Which museums are free on the first Sunday of the month in Paris and Île-de-France?

Quels musées sont gratuits ce 1er dimanche du mois à Paris et en Île-de-France ?

This article from Beaux Arts Magazine lists museums in Paris and Île-de-France that offer free admission on the first Sunday of each month, including the Musée de l'Orangerie, Musée national Picasso-Paris, Musée des Arts et Métiers, Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, Musée Carnavalet, Musée Cognacq-Jay, Crypte archéologique de l'île de la Cité, Maison Victor Hugo, and Musée de Cluny. It also notes that municipal museums in Paris are free year-round, and provides practical tips such as booking online and taking advantage of free entry for visitors under 18 or 26.

The best museums in the U.S. for art, history and culture

The article presents a curated list of the 10 best museums in the United States, as compiled by U.S. News & World Report, covering art, history, science, and cultural heritage. It begins with a philosophical reflection on the unique power of museums to provide direct, physical encounters with objects that cannot be replicated by digital media. The first museum profiled is The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, highlighting its 5,000-year collection, 5 million annual visitors, and its two distinct locations: The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters.

Your guide to free self-care: 8 L.A. wellness events you can’t miss in May

The Los Angeles Times article highlights a curated list of free wellness events in Los Angeles for May, with a focus on the first annual Sacred Music and Healing Festival at the World Stage Performance Gallery in Leimert Park on May 23. Executive Director Dwight Trible explains that the festival blends jazz, Indigenous traditions, and healing arts to offer a wellness experience rooted in culture and community, featuring music, yoga, tai chi, and presentations on herbs and meditation.

New for 2026: Philly's Newest Museums, Galleries & Attractions

Philadelphia is celebrating America's 250th anniversary (the Semiquincentennial) in 2026 with the opening of several new museums, galleries, and attractions. These include Calder Gardens, a dedicated space for Alexander Calder's work on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway; Ministry of Awe, an immersive six-story art experience by Meg Saligman in a former bank; a new permanent Indigenous gallery at the Penn Museum; and a Netflix House experience at King of Prussia mall. The article also mentions the First Bank of the United States museum, the Philly Pride Visitor Center, and the Pennsylvania Hospital Museum as part of the city's anniversary additions.

Bath museum to host artist workshop, lecture series in conjunction with exhibition

Maine Maritime Museum in Bath is hosting an artist workshop and lecture series from May through August 2025, tied to its exhibition “Re|Sounding.” Each month, a different contributing artist will lead a session exploring a specific medium—painting, oral storytelling, assemblage, or poetry—as a tool for examining local and personal histories. The first event on May 10 features James Eric Francis Sr., the Penobscot Nation’s tribal historian and visual artist, who will give a lecture, lead a painting workshop, and have his works on view in the exhibition. Attendance is on a sliding scale.

From crime to culture. In Ville Couëlle opens the first museum of the Costa Smeralda

Dalla criminalità alla cultura. A Ville Couëlle apre il primo museo della Costa Smeralda

The former Ville Couëlle complex in Sardinia's Costa Smeralda, an iconic example of organic architecture designed by French visionary Jacques Couëlle, has been officially transferred to the municipality of Arzachena after being seized from organized crime by Italy's National Agency for Seized and Confiscated Assets. The 37-million-euro property, spanning 30,000 square meters in the Abbiadori district, will be transformed into the first museum of the Costa Smeralda, featuring exhibition spaces, conference halls, educational labs, a bookshop, and a café.

McEvoy Gallery Open House & Art Sale Planned

Newtown artist Dick McEvoy will open his studio and gallery at 51 Taunton Lake Road to the public for a weekend open house and art sale on June 13-14, 2026, from 1-4 pm each day. This is the first time in five years he has hosted such an event. McEvoy, known for his pastel landscapes and later large-scale oil paintings, synthesizes techniques from Impressionism and Abstract Expressionism, with curator Peter Hastings Falk praising his evolution into drip-action painting and his ability to reconcile seemingly opposing art movements.

Coolidge Corner art gallery relocates, brightening downtown Boston neighborhood

Praise Shadows Art Gallery, a contemporary art gallery focusing on untapped and unrecognized artists, has relocated from Coolidge Corner in Brookline to a larger 2,000-square-foot space on Kingston Street in downtown Boston. The gallery reopened in mid-March after moving in January, with founder and CEO Yng-Ru Chen citing the convenience and breathing room of the new location. The move was facilitated by the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture and the Downtown Boston Alliance, which aims to fill vacant storefronts with arts businesses and revitalize the neighborhood.

