The Southborough History and Arts Center (SHAC) is hosting an opening reception and gallery talk on May 9th from 4:00–7:00 PM in its Long Gallery at Fayville Hall, featuring artist Beverly Ramsay. Ramsay, who creates intricate works by transforming handmade paper into pictures celebrating global cultural heritage, will discuss her artistic journey and techniques. The free event requires pre-registration and includes refreshments.
Western Washington University's Western Gallery is hosting its biennial faculty and staff exhibition, featuring 20 artists from the art department. The show includes diverse works such as interactive sensory pieces, weavings, and photographic rings, offering students a rare glimpse into their professors' professional art practices outside the classroom. Students like printmaker Myrie Murphy and faculty such as fiber professor Seiko Purdue emphasize how the exhibition demystifies the art world and humanizes instructors as practicing artists.
Historic Downtown Pocatello will host its May First Friday Art Walk on Friday, May 1, from 5 to 8 p.m., featuring local and regional art, music, food, and fashion. Participating venues include the Pocatello Art Center with its Shared Perspectives Exhibition, White Owl Books & Imports, Knotty Twist inside Elwen Cottage hosting Indiana Morris of Firefly Designs, Walrus & Carpenter Books with an open mic, Enchantments offering aura photos and tarot readings, Salty's True Tattoo, Mitera Made, Purpose Tea, The Martlet Brewery with live music by Cat Daddy, The Hygge Place hosting author Daniel Miller, Old Town Alley Outdoor Gallery, Bluebird Country Boutique, Cottonwood Junction, The Not So Starving Artist gallery owned by Jim Bacigalupi, Main Street Mercantile & Antiques featuring Annie Oakley Design Co., Wysteriasage & The Vintage Menagerie, and Brick 243 Gastropub.
The May First Friday Art Walk in downtown Springfield features student exhibitions from Drury University, Missouri State University, and Ozarks Technical Community College, alongside Route 66-themed shows. Seventeen venues participate in the self-guided tour, with college artists displaying work at four locations, including the Robert & Margaret Carolla Arts Exhibition Center, Brick City Gallery, the Pool Arts Center, and Ozarks Technical Community College's Art and Design Department. The Route 66 Centennial Traveling Exhibit, created by documentary filmmaker Katrina Parks, is on display at the Historic Gillioz Theatre, and photographers Vance Clark and Andrew Mann present their 'Unique Lens' exhibit at the Park Central Branch Library.
The I’M SO ATL public art campaign is launching in May 2025 to transform Atlanta city parks into a "living, breathing art gallery" through large-scale installations, leading up to the ARTlanta Festival of Culture in Piedmont Park from August 7–9, 2026. Organized by spokesperson Yamileth Jaramillo, the initiative includes an open call for 1,000 artists, partnerships with Atlanta Parks and Recreation and other city agencies, and a social media campaign inviting residents to share what "I'm so ATL" means. Art will remain on display through November 2026.
ArtWorks Gallery in Chocorua, New Hampshire, is presenting TINY ART again this May, featuring works created by students from K.A. Brett School. The opening reception will be held on Friday from 5-7 p.m. at the gallery, located at 132 White Mountain Highway (Route 16), with refreshments, games, and giveaways. Attendees can meet the young artists and view their interpretations alongside works by gallery artist members.
Osservatori culturali. Dinosauri o soggetti in grado di interpretare il presente?
The Cultural Observatory of Canton Ticino has published a study on cultural observatories worldwide, including a map and list of surveyed organizations. The analysis reveals that cultural observatories are not a global phenomenon but are concentrated mainly in Europe and South America, with occasional presence in North America (especially Canada and Hispanic-oriented organizations in the US). Africa, Asia, and Oceania are almost entirely absent from the map. The study also highlights a high rate of inactive observatories: among the top 10 countries by active observatories, only Germany shows an effective activity ratio. Spain has 26 active observatories out of about 45 total, while Italy has 11 active out of over 20 inactive. The research defines observatories as non-profit organizations that combine cultural and statistical expertise to deepen and transfer knowledge about the cultural sector, and classifies as inactive those with no recent activity on web or social channels.
Veneto: al posto di un caffè liberty di Recoaro Terme apre un centro d’arte contemporanea. Intervista alla curatrice
The historic Palazzo Caffè Nazionale in Recoaro Terme, a small spa town in the Veneto region of Italy, is being transformed into a contemporary art center called Cantiere del Contemporaneo, set to open on May 2, 2026. The project, curated by Elisabetta Bacchin, will focus on artist residencies, with the inaugural group including Romesh Bothalage, Pietro Chiarello, Francesco Pizzocchero, and Virginia Stevenin, who will work for two months in the converted spaces. The initiative is part of a broader regeneration plan funded by the National Plan for Borghi and the European Union's PNRR funds, aiming to revitalize the town's cultural and economic identity through contemporary art.
