XICANA! San Diego art exhibition opens in Escondido, celebrating culture, identity, and resilience

A new exhibition titled XICANA! San Diego has opened at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, featuring over 250 artworks by more than 100 Chicana artists from Southern California. The show includes sculptures, murals, photography, and lowrider installations, with a centerpiece 14-foot sculpture of the Aztec goddess Tonantzin by guest artist Louis Verdad, and a custom lowrider owned by Rachel Zepeta. The exhibition is curated by Dulce Stein in collaboration with ESMoA and the City Heights Community Development.

BFA graduates exhibit creative excellence at downtown Turlock art space

Stan State’s Art Space in downtown Turlock is hosting its annual Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) graduate exhibition, on display through May 23. The exhibition opened May 8 with a reception and artist talk, where attendees received catalogs featuring the artists and their works. Dean de Cocker, Director of the Art Space Main Gallery, welcomed guests, and faculty honored each of the 14 graduating BFA students, including Alex Cobain, Amora Ilene Cruz, Zehl Day, and others. The show features diverse media—painting, sculpture, multimedia, and conceptual art—with standout pieces like Riddick McCoy's "Lived Life Experience (Metal Up Your Ass)" and a solo exhibition by Fatima Gutierrez titled "Homenaje a la Memoria."

Spotlighting the Woman Who Brought European Modernism to California

The article spotlights Galka Scheyer, a largely overlooked figure who introduced European modernism to California in the early 20th century. A new exhibition in Pasadena brings her story to the foreground, highlighting her role in championing artists who later became famous.

Bulldozer Plows Across Thousand-Year-Old Indigenous Land Art During Border Wall Construction

Construction workers building the Trump administration's border wall between the US and Mexico accidentally damaged a two-hundred-foot-long Indigenous land art figure known as the Las Playas Intaglio, a colossal fish etched into the earth near Ajo, Arizona, that is thought to be over a thousand years old. Satellite imagery showed bulldozer tracks cutting a sixty-to-seventy-foot-wide path across the intaglio, and a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson confirmed the disturbance, stating the remaining portion had been secured and would be protected in place.

Arts District Liberty Station unveils immersive open-air gallery and new public art installations

Arts District Liberty Station in San Diego has launched a new Open-Air Gallery, a self-guided tour featuring murals, sculptures, and public art installations. The tour is available in English and Spanish, with an interactive online StoryMap providing behind-the-scenes content. The organization also announced two local artists, Mischka Ippólita and Beliz Iristay, for its 2025 Installations at the Station program, which commissions site-specific works celebrating the San Diego-Baja region.

Medium Art Center Celebrates Five Year Anniversary

Medium Art Center in Ukiah, California, celebrates its five-year anniversary. Founded during the pandemic by a small team of local artists and community members including Chris Pugh and Lillian Rubie, the center began as an online exhibition series called "Dear America" before securing a vacant storefront at the Pear Tree Center in 2021. Run entirely by volunteers for its first three years, the center has hosted in-person exhibits, traditional Chinese brush painting workshops with artist William Shi, and outreach programs to support local artists. Recently, it received a grant from the RISE program administered through Redwood Coast Regional Center to support people with disabilities or neurodivergence.

Art of the Vineyard Tasting Gallery Opens in Downtown Paso Robles

Art of the Vineyard Tasting Gallery has opened in downtown Paso Robles, California, at 840 13th Street. The 1,500-square-foot venue combines estate wine tasting from Carmody McKnight Wines with curated fine art exhibitions, live music, open mic nights, and hands-on creative activities like sip-and-paint sessions and artist-led workshops. The gallery features works by local, national, and international artists, including original pieces by Gary Conway, and offers a Collectors Club with wine shipments and limited-edition prints.

