCO, and the Haitian Institute for the Protection of National Heritage, has focused on earthquake reinforcement, waterproofing, and improving visitor access, using traditional 19th-century techniques and local labor.

Student artwork sells for record $525K at RodeoHouston School Art Auction

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo School Art Auction set new records at its 2026 event, with student artworks attracting unprecedented bids from donor groups. The grand champion piece, a painting titled 'Between Boots and Moccasins' by Pasadena Memorial High School senior Joshua Washington, sold for a record $525,000, nearly doubling the previous year's top sale. The auction, held at NRG Arena, showcases artwork selected from a statewide competition involving over 200,000 students, highlighting the program's scale and impact on young Texas artists.

‘This cactus looks as if it’s preaching’: Joseph Cyr’s best phone picture

Joseph Cyr, a language teacher and avid trail runner, captured a rare crested saguaro cactus while running in Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona. The photograph highlights a unique mutation found in only about 75 of the park's estimated two million saguaros, featuring a fan-like growth that gives the plant a distinct, human-like silhouette.

Centuries-old pottery firm Denby set to call in administrators

The 217-year-old British pottery firm Denby has called in administrators, putting nearly 600 jobs at risk and threatening the closure of the historic Derbyshire manufacturer. The company, which also owns the Burleigh brand, struggled with soaring gas costs, higher labor expenses, tighter financial markets, and softening consumer demand for its premium homeware, leading to a 17% sales drop in its most recent accounts.

‘Every child wants to find joy’: the scheme designing playground equipment for disaster zones

Photographer Alexander Meininger, inspired by his children and the war in Ukraine, has launched the charity Playrise. The organization designs and produces flatpack, modular playground equipment made from iroko hardwood for children living in refugee camps and disaster zones. Its first set will be sent to the Aysaita refugee camp in Ethiopia next month.

Winners of LCE photographer of the year 2026 – in pictures

The London Camera Exchange has announced the winners of its 2026 Photographer of the Year competition, which received nearly 14,500 entries across 14 categories. The overall winner is UK-based retired teacher Sophia Spurgin for her spontaneous portrait 'Fish Eyes,' capturing a fisherman in Hoi An, Vietnam. Other category winners include Colin Page, Dikye Ariani, and Brooke Shaden.

Beneath the Great Wave: Hokusai and Hiroshige review – how two Japanese masters reinvented art

The Whitworth gallery in Manchester is presenting a major exhibition comparing the works of Japanese masters Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige. The show traces the evolution of ukiyo-e prints from their origins as mass-produced, voyeuristic snapshots of Tokyo's pleasure districts to the profound, psychologically complex landscapes that would later revolutionize Western art.

At a Difficult Time, a Minnesota Museum Offers Respite to Somalis

The Somali Museum of Minnesota has emerged as a vital cultural sanctuary and community hub for Somali immigrants in Minneapolis. By preserving traditional nomadic artifacts, textiles, and contemporary artworks, the museum provides a space for the diaspora to reconnect with their heritage and find solace amidst social and political challenges.

Route 66, a ‘Linear Museum Stretched Across Eight States,’ Turns 100

Cultural institutions across the United States are launching a series of exhibitions and preservation projects to commemorate the centennial of Route 66. From the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to local galleries along the 2,448-mile corridor, these programs examine the highway's evolution from a vital migration artery to a kitschy symbol of Americana. The initiatives aim to provide a nuanced look at the road’s history, including the experiences of marginalized travelers who relied on the Green Book to navigate segregated landscapes.

Her Museum Was Surviving in Russia. Then the Threats Became Too Much.

Nailya Allakhverdiyeva, the longtime director of the PERMM Museum of Contemporary Art in Perm, Russia, has fled the country following escalating intimidation and a raid by security forces. Despite her efforts to maintain the institution's integrity through strategic compromises and "Aesopian language" to navigate tightening censorship, the pressure became untenable after she was interrogated and her home was searched by the F.S.B. in connection with activist Pyotr Verzilov.

