The British Museum Is Recreating the Bayeux Tapestry’s Medieval Woodland

The British Museum is installing a temporary woodland installation called "Tapestry of Trees" in its forecourt from May 16 to June 2, evoking the 11th-century English landscape depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry. Designed by garden designer Andy Sturgeon, the installation features 37 silver birch trees and planters with dyed hessian wraps matching the tapestry's colors, alongside woodland species like Guelder Rose and Foxglove. It launches public programming ahead of the tapestry's historic loan from France, which will be displayed in a blockbuster exhibition on the Norman Conquest starting in September.

From The Sheep Detectives to Rivals: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead

This week's entertainment guide from The Guardian includes a major outdoor sculpture exhibition of Henry Moore's monumental works at Kew Gardens, running from May 9, 2026 to January 31, 2027. The show features 30 of Moore's sculptures in the largest-ever presentation of outdoor works by the English modernist. Additionally, Parham Ghalamdar presents a solo exhibition of post-apocalyptic ceramic and glass works at Blenheim Walk Gallery in Leeds, and Photo London, the UK's leading photography fair, returns for its 11th year, moving to Kensington Olympia after a decade at Somerset House.

Fred Tomaselli Turns Newspaper Headlines Into Mulch at His New Show at James Cohan

Fred Tomaselli presents his new exhibition “Blooms Disrupted,” opening May 15 at James Cohan’s 48 Walker Street location in New York. The show features his signature densely layered resin paintings embedded with organic matter like leaves and pharmaceutical pills, alongside a new series of collages constructed from New York Times front pages. The anchor piece, *Month of August (evening)*, combines a geometric spiral of headlines with a photographic Mexican sunflower, while other works reference art-historical gardens such as Frederic Edwin Church’s estate. Tomaselli, a Brooklyn-based artist born in 1956, uses the garden as both subject and metaphor throughout the exhibition.

Mario Schifano, the artist who anticipated Arte Povera and beyond. What the exhibition in Rome looks like

The Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome has opened a major retrospective of Mario Schifano, curated by Daniela Lancioni and titled simply "Mario Schifano," running until July 12. The exhibition reconstructs the career of the Italian artist (1934–1998), who worked across painting, film, and music, and highlights his role as a precursor to Arte Povera. A centerpiece is the reconstructed dining room Schifano created for the Rome home of Marella and Gianni Agnelli in 1968, featuring 14 canvases and a planned but unrealized sand-filled room with a pyramid, a detail revealed by film producer Ettore Rosboch in a conversation with the curator.

Gladstone now represent The Estate of Anna Zemánková

Gladstone Gallery has announced its representation of The Estate of Anna Zemánková, a self-taught Czech artist known for her influential abstract works that explore psychological and spiritual realms. The gallery will collaborate with Cavin-Morris Gallery and plans to present a solo booth of Zemánková's work at TEFAF New York from May 14–19, 2026, following a spring 2025 exhibition in New York featuring her botanical drawings and works on paper. Zemánková, a key figure in Art Brut, created untitled, biomorphic works rooted in the subconscious, often compared to artists like Kunz and Hilma af Klint.

Sebastiaan Bremer: Super Modern Things

Edwynn Houk Gallery presents "Super Modern Things," an exhibition of new works by Sebastiaan Bremer. The artworks blend photography and painting, starting from historical source images such as 17th-century Dutch botanical catalogues and Golden Age still life paintings. Bremer photographs these reproductions and adds ink and acrylic marks—dots, lines, stains, and washes—creating rhythms that evoke language, music, emotion, and constellations. The exhibition continues his long-standing exploration of flowers and the layered histories of still life, addressing themes of beauty, mortality, value, ecology, and global exchange. An accompanying monograph of his flower series is scheduled for Fall 2026.

Shoot and branch: new photography book highlights the enduring majesty of trees

A new photography book, *Trees of Great Britain and Ireland*, reproduces over 60 photographs originally taken between 1906 and 1913 for Henry John Elwes and Augustine Henry's ambitious seven-volume catalogue of tree species. The images, mostly by uncredited photographers, were printed using a collotype process by the Autotype Company and are now newly lithoprinted to preserve their tonal subtlety. The book includes an introduction by Michael Pritchard and notes by photographic historian Björn Andersson, highlighting the historical and aesthetic significance of these botanical photographs.

Art Around Town

This article is a roundup of current and upcoming art exhibitions and events in and around Athens, Georgia, published under the title 'Art Around Town.' It lists shows at numerous venues including ATHICA@CINÉ Gallery, the Georgia Museum of Art, Lyndon House Arts Center, and others, featuring artists such as Greg Benson, Jon Swindler, Beverly Buchanan, and Rachel B. Hayes. Exhibits range from landscape works and Civil War-era illustrations to installations exploring bathrooms, cosmic themes, and discarded objects, with many running through May, June, or later in 2025.

