Emma Park is a freelance writer and podcaster.

The loss of the National Glass Centre would be a shattering blow

At once a local treasure and world-class hub, the Sunderland institution will close if funds cannot quickly be found

28 Mar 2023
Palazzo Vendramin Grimani (2021), Patrick Tourneboeuf.

On the Grand Canal, this crumbling Venetian palazzo has been given a new lease of life

The Palazzo Vendramin Grimani has opened with a display that reunites some of the paintings it was once home to – plus a helping of contemporary art

27 May 2021
Mary Beard at Crawford Art Gallery, Cork.

Naked positions – Mary Beard’s Shock of the Nude, reviewed

The BBC programme takes a playful look at changing attitudes to nudity in art – from Michelangelo’s David to modern life drawing

5 Feb 2020
The Glasmuseet in Ebelhoft

Glass act – inside the Danish museum devoted to studio glass

The Glasmuseet in Ebeltoft has a significant collection of works donated by artists from around the world

17 Oct 2019
Blown Away contestant Leah Kudel at work.

Does glassmaking make good television? ‘Blown Away’, reviewed

A new series makes the most of the spectacle that is glass-blowing in action – and adds a competitive element

16 Aug 2019
Piglet (1st century BC–1st century AD), Roman. Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli.

Hedonism in Herculaneum – a guide to good living in a luxurious Roman villa

The Villa dei Papiri gives us a glimpse into the world of a Roman statesman and his interest in Epicurean philosophy

27 Jul 2019
Jeff Koons with his sculpture Gazing Ball (Birdbath) (2013) at the Ashmolean, Oxford in 2019.

In his shiny surfaces, Jeff Koons reflects the vanity of our age

From ancient art to Old Masters, Koons’ engagement with history is only skin deep – and that’s the point

12 Feb 2019
Alzata, Mario Bellini

How Mario Bellini is breathing new life into Venetian glass

In his experimental collaborations with the historic Venini factory, the artist reveals the true versatility of glass

16 Nov 2018
Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, main building at Ausstellungsstrasse, 2017.

The Design Museum Zurich gets a stylish makeover

The refurbished museum is filled with fascinating objects from New Wave typography to a Swiss railway clock

12 Sep 2018