Meet Kimie Joe | Artist and Gallery Owner

Kimie Joe, an artist and former engineer who worked on the International Space Station program and with Northrop Grumman, is the owner of the Gallery of Hermosa in downtown Hermosa Beach, California. In this interview, she discusses how her gallery serves as a cultural hub for emerging and established artists, offering rotating exhibits, workshops, and artist talks. Joe also shares her artistic practice, which blends materials like handmade ceramic tiles, epoxy resin, oil paints, and woven papers, drawing on her engineering background to create layered, tactile works that explore memory, place, and the natural world.

Echigo-Tsumari MonET Continuous Exhibition Vol. 10: Ryosaku Miyasaka "Ryosaku Miyasaka ART 75 Years Old" @ Echigo-Tsumari Satoyama Museum of Contemporary Art MonET

越後妻有MonET 連続企画展Vol.10 宮坂了作「宮坂了作　ＡＲＴ　７５歳」@ 越後妻有里山現代美術館 MonET

The Echigo-Tsumari Satoyama Museum of Contemporary Art (MonET) has announced a major solo exhibition for artist Ryosaku Miyasaka, titled "Ryosaku Miyasaka: ART 75 Years Old." Curated by renowned art critic Noi Sawaragi, the show features early map paintings, recent "plant character" works where the artist grows and eats edible calligraphy, and new pieces created in the Echigo-Tsumari region. Miyasaka, a former student of Allan Kaprow at CalArts, has spent decades balancing his creative output with life as a rice farmer in Nagano Prefecture.

art young photographer dali schell

Adali Schell, a photographer from Southern California with family ties to rural Ohio, is featured as a young artist nominated by Paris Chong, director of Leica Gallery LA. Schell is known for a series capturing friends with their first cars, and his work has appeared at Les Rencontres d'Arles and in publications such as The Guardian, The New York Times, and The New Yorker. The article includes Schell's personal reflection on his artistic journey, from starting with an iPod Touch camera in fifth grade to focusing on intimate portraits of family and friends.

Art gallery at Cuesta College presents 2026 Student Annual Art Exhibition

Cuesta College is set to host its 2026 Student Annual Art Exhibition at the Harold J. Miossi Art Gallery from April 16 through May 22. The showcase features a diverse array of student-produced works spanning traditional and contemporary disciplines, including painting, ceramics, printmaking, and digital art. An opening reception on April 16 will kick off the event, which is free and open to the public on the San Luis Obispo campus.

The Norton Simon Sculpture Garden Opens Its Doors for “Golden Hour” The first “Golden Hour” of the season arrives at the Norton Simon Museum’s Sculpture Garden on Friday, May 29, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. — an unhurried, end-of-week ritual that invites visit

The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California, is launching the first "Golden Hour" of the season at its Sculpture Garden on Friday, May 29, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. This end-of-week event invites visitors to enjoy the garden during the late afternoon light, offering a relaxed, unhurried experience among the museum's outdoor sculptures.

Vahe Yeremyan | Layers of Time (2026) | For Sale

The article lists a work titled "Layers of Time (2026)" by artist Vahe Yeremyan as available for sale on the online art marketplace Artsy. No further details about the artwork, price, or context are provided in the brief listing.

Grohmann Museum Exhibit Focuses on Veterans and Service

The Grohmann Museum in Milwaukee has opened a new exhibition pairing two shows by contemporary American artists focusing on military service. Ohio-born Mary Whyte's "We the People: Portraits of Veterans in America" features 50 large-scale watercolor portraits of veterans from various wars and backgrounds. Milwaukee photographer Dennis Darmek's "Boots and Sand: The Marines of 29 Palms" presents two dozen color photographs taken at the Marine Corps base in California's Mojave Desert, where Darmek himself trained in 1969. The photos capture both posed and candid moments, highlighting diversity within the modern Marine Corps, including women in combat roles.

