50 years of art-inspired floral installations at the MFA

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its annual 'Art in Bloom' event, where floral designers and volunteers from 50 garden clubs and community organizations create arrangements inspired by artworks in the museum's collection. This year, participants were assigned to 50 objects, including John Singer Sargent's 1895 painting 'Helen Sears,' which was featured in the inaugural 1976 event. The tradition was conceived by Chuck Thomas to boost early spring attendance, and has grown from 18 arrangements drawing 4,300 visitors to becoming the museum's largest public event, attracting 29,000 visitors in 2025.

Westminster muralist Grow Love readies to show off work at new exhibition in Colorado Springs

Westminster-based muralist Grow Love (Robyn Frances) will participate in a group exhibition titled "Justice of the Piece: Resistance in Unity in Street Art" at the Galleries of Contemporary Art at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, opening next month. The show features three female muralists: Grow Love, Lady Pink, and Sydney G. James, whose work explores resistance, reclamation, and collective healing through public murals and studio practice. An accompanying arts market will allow local creatives to sell their work for free.

Get ‘Super/Natural’ Inside Judith Schaechter’s Stained Glass Sculpture

Judith Schaechter's large-scale stained glass sculpture "Super/Natural" has opened in a solo exhibition at Claire Oliver Gallery in Harlem. The immersive, eight-foot-tall installation, resembling a secular chapel, is filled with intricate depictions of flora and fauna and is designed for a single viewer to contemplate nature.

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Sharon Stone has created a new series of figurative paintings titled "Rogues Gallery," which she describes as channeling the spirits of historical figures from different eras and locations, including an enslaved individual who drowned in the East China Sea and Iranian freedom fighter Mahsa Amini. The works, made in 2025, mark a shift from her earlier abstracted landscapes and floral motifs, and were produced in her Los Angeles home studio. Stone, who began painting seriously around 2020 and has previously exhibited at C. Parker Gallery, Allouche Gallery, and Galerie Deschler Berlin, approaches the portraits as a medium for healing and confronting difficult histories, including her own family's potential involvement in enslavement.

Lacma will plant towering, flowering Jeff Koons sculpture outside new building

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma) has acquired Jeff Koons's monumental floral sculpture *Split-Rocker* (2000), a 37-foot-tall work featuring two halves of children's rocking toys embedded with over 50,000 flowering plants. Donated by collectors Lynda and Stewart Resnick through their foundation, the sculpture will be installed outdoors later this year, ahead of the museum's $715 million David Geffen Galleries opening in 2025. The work has previously been displayed at the Palais des Papes in Avignon, Château de Versailles, Fondation Beyeler, Glenstone, and Rockefeller Center.

9 new art museum and gallery exhibits opening in Houston this month

Houston is experiencing a significant surge in artistic activity this month, anchored by the 40th anniversary of FotoFest and major new installations at the city's leading institutions. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) is hosting "Buddha/Nature," a dialogue between ancient sculptures and contemporary works, alongside the return of Ernesto Neto’s massive immersive crochet installation, "SunForceOceanLife." Meanwhile, the Menil Collection is showcasing recent gifts, and Artechouse has launched a technology-driven spring celebration featuring AI-assisted sculpting and digital floral environments.

'HEAD STRETCH' at Andrew Kreps Gallery, 394 Broadway, New York, United States on 24 Apr–20 Jun 2026

Andrew Kreps Gallery in New York presents 'Head Stretch,' a group exhibition featuring Felipe Barsuglia, Allan Gandhi, Luciana Maas, Flora Rebollo, Gokula Stoffel, and Erika Verzutti. The show is rooted in a shared studio building in São Paulo called 'Predinho,' where friendships and creative exchanges among the artists led to the exhibition. The title reflects diverse interpretations: from craning to see another's work to the stretched proportions of figures in paintings, and the expansion of perspective through community. Works by the six artists, including paintings, sculptures, and drawings, are installed in ways that create new associations, with Verzutti inserting her own pieces to open them to fresh readings.

The Rediscovery of the Female Old Masters

