Art and Springtime in Upstate NY might just be my favourite time and place. The region bursts into colour after those endless grey days, offering a sense of hope, renewal and relief. Taliesin Thomas delves into the art museums and organisations led by people of color that are struggling with severe staffing shortages, relying heavily on volunteer work to serve their communities.

Meanwhile, artist Ali Cherri has formally accused Israel of war crimes for a Beirut strike that took his parents' lives in 2024. The issue also features works like Salvador Dalí's 'Nuclear Mysticism', which renounced the richness of experience for the aridity of metaphysics, and Leah Ke Yi Zheng's contemporary divination, blending Western oil painting with Eastern ink.

Ed Simon and John Yau explore different approaches to salvation; one through Dalí's vision of the divine, the other through Leah Ke Yi Zheng's personal I Ching. The Brooklyn Fine Art Print Fair returns to Powerhouse Arts this week, offering over 50 exhibitors, hands-on programming and a juried print exhibition.

Finally, Lakshmi Rivera Amin reflects on the unpredictability of artistic creation, stating she welcomes the provocation of material and form without foreseeing certain results. Jozanne Rabyor adds her perspective on Hyperallergic's '15 Shows to See in New York City This April'. Ali Cherri retells the myth of Gilgamesh through a meditation on mud.