Beauty by Volume: On the Art-Book Trail of Chicago

This article is a guide to finding art books in Chicago, tracing a walking trail that begins at the Chicago History Museum and continues to the Graham Foundation and the Newberry Library. The author reflects on beloved but now-closed art bookstores like Rizzoli's Water Tower Place, Prairie Avenue Bookshop, and Golden Age, then proposes a contemporary route for discovering art, architecture, and design books in the city's remaining cultural institutions and museum shops.

Here’s what’s on Boulder County’s art gallery walls

A roundup of current and upcoming exhibitions at over 20 galleries and art spaces in Boulder County, Colorado, is provided. Listings include lithographs by Santa Fe artist Rodney Carswell at 15th Street Gallery, Jorge Vinent's recycled-material works at Ana's Art Gallery, Margaret Johnson's "Emergence" at BMoCA at Frasier, and group shows at Liminal Light Gallery and the New Local Gallery, among many others. Exhibition dates range through mid-2025, with venues spanning commercial galleries, nonprofit centers, libraries, and museum spaces.

Cedars Union in Dallas Opens Call for 6th Artist Cohort

The Cedars Union, a nonprofit arts incubator in Dallas, has opened applications for its sixth cohort of artists. The 18-month program offers affordable studio spaces (64–200 sq ft at $1.60/sq ft), 24/7 access to communal workspaces with woodworking, printing, and textile equipment, plus critiques, workshops, lectures, and exhibitions. The jury includes Emily Budd, Thomas Feulmer, Christina Hahn, Ade Omotosho, and Ahava Silkey-Jones. Applications close June 12, 2026, with the cohort running September 1, 2026 to February 29, 2028.

Dallas Museum of Art Announces 2026 Awards to Artists Grantees

The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) has named 21 recipients for its 2026 Awards to Artists, selected from a record 160 applicants. The grants total nearly $42,000 and are divided into three categories: the Clare Hart DeGolyer Memorial Fund (up to $1,500 for artists aged 15–25 in a five-state region), the Arch and Anne Giles Kimbrough Fund (up to $3,500 for Texas artists under 30), and the Otis and Velma Davis Dozier Travel Grant (up to $6,000 for professional Texas artists over 30). All awardees are current Texas residents, with 16 based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A public celebration will be held at the DMA on May 19, 2026.

In Savona there is a new contemporary culture festival that aims to make tradition dialogue with the most emerging research

A Savona c’è un nuovo festival di cultura contemporanea che mira a far dialogare la tradizione con le ricerche più emergenti

A new contemporary culture festival called Brucia has launched in Savona, Italy, with its zero edition running from May 9 to 17, 2026. Organized by the under-30 association Fiammiferi, founded by Teresa Raineri, the festival transforms the Fortezza del Priamàr and Teatro Chiabrera into a diffuse laboratory of artistic practices, including performances, concerts, exhibitions, workshops, and meetings. A highlight is the solo show [Çigae] by artist Gaia De Megni, curated by Gabriele Cordì, which explores themes of return and belonging through a Ligurian lens, featuring her film 'La tigre e i gabbiani' (2019).

SOPAC's Herb + Milly Iris Gallery presents "INSPIRED MINDS: Young Artist Exhibition"

The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) presents "INSPIRED MINDS: Young Artist Exhibition" in its Herb + Milly Iris Gallery from May 14 through August 16, 2026. Over 300 students from 20 area high schools submitted more than 1,000 original works; 70 pieces were selected for the show, spanning photography, digital art, painting, drawing, sculpture, fiber arts, and ceramics. An opening reception will be held on May 14.

Last chance to see exhibition showcasing amazing local talent as it draws to a close

Bolton Museum's Open Art Exhibition, featuring over 240 artworks by local artists and photographers, is closing on Sunday, March 17. The show includes paintings, photography, and sculptures from creators who live, work, or study in Bolton. Grand prize winner Richard Wood received £1,000 from the Mayor for his landscape 'Ghost Chimneys', while University of Greater Manchester student Olivia Edge won the Young Artist Award for her acrylic painting 'Rewilding'.

South Fork Bakery Holds Spring Benefit At The Parrish Art Museum

South Fork Bakery held its spring benefit at the Parrish Art Museum on Saturday, May 9. Guests enjoyed music, bites, and signature cocktails while funds were raised to support the bakery's mission of providing meaningful employment for adults with disabilities. The event featured attendees including local officials, board members, and supporters, with photography by Lisa Tamburini.

