Hotel and art hub Casabianca opens on Italy's Lake Como

The De Santis family, accomplished hoteliers on Lake Como, has opened Casabianca, a new hotel and art hub in a 1930 villa designed by Piero Ponci. The property features three apartment-style suites launching later this year, while its lower floors are already open to the public for €15, displaying around 50 works from the family's collection of post-war Italian art, including pieces by Arte Povera artists such as Alighiero Boetti, Mario Merz, and Jannis Kounellis. The venture is the latest in a series of heritage hotel restorations by the family, who previously revived the Grand Hotel Tremezzo and Passalacqua.

May Things to Do: Visual Art

This article from a Seattle arts publication rounds up May visual art events, including the Seattle Art Book Fair (May 9–10) at Washington Hall featuring over 85 artists and free admission; Timothy White Eagle's exhibition "Once Wild River" (May 9–June 21) at Mini Mart City Park, culminating his EPA artist-in-residency; "Monochrome: Calder and Tara Donovan" (May 13–Jan 17, 2027) at the Seattle Art Museum, where Donovan responds to Alexander Calder's black works; "Rebels + Icons: The Photography of Janette Beckman" opening May 15 at MoPOP, the largest collection of her iconic musician portraits; and Drie Chapek's "Then Is Now" (May 21–June 27).

Museum Night in Paris and Île-de-France: 5 ideas to get off the beaten track

Nuit des musées à Paris et en Île-de-France : 5 idées pour sortir des sentiers battus

The article from Beaux Arts Magazine offers five alternative recommendations for experiencing the Nuit des Musées (Museum Night) in Paris and the Île-de-France region on May 23. Instead of visiting major museums like the Musée d'Orsay or the Grand Palais, readers are guided to lesser-known institutions and unique activities: exploring the craftsmanship of Sèvres porcelain at the Mobilier national, joining a festive dance workshop led by choreographer Wanjiru Kamuyu at the Palais de la Porte-Dorée, creating a collective fresco inspired by Jean Dubuffet at the Parc de l'Île Saint-Germain in Issy-les-Moulineaux, and immersing in the historical atmosphere of 1936 at the Musée de l'Histoire vivante in Montreuil.

Boulder County art exhibits this week include a Boulder Valley School District student showcase

This article lists current and upcoming art exhibitions in Boulder County, Colorado, including a student showcase from the Boulder Valley School District at Canyon Theater and Gallery, a show by the Colorado South Asian Artist Group at Bus Stop Gallery, and a historical exhibit on racism at the Lafayette Swimming Pool at Collective Community Arts Center. Other featured venues include BMoCA at Frasier, Groundworks Art Lab, and the Museum of Boulder, with works by artists such as Rodney Carswell, Jorge Vinent, Margaret Johnson, and Melody Melamed.

May Arts Calendar 2026

The May Arts Calendar 2026 highlights a wide range of visual art exhibitions and events in the Seattle area, including group and solo shows at galleries such as Gallery B612, Visual Arts Gallery No. 85, JG Art Gallery, Piano Nobile, ArtXContemporary Gallery, and Common Objects. Notable exhibitions include "Layered Being: A Celebration of AAPINH Heritage" at Gallery B612, "Moving As One" by Tetsuo Aoki, "Material Meditations" featuring woodworker Andy McConell, blacksmith Maria Cristalli, and mixed media artist Jill Kyong, and "TADAIMA: 'I'm Home'" at MOHAI, which explores Japanese American history through dolls. The calendar also features a solo show by Yaminee Patel and a group show titled "Moga" at Fresh Mochi, celebrating Japanese and Japanese American artists.

More than 30 exhibitions on display in May at art centers from Marco Island to Sarasota

More than 30 exhibitions are on display in May at art centers across Southwest Florida, from Marco Island to Sarasota. Venues like Art Center Sarasota host shows featuring member, regional, and nationally renowned artists, including the "North Sarasota County Schools Spring Art Show" with over 1,500 student artists, solo exhibitions by Anja Palombo and Cat Tesla, and the "Architects Who Art" show co-curated by Morris Hylton III.

