Black Mountain mural attracts crowds ahead of new art gallery's grand opening

A new mural in Black Mountain, North Carolina, is drawing crowds and boosting local business ahead of the grand opening of Cherry Street Gallery. The mural, designed by Atlanta-based designer Ben Rupp and adapted and painted by artist Jonathan Bidwell, was commissioned by the gallery and completed in late July 2025. Local residents and tourists have been stopping to take photos, with the artwork generating significant foot traffic and online visibility for nearby shops like the bookstore Sassafras.

RH Paris Opens An Immersive Gallery With Art, Furniture And Fine Dining On The Champs-Élysées

RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) has opened a sprawling new gallery on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, blending high-end furniture showrooms with art, fine dining, and a garden. The space, located at 23 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, was transformed from a former cinema and Abercrombie & Fitch flagship over six years. The opening event during Paris Design Week drew nearly one thousand guests, including Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Catherine Deneuve, Zoë Saldaña, and Theo James, with catering by chef Cyril Lignac and cocktails by Colin Field.

UNC Asheville hosts post-Helene symposium, storytelling event with local NC media

UNC Asheville will host the Post-Helene Symposium from September 24-26, 2025, to commemorate the anniversary of Tropical Storm Helene, which caused historic flooding in Western North Carolina in September 2024. The free, three-day event includes panels, concerts, art exhibitions, and a storytelling collaboration with NC Local titled "The Heart of the Mountains," featuring 12 news organizations including the Asheville Citizen Times. Highlights include the art exhibition "Looking Back to Move Forward" in the S. Tucker Cooke Gallery and a music faculty showcase concert "Hard Times, No More."

Exhibitions by Lee Sipe and Chase Lanier open at Sumter County Gallery of Art on Aug. 28

Two new exhibitions open at the Sumter County Gallery of Art on August 28: Lee Sipe's "Precious Vessels, Asian Spirit" and Chase Lanier's "Within the Margin of Err/Or." Sipe, a Korean-born artist based in Columbia, South Carolina, creates intricate vessels from copper wire, pine needles, and natural materials, drawing on her Asian heritage. Her work has been acquired by the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery. Lanier, a University of Georgia graduate, produces works that explore form, color, and the passage of time using fire and precise delineation. Both artists will attend the opening reception.

Popular Bottle Alley Art Market to return bigger than ever before

The Bottle Alley Art Market (BAAM) returns for its third year on August 23, transforming the 480-meter seafront walkway between Hastings and St Leonards into the UK's longest beachside art market. Featuring 70 artists from local talents to national figures, the free event includes live portrait sessions by Xinchu Zhang, performances by Jude Montague and Caroline Gregory, DJ sets from Simon and the Pope, and a fabric installation by Mew Welch, David Harris, and Zeroh. Organised by Zeroh, Daniel Hardiker, and Neil Hetherington, the market runs from 10am to 6pm on the bank holiday weekend.

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Former French culture minister Jack Lang and his daughter, film producer Caroline Lang, have been named in newly released U.S. Department of Justice documents as having had ties with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The correspondence reveals Caroline Lang co-founded a company, Prytanee LLC, with Epstein in 2016, and that Jack Lang requested personal favors like the use of Epstein's car or plane.

south carolina artist wins 158k copyright infringement case mural 1234770761

A federal judge in South Carolina awarded artist Todd Atkinson $158,400 in a copyright infringement case against artist Chan Shepherd and the building owner, Justin L. McFalls. Atkinson painted a mural of a train and water tank on a building in Clover, S.C., in 1982, and registered its copyright in 2023. After McFalls purchased the building, he hired Shepherd to paint a similar version over the original, removing Atkinson’s signature and adding Shepherd’s own. The court found violations of the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA), awarding $150,000 in statutory damages and $8,400 in actual damages.

US exhibition unearths the Etruscans and their enduring cultural influence

The Legion of Honor in San Francisco will present "The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy" from 2 May to 20 September, featuring nearly 200 objects including jewellery, sculptures, and vessels from the ancient Etruscan civilisation. The exhibition highlights recent archaeological discoveries, such as the Liber Linteus Zagrabiensis—the longest surviving Etruscan text—and grave objects from the Regolini-Galassi Tomb, many making their US debut. Curator Renée Dreyfus aims to correct negative portrayals of the Etruscans by Greeks and Romans and showcase their cultural achievements.

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Artnet News revisits a podcast episode featuring editor-in-chief Naomi Rea, who examines the breakdown of traditional art pricing logic amid a cooling market. The episode explores how the rules that once governed art valuation have eroded, leaving dealers, advisors, and collectors struggling to navigate a market described as being in a "danger zone." Rea discusses how mega-galleries, emerging dealers, and advisors are quietly recalibrating their strategies as speculation dries up and confidence wanes.

New art exhibition on memory, landscape and emotion opens in Andover

A new art exhibition titled 'Undercurrent' has opened at Unity Art Studio in the Chantry Centre, Andover, running until May 16, 2026. The show features abstract works by artist Caroline Perkins, a Royal College of Art graduate and QEST Scholar, that explore themes of memory, landscape, deep time, and emotional experience.

