L.A. County Fair 2026: Playful art exhibit was curated in a mad rush

Two local artists, Keith Ballard and Rebecca Ustrell of the collective Claremont Temporary, were invited by L.A. County Fair officials in late January to curate an art exhibit at the Millard Sheets Art Center. With only two months to organize, they assembled "Play Pavilion," a community-driven show featuring 63 artists from the Inland Empire and San Gabriel Valley, including notable names like Chicano graffiti pioneer Chaz Bojórquez and album cover designer John Van Hamersveld. The exhibit runs through May 31 at the fair, which has the theme "Play Your Way."

The regeneration of Rome's former barracks begins, where the Museum of Science will also rise. Objectives and timeline of the construction site

Parte la rigenerazione delle ex caserme di Roma, dove sorgerà anche il Museo della Scienza. Obiettivi e tempi del cantiere

The Italian government, through Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and COIMA Sgr, has launched the regeneration of the former Guido Reni military barracks in Rome's Flaminio district. The 5-hectare site, abandoned since 2019 and located opposite the MAXXI museum, will be transformed into a mixed-use urban district including housing, retail, a hotel, green spaces, and a new Museum of Science. Demolitions are set to begin in October 2026, with the project expected to be completed by 2029. The museum will be designed by Rome-based studio ADAT, which won an international competition in 2023.

No ‘I can do that’ here: William Baczek Fine Arts gallery celebrates 30 years in Northampton

William Baczek Fine Arts in Northampton, Massachusetts, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with an exhibition running through June 6, featuring 25 artists who have collaborated with the gallery over the years. Owner William Baczek, who started his career as a bartender after studying clay sculpture and photography, opened the gallery in 1996 and moved to its current location at 36 Main Street in 2003. The show highlights longtime collaborators and newcomers, reflecting Baczek's deep personal connections with clients and artists.

Kathleen Telesco: Nature Reconfigured at Metro Art in Bridgeport

Metro Arts Studios in Bridgeport will feature Kathleen Telesco as its Featured Artist from May 31 to July 18, 2026. Telesco, who previously focused on realistic still lifes and portraits, has shifted to expressionist and semi-abstract painting over the last five years, working with acrylics and charcoal. Her inspiration comes from nature, ancestry, and dream narratives, and she also volunteers as a wildlife rehabber and birder.

Guide to cultural festivals in Italy at the end of May 2026: Spring Attitude, Aura, Buongiorno Ceramica!, URBAPHONIA, CYFEST

Guida ai festival culturali in Italia di fine maggio 2026: Spring Attitude, Aura, Buongiorno Ceramica!, URBAPHONIA, CYFEST

A guide to cultural festivals in Italy at the end of May 2026 highlights several events across the country, including Spring Attitude in Rome (May 29-30), Aura Festival in Palermo (June 1), Hypermaremma in Maremma (through September 30), Emulsioni in Ferrania (May 22-24), and Caorle Sea Festival in Caorle (May 23-June 7). These festivals cover diverse themes such as electronic music, club culture, analog photography, ceramics, media art, street art, and outdoor practices, often set in historically or culturally significant locations like La Nuvola in Rome, the Palazzina Cinese in Palermo, and an ex-film factory in Ferrania.

Eye on Art: Museums beckon with Memorial Day offerings

The article highlights Memorial Day weekend art offerings in the Concord and Fitchburg, Massachusetts area, focusing on museums and galleries as cool retreats from the summer heat. It notes International Museum Day's theme "Museums Uniting a Divided World" and promotes special membership deals at Fitchburg Art Museum, an exhibit at the Arts League of Lowell Greenwald Gallery, and the Concord Museum's upcoming Garden Tour fundraiser.

Artist Brad Chapman Bleau seeks community connections

Artist and educator Brad Chapman Bleau, a graduate of Massachusetts College of Art and Design and Goddard College, discusses his multifaceted career in a recent interview. Bleau works as an adjunct professor at Worcester State University and assistant director of the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Art Gallery, while also curating the Worcester Center for Crafts Hot Night in the City exhibition. He creates mixed-media "junk paintings" using vintage objects and ephemera, sells art at Almanac Market in Paxton, and teaches a nature-based art class at Turn Back Time farm and forest education center.

Sculpture from Carbondale’s 2025 Art Around Town exhibition finds new home with ANB Bank

A welded steel sculpture titled "Sidewinder" by California-based artist Diego Harris, originally part of Carbondale's 2025 Art Around Town exhibition, has been purchased by ANB Bank and permanently installed outside the bank's Sopris Station development site along Colorado Highway 133. The piece was moved to its new home on Monday, and Harris also installed a new sculpture, "Shaman's Path," near Main Street and Snowmass Drive as part of the upcoming 2026 Art Around Town exhibition.

The art of Brad Chapman Bleau

Artist Brad Chapman Bleau has been featured in a series of images showcasing his mixed-media works, including paintings like "Skäl!" and "Big Mac," which incorporate acrylic paint and found objects on wood. His pieces have appeared in the Danforth Annual Juried Exhibition Show at the Danforth Art Museum in Framingham, and he maintains a studio space called The Bleau Pig at the newly opened Almanac Market in Paxton. An upcoming group exhibition titled "CATS" featuring his work "The Duality of CAT" is set to open May 28 at Worcester State University’s Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery.

Midcoast Health Collective open house, art show during Rockland First Friday Art Walk

Midcoast Health Collective in Rockland, Maine, is hosting a free open house and art show on Friday, June 5, from 4 to 6 p.m., coinciding with the city's First Friday Art Walk. The event at 558 Main Street will feature a tour of the wellness space, light refreshments, and an exhibition of abstract mixed-media and oil paintings by practitioner and artist Erika Manning, whose work explores the spaces between landscape and consciousness. Manning's artwork will be available for viewing and purchase, and visitors can meet the collective's practitioners, including a naturopathic doctor, a holistic dentist, and massage therapists.

Padua Airport Wants to Become a Cultural Hub

L’aeroporto di Padova vuole diventare un hub culturale

Padua's Gino Allegri Airport, historically used for military purposes and now partially repurposed for commercial and tourist flights, is transforming into a cultural hub. In December 2024, the Terminal Urbano opened inside the airport, a multifunctional space created by Heron Air (the private flight company that has managed the airport since 2021 under a 20-year concession). The space includes the Himmelmann exhibition area for temporary shows, performances, and conferences, and features permanent works such as Sergio Rodella's "Icaro." Now, the airport is moving to phase two: a massive renovation of former military hangars, set to begin by 2026, which will demolish old helicopter offices, refurbish the first hangar, and restore the former Aeroclub building. Some spaces will be sold to private entities, while others will be dedicated to public, non-profit artistic, and educational projects.