THE TRANSFORMATIVE SOUND ACCORDING TO BENGOLEA AT C3A

Argentine artist Cecilia Bengolea has unveiled her latest project, "El Ruido que Habita" (The Noise That Dwells), at the Centro de Creación Contemporánea de Andalucía (C3A) in Córdoba. Developed during a residency in early 2025, the exhibition features site-specific drawings and ceramic works created in collaboration with the Dionisio Ortiz School of Art. The installation integrates visual art, technology, and performance, inviting visitors to engage with sound as a transformative language that bridges cultural and material divides.

QUESTIONING POWER AND COLONIAL STRUCTURES CINTHIA MARCELLE INTERVENES AT SERRALVES

Brazilian artist Cinthia Marcelle has unveiled a major site-specific installation titled "beginning, middle, beginning" at the Serralves Museum in Porto. Developed in collaboration with the architecture collective vão and curated by Inês Grosso, the work transforms the museum’s Central Gallery into a space governed by cycles of repetition. Drawing inspiration from the philosopher and Quilombola leader Nêgo Bispo, the installation challenges Western linear conceptions of time and highlights the persistence of colonial structures in modern social organization.

AFFECTIVE CARTOGRAPHIES AND ARCHITECTURES BY SOFIA SALAZAR AT C3A

Ecuadorian artist Sofía Salazar Rosales has debuted a site-specific solo exhibition titled "Travesías de una lágrima" at the Centro de Creación Contemporánea de Andalucía (C3A) in Córdoba, Spain. The installation-heavy showcase utilizes sculpture and architecture to explore themes of migration, memory, and colonial legacies. Through materials like wax, charcoal, and iron grilles, Salazar Rosales transforms the gallery into a performative space where visitors navigate physical representations of borders, displacement, and the historical weight of territory.

QUESTIONING POWER AND COLONIAL STRUCTURES CINTHIA MARCELLE INTERVENES AT SERRALVES

Brazilian artist Cinthia Marcelle has unveiled a major site-specific installation titled "beginning, middle, beginning" at the Serralves Museum in Porto. Developed in collaboration with the architecture collective vão, the work transforms the museum’s Central Gallery into a space governed by cycles of repetition rather than linear progression. Drawing inspiration from the Quilombola philosopher Nêgo Bispo, the installation challenges Western colonial structures and highlights the importance of ancestral knowledge and Indigenous cosmologies.

AFFECTIVE CARTOGRAPHIES AND ARCHITECTURES BY SOFIA SALAZAR AT C3A

Ecuadorian artist Sofía Salazar Rosales has debuted a site-specific solo exhibition titled "Travesías de una lágrima" at the Centro de Creación Contemporánea de Andalucía (C3A) in Córdoba, Spain. The installation-heavy showcase utilizes sculpture and architecture to explore themes of migration, memory, and colonial legacies. Through materials like wax, charcoal, and iron grilles, Salazar Rosales creates a physical itinerary that invites visitors to navigate the complex emotional and political landscapes of displacement and territory.

Dialogues with the Legacy of Burle Marx at MAC CCB

DIALOGUES WITH THE LEGACY OF BURLE MARX AT MAC CCB

The Museum of Contemporary Art and Architecture Center (MAC/CCB) in Lisbon is presenting a major exhibition titled 'Lugar de estar: o legado Burle Marx' (A Place to Be: The Legacy of Burle Marx). The show features an extensive selection of landscape projects for public spaces by the influential Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx and his collaborators, tracing nearly seventy years of work through studies, sketches, photographs, and press materials. It highlights his role in shaping modern Brazilian cities like Brasília and Rio de Janeiro.

Merchant at the Fair, but with Art: The Art Edition of the Popular Board Game is Born in Milan

Mercante in Fiera però con l’arte. A Milano nasce l’Art Edition del popolare gioco di società

The creative agency Plus Srl and the curatorial collective The Art Society have launched "Mercante in Fiera – Art Edition," a contemporary art reimagining of the classic Italian card game. Debuting at the forthcoming Luceferma space in Milan, the project replaces traditional game cards with artistic imagery and visual references to spark informal dialogue among participants. The initiative functions as a social device, stripping away academic barriers to engage players in spontaneous interpretation and community building.