Inside the Mint Museum’s 4-year quest to bring rare Caravaggio show to Charlotte

The Mint Museum in Charlotte has successfully secured a rare exhibition featuring the works of Italian Baroque master Caravaggio, culminating a complex four-year negotiation process. This landmark show marks a significant achievement for the regional institution, bringing world-class masterpieces that are seldom seen outside of major European capitals or top-tier global museums to North Carolina.

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.

In its 20th year, sculpture exhibition expands public art offerings in the county

The DownEast National Juried Sculpture Exhibition is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a significant expansion of its public art footprint across Pitt County, North Carolina. Artist Jessica Bradsher took first place for her steel sculpture "Capriole," which will be displayed outside Wahl-Coates Elementary School of the Arts. The exhibition features both an indoor showcase at the Emerge Gallery and Arts Center and an outdoor component that has grown to 20 locations, including new sites in Ayden, Farmville, Winterville, and north of the Tar River.

Opening reception for Spring Art Show this Friday at Tahoe Art League Gallery

The Tahoe Art League Gallery is hosting an opening reception for its Spring Art Show this Friday, February 27, in South Lake Tahoe. The event features works from 21 local artists and includes a live violin performance by participating artist Mel Smothers. The exhibition is free to the public and will remain on display through May 24.

2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is hosting its 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition from March 7 to March 29 at The Art Gallery. The showcase features the culminating work of five Master of Fine Arts candidates: Diane Chen, Ashley Jeneé Collins, Caroline Holmes, Sheldon Wong, and Mia Zheng. The exhibition represents the final requirement for the terminal degree in visual arts, highlighting a diverse range of practices from personal narratives to broader contextual explorations.

Gamers to perform live alongside musicians about technology in Ilford

Spanish artist Robert Cervera presents 'Hiddenware,' an exhibition at SPACE Ilford on January 31 that blends gaming, sound, and visual art. Three local gamers will perform live video game sessions accompanied by musicians playing a custom instrument made from PC liquid cooling tubes, creating real-time soundtracks based on the gameplay. The event runs from 4pm to 7pm, with a live stream on Twitch, and the exhibition remains open until April.

Open Call Announced for Georgetown Art Center 2027 Exhibitions

The Georgetown Art Center (GAC) has issued an open call for its 2027 exhibition season, inviting U.S.-based artists working in any medium to propose monthlong solo exhibitions featuring work created within the past three years. Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of three artists—Caroline Walker, Mark Greenwalt, and Molly Mansfield—each of whom had solo shows at GAC in 2025. Selected artists receive a $500 honorarium, promotional support, and opportunities for an opening reception, artist talk, and masterclass. The deadline for submissions is February 28, 2026, with a $45 fee.

Comment | Dave the Potter finally becomes a complete artist

David Drake, also known as Dave the Potter, was an enslaved African American ceramicist and poet in 19th-century South Carolina who inscribed his stoneware jars with defiant poetry at a time when teaching enslaved people to read or write was a crime. The article argues that despite his recognized genius, Drake was not fully an artist during his lifetime because he was denied the fundamental right to own, control, and benefit from his creations—a right the Berne Convention calls 'inalienable.' Only recently, after the Museum of Fine Arts Boston returned two of his jars to his heirs, has Drake begun to receive the full recognition and economic justice that define true artistic status.

Open Eye Gallery: Upcoming Events in November

Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool announces a series of November 2025 events, including the exhibition 'I'll Tell You Later' at Williamson Art Gallery & Museum, featuring work by the Deaf and British Sign Language photography group Happy Snappers. Other events include 'Residents', a socially engaged portrait project by photographer Ming De Nasty with Liverpool's LGBTQIA+ community, displayed across MerseyRail stations and the gallery's atrium; 'Northern Perspective Artist Talks' at Open Eye Hub Wigan & Leigh, celebrating Northern visual artists; and an artist talk by Yan Wang Preston in conversation with Caroline Edge at the University of Salford, exploring themes of plants, migration, and cultivation.

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.

Pearl Fryar, a Picasso of Plants, Dies at 86

Pearl Fryar, the visionary self-taught topiary artist who transformed his yard in Bishopville, South Carolina, into a world-renowned botanical masterpiece, has died at age 86. Starting in the 1980s with no formal training, Fryar used a gas-powered hedge trimmer to sculpt salvaged plants into gravity-defying, abstract geometric forms that drew thousands of international visitors to his three-acre property.

16th-Century Rome Through the Eyes of a Foreigner: The Exhibition

La Roma del Cinquecento vista con gli occhi di uno straniero. La mostra

Fabio De Chirico has been appointed as the new director of the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica in Rome, with a mission to boost research, strengthen international dialogue, and enhance the institution's collections. His tenure opens with the exhibition "Maarten van Heemskerck e il fascino di Roma: percorsi visivi della Città Eterna," curated by Tatjana Bartsch, Rita Bernini, and Giorgio Marini, running until June 7, 2026. The show features drawings by the 16th-century Dutch artist Maarten van Heemskerck, on loan from the Kupferstichkabinett of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, alongside over sixty works from the institute's own holdings—including prints, engravings, and archival photographs—plus loans from the Bibliotheca Hertziana, the Musei Capitolini, and the Istituto Archeologico Germanico di Roma.

