The Explorers Club has expanded its definition of an explorer to include individuals who express themselves through art, music, and culinary expression, as part of its EC50 program. The program recognizes unsung heroes from around the world in science, art, and culture, with over 250 participants representing more than 55 countries. Founded in 1904, The Explorers Club is a multidisciplinary society dedicated to field research, scientific exploration, and resource conservation, with notable members including Teddy Roosevelt, Neil Armstrong, and Jane Goodall. The EC50 program is supported by Rolex as part of its Perpetual Planet Initiative and provides honorees with complimentary membership, access to the world's preeminent network of explorers, and global lecture opportunities.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-explorers-club-names-ec50-class-of-2025-302364984.htmlArtist George Condo has exhibited a series of pastel works at the Sprüth Magers gallery in New York. The exhibition features several large-scale pieces, including "Chaotic Combustion", "Open Forms", and "Mask", among others. These works are created with a range of materials such as pastel, gesso, metallic paint, and thrown pigment on paper.
https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/painting/george-condo-s-pastels-broken-into-two-with-second-showcase-at-sprueth-magers-new-york/Dr. Georgeanna Greer curated a solo exhibition at Tarrant County College South Campus in Fort Worth, Texas, which showcased ceramic pieces inspired by the Wilson potters and highlighted their development of certain techniques. The research behind the show identified James and Wallace (and possibly Hiram) Wilson as potters who worked at one or more pottery sites, including Guadalupe Pottery. The exhibition suggested that Isaac and George Suttles from Ohio may have introduced the salt glazing technique found on pieces attributed to the first site's pottery, which originates from the North.
https://hyperallergic.com/986832/piecing-together-the-story-of-texas-first-black-owned-pottery/Artist Hong creates paintings that explore the present moment and the relationship between past, present, and future. She builds her compositions with expressive brushstrokes to unearth figures from within the paint itself, aiming for an intimate dialogue akin to a conversation between two people. Her work is inspired by Roland Barthes' concept of Punctum, which refers to a deeply personal connection or moment of realization. In her painting "Young Man Seated Beside the Sea", Hong reinterprets a 19th-century masterpiece by French artist Hippolyte Flandrin, leaving compositional elements ambiguous and inviting viewers to consider the moments surrounding a fleeting moment of understanding.
https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/painting/today-is-julia-elise-hong-s-day/The Johnson Museum is currently hosting an exhibition featuring a painting by Otto Dix titled "Reclining Woman on a Leopard Skin" from 1927. The work is part of the Scottish Colourists and Surrealism exhibitions, which explore the global appeal of Surrealism in art. The movement inspired artists around the world throughout the 20th century, as seen in works exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and Tate Modern in London.
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/01/10/februarys-must-see-exhibitionsPrincess Kate paid a heartfelt tribute to King Charles by taking over as patron of children's hospice Tŷ Hafan in South Wales, following in the footsteps of her father-in-law and his late wife Diana, Princess of Wales. During her visit, she was seen chatting with young patients and creating an artwork that replicated one made by King Charles during his 2018 visit to the hospice. The 43-year-old princess marked her first royal outing since 2023 with a special painting session where she used red paint on her palm, while King Charles had used lilac paint for his artwork.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1277886-royal-family-shares-exciting-update-about-kate-middleton-king-charlesKeith, an individual from Bend, added googly eyes to two art installations in early December, one of which was "The Traveler" by artist Richard Beyer and another called "Big Ears" by Joe Halko. He initially claimed responsibility for the modification but later stated that he did not know who else may have been involved. After learning that the addition caused damage, Keith contacted city officials to take credit and offered to cover the costs of removal, although he claims he never received a response.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-man-claims-to-be-the-mysterious-googly-eye-bandit-in-bend-oregon-180985939/A team of six restorers, led by Ellen Keppens and her twin sister Jill, are working on a two-year restoration project at Antwerp's Royal Fine Arts Museum to clean the "Enthroned Madonna Adored by Saints", a massive painting by Peter Paul Rubens that stands 6 meters tall. The team is applying undertones to the Baroque masterpiece, which was painted in 1628 in Rubens' studio in Antwerp.
https://apnews.com/article/art-restoration-rubens-painting-antwerp-baroque-flemish-23e29b6993c6e57264dd885c61760c4bArtist Lisa Davis has created two mosaics, "Liminal Location" and "Tempestuous Terrain", for a New York City subway station. The artworks feature vibrant colors and geometric shapes that mirror the city's transit map. The murals are located near the Uptown and Downtown green-line 6 train parallels and have been met with positive reactions from commuters such as nurse Lisa Rhodes, who described them as "lovely". The installation is part of a larger project to replace older tile mosaics on the subway platform walls, overseen by historical preservation specialist Miranda Fallon.
https://hyperallergic.com/986194/nelisa-corinne-davis-nyc-subway-murals-challenge-the-authority-of-maps/