Masure Gallery Brings a Focused Lens to Local Fine Art Photography in Fort Worth

Masure Gallery of Photography has opened in Fort Worth, Texas, as the city's only gallery dedicated exclusively to fine art photography. Founded through a partnership between gallery manager Simone Fischer and the co-owners of Fort Worth Camera, Jeff and CJ Masure, the space transforms a former event room into a white-walled exhibition venue with gallery-quality lighting. The gallery launched with "RED – A Bold Photography Exhibition," selected from nearly 200 open-call submissions requiring the color red, and now represents six local photographers: Walt Burns, Brooks Burris, Caroline Hanson, Chris Ireland, Felix Schilling, and K.P. Wilska. The first solo show, "Modern Exposure" by Walt Burns, opens June 4.

Anaheim's new $4 billion, 100-acre entertainment district will double as an open-air art gallery with 70+ free public artworks

Anaheim's $4 billion OCVIBE entertainment district, a 100-acre development around the Honda Center, has partnered with art and design studio FUTUREFORMS to create a public art program featuring over 70 original artworks. The program includes permanent and rotating installations such as sculptural landmarks, murals, and interactive pieces, with early works already taking shape in the food hall and concert hall. Notable artworks include 'Stretto' by Nataly Gattegno and Jason Kelly Johnson, 'Rhythm, Flavor, Motion' by Brian Peterson, 'Gratitude' by Carla Roque, and 'Sunrise – Sunset' by Marina Zumi. The first phase will be accessible to the public in early 2027.

Boca Raton Public Library Announces Summer Arts Exhibits

The Boca Raton Public Library in Florida will host two summer art exhibits featuring local and international artists. The first, “Fine Art Photography” by Jacoby, runs June 1–July 6, 2026, at the Downtown Library, showcasing infrared and intentional camera movement photography. The second, “Discover You” by Marina Veen, runs June 8–July 17, 2026, at the Spanish River Library, presenting layered mixed-media works exploring nature and emotion. Both exhibits are free and open to the public.

Holocaust Museum LA will reopen as part of the new $70-million Goldrich Cultural Center

Holocaust Museum LA, the first survivor-founded and oldest Holocaust museum in the United States, will reopen after a 10-month closure as part of the new $70-million Goldrich Cultural Center in Pan Pacific Park. The 70,000-square-foot campus, debuting June 14, doubles the museum's original footprint and includes three pavilions, a 200-seat theater, exhibition galleries, a rooftop garden, and a Holocaust-era boxcar. The center is named after the late Jona Goldrich, a Holocaust survivor and co-founder of the museum, and was designed by architect Hagy Belzberg.

First Fridays celebrates art spaces

Every first Friday of the month, around 20 galleries and art spaces in Ithaca, New York, open their doors for free evening exhibitions from 5 to 8 p.m. as part of the First Fridays tradition, also known as Ithaca Gallery Nights. The event, now facilitated by artist and curator Michael Sampson since 2023, features both traditional venues like State of the Art Gallery and non-traditional spaces such as Greenstar Co-op and St. Luke Lutheran Church, aiming to expand participation and include newer artists. Featured shows include "Black and White and …" by Ileen Kaplan and David Watkins at SOAG, and "Geometric Abstraction" by Mauro Marinelli, Michael George, and Laura Dale George at The Gallery at South Hill.

Ten Local Galleries Part Of The First Friday Chattanooga Art Crawl

On the First Friday of May 2026, ten local galleries and studios in Chattanooga, Tennessee, will participate in the monthly First Friday Art Crawl, with extended evening hours from 5-8 PM. Participating venues include River Gallery, HART Gallery, In-Town Gallery, ICA @ UTC, BFA Open Studios @ UTC, Wavelength Space, Society of Work Northshore at The Velvet Lounge, ClearStory Arts, Stove Works, and AVA – Association for Visual Arts. Several galleries are hosting opening receptions and artist meet-and-greets, featuring artists such as David Boyd, Jim Felder, Steve Loucks, Rick Sanders, Angie To, and Kathleen Thum.

