“Pillars” (2024), oil on linen, 84 x 96 inches. All images courtesy of Mario Moore and Library Street Collective, shared with permission Mario Moore’s Oil Paintings Bridge Past and Present to Spotlight Black Resilience and Style June 4, 2025 Kate Mothes In large-scale works in oil, Detroit-based artist Mario Moore taps into the legacy of European painting traditions to create bold portraits exploring the nature of veneration, self-determination, and the continuum of history. Moore’s work is currently on view in Beneath Our Feet at Library Street Collective alongside fellow Detroiter LaKela Brown. His new pieces nod to the Dutch and Flemish tradition of devotional painting, particularly religious garland paintings. Within elegant arrangements of flowers and foliage, he highlights Black figures relaxing or tending to gardens. “The Patron Saint of Urban Farming” (2025), oil on linen, 72 x 48 inches In “Watermelon Man,” a stone altar is surrounded by hibiscus and watermelons, both symbols of resilience. Historically, the latter represented self-sufficiency and freedom for Southern African Americans following Emancipation, but whites flipped the narrative into a stereotypical exemplar of poverty. Moore reclaims the fruit in the spirit of refined 17th-century still-lifes. The artist has long drawn on the culture and legacies of both Detroit and the U.S. more broadly through the lens of the Black diaspora. Earlier works like “Pillars” position Black figures in elegant dress within the vast wildernesses of the American frontier, bridging the past to explore how racial divisions continue to shape the present. An exhibition last summer at Grand Rapids Art Museum titled Revolutionary Times took his series A New Republic as a starting point, revisiting the history of Black Union soldiers during the Civil War. Moore learned that one of his ancestors, who had been enslaved as a child, later enlisted in the Union Army, spurring the artist’s exploration of the seminal mid-19th-century period of conflict and Western colonization. He positions present-day figures in contemporary dress within historical contexts, interrogating political and racial segregations. “Watermelon Man” (2025), oil on linen, 51 1/2 x 42 inches Through tropes of European painting like a self-portrait of the artist in mirrored reflections and poses in three-quarter profile, Moore renders individuals whose direct, confident gazes and elegant dress invoke Detroit style and pride. For Beneath Our Feet, Brown and Moore collaborated on a five-foot-wide bas-relief bronze coin. Each artist completed one side, with Mario’s contribution taking the form of a portrait of Brown. “Her profile echoes the conventional format of traditional American coinage, confronting the historic absence of Black women in national symbolism and positions of authority,” the gallery says. On the opposite side, Brown depicts a bouquet of collard greens symbolic of nourishment and community. For this exhibition, Brown and Moore “reflect on the wealth held in the earth beneath us—and the enduring question of who holds the rights to till, own, and shape that land,” says an exhibition statement. Detroit is home to ambitious urban gardening initiatives that aim for local food sovereignty, mirroring the resourcefulness of Black farmers throughout history. The artists “consider land not just as property but as history, inheritance, and possibility,” the gallery says. Beneath Our Feet continues through July 30 in Detroit. See more on Moore’s website and Instagram. “International Detroit Playa: Sheefy” (2022), oil on linen, 108 x 96 inches “These Are Not Yams But They Are Damn Good” (2025), oil on linen, 51 1/2 x 42 inches “Creation of a Revolutionary (Helen Moore)” (2023), oil on linen, 76 x 52 inches “Black” (2023), oil on linen, 48 x 48 inches “Garland of Resilience” (2025), oil on linen, 51 1/2 x 42 inches “Birth of Cool” (2023), oil on linen, 72 x 48 inches Installation view of ‘LaKela Brown and Mario Moore: Beneath Our Feet’ at Library Street Collective, Detroit Previous articleNext article

Liverpool Source:&nbsp Shutterstock Haworth Tompkins has been appointed to help plan the decade-long regeneration of St George’s Gateway, a 35ha site in central Liverpool Liverpool City Council has appointed a project team led by LDA Design to draw up a ‘transformational new masterplan’ for the cultural quarter, which encompasses an area from Lime Street Station to William Brown Street.  Other companies appointed to the team include multi-disciplinary giant WSP, development consultancy Pegasus, engineering consultant Hatch, community engagement expert PLACED and regeneration specialist Aspinall Verdi.  The council, which is partnering with Liverpool John Moores University and the National Museums Liverpool, says St George’s Gateway is ‘one of Liverpool’s most significant regeneration opportunities’, due to the recent demolition of the 1960s Churchill Way Flyovers. Advertisement The site includes some of the city’s most famous buildings, including the Grade I-listed St George’s Hall, the Grade II*-listed World Museum Liverpool and Walker Art Gallery, and the Grade II-listed Liverpool Empire Theatre. The masterplan will set out detailed public ream and landscape interventions, with a strategy to connect the area with the city centre; and propose transport improvements with an emphasis on net zero and active and active travel.  It will also promote green space with enhanced biodiversity, climate mitigation and capture of surface water run-off; propose interventions to unlock and maximise the value of development sites; and set design codes for the area.  Once approved by the council, the framework will be adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document to guide decision making and create investor certainty – just like the framework being drawn up by Levitt Bernstein and Turner Works for the nearby 30ha Pumpfields area.  Councillor Nick Small, Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for growth and development, said: ‘This project represents a unique opportunity to reshape this key gateway site and help the city to attract investors in creating a truly world-class experience to match the area’s unrivalled architecture and history.’ Advertisement 2025-05-22 Will Ing comment and share