Hunterdon Art Museum presents three new exhibitions: Claybash, Emily Strong, and Bascha Mon

The Hunterdon Art Museum in Clinton, New Jersey, will open three new exhibitions on May 17, 2026: 'Claybash,' a triennial juried ceramics exhibition; a solo show of figurative paintings by Emily Strong; and 'Mindscapes,' a solo exhibition of works by 93-year-old artist Bascha Mon. Emily Strong's show features large-scale realist oil paintings that explore themes of cultural identity, gender, and human relationships, with QR codes linking to interviews with her models. 'Claybash' includes 40 artists selected by curator Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy, with cash prizes awarded. Bascha Mon's exhibition highlights her six-decade career of imaginative, color-driven work.

The Delicate Bouquet of Roses and Peonies by Redouté and Thilo Westermann at Malmaison

Le délicat bouquet de roses et de pivoines de Redouté et de Thilo Westermann à Malmaison

An exhibition titled "Roses & Pivoines" has opened at the Château de Bois-Préau in Malmaison, France, pairing the 19th-century botanical watercolors of Pierre-Joseph Redouté with contemporary glass-painting works by German artist Thilo Westermann. Redouté, famous for his meticulous rose and peony illustrations commissioned by Empress Joséphine Bonaparte, is shown alongside Westermann's pointillist technique on glass, which he developed from 2014 onward. The show also includes works by Jan-Frans van Dael and Cornelis van Spaendonck, plus scent stations for visitors to smell rose essences.

Martin Schongauer en toute majesté

The Louvre Museum in Paris has opened a major retrospective dedicated to Martin Schongauer (c. 1445–1491), the German engraver and painter from Colmar, bringing together a large portion of his known works. The exhibition features around one hundred pieces, including fifty engravings, five of his rare drawings, and nearly all of his attributed paintings—such as the "Virgin and Child at the Window" (c. 1480) from the Getty Museum and the "Orlier Altarpiece" (c. 1470–1475) from the Musée Unterlinden. The centerpiece is Schongauer's "Virgin of the Rose Bush" (1473), displayed at low height to reveal its botanical precision. Co-curated by Pantxika Béguerie De Paepe and Hélène Grollemund, the show also highlights Schongauer's influence on contemporaries and later artists through comparative works by Rogier van der Weyden and others.

In ‘Door to Life,’ Pacita Abad Evokes Traditional Yemeni Architecture

The article reports on 'Door to Life,' the third solo exhibition of works by the late Filipino artist Pacita Abad (1946-2004) at Tina Kim Gallery in New York. The show focuses on a body of work Abad created after her 1998 visit to Yemen, where she was inspired by the country's traditional architecture and decorative arts, particularly its ornate doors and qamariya (semicircular stained-glass windows). The works, executed in her signature trapunto style—a technique of stitched, padded canvas—layer geometric patterns, botanical motifs, and vibrant colors to evoke Yemeni design. The exhibition runs through June 20.

Looking for art, culture? See the latest Central Illinois exhibits

A roundup article highlights current and upcoming art and cultural exhibitions across Central Illinois, featuring venues such as the McLean County Museum of History, Krannert Art Museum, Prairie Aviation Museum, Peoria Riverfront Museum, Eaton Studio Gallery, Illinois Art Station, Illinois State Museum, McLean County Arts Center, Main Gallery 404, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Dickson Mounds Museum, and David Davis Mansion State Historic Site. Specific shows mentioned include "Material Memory" fiber arts show at Brandt Gallery, "Goya's Ghosts" at Armstrong Gallery, "Arts Alive!" auction at Dolan Gallery, "Lincoln: Sight, Sound & Touch" at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, "Ken Kashian Botanical Photography Exhibit" at IAA Credit Union, and "Kelly Pile Pyrography Pop-up Sale" at Main Gallery 404.

Why Jaume Plensa’s New Exhibition at Denver Botanic Gardens Is a Must-See This Summer

Spanish artist Jaume Plensa has opened a major exhibition at the Denver Botanic Gardens, titled *Jaume Plensa: A New Humanism*, which includes both outdoor sculptures and indoor gallery works. The show features iconic pieces like the 11-foot-tall steel sphere "Self-Portrait with Music" and a retrospective spanning from 2002 to the present, including portrait heads, a door inscribed with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and letter-based sculptures. Plensa describes the hybrid setting as a first for him, where children interact freely with the art.