Waterbury’s Mattatuck Museum Balances Art and Local

The Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, Connecticut, balances art and local history, serving as a community hub. Director Bob Burns has integrated school programs reaching 7,000 local students annually, community art shows, contemporary works by artists like Yayoi Kusama and Simone Leigh, and a major exhibition "About Face: 250 Years of American Portraits" curated by Rebecca McNamara. The museum also features hyper-realistic paintings by Wende Caporale-Greene and a gallery of Waterbury's industrial past, with a focus on inclusivity after removing a physical barrier to Main Street in 2019.

'You paint too pretty' exhibit continues at Saint Mary's College

An exhibition titled "You Paint Too Pretty – My Art Journey" by Saint Mary's College alumna Mary Ann Roach Butkovich is on display at the Moreau Gallery on the college's campus in South Bend from April 23 to June 6, 2026. Butkovich, who graduated from Saint Mary's College in 1964 with a degree in art, has furthered her studies at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati, and her work has been shown at venues including the Cincinnati Art Museum and The Contemporary Art Center in Cincinnati. She draws inspiration from nature, music, and personal experiences, and admires artists such as Helen Frankenthaler, Paul Jenkins, and Morris Louis. A closing in-gallery talk is scheduled for June 6.

May art guide: Exhibitions in Dayton, Cincy, Columbus and more

May’s art guide highlights several exhibitions across Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus, including "The Future of Female" at the Dayton Society of Artists, a juried show exploring women-identifying artists' perspectives; "At This Moment" at the Main Library's 2nd Floor Gallery, reflecting on contemporary life; "Teresa Olavarria: Lichen" at The Contemporary Dayton, featuring works in vitreous enamel and bronze; and a color-themed collaborative exhibition at the Edward A. Dixon Gallery in partnership with Dayton Collaboratory. The guide also features a 35mm film series by photographer Jake Schneider documenting Greenville’s Swinging 8’s Square Dance Club.

Arts Listings: Week of May 7, 2026

This article is a local arts listings roundup for the week of May 7, 2026, in Ventura County, California. It includes opening theater productions such as "¡Ay Chihuahua! A Mariachi Musical" at California State University, Channel Islands, "Eleanor" at Rubicon Theatre Company, and "It's a Trip, Man: An Evening with a Hollywood Has-Been" at Ojai Art Center Theatre. Art openings feature the Camarillo Art Center's gourd class and exhibition "May I Have Your Attention!," Canvas and Paper's show of work by L.S. Lowry, and the Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation's "r/evolve: celebrating the circular" by Christopher Noxon. The piece also lists auditions for "The Importance of Being Earnest" at Moorpark College and a call for submissions to the Ojai Art Center Theater's 2027 season.

Art House Productions Unveils "In The Wind" Public Art Installation

Art House Productions has unveiled "In The Wind," a large-scale public art installation in Lincoln Park, Jersey City, featuring artist-designed flags with original works by Hudson County artists. Curated by Tina Maneca, the exhibition celebrates the organization's 25th anniversary and includes over 80 artists who live, work, or maintain studios in Hudson County. The flags are installed around Edgewood Lake, moving with the wind to create a dynamic, ever-changing exhibition. All flags are priced at $500 and available for purchase. The installation runs from June through November 2026, with an opening reception on June 5, 2026, during ACCESS JC Fridays.

Two students find community through the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum’s docent program

Two art students from Appalachian State University, Jenna Curlee and Frankie Mancuso, have become docents at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum (BRAHM) in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. As volunteer hosts and tour guides, they engage with visitors, share stories about exhibits, and participate in excursions to artists' studios, historic sites, and private collectors' homes. The program has deepened their connection to the local art community and influenced their own artistic practices.

See what's new for the Shelburne Museum's free community day

Shelburne Museum will host a free community day on May 9, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., celebrating its 2026 season. The event features three new exhibitions: "Varied and Alive - New and Rarely Seen Treasures from the Collection" (19th to mid-20th century folk art, circus posters, textiles, and more), "On Point - Needlework from the Garthwaite Family Collection" (Vermont schoolgirl needlework and women's education), and "Big River - Ogden Pleissner in Wyoming" (sketches and paintings of the American West). Activities include curator-led tours, artmaking sessions, live music by Marie Hamilton, Owen Leavey, and Deja Nous, a seed swap, and garden talks. The day is organized in collaboration with the Vermont Community Foundation.

