Israeli Pavilion artist issued legal warnings before Biennale jury resignation

Belu-Simion Fainaru, the artist representing Israel at the 2026 Venice Biennale, issued legal warnings to the Biennale, the Italian Ministry of Culture, and the Italian Prime Minister’s office after the Golden Lion jury announced it would not consider pavilions from countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, including Israel and Russia. Fainaru’s legal threats cited alleged antisemitism and nationality-based discrimination. Shortly after, the Biennale jury resigned, prompting organizers to postpone the awards ceremony to the closing day and replace the Golden and Silver Lions with two 'Visitors’ Lions' voted on by attendees, with all national participations eligible.

Under pressure, the Venice Biennale jury resigns and is replaced by a public vote

Sous pression, le jury de la Biennale de Venise démissionne et est remplacé par un vote du public

On April 30, just days before the Venice Biennale's public opening on May 9, the entire international jury responsible for awarding the Golden and Silver Lions resigned. The jury—comprising Solange Farkas, Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi—had been caught in a escalating controversy after Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco reinstated Russia, which had been excluded since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The European Union threatened to suspend or cancel its €2 million subsidy if Russia remained included. The jury attempted to exclude countries whose leaders face International Criminal Court arrest warrants, effectively targeting Russia and Israel, but ultimately resigned under pressure from both external diplomatic turmoil and internal institutional opposition to any discrimination between pavilions.

Venice Biennale in crisis: The controversies explained

The Venice Art Biennale's official awards ceremony, scheduled for May 9, has been canceled after the entire five-member jury resigned days before the event. The jury had previously announced they would not consider countries whose leaders face International Criminal Court charges, directly impacting Russia and Israel. Instead of jury-selected prizes, visitors will vote throughout the Biennale's run, with "Visitor Lions" awarded on November 22. The event, running from May 9 to November 22, features 100 national participations, including seven first-time countries, and a posthumous main exhibition titled "In Minor Keys" curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, the first African woman to lead the show. Iran withdrew on May 4 amid Middle East tensions, while Russia's return to the Biennale in 2026 has sparked EU threats to cut funding.

Western’s ‘Student Art Exhibition’ now open to the public

Western’s Student Art Exhibition has opened to the public at the school’s Art Gallery, featuring works in painting, printmaking, ceramics, photography, drawing, sculpture, and mixed media. The exhibition runs until August 28, with a public reception and awards ceremony scheduled for May 14, where community members can meet the student artists and purchase their work.

Here’s a gallery of art from the imaginations of Saginaw students

The Saginaw Public Schools Cultural Art Exhibition has opened at SVRC Marketplace in downtown Saginaw, Michigan, featuring dozens of artworks created by K-12 students from the district. The exhibition runs until May 14, with an awards ceremony scheduled for the closing day, and is free and open to the public on select days and hours.

Josephy Center for Arts & Culture invites artists to apply for the 43rd Annual Wallowa Valley Arts Festival

The Josephy Center for Arts & Culture has opened submissions for the 43rd Annual Wallowa Valley Arts Festival, a juried fine art exhibition in Joseph, Oregon, scheduled for September 18–20, 2026. The festival offers over $7,500 in awards across media including painting, sculpture, photography, and digital art, with a submission deadline of July 31, 2026.