New Chihuly exhibit to open Saturday at Frederik Meijer Gardens

A new exhibition of glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly opens Saturday at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This is the third time the venue has hosted Chihuly's work, with pieces installed across 12 outdoor locations on the 158-acre campus, plus an indoor gallery show titled "CHIHULY: Radiant Forms" requiring a separate ticket. The outdoor exhibit is included with general admission and runs from May 2 to November 1, 2026.

May 2026 Free Museum Days In San Francisco, From SFMOMA To The Legion Of Honor

A guide published in April 2026 lists free admission days at San Francisco museums and gardens for May 2026. Participating institutions include the Asian Art Museum, Legion of Honor, de Young Museum, SFMOMA, Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco Zoo, GLBT Historical Society Museum, Museum of Craft and Design, Museum of the African Diaspora, SF Botanical Garden, and Japanese Tea Garden. Many venues also offer recurring free days for Bay Area residents, EBT cardholders, and library card holders through programs like Museums for All and Discover and Go.

The National Gallery of Canada, commissioner of Canada's participation in the 61st International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, unveils the exhibition Abbas Akhavan: Entre chien et loup

The National Gallery of Canada has unveiled the exhibition "Abbas Akhavan: Entre chien et loup" for the Canada Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in 2026. The site-specific installation reimagines the pavilion's architecture as a Wardian case, a precursor to the terrarium used to transport plants across the British Empire, featuring a custom pool with giant Victoria water lilies. The artist replaced the facade with glass panels, making the plants visible from outside, and the installation is framed by additional sculptural works. The exhibition is curated by Kim Nguyen and accompanied by a fully illustrated publication.

May First Friday 2026: 20+ events, exhibition openings in Lancaster city this Friday

Lancaster city's May First Friday 2026 features over 20 events, including exhibition openings, concerts, and performances. Highlights include a new exhibition 'Hybrids' by artist Jeremy Waak at Curio Gallery & Creative Supply, the Demuth Museum's 'Demuth Invitational: American Reflections' tied to the U.S. 250th anniversary, and the Lancaster Living Poetry Museum II with performers embodying poets at venues like the Lancaster Public Library and Lancaster Art Vault. Other offerings include salsa dancing at Binns Park, works by York County painters at The Framing Concept, and a show inspired by Yayoi Kusama at Friendship Heart Gallery + Market.

New Currents: Liu Shuai

Liu Shuai, a multimedia artist from Shandong province, China, presented an interactive installation titled "The Kiss" (2025) at VILLA tbh in Shanghai during the 15th Shanghai Biennale (2025–26). The work, co-created with carpenter bees, features bamboo stalks punctured by the insects and transformed into hanging instruments. It was part of the biennale's "City Projects" and housed in Liu's temporary studio within the Shanghai Botanical Garden, offering a poetic exploration of interspecies collaboration.

Floral photography makes space for grief at Plug In ICA

Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art in Winnipeg is presenting 'Transcendence,' a dual exhibition pairing Sheila Spence's 'Lexicon of Loss'—floral prints made by pressing roses on a flatbed scanner—with 'Observance,' a video installation by the late Toronto artist April Hickox, who died in 2025. The two artists, who first met at the Banff Centre in 1989, reconnected four years ago after both experienced profound loss: Spence's long-term partner died, and Hickox faced a cancer diagnosis. Their collaboration, conceived during daily conversations, brings together works that explore grief through botanical imagery and moving image.

Julie Hamisky's garden, the artist who fixes the ephemeral in time, is on show in a Milan auction house

Il giardino di Julie Hamisky, l’artista che fissa l’effimero nel tempo è in mostra in una casa d’aste di Milano

French artist and designer Julie Hamisky presents 'Giardino Alchemico' (Alchemical Garden) at Pandolfini Auction House in Milan during Fuorisalone 2025. The exhibition, organized in collaboration with Galerie Mitterrand of Paris, features around twenty works including monumental sculptures like 'La Géante' (a giant poppy), jewelry, and a chandelier titled 'Aqua'. Hamisky uses electroplating—a 19th-century technique she learned from her father-in-law—to preserve fresh flowers and botanical forms by coating them in metal, freezing them at the peak of their beauty before decay begins.

United Kingdom’s Kew Gardens Transforms into an Open-Air Gallery with Henry Moore’s Monumental Nature Exhibition Featuring Thirty Sculptures, Blending Art and Nature for an Unforgettable Tourist Experience

Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom has been transformed into an open-air gallery with the exhibition "Monumental Nature," featuring thirty sculptures by British artist Henry Moore. The display integrates Moore's large-scale bronze works into the botanical landscape, offering visitors a unique blend of art and nature.

