Cultural Tourism: Malaysia kicked off the 2026 Melaka Straits and River Arts Festival, a three-day arts-and-tourism push tied to Visit Malaysia 2026, with events staged across the year to spotlight local culture. Art & Heritage: Haiti’s Springfield Museum of Art is spotlighting 75 years of Haitian metal drum sculpture in “Resilient Spirits,” tracing a master-to-apprentice tradition. Community Culture: Columbia’s 48th Jubilee Festival of Black History & Culture drew a crowd to celebrate and renew the fight for preservation and voting. Local Arts Events: Augusta’s Arts in the Heart festival continues through Sunday, while Okotoks marks 45 years with new exhibits and an outdoor art market. Arts Policy & Funding: Alabama’s arts council announced $3.9M+ in grants for 201 organizations and schools statewide. Culture Wars in Music: Ed Sheeran returned to the stage in Philadelphia amid fallout from the Macklemore row, with Gaza and free-speech arguments at the center. Gender & Society: A national taskforce was launched to tackle misogyny across society, focusing on attitudes online, at work, and in communities. Cultural Preservation: The DuSable Black History Museum launched “A Call for Artifacts,” inviting families to help document and preserve community history. Craft Under Pressure: Kashmir’s copper artisans face survival threats as machine-made competition squeezes livelihoods. AI & Cultural Accuracy: Concerns are rising over AI-generated tattoo books that critics say may mislead readers about cultural traditions.