Californian artists paint state identity in color at annual Brea exhibit

Brea Gallery in Brea, California, opened its 41st annual "Made in California" juried art exhibition on Saturday, featuring over 90 artists from across the state. The show includes a range of mediums such as oil paintings, sculptures, and mixed media, with jurors selecting works from roughly 5,000 submissions. This year's exhibition explores themes of identity and social justice, with pieces like Angel Lesnikowski's "Othered Existence" addressing Arab identity and conflict, and Adam Singer's "Big Feelings" reflecting on aging and mortality in Los Angeles. A solo installation by Lorena Molina, "This must be the place," draws on her Salvadoran heritage and the immigrant experience.

Nelson-Aktins 1975 Chinese art exhibit still resonates in Kansas City today | Opinion

In spring 1975, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City hosted the second American stop of "The Exhibition of Archaeological Finds of the People's Republic of China," a landmark traveling show of ancient Chinese artifacts including jade, silk, and bronze sculptures. The author, then a University of Missouri-Kansas City economics student, worked behind the scenes at the museum, describing an unusual interview conducted while gardening and his task of touch-painting gallery walls with a dry brush to cover visitor smudges before opening.

Huntington Debuts Major Chicano Art Exhibition Celebrating Six Decades of Printmaking as Activism

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, will host the West Coast debut of “Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum” on November 16. The exhibition features 60 works by some 40 artists and collectives from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, spanning over six decades of Chicano printmaking as a form of resistance, community building, and cultural reclamation. It traces key moments from the late 1960s Delano Grape Strike to the present, using silkscreens, posters, and offset prints. The Huntington has also commissioned a mural by Los Angeles–based artist Melissa Govea in partnership with Self Help Graphics & Art.

Despite red tape from US sanctions, Tehran-based gallery champions Iranian art at The Armory Show

Tehran-based O Gallery is participating in The Armory Show in New York for the first time, but US sanctions imposed in 2019 have forced the fair to remove the gallery's Tehran location from its website and refrain from promoting its presence. The gallery's name was briefly removed from the exhibitor list before being reinstated, and its location is only noted on signage at the Javits Center. Founder Orkideh Daroodi, a US citizen living in California, describes the participation as a milestone after years of work, despite challenges including currency devaluation, shipping costs, and bureaucratic hurdles. Two other Iranian galleries—Sarai and Dastan Gallery—are also exhibiting, listed online as having multiple locations.

OMA, Surf Museum Host Dual Exhibition to Drive Local Tourism

The Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) and the California Surf Museum (CSM) are partnering for the first time to host a dual-venue exhibition titled “Surf Art: Exploring California’s Coastal Culture.” OMA’s exhibit opens August 23 and CSM’s on September 13, featuring works including Kevin Short’s 2004 oil painting “Crosstown Traffic.” The collaboration aims to merge OMA’s art expertise with CSM’s deep surf history, with OMA investing about $25,000 and CSM about $10,000. The project has been in development for a year and includes a themed popup in OMA’s gift store.

UC Davis Graduate Exhibition Showcases Next Generation of Artists, Thinkers

The University of California, Davis, will host the Arts & Humanities 2025 Graduate Exhibition from June 5–22 at the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. The multidisciplinary showcase features 31 graduate students from art studio, art history, design, comparative literature, English, environmental science and policy, music, and performance studies. Works include photography, painting, sculpture, video, performance, and textiles, with live performances and awards on opening night. Participants explore themes such as human-technology relationships, environmental resilience, African diaspora, and emotional healing.

Video Observer: Free Fullerton College Art Gallery Showcases Student Work

Fullerton College Art Gallery is currently hosting its 2025 Student Art Exhibition, showcasing 210 selected works from 316 submissions. The free exhibition, open until May 21, features student work across drawing, painting, illustration, printmaking, graphic design, 3D modeling, sculpture, and ceramics. Gallery Technician Seija Rohkea and Adjunct Professor Jasmine McNeal collaborated with student artists and gallery assistants to install and curate the show, highlighting the college's Museum Studies program—one of few at the community college level in California.