Art on the Square returns for 24th year with art, food and entertainment

Belleville Art on the Square returns for its 24th year from May 15-17, 2026, in downtown Belleville. The festival features over 100 artists from more than 27 states and one international artist, showcasing works in multiple mediums. Highlights include artist demonstrations by the Gateway East Artists Guild, a high school art show with judged awards, a Children's Art Garden with interactive activities, live entertainment at the Wine Court, and food vendors offering a variety of cuisines. Admission is free, and the event runs Friday evening through Sunday afternoon.

Underground Railroad stop in New York threatened by real-estate development

A hidden chute within the Merchant's House Museum in Manhattan, identified as a rare surviving stop on the Underground Railroad, is threatened by a planned real-estate development next door. The two-foot-square vertical passage, concealed behind a built-in dresser, was built in 1832 by abolitionists Joseph and Susanna Brewster to shelter Black fugitives escaping slavery. The museum's western wall, which contains the hideaway, adjoins a one-story garage slated for demolition to make way for a commercial building, prompting the museum team to oppose the development due to risk of structural damage.

The Angular Festival blurs lines between art and music, opening Chennai’s galleries to new audiences

The Angular Festival, curated by Focus Group Radio, takes over four spaces at Palomar by Crossway in Chennai, blending music stages, an art gallery, listening sessions, artist installations, and a makers market. Five artists—Arya, Poorvaja Rathi, BVS, Sasithar, and co-curator Rhea Fabian—present works across painting, sculpture, installation, and film, while musical acts like Komododo, CDV, and The Dipshit Ladies perform on two stages. The event also features listening sessions curated by non-musicians and interactive installations by Television Dust and Abhishek Jayaprakash.

Plum Bottom Hosts Outdoor Art Show

Plum Bottom Gallery in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin, will host its annual outdoor art show on Memorial Day weekend, May 23–24, 2025, from 11 am to 4 pm. The event features sculpture, glass, painting, jewelry, and mixed media works by a roster of nationally collected artists, with featured artists Sue Pruss, Rose Kleman, and Curtis Hall appearing on Saturday. The gallery has also recently added Wisconsin-based photographer Tommy Nigbor to its artist roster, known for his minimalist landscapes and rural scenes.

26th Annual North Coast Open Studios

The 26th Annual North Coast Open Studios (NCOS) will take place on weekends June 6-7 and June 13-14, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a kickoff art night on Friday, June 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. The event features 150 local artists opening their studios to the public between Eureka and Trinidad, and east to Willow Creek. A DreamMaker project of the Ink People, NCOS offers visitors the chance to see artists in their creative spaces, purchase art directly from makers, and enjoy the 'creative disaster' of working studios. Some artists are open by appointment year-round, and the Friday kickoff overlaps with Eureka Friday Night Markets.

Booming exhibition is becoming ‘prominent’ event for town

Spalding artist Joey Lowe organized the fourth edition of a local art exhibition at The Sessions House, attracting over 1,000 visitors and gallery owners from Norfolk and Gainsborough. The event featured 50 artists, including local MP Sir John Hayes, and introduced a new 'mini youth exhibition' with artwork from five area schools.

The Museum of the Surrender of Reims Reopens After a Year of Renovations

Le Musée de la Reddition de Reims rouvre ses portes après un an de travaux

The Musée de la Reddition de Reims (Museum of the Surrender of Reims) reopened on May 7, the 81st anniversary of the German surrender signed in its map room, after a year-long closure. The renovation, costing approximately €2 million, focused on conservation: protective glazing, improved ventilation and lighting, and anoxic treatment of collections to halt degradation of original maps, documents, and war room objects. The museum also overhauled its scenography, designed by Belgian agency Kascen, to present a clearer chronological narrative covering the occupation, Allied presence in Reims, liberation, postwar reconstruction, and reconciliation, rather than just the surrender itself. The museum now displays 17 uniforms, 130 objects and weapons, and 65 archival documents, including the act of capitulation and General McAuliffe's jacket.

Old Town Cape accepting artists for 2026 Sculpture Exhibition

Old Town Cape is calling for artists to apply for the 2026 Downtown Sculpture Exhibition, a revamped public art program that will install six large-scale sculptures along Cape Girardeau's Broadway corridor from June 2026 to June 2027. The juried exhibition is open to local, regional, and national sculptors, with applications due by June 5. A kickoff event on June 27 at Historic Ivers Square will feature artist meet-and-greets, demonstrations, live music, and family activities.