Carnegie Arts Center opens annual youth art exhibition May 29

The Carnegie Arts Center in Turlock, California, will host its annual youth art exhibition, “Ready, Set, Show!”, from May 29 to June 27. The show invites students in grades K–12 to submit up to three pieces of artwork for display in the Ferrari Gallery, with free entry and a special section for the “Parks Are Fun!” banner contest. A free Family Friday reception will open the exhibition on May 29.

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.

❤️ Atlanta, with love

This article from Rough Draft's Sketchbook newsletter highlights two Atlanta-focused art stories. Painter Carlos Solis, who left Venezuela for Kennesaw nearly two decades ago, curates "In the Beginning," a group exhibition opening May 9 at the Hudgens Center's Fowler Gallery in Duluth, featuring 15 artists from around the world who now call Georgia home. Separately, designer and illustrator George F. Baker III, originally from Nebraska and shaped by Detroit, was commissioned by the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs to create the key art for the 49th annual Atlanta Jazz Festival, and he discusses how the musical souls of both Detroit and Atlanta influenced his design.

Art exhibits open in Earlville

The Earlville Opera House Art Galleries in Earlville, New York, will open the second round of 2026 visual artist exhibitions on Saturday, May 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. The series features three artists: Bruce E. Webster with his retrospective "A Legacy in Wood" showcasing over 40 years of fine wood furniture; Linda Kays-Biviano with "From Clay to Character: Featuring Woodland Spirits," hand-sculpted fantasy figures in polymer clay and resin; and Lawrence Kinney. The exhibits run through July 2, with free admission and an Artist Talk at 1:45 p.m. on opening day.

Working in Art and Culture: Opportunities from Premio di Pittura Casciaro, Fondazione MUS.E, Comune di Roma, Fondazione Officine Saffi

Lavorare nell’arte e nella cultura: opportunità da Premio di Pittura Casciaro, Fondazione MUS.E, Comune di Roma, Fondazione Officine Saffi

This article from Artribune compiles five current job and grant opportunities in the Italian visual arts and culture sector. It lists open calls for the Premio di Pittura Giuseppe Casciaro (a painting prize with a career award and a solo exhibition prize), a residency program for artists and curators under 36 at Fondazione MUS.E's MAD Murate Art District, an open call for artists on the theme of play by Associazione Circuiti Dinamici, a search by the Comune di Roma for a three-year artistic director for the La Vaccheria cultural space, and a stage (internship) position at Fondazione Culturale Officine Saffi for exhibition programming and project coordination.

Hyderabad galleries host long-duration exhibitions this summer

Two Hyderabad galleries are hosting long-duration summer exhibitions this year, breaking from the city's traditional lean season. Kalakriti Art Gallery in Banjara Hills opened "Prakriti: A Quiet Continuum," a group show of contemporary artists including Lal Bahadur Singh and Sumanto Chowdhury, alongside "Living Lineages," featuring folk and indigenous artists such as Bhuri Bai and Venkat Raman Shyam. Meanwhile, Srishti Art Gallery in Jubilee Hills is presenting the fifth edition of its annual exhibition "Triloka," with works by Moumita Basak, Nayanjyoti Barman, and Nirmal Mondal that explore everyday materials and social change.

Art and words unite like yin and yang in Guelph exhibition

Artworks Gallery Guelph is hosting a new exhibition titled “Vision & Verse,” which explores the interplay between visual art and poetry. The show features works by gallery members Patti Collins, Diana Scott, Sharyn Seibert, Deb Stocker, and Suzanne Wakefield, with Katie Elliott-Stoyles as the featured artist. A grand opening is scheduled for Mother's Day, May 10, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the gallery located at 404 York Road in Guelph.

Studio 34 Announces Open Studio Weekend + Opening of Collective Pulse Art Exhibition in LIC

Studio 34 Gallery in Long Island City, New York, announces its annual Open Studio Weekend on May 16–17, 2026, from 12:00–6:00 PM, alongside the opening reception of a group exhibition titled 'Collective Pulse' on May 16 from 6:30–9:30 PM. The free event invites the public to explore working artist studios, meet the creators, and experience the artistic process, with live music by Sunshine Music. The exhibition, curated by Alice Lipping and Tina Glavan, features 14 Studio 34 artists and 11 guest artists, and runs through June 7, 2026.

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.