Art curator to give free public talk

Greg Bell, an art adviser, artist, and curator who has worked on the Paul Allen art collection and with the Tacoma Art Museum, will give a free public talk at 3 p.m. on Saturday in Port Townsend. He will lead a walk-and-talk through the "Florabundance" exhibit at Northwind Art's Jeanette Best Gallery, which pairs ceramist Ariana Heinzman of Vashon Island and Sarah Helen More of Wenatchee. The exhibit features 10 of Heinzman's colorful flower sculptures and More's personal sketchbooks filled with flowers, collages, and birds. The show will be celebrated during the First Saturday Art Walk on June 6 and remains on display through June 22.

Afton's Third Friday Night Art Exhibits Run From May To November

Afton's Third Friday Night Art Exhibits return for the 2025 season, running from May 15 through November at 146 Main Street in Afton, New York. The monthly events, held in the HUG/HALos building (formerly the Great American Food Store), feature rotating selections of artwork from local artists, with the first exhibit showcasing youth art from Afton students. Gallery curator and artist Michael Bolde, who launched the series three years ago, organizes the shows in a community room provided free of charge by Joyce Humphrey, founder of the HALos grief counseling program. Artists who sell work contribute a 20% commission to HALos, far below the typical 50% gallery split, supporting both creators and local programming.

Art exhibit is about ‘Completing the Journey.’ It offers window into hospice through patients’ eyes

Masonicare Hospice & Palliative Care has launched "Completing the Journey: The Art of Hospice Care," an art exhibit featuring works created by patients in hospice care across its senior living communities in Connecticut. The exhibit, the first of its kind from Masonicare in over 15 years, includes small artworks on self-standing screens, accompanied by portraits of the artists and brief statements about their creative process. It opened at the Hartog Activities Center in Wallingford on April 28 and will travel to other Masonicare facilities, including Rocky Hill, after previous stops in Chester and Mystic. The project was funded by the Masonic Charity Foundation of Connecticut.

AMP art walk: making art more accessible

Western Washington University's Arts & Music Productions (AMP) launched a monthly art walk on the first Friday of October, continuing the tradition each month after the closure of the Viking Union Gallery. The event, conceived by AMP supervisor Casey Hayden, aims to introduce students to Bellingham's art scene in a guided, social setting. Skylar Cooney, AMP's visual arts coordinator, leads tours to smaller venues like Bay Street Studios, and the walks have drawn a diverse academic crowd. Participating galleries, such as Voxel Gallery, report increased foot traffic and community engagement, while local artists and professors like Garth Amundson emphasize the importance of free, accessible events for fostering inclusion.

KUVR - Iron Horse Arts District to host ribbon cutting and artist reception

The Iron Horse Arts District in Holdrege, Nebraska, is opening a new exhibition space called the Iron Horse Art Gallery, located in the lower level of the First State Bank of Holdrege. The gallery will be inaugurated with a ribbon cutting and artist reception on June 11, featuring the work of multidisciplinary artist Christy Kosmicki, a former art teacher at Holdrege High School. Her exhibit, "Past and Present," includes paintings, relief sculptures, and freestanding pieces, with her latest series "Genesis the 5th Day" exploring creation themes using Golden Acrylics on wood panels and rice paper.

Reading artists exhibit work in new partnership with cafe

The Reading Guild of Artists (RGA) has partnered with Honesty Café in Thames Quarter, Reading, to host monthly art exhibitions by its members. The first display features vibrant prints by artist Mark Burden, launched at an event on April 16. This initiative follows other RGA projects at Reading Museum and Royal Berks Hospital, expanding the guild's community outreach.

Iron Horse Arts District announces new gallery, summer events, and Executive Director search

The Iron Horse Arts District in Holdrege, Nebraska, is launching a new gallery space called the Iron Horse Art Gallery inside the First State Bank of Holdrege, with a ribbon cutting and reception on June 11 featuring artist Christy Kosmicki. The district is also hosting the 2026 Artisan Expo on May 30, installing community-painted crosswalk murals in June, launching a new Iron Horse Pop-Up Concert Series on August 29, and conducting a search for its next Executive Director.

New South County Art Association exhibit has familiar faces

The South County Art Association in Kingston, Rhode Island, is presenting a new Members Invitational exhibition that includes artwork from six artist members, as well as pieces by the organization's staff and Board of Directors. This marks the first time the association has combined a staff and board show with the member exhibition. The article highlights a stoneware chess set by artist Jason Fong, photographed by Michael Derr, as an example of the works on display.