Wagner comes alive in Milan. Not only at the theater but also in these two exhibitions

A Milano rivive Wagner. Non solo a teatro ma anche in queste due mostre

Two exhibitions dedicated to Richard Wagner's Ring cycle have opened at Milan's Teatro alla Scala, coinciding with a new production of the Ring des Nibelungen and the centenary of the first Scala staging of the tetralogy in 1926. The Museo Teatrale alla Scala presents "La rivoluzione del Ring – Visconti Ronconi Chéreau," curated by Giovanni Agosti with design by Studio Margherita Palli, while the Ridotto dei palchi "A. Toscanini" hosts "Risonanze Wagner – Visioni intorno al Ring," curated by Gianluigi Colin and Mattia Palma, featuring contemporary paintings by four women artists—Antonella Benanzato, Flaminia Veronesi, Chiara Calore, and Federica Perazzoli—each reinterpreting one of the four operas.

Biennale Tecnologia Begins in Turin: Five Days of Theater, Performance, Artificial Intelligence, and Distorted Futures

A Torino inizia la Biennale Tecnologia. Cinque giorni tra teatro, performance, intelligenze artificiali e futuri distorti

The Biennale Tecnologia has launched in Turin, featuring over 120 events across 20 venues, including lectures, exhibitions, and a significant performing arts program. The festival utilizes theater and audiovisual performances to translate complex technological themes—such as artificial intelligence, environmental infrastructure, and ethics—into accessible narratives. Key highlights include Marco Paolini’s exploration of the Po River at OGR Torino and the play 'Retrofuturo,' which uses a comedic time-travel premise to critique societal reliance on algorithms.

The Invisible Pain: The Story of the Asylum in Alessandro Bencivenga's Latest Film

Il dolore che non si vede: il racconto del manicomio nell’ultimo film di Alessandro Bencivenga

Director Alessandro Bencivenga’s new film, L’invisibile filo rosso, debuted out of competition at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, offering a poignant look at the Pergine Valsugana psychiatric hospital in the 1950s. Based on extensive archival research, the narrative follows a young nurse from Ischia who witnesses the hidden horrors and human dignity within the asylum. The film features a notable cast including Massimo Bonetti, who portrays the real-life figure Giovanni Giulio Anesini, and Ornella Muti as Ida Dalser, the persecuted first wife of Benito Mussolini.

EL SALVADOR MAKES ITS DEBUT AT THE VENICE BIENNALE WITH ITS OWN PAVILION

El Salvador will debut its own national pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, running from May 9 to November 22, 2025. The exhibition, titled "Cartographies of Displacement," features the sculptural series "Children of the World" by Salvadoran-American artist J. Oscar Molina, curated by Alejandra Cabezas and commissioned by Dr. Astrid Bahamond. The pavilion is located at Palazzo Mora, showcasing Molina's elongated, faceless monumental figures that explore the migrant experience and global diaspora.

MONITOR YIN YANG ARGENTINA ARRIVES AT THE VENICE BIENNALE WITH AN OPEN CARTOGRAPHY

The Argentine Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale will feature a site-specific installation titled "Monitor Yin Yang" by artist Matías Duville. Curated by Josefina Barcia, the work uses salt and charcoal to create an unstable, walkable landscape that explores the coexistence of opposing forces such as light and shadow, waste and energy. The installation includes a sound composition developed with Centolla Society and Alvise Vidolin, integrating real-time environmental data from Venice. Duville's project was selected from 69 proposals in an open competition organized by Argentina's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Secretariat of Culture, and the Argentine Investment and Trade Agency.

This Chelsea gallery will feature art from students as young as 6

Gallery 100 in Chelsea, Michigan, will host The Creative Corner Collection, an exhibition of children's artwork from the Manitou Beach Creative Corner's camps and workshops, running from April 27 through May 8. The show features work by students ages 6 to 15, with an opening reception on May 3 featuring violinists from the Lansing Symphony Orchestra. Gallery 100 takes no commission on sales, so all proceeds go directly to the young artists.

Mooresville Arts announces winners of 48th SpringFest Judged Show & Competition

Mooresville Arts has revealed the winners of its 48th annual SpringFest Judged Show & Competition, featuring 123 works by 66 regional artists. Tina Vincent of Charlotte secured first place for her collage titled "Black Tea," while Vanessa Thorman and Chelsea Demarest took second and third place, respectively. The exhibition, judged by Shain Gallery owner Sybil Wornall, showcases a diverse range of media including pottery, watercolor, and oil paintings.

Harmonic Chaos Now Open at Block Gallery | Artist Reception May 8

Harmonic Chaos, a new exhibition featuring artists Martha Thorn and Tonya Solley Thornton, has opened at Block Gallery in Raleigh, North Carolina. The show runs from May 7 through August 15, 2025, with an opening reception on May 8. The exhibition presents Thorn's layered paintings and Thornton's collage-driven sculptures, highlighting their contrasting yet complementary approaches to contemporary art.