Shaohua Nong | Shaohua Nong Animal Original Oil On Canvas "Twain II… (2015) | For Sale

Chinese artist Shaohua Nong (b. 1960, Linfen, Shanxi) is offering an original oil on canvas titled "Twain II" (2015) for sale at US$1,300 through the gallery Sojourner in New York. The 25 × 37 inch painting is hand-signed, includes a certificate of authenticity, and is listed on Artsy with a money-back and authenticity guarantee. Nong, a member of the Shanxi Branch of Chinese Artists Association, has exhibited widely in China and internationally, including at Hong Kong ART CENTRAL Art Fair, Shangshang Art Museum in Beijing, and the Nanjing International Art Exhibition.

Driftwood exhibition at Zebra Gallery kicks off Friday

The Star Democrat reports that a new exhibition titled 'Driftwood' will open on Friday at Zebra Gallery. The show features works created from driftwood, highlighting the natural material's transformation into art.

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.

‘Rightstarter’ art exhibit at Antioch revisits hip-hop’s golden era

The Herndon Gallery at Antioch College is opening a group exhibition titled 'Rightstarter: Resistance, Rap and the Golden Era,' curated by artist Joshua Whitaker. The show, launching with a reception on May 9, explores the rap counterculture of the late 1980s and early 1990s, featuring works by artists from Dayton and beyond. It includes drawings, paintings, sculpture, installations, video, and performance, with a live jazz performance by G. Scott Jones and the Freedom Ensemble. The exhibition highlights how hip-hop served as a platform for social commentary against the backdrop of Reaganomics, the crack epidemic, the war on drugs, and the AIDS crisis.

Birds Flock Amid Vibrant Blooms in Vasilisa Romanenko’s Acrylic Paintings

Vasilisa Romanenko’s solo exhibition, *Flora & Flight*, is on view at Arch Enemy Arts in Philadelphia through May 31. The show features her detailed acrylic paintings, ranging from six to 28 inches tall, depicting birds like white doves, dark-eyed juncos, and lesser goldfinches amid vibrant blossoms such as peonies, poppies, and hollyhocks. The gallery notes that each bird carries a strong sense of form and character, and each leaf and flower feels varied and alive.

SMFA at Tufts Presents Passages, the 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (SMFA at Tufts) presents "Passages," the 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition, on view from May 5 to 17 at Tufts University Art Galleries in Medford, Massachusetts. The show features thesis work by nineteen MFA candidates, exploring themes of journey, transition, and exploration across media including painting, sculpture, assemblage, and artists' books. Works incorporate found visa documents, portraiture, clay cities, and symbolic animals such as goldfish, black birds, and a dog-headed cynocephalus.

Feral Botanica | Hidenori Ishii

The HUB-Robeson Galleries at Penn State University will present “Feral Botanica,” an exhibition by visual artist Hidenori Ishii, from June 5 to October 31, 2026. The show features paintings, prints, and installations from Ishii’s “OTF-SL” series, including a diamond-shaped plexiglass window with gold tagging referencing a guerrilla art project in New York City since 2020. The installation explores the tension between civilization and nature, using reflective surfaces and green construction barricades to create a speculative botanical environment that blurs interior and exterior spaces.

Ghosts in a Postcard Idyll

Geister im Postkartenidyll

Kôji Fukada's film "Nagi Notes" premieres in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, following Yoriko (Takako Matsu), a sculptor and farmer living a quiet, self-sufficient life in the rural Japanese town of Nagi. Her routine is disrupted when her old friend Yuri (Shizuka Ishibashi), an architect, arrives to model for a sculpture, stirring buried emotions and past conflicts. The film explores the slow, delicate process of creating art and the psychological tensions between the two women, set against the backdrop of Nagi's idyllic but symbolically flat landscape.

Exhibition Recognises Local Artists 19/05/2026

The City of Whittlesea's Belong: 2026 Art Exhibition has opened at the Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre (PRACC) in South Morang, Australia. Now in its 17th year, the exhibition has reached a record size with 176 artists submitting 245 artworks across diverse media including painting, photography, sculpture, pottery, mosaics, and glasswork. Award winners were announced on May 6, with Rosemary Lugg winning the Mayor's Award for her work 'Fragments,' and other prizes recognizing use of materials, originality, and youth participation. The exhibition runs until May 27 and includes artist talks, workshops, and a People's Choice Award.

Tampa art scene staples open new ‘General Admission’ gallery on Thursday

A new gallery and working studio called General Admission is opening on E 6th Avenue in Ybor City, Tampa, with a debut group exhibition titled “F.R.I.E.N.D.S” on Thursday, May 14. The show features over two dozen artists including Jay Giroux, Bask, Tes One, Ryan Lagasse, George Goldberg, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay cartoonist Cory Robinson, and Claire Casper. The venue is founded by artists Jay Giroux and Keith Burnson, and Rarefolks, a company tied to the parcel owners, will also have work on display.

George Lucas Announces New 'Star Wars' Project Tied to Skywalker Saga Coming Later This Year

George Lucas announced a new Star Wars exhibition titled "Star Wars in Motion" at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, set to open on September 22, 2026. The exhibition will feature vehicle designs, props, costumes, and illustrations from the first six films of the Skywalker Saga, including Luke Skywalker's landspeeder and General Grievous' wheel bike. It is part of the museum's inaugural lineup of over thirty installations curated by Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson, timed ahead of the franchise's 50th anniversary of A New Hope in 2027.

Iran will not participate in the Biennale

Iran nimmt nicht an Biennale teil

Iran has withdrawn from the Venice Biennale, according to an announcement by the Biennale organization reported in Italian media. No reasons were given for the decision. The withdrawal comes amid significant turmoil at the Biennale just days before its official opening on Saturday: the entire jury resigned over disputes regarding the treatment of Russia and Israel, the opening ceremony was canceled, and the traditional awarding of Golden Lions at the start has been postponed to the final day in November, with winners now to be decided by visitor vote rather than a jury.