Chico State Museum of Anthropology exhibition centered on protest art

An exhibition titled "Celebrate People's History: Latin America and the Art of Protest" has opened at the Chico State Museum of Anthropology in Chico, California. Housed in the Meriam Library Building, the show features protest art from Latin America and Latinx communities in the U.S., addressing topics such as Dolores Huerta, ICE raids, and local issues like the killing of Desmond Phillips. The exhibition includes works from Pedal Press, a Chico-based organization, and offers interactive print materials for K-12 and college students, with free field trips available for school groups.

Marin gallery exhibits self-portraits of county workers

The Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael, California, is hosting an exhibition titled "The Art of Public Service," featuring self-portraits created by 21 county employees. The works were produced during lunchtime art workshops organized by employment analyst Erika Powell and library administrator Juliet Schiller, who aimed to help participants let go of perfectionism and explore creativity. The exhibit, which runs through September 24, 2026, includes portraits made from diverse materials such as dried chili peppers, burlap, and embroidered saree fabric, reflecting the employees' personal stories and cultural heritage.

Get Happy at Casa Ramos Art Gallery

Casa Ramos Art Gallery in Los Osos, California, will open a group exhibition titled “Happy” on May 2, featuring new works by eight Central Coast artists: John Ramos, Mike Golling, Phillip Lopez, George Jercich, Jon Miller, Adrianne Jenkins, Dan Rider, and Elena Ramos Peffly. The show is curated around themes of happiness, color, and optimism, with pieces spanning painting, ceramics, glass, and jewelry. John Ramos will also debut three new prints at the opening reception, which runs from 2 to 6 p.m. at 1034 Los Osos Valley Road and is free to the public.

Hartnell Student Art Show

The annual Hartnell Student Art Show for 2026 is now on display at the Hartnell College Art Gallery in Salinas, California. The exhibition features a range of multimedia student works created in Hartnell art classes, including drawing, sculpture, painting, photography, mixed-media, and digital art. A piece by student Justin Heart is highlighted. The show runs until May 1, 2026, at the Visual & Performing Arts Center on campus.

Bob’s Art Blog: Arts Spring To-Do List—Millworks, the AAH and the JNS Gallery and CALC

The Millworks Art Studios in Harrisburg has introduced a new cohort of resident artists dubbed "The New Guard," featuring a diverse range of local talent. This group includes photorealistic racecar painter Annika Koser, found-objects sculptor and former architect Jeff Scorza, and woodworker Kelly Anoka, alongside the recent addition of narrative artist Marina Radanovic. Each artist brings a distinct material focus—from industrial glass and metal to upcycled local timber—strengthening the collaborative creative community within the studio complex.

Once Upon a Frame to Host Artist Paul Kauffman’s Latest Opening on April 18

Solana Beach art gallery and custom frame shop Once Upon a Frame is set to host an opening reception for Southern California artist Paul Kauffman on April 18. The exhibition, titled “In The Presence of Color,” will showcase Kauffman’s recent paintings and include a live painting demonstration, music, and refreshments. The show explores the artist's unique background, balancing his experiences in a Catholic seminary with his time working in a family carnival.

Calling all creatives: Evolved Gallery opens submissions for seven deadly sins exhibit

Evolved Gallery in Ventura, California, has announced an open call for its upcoming exhibition titled "SE7EN," themed around the seven deadly sins. Founded by Christina Van Ryzin in late 2025, the gallery is seeking traditional and digital paintings or illustrations that explore these vices through modern social or political lenses. The submission deadline is April 15, with the exhibition scheduled to run from April 25 through June 28, 2024.

Robin Scholl is featured artist at Portola Art Gallery in April

Artist Robin Scholl is the featured artist for the month of April at the Portola Art Gallery. Her exhibition will showcase her recent work, which includes vibrant, textural paintings and mixed-media pieces inspired by the natural landscapes of the California coast.

Olive Hyde Art Gallery’s open biennial returns

The Olive Hyde Art Gallery in Fremont, California, has announced the return of its Open Biennial exhibition. The show is open to all artists living or working in the Bay Area, with submissions accepted through July 20. The exhibition itself will run from August 17 to September 28, 2024.