Combining the quirky, the vibrant and the storytelling aspects of art, Gallery 30 South has set up an exhibit of hundreds of artful coasters displayed in a storyboard fashion along the walls of the gallery. Beer coasters (like those you can find at your local bar or restaurant) have been transformed from a disposal, functionary object into a canvas for one-of-a-kind art pieces.The show, founded by Gallery 30 South owner Matt Kennedy in 2013, features the works of some of the most important, young artists of today.

A three-dimensional sensibility is at work at the Guggenheim’s first ever artist-curated exhibition, Artistic License: Six Takes on the Guggenheim Collection.  The first dimension is the initial shock of the viewer confronting the artworks; the second is the awareness as you move from one selection to the next, that there’s another mind, the curator’s, at work.  The third dimension as you move through the six levels of the rotunda, is the merging of the viewer’s take along with the curator’s own into a rich, sometimes disorienting, dizzying impression.

The film is strongest when it focuses on the individual artist, in some instances a long-overlooked glimpse into lives we often didn’t know existed.  Take, for instance, Edmonia Lewis, whose sculpture “Forever Free” from 1867 is an artistic marvel in white marble.  It portrays a black man and child, sculpted in a classical style that could stand beside any Greek sculpture in a major museum.  Lewis eventually went into exile in Rome, undoubtedly seeking out a more accepting environment for her inspiration. 

While the CSFA cultivated its own, unique school of abstract art, it also exposed its students to New York abstract artists like Mark Rothko and Ad Reinhardt through summer sessions from 1947 to 1949. For students like Hultberg, Rothko's guest lectures about the New York art scene were inspiring enough to convince them to continue their studies on the East Coast. Briggs, Calcagno, and Schueler followed suit after 1950, a migration catalyzed by Still's decision to move to New York and the subsequent firing of MacAgy.

The ambition of the ArtBAB is to bring Bahraini artists to the world, while also bringing the art world to the island nation through an annual fair. Strengthening Bahrain’s position in the Gulf as a regional arts hub, ArtBAB inspires entrepreneurship, art education and the development of artistic practice. Bahrain has been steeped in culture since the days of the Dilmun civilization in the Bronze Age, and has much to offer the art world. An archipelago of 33 islands, Bahrain is well-known as a source of oil and pearls. The cultural knowledge Bahrainis have marked an inherent distinction between people who adapt themselves to art and those who inherit it.

Sakhai created her own version of each major Arcana card, translating it with her vision of each card’s meaning and imagery, while honoring the sacred interpretation of the original Tarot cards.  According to Sakhai, “We live in a modern era and the cards could benefit from an updated rendition. My intention behind recreating them is to both connect us back to the source and the higher power, bringing healing to those who feel a connection with Tarot.”

Kennerly’s collection of images includes the inner workings of the White House, the Ford family, and the end of Ford’s presidency after losing to Jimmy Carter in the 1976 election. This is the first time Kennerly's photos have been on display. Kennerly was named "One of the 100 Most Important People in Photography," by American Photo Magazine. He served as contributing editor for Newsweek for more than a decade and a contributing photographer for Time and Life magazines.