Blue-greens are interior design's perfect paradox: statement-making but soothing, trendy but timeless. They're the colors that clients request when they can't quite articulate what they want, but know they need something "not boring" and "actually livable." They’re equally at home in a sun-drenched beach house as they are in a moody Manhattan apartment, and they shift their personality with the light while maintaining their inherent sophistication. Below, we've tapped our network of designers and color experts to reveal their go-to blue-green paint colors.Jack Pine by Benjamin MooreCourtesy Benjamin Moore“Jack Pine is a gentle green with a hint of blue underneath. It feels calm and timeless,” Ariel Darmoni of 123 Remodeling tells us. “I’ve used it in living rooms and bedrooms, especially when clients want color without going too bold. It works with both classic and modern styles, and it looks beautiful with wood furniture or warm lighting.”Paint Color: Jack Pine by Benjamin Moore (692)Sea Salt by Sherwin-WilliamsCourtesy Sherwin-Williams“One of my favorites if you're after something a little more soft and more on the green side is 'Sea Salt' by Sherwin-Williams,” interior designer Courtney Cole tells us. “It's great for traditional homes, but will look particularly great if you want to create a coastal-style aesthetic.” Paint Color: Sea Salt by Sherwin-Williams (SW 6204)Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowWellfleet by Portola PaintsJoyelle West Photography“I love Wellfleet by Portola Paints,” Hannah Oravec, owner at Lawless Design says. “It's a deep hued limewash paint that subtly changes throughout the day. We used it in a dining room, which creates a calming, moody aesthetic.”Paint Color: Wellfleet by Portola PaintsTwilight by Benjamin MooreCourtesy Benjamin Moore“This jewel-toned shade strikes the perfect balance between calming blue and invigorating green, giving it a rich, sophisticated feel. We recently used this color in a child’s bedroom, knowing it would grow with him for years to come,” Malka of Think Chic Interiors tells us. “The dynamic hue shifts beautifully with the light, reading as either blue or green depending on the time of day.”Paint Color: Twilight by Benjamin Moore (2058-10)Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowSage Wisdom by Benjamin MooreCourtesy Benjamin Moore“I love the name and the color! It is beautifully complex, feeling both uplifting and soothing at the same time,” interior designer Gala Magriñá says. “I would use it on a focal wall in a WFH office or the living room for a fun, creative grounded mood boost.”Paint Color: Sage Wisdom by Benjamin Moore (CSP-775)Studio Blue Green by Sherwin-WilliamsCourtesy Sherwin-Williams“For a more bold, moody space, Studio Blue Green is gorgeous,” interior designer and certified True Color Expert Leigh Ann Raines says. “It's not overly saturated, so it can easily be continued onto the ceiling making the room both playful and soothing simultaneously.”Paint Color: Studio Blue Green by Sherwin Williams (SW 0047)Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowBoca Raton Blue by Benjamin MooreCourtesy Benjamin Moore“This color brings a soft, grounded feel to any space, making it perfect for rooms where you want to unwind,” says Isfira Jensen, CEO and principal interior designer at Jensen & Co. Interiors. “One of my absolute favorites!”Paint Color: Boca Raton Blue by Benjamin Moore (711)Oval Room Blue by Farrow & BallCourtesy Farrow & Ball“I love this for formal dining rooms, paneled libraries, or bedrooms with antique brass and deep walnut,” says interior designer Rachel Blindauer. “It carries history in its tone, but feels utterly modern.”Paint color: Oval Room Blue by Farrow & Ball (No. 85)Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowCastle Walls by Benjamin MooreCourtesy Benjamin Moore“I love using Benjamin Moore Castle Walls on bedroom walls—it has just the right amount of color saturation combined with hints of gray for a sophisticated and calming look,” Jennifer Jones, principal designer of Niche Interiors says.Paint Color: Castle Walls by Benjamin Moore (1573)Palladian Blue by Benjamin MooreCourtesy Benjamin Moore“One of the first colors I fell in love with as a child was the iconic Tiffany Blue. So it’s no surprise that my more refined, grown up palette has landed on Benjamin Moore’s Palladian Blue as a new favorite,” Elena DeStefano of Atelier Interiors tells us.Paint Color: Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore (HC-144)Julia CancillaEngagement EditorJulia Cancilla is the engagement editor (and resident witch) at ELLE Decor, where she manages the brand's social media presence and covers trends, lifestyle, and culture in the design world. Julia built her background at Inked magazine, where she grew their social media audiences by two million, conducted interviews with A-list celebrities, and penned feature articles focusing on pop culture, art and lifestyle. Over her five years of digital media experience, Julia has written about numerous topics, from fashion to astrology.