Ocean County Artists' Guild presents "Proof I Was Here" by Conni Freestone

Conni Freestone's solo exhibition "Proof I Was Here" opens June 1, 2026 at the Ocean County Artists' Guild in Island Heights, New Jersey, running through the end of the month. The show spans three interconnected spaces and explores themes of existence, memory, and identity through photography, featuring images of Bruce Springsteen, Asbury Park cars, Havana's aging vehicles, and Route 66 remnants, alongside self-portraiture. An opening reception on June 7 includes live music by Johnny Kasun and Timmy Basskidd Douglas, and a RiverJAM event on June 16 features additional performances.

In the heart of Trastevere, an exhibition by an artist paying homage to an ancient Roman goddess

Nel cuore di Trastevere la mostra di un artista che omaggia un’antica dea romana

Diego Gualandris presents 'Floralia,' a solo exhibition at ADA gallery in Rome's Trastevere district, running until May 24, 2026. The show blends painting and music to create a modern homage to Flora, the ancient Roman goddess of spring and fertility. Gualandris displays a series of medium- and small-scale canvases from 2026 alongside a 1970s gramophone playing two original tracks—'The world in a flowerbed' improvised by the artist on piano with saxophonist Francesca Pegurri, his mother. The exhibition also references Hermann Nitsch through works like 'Prinzendorf,' and features playful, erotic botanical compositions that invite viewers to lie down and experience the space through sound and imagery.

An Installation at the British Museum Recreates the Bayeux Tapestry’s Landscape

The British Museum will present "Tapestry of Trees," an outdoor installation by garden designer Andy Sturgeon, ahead of its historic exhibition of the Bayeux Tapestry. The installation, on view from May 16 to June 2, 2026, recreates a medieval woodland using plants native to East Sussex, including silver birch, hazel, hawthorn, and field maples, evoking the landscape of the Battle of Hastings depicted in the tapestry. Dyed hessian wrapping on planters and root balls echoes the colors and textures of the embroidery.

Racine Art Museum announces sizzling slate of summer events

The Racine Art Museum (RAM) and its Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts campus have announced a packed schedule of summer events for 2026, including new programs like the Twilight Garden Series, which combines cocktails, creativity, and themed activities. Highlights include Free First Friday, a Master Workshop with artist Liandra Skenandore on black ash plaiting, Kids Day inspired by the Handcrafted exhibition, and City Movie Night featuring a screening of Lilo & Stitch (2025). Wustum also offers one of Wisconsin's largest museum-based studio arts programs with over 60 class options in ceramics, drawing, glass, fiber, jewelry, painting, and paper arts.

Branchport Galleries presents "The New Botanical"

Branchport Galleries in Long Branch, New Jersey, presents "The New Botanical," an exhibition curated by Ellen Martin that reimagines traditional botanical art through contemporary works by Suzan Globus, Kevin Hinkle/Ellen Martin, Daniel Sroka, and Gao Yuan. The show, on view from May 14 to June 30, 2026, features techniques such as flower-pounding, extreme close-up photography, and photo-based wall sculptures, moving away from classical precision toward essence and abstraction. An opening reception and artist talk are scheduled.

Art House Productions presents "Playing Favorites"

Art House Productions in Jersey City, NJ, presents "Playing Favorites," a solo exhibition by artist Bryant Small, curated by Andrea McKenna. The show runs from May 2 to May 31, 2026, at the Art House Gallery, featuring a selection of Small's most cherished works, many never publicly exhibited before. The exhibition includes an opening reception on May 2 and an artist talk on April 17, with all artwork available for purchase in person and online.

Art Exhibits: What's on display in the Fort Wayne area

The article lists current and upcoming art exhibitions in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area, including shows at The Orchard Gallery of Fine Art, Garrett Museum of Art, Clark Gallery, ArtSpace/Lima, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Artlink, Ruth Koomler Art Gallery, Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, Visual Arts Gallery at Purdue University Fort Wayne, Allen County Public Library, Langhinrichs Art Gallery, and Atelier. Featured artists include Heidi Malott, Hope Wallace, Greg Lookerse, Jim Gabbard, Angela Green, Chuck Sperry, Jeff Schofield, Katherine Kratzer, Julie Wall, Andrea Granger, and KristinA, with exhibitions ranging from oil paintings and mixed-media to photography, printmaking, and electric vehicle art.

Art Exhibits: What's on display in the Fort Wayne area

This article is a local arts calendar listing current and upcoming exhibitions in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area. It highlights new shows such as "Grounded in Light" featuring Julie Wall at the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, "Summer Selections" of student work at Purdue University Fort Wayne's Visual Arts Gallery, and "Archetypes" by printmaker Chuck Sperry at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. Also listed are ongoing exhibitions including the "46th National Print Exhibition" at Artlink, a tribute to late ceramic artist Tom Sherbondy at Ruth Koomler Art Gallery, and several other shows at venues like the Orchard Gallery, Allen County Public Library, Garrett Museum of Art, and Honeywell Center.