Around town: Art Garden reopens in new downtown gallery

Art Garden, a combination art gallery and plant shop in Asheville, North Carolina, reopens on May 7, 2025, at a new downtown location at 98 N. Lexington Ave. The business was displaced after its former home in Riverview Station was flooded by over 25 feet of water during Tropical Storm Helene in September 2024. The reopening includes a preview party for the ReRoot art exhibit, a fundraising gala, a theatre performance, and a Mother's Day plant sale, celebrating community support that helped rebuild the space.

HCC Student Artist Brings Good vs. Evil to Life in Striking Painting

Houston Community College student Ruben Rodriguez, who also goes by Dario, created a large painting exploring the theme of good versus evil for the Juried Student Art Exhibition at HCC Spring Branch. The exhibition, hosted by HCC's Media, Visual, and Performing Arts department on April 30, featured works from level 1 and level 2 studio art students across the Spring Branch, Katy, and Alief campuses. Rodriguez's painting incorporates pop culture figures such as Kobe Bryant and Captain America on one side and villainous characters like Marvel's Thanos on the other, illustrating the paths of motivation and discipline versus addiction and greed, inspired by his Christian faith.

Gallery 50 hosts opening reception for “Here Comes the Sun” art show on May 8

Gallery 50 in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, will host an opening reception for its new exhibition “Here Comes the Sun” on Friday, May 8, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The show features 11 local artists—Jonathan Frazier, Robyn Jacobs, Sarah Maclay, Pat McCleary, Mary Moores, Judy Pyle, Jayne Shord, Anne St. John, Lindsay Tozier-School, Anita Williams, and Marti Yeager (also the gallery’s curator)—with works in oil, acrylic, pastel, photography, watercolor, and enamel on copper. The evening includes free refreshments, live music from Sons of Pitches, and the unveiling of a new mural by California-based artist Nigel Sussman, whose large-scale, hand-drawn murals feature fantasy architecture and imaginary machines.

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.

Cerritos College Opens 2026 Student Art Exhibition with Night of Awards and Celebration

Cerritos College opened its 2026 annual Student Art Exhibition on April 23 at the Cerritos College Art Gallery, featuring over 150 student artworks selected by faculty from the college's art, design, and photography programs. The opening night included an award ceremony introduced by Gallery Director James Mac Devitt and a speech by Dr. Jose Fierro. Juror Kim Abeles, an established L.A. artist, presented five awards across seven categories including Ceramics/3D Design, Painting/Life Drawing, Freehand Drawing, Printmaking/2D Design, Graphic Design/Digital Illustration, Photography, and 3D Modeling/Motion Picture Editing. Faculty also gave honorable mentions in each category. Approximately $7,000 in awards was distributed, supported by the Associated Students of Cerritos College, the Cerritos Foundation, and donors including former student John DeMott.

Calling all ‘deadly’ creatives: Share your art this NAIDOC

Gunnedah Shire Council is calling for submissions for its annual NAIDOC Week Art Exhibition, which will celebrate 50 years of the 'Deadly' theme. Artists, hobbyists, schools, and community members are invited to submit works in any medium, including weaving, wood etching, metal work, dot painting, and decorated didgeridoos. A free workshop for First Nations women, led by emerging artist Hollie Crawford, will be held on 9 May to help participants create pieces for the exhibition. Entries are due from 22 to 28 June at the Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery, with the exhibition running from 3 July to 7 August.

Is It an Art Gallery? A Museum? A Theater? A Dream?

A new immersive experience called The Ministry of Awe has opened in a former bank building in Philadelphia. The project aims to help visitors find wonder in everyday life through a blend of art, theater, and interactive installations.

Alton's Elysian Gallery to close, reopen as art cafe and cultural hub

Elysian Gallery in Alton, Illinois, is closing its original location at Mineral Springs Mall on May 10, 2026, to relocate and expand into a new concept called Elysian Gallery and Cafe at 419 E. Broadway. Owner Jeff Bohnert, a photographer, is transforming the 500-square-foot gallery into a larger, pet-friendly cultural hub featuring a cafe serving Goshen Coffee, a book nook, workspaces, and art exhibitions. The new space will open with a soft launch on May 30 during Alton Main Street's Pup Crawl, followed by a grand reopening on June 6. Bohnert and his girlfriend Janel Freeman originally opened the gallery in August 2025.