DAB art collective venturing into Port Douglas for new exhibition

The DAB art collective, based in Mossman, has opened a new exhibition titled 'Tropical Spectrum' in Port Douglas to coincide with Carnivale week. The show features 47 local artists from across Douglas Shire, showcasing a wide range of mediums including botanicals, acrylic, watercolour, oil, sketches, pottery, glass work, mosaics, mixed media, and fibre weaving. The exhibition runs at the Port Douglas Community Hall until May 28, marking the first time DAB has exhibited in Port Douglas during Carnivale week.

Cannabis Art Exhibition Comes to Fort Collins

A traveling art exhibition called Hear/Say, part of the Tea on THC campaign, will open May 27 at the Center for Creativity in Fort Collins, Colorado, and run through May 31. The exhibition combines scientific research with visual art—including painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and installation—to spark public conversations about the health impacts of high-potency cannabis. It is organized by the Colorado School of Public Health and Initium Health following Colorado House Bill 1317, which mandated research and public outreach on high-potency THC products. A free opening reception is scheduled for May 29, with additional events planned in Colorado Springs in June.

À Florence, une transformation silencieuse pour préserver son patrimoine

Florence is undertaking a major restoration of Giotto's Campanile, the first comprehensive conservation of the 14th-century bell tower since its construction. The project, budgeted at over €7 million, addresses decades of damage from pollution, acid rain, and natural aging, including detached stone slabs, darkened facades, and microfractures. The four-year scaffolding will be designed to minimize visual impact and gradually reveal restored sections. Separately, the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore is executing a €60 million program to restore the Collegio Eugeniano (which will become its new headquarters) and expand the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo to 11,000 square meters by 2030. The Ponte Vecchio will also undergo summer cleaning and consolidation of its piles, funded equally by the municipality and the Antinori family.

One of Sheffield’s biggest art exhibitions to take place this weekend

Open Up Sheffield, an annual open studio event celebrating over 25 years of the city's cultural vibrancy, is holding its second leg this weekend on May 9-10. Over 140 artists across 90 venues are opening their homes and studios to the public, showcasing works from ceramics to paintings. The first leg took place over the Bank Holiday weekend, featuring artist Tom Heller, 80, who sells his work to benefit the charity Spreading Health, which trains nurses in Cameroon. The event is organized by a small committee on a not-for-profit basis and sponsored by RivelinCo.

June's First Friday Art Walk in Springfield offers all-ages activities

Springfield's First Friday Art Walk on June 5 offers a wide range of all-ages activities, including gallery openings, author readings, live jazz, and a community block party. Participating venues such as Formed: An Artist Collective, Obelisk Home, Hotel Vandivort, and the Park Central Branch Library will feature new exhibitions, hands-on crafts, and extended hours until 10 p.m. The event is organized by the Springfield Regional Arts Council and includes contributions from local artists like Andi Snethern, Hailey Paige, and Colby Kern.

Art e Fekts to host artist Paul DeLuca’s pottery exhibit May 8

Art e Fekts Gallery in Downtown Pittston will host "This is Me – The Pottery of Paul DeLuca," the second exhibit of 2026, opening on Friday, May 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Dr. Joseph Lombardo Gallery. The exhibit coincides with the first 2nd Friday Art Walk of the year and will run until June 5, featuring the unique ceramic work of regional artist Paul DeLuca, who owns and operates Bank Street Pottery.

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.

Near Florence there is a castle that recalls the Orient. The rebirth of the gardens begins with architect Tommaso del Buono

Vicino Firenze c’è un castello che ricorda l’Oriente. Al via la rinascita dei giardini con l’architetto Tommaso del Buono

The Castello di Sammezzano, a Moorish-style castle near Florence, Italy, is set for a major revival. Built in the 19th century by the Marquis Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d'Aragona, the castle is one of Italy's most important examples of Orientalist architecture, featuring over sixty uniquely decorated rooms, a monumental park, and rare botanical species. After decades of neglect, auctions, and sporadic openings, the property was purchased in 2025 by the family of entrepreneur Giorgio Moretti, who plans a €50 million restoration. The first phase will focus on rehabilitating the historic gardens, with work beginning in June 2026.