The Liverpool-based practice’s 232m2 Vestige project in Wilmslow was one of four schemes, chosen from a seven-strong shortlist, to pick up regional awards. It also took bagged the RIBA North West’s Small Project of the Year. The jury praised the Smith Young house, which recycled masonry from an existing Edwardian house on the plot to create load-bearing elements of the new structure, for its ‘subtle interplays of solid and void, of rendered ground floor and timber box above’ and its ‘clever details’. The other award winners were: OMA’s much-delayed and over-budget Aviva Studios in Manchester;  Cullinan Studio and 10architect’s The Catkin Centre and Sunflower House, a mental health centre for children in Liverpool; and Sheppard Robson’s new School of Science, Engineering and Environment for the University of Salford. Advertisement This 15,300m2 project on the university's Peel Park Campus – which earned Matthew Taylor the region's Project Architect of the Year title – had been resubmitted after failing to bag a prize in 2024. The Client of the Year prize went to the Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust, the backer of the 3,073m2 Catkin Centre scheme. Among those missing out were Lighthouse Church in the Wirral by shedkm and Campbell Driver Partnership’s restoration of the Grade II-listed Langdale Chase Hotel in Windermere. This year’s North West regional shortlist was almost half the size of the 13-strong list of contenders in 2024, when seven schemes went on to collect regional accolades. Source:Jack HobhouseThe School of Science, Engineering and Environment (SEE), University of Salford, Manchester, by Sheppard Robson RIBA North West jury chair Dominic Wilkinson, principal lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, said: ‘The award winning projects from the North West region present a diverse example of the positive impact architecture can have on the lives of its users, with everything from medical buildings with highly challenging client requirements to single family houses enriching the lives of its owners. Public and private sectors are represented with schemes of all sizes and complexities.’Advertisement He added: ‘The winners ranging from large cultural venues delivering world-class innovative creative programmes to state of the art education facilities training future engineers, illustrate the value for clients and the public in commissioning quality architecture. These projects, taken together along with the larger selection of shortlisted schemes, demonstrate a positive future for architecture in the region.’ All four projects will now be considered for an RIBA National Award, the winners of which will be announced in summer. The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize – the UK’s best new building – will be drawn from the RIBA National Award-winning projects in September. The Stirling Prize winner will be announced in October. Source:Daniel HopkinsonSmith Young, Vestige RIBA North West awards shortlist 2025 Aviva Studios – Factory International, by OMA The Catkin Centre and Sunflower House, by Cullinan Studio with 10architect The School of Science, Engineering and Environment (SEE) Building, University of Salford, by Sheppard Robson Vestige, by Smith Young Architects

Other winners include projects by OMA, Sheppard Robson and Cullinan Studio Vestige by Smith Young ArchitectsSource: Daniel Hopkinson Vestige by Smith Young ArchitectsSource: Daniel Hopkinson Vestige by Smith Young ArchitectsSource: Daniel Hopkinson 1/3 show caption Vestige, a house in Cheshire designed by Smith Young Architects, has been named RIBA North West Building of the Year 2025. The two-storey home comprises a rendered ground floor with a timber-clad upper volume and seeks to offer a contemporary reinterpretation of the suburban house. The jury praised the design as an “exemplary prototype for a modern suburban family home” that “delight[s] with clever details”. Source: Marco CappellettiOMA’s Aviva Studios, also known as Factory International OMA’s Aviva Studios, also known as Factory International, received a regional award for its multipurpose cultural venue in Manchester. The project features a large, flexible internal volume intended to accommodate a range of performances and public events. Source: Paul RafteryThe Catkin Centre and Sunflower House by Cullinan Studio with 10architect The Catkin Centre and Sunflower House by Cullinan Studio with 10architect was also recognised. Located in Liverpool, the project combines a children’s mental health outpatient facility and clinical spaces for Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. The design includes calm circulation areas, clinical zones and social spaces and was also the recipient of RIBA North West Client of the Year, awarded to Alder Hey. Source: Jack HobhouseThe School of Science, Engineering and Environment at the University of Salford by Sheppard Robson A fourth award was given to The School of Science, Engineering and Environment at the University of Salford by Sheppard Robson. The building houses technical laboratories and specialist teaching facilities alongside flexible learning environments and informal study areas. Project architect Matthew Taylor received RIBA North West Project Architect of the Year for his role in delivering the scheme. In a statement, jury chair Dominic Wilkinson, principal lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, said the projects represented “a diverse example of the positive impact architecture can have on the lives of its users” and “demonstrate a positive future for architecture in the region”. Regional award winners will now be considered for a RIBA National Award, which will be announced on 10 July.  The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the UK’s building of the year will be drawn from the RIBA National Award-winning projects later in the year. >> Also read: AHMM’s Tower Hamlets Town Hall wins RIBA London Building of the Year >> Also read: RIBA names winners of Yorkshire and South West awards