Investigators search again for stolen Celtic gold treasure

Ermittler suchen erneut nach gestohlenem Kelten-Goldschatz

More than three years after the theft of a Celtic gold treasure from the Kelten Römer Museum in Manching, Bavaria, investigators are conducting a new search for the missing loot. Four perpetrators were arrested and sentenced to long prison terms in July 2025, but only a small portion of the stolen gold coins was recovered. Now, based on new intelligence, Bavarian state police are searching the property of the main suspect and his partner in Plate, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, using X-ray and radar technology. They believe 411 gold coins and a gold casting ingot—about three kilograms of gold—are professionally hidden there, along with cash from other burglaries. The suspect's partner is under investigation for money laundering for allegedly offering to help sell the gold.

Meloni on Venice Biennale: 'I've somewhat lost track'

Meloni über Venedig-Biennale: "Habe den Überblick etwas verloren"

Days before the opening of the Venice Biennale, the entire international jury resigned in protest over Russia's participation despite its war against Ukraine. The jury had previously excluded Russia and Israel from prize consideration due to International Criminal Court warrants against their leaders. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni admitted she had "lost track" of the situation, while the government sent inspectors to Venice. Biennale organizers responded by postponing the Golden Lion awards until November and introducing two audience-choice awards that will include Russian and Israeli entries.

Rachel Mentzer Transforms Discarded Cartons into Dusky Collagraphs

Ohio-based artist Rachel Mentzer creates collagraph prints using discarded cartons as printing plates, carving them with images of birds, trees, and energy infrastructure. Her process involves carving the cardboard, sealing it with polyurethane, inking it, and transferring the image via an etching press, often incorporating chine collé for color. Her work was recently shown at the Manhattan Graphics Center, and she will participate in the Suzanne Wilson Artist-in-Residence Program at Glen Arbor Arts Center this summer.

Golden Lions of the Biennale voted by the public? 7 reasons why they cannot work

Leoni d’Oro della Biennale votati dal pubblico? 7 motivi per cui non possono funzionare

On April 30, 2026, the International Jury of the Venice Art Biennale resigned en masse. In response, the Biennale Foundation hastily announced a new initiative called the "Visitor Lions" (Leoni dei Visitatori), where paying visitors would vote to award the Golden Lions for best artist and best national participation. The voting system would rely on ticket tracking to verify attendance at the main venues, the Giardini and the Arsenale. However, just a week before the public opening, no further details had been released, raising numerous practical concerns about the mechanism's feasibility.

California Art Club’s “American Road Trip” Opens at the Old Mill

The California Art Club opens its third exhibition, “A Rite of Passage: The American Road Trip,” at the Old Mill in San Marino on May 14. The show features paintings by CAC artists depicting cross-country highway scenes, including desert roads, small-town main streets, and roadside landmarks, as part of the club’s series celebrating California’s 175th anniversary and the United States’ 250th. The exhibition runs through October 4.

Opening Reception – Things Don’t Seem The Same: 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition

The USF School of Art & Art History is hosting the opening reception for its 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition, titled "Things Don’t Seem The Same," on April 3, 2026. The event celebrates seven MFA candidates—Enoch Appiah, Mike Cannata, Patrick Michael Carew, Darlene Gold, Atia Shafie, Diana Sosnowska, and Brogan Willis—with introductions, an awards ceremony, and ArtHouse XXVI featuring open studios, live music, food, and exhibitions.

Four Seniors Bring Four Years of Work to the Gallery

Four senior students at Latin School showcased six artworks each at the Senior Art Show on April 24, held in the second-floor gallery. The exhibition featured intricately crocheted animals, architectural structures, and photographs, representing the culmination of their high school visual arts careers. Students like Justin Canelo incorporated personal heritage and architectural interests, while Peyton Remmer explored self-portraiture and photography, supported by teachers Christine Holloway and Ian Merritt.

Without Its Expert Jury, Venice Biennale Lets the Public Choose Its Prize Winners

The Venice Biennale has announced that for its 2026 edition, it will eliminate the traditional expert jury and instead allow the general public to vote for the prize winners. This marks a radical departure from the event's century-old practice of relying on a panel of art-world professionals to select the Golden Lion and other awards. The decision aims to democratize the selection process and engage a broader audience beyond the art establishment.

Art Beat: Color Play exhibit is ‘must see’

Color Play, a new exhibition featuring hand-blown glass by Tyler Boles and mixed-media works by Sue Cranston, opened at Art’s House in River Falls on April 30 and runs through June 12. A Meet the Artist event is scheduled for May 6. Boles presents vibrant bowls, vases, and wine goblets, while Cranston’s work explores girlhood and memory through digital prints, vintage school chairs, and layered text, with prices ranging from $10 for digital prints to $750 for original pieces.

Panagyurishte Art Gallery gets Optimal Audio upgrade

Panagyurishte Art Gallery in Bulgaria has upgraded its audio system with an Optimal Audio solution. The installation aims to enhance the visitor experience by providing high-quality sound throughout the gallery spaces, supporting both permanent collections and temporary exhibitions.

Niverville Foundation Returns with Art Exhibit Showcasing Local Talent

The Niverville Foundation is hosting its annual spring art show on May 7, 2026, at the Golden Friendship Centre, combined with the foundation's annual general meeting. The event features four local emerging artists: returning talents Jolene Pauls and Jenn Lundy, along with Joey Dean and international award-winning artist Margaret Switala. Tickets are $25, available at the Niverville Credit Union or at the door, with wine and charcuterie served during the exhibition.