Il padiglione dei Paesi Bassi alla Biennale di Venezia è una contestazione politica (anche della Biennale stessa)
The Dutch Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "The Fortress" by artist Dries Verhoeven and curator Rieke Vos, transforms the modernist Rietveld Pavilion into a fortress-like enclosure. Inside, a rotating group of thirteen international performers will stage a series of performances throughout the Biennale, focusing on themes of geopolitical uncertainty, social disorder, and the search for stability in an unbalanced world. This marks the first time the Netherlands has used the Rietveld Pavilion for a performance-based project.
Diriyah Art Futures (DAF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has opened applications for its third Emerging New Media Artists Programme, a one-year fully supported residency running from October 2026 to October 2027. Developed in collaboration with Le Fresnoy – Studio National des Arts Contemporains in France, the programme offers emerging artists aged 35 or under access to professional equipment, a production budget, mentorship by international digital artists, and multidisciplinary training in art, science, and technology. The deadline for applications is May 31, 2026, with a focus on applicants from the Middle East and North Africa.
Nita Draut, a 99-year-old artist who began drawing at age 70, is being honored with a new exhibition at Fusion Art Gallery in Parkville. Staff at Ascend Healthcare noticed her graphite drawings and helped organize the show as she approaches her 100th birthday while receiving hospice care. Draut sketches people she encounters in everyday life, often asking strangers for permission to draw them.
The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho in Pocatello is opening a new exhibition next week, as reported by local news outlet KPVI. The article provides basic details about the upcoming show, though specific artworks or artists are not named in the text.
The Riverfront Arts Center in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, will open a new exhibition titled 'Fantastical' on May 7, celebrating imagination and creativity. The opening reception runs from 4:30 to 7 p.m. and includes food, refreshments, flow arts performances, tarot readings, music, and a chance to meet the artists. The exhibition is open to all artists aged 18 and older, with submissions accepted on April 30 and May 1, and runs through June 14.
BIG ARTS on Sanibel Island is hosting two exhibitions: "Art as Therapy" in the Dunham Family Gallery through June 8, and the "Annual Artists Collective" in the Mezzanine Gallery through May 31. "Art as Therapy" is a collaboration between Hope Healthcare’s Art Therapy Program and Lee Health’s Arts in Healthcare Program, showcasing works that explore personal journeys through grief, illness, and recovery. The "Annual Artists Collective" features work from the artist-instructors who lead BIG ARTS workshops and classes, highlighting their diverse mediums and creative skills.
Aurora Public Art has opened a new exhibition titled "Re-Imagined: The Art of Sustainability" at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center in downtown Aurora, running through May 23. The show features works from adult artists like Jennifer Joiner, who creates art from trash collected on Lake Michigan beaches, and Ann Marie Greenberg, who repurposes household plastics and metal. It also includes submissions from students at East Aurora School District's Early Childhood Center, who used milk cartons, cereal boxes, and other recyclables. Curator Sangeeta Pande organized the open call, which drew 15 adult artists and numerous young participants, all exploring themes of environmental stewardship and creative reuse.
The Martin Artisans Guild is hosting its 'Tropical Temptations' exhibition at the Palm Room Gallery in Stuart, Florida, with an opening reception on May 6, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. The event features new artwork from guild artists, a cash bar with appetizers, and an artisan boutique selling handmade jewelry, clothing, and home decor. A 'Meet the Artists' event is scheduled for June 3, and the exhibition runs through June 27, 2026.
A new community-led exhibition called Wild Art Exhibition 2026 will take place at Railworld Wildlife Haven in Peterborough from May 24 to 31. Organized by Community Clickers, Peterborough Together Project, and Peterborough Embroidery Society in collaboration with the venue, the show features work from local amateur artists, photographers, and makers, all inspired by the theme of nature and wildlife. The exhibition will open with a car show on May 24, presented with support from Abandoned City Camo Crew, blending art and automotive culture.
Blue Water Fine Art Gallery in Rockaway Beach, Oregon, is hosting a community exhibition titled “May Flowers,” running from May 8 to June 6, 2026. The show features North Coast artists working in various media, each offering their own interpretation of spring. A free opening reception will take place on Saturday, May 9, from 5–7 PM, allowing visitors to meet the artists and enjoy light refreshments.
Wayne Coyne, frontman of the Flaming Lips and a multidisciplinary artist from Oklahoma City, will present the first retrospective of his visual arts career in his hometown next year. The exhibition, announced by The Oklahoman, marks a significant showcase of Coyne's work outside of his music career.
A new art gallery has opened in Coolidge Corner, bringing a Newbury Street-style art experience to the Brookline neighborhood. The gallery offers a curated selection of contemporary works and aims to attract both local art enthusiasts and collectors seeking an alternative to Boston's traditional gallery district.
Terry Curtin has been named the Artist of the Month for May at the ZAAP Gallery in Zanesville, Ohio. His exhibition, featuring charcoal, digital, and painted works, will debut during the First Friday Artwalk, with the gallery open from 5 to 8 PM. Curtin describes his style as ranging from realistic to abstract, and notes that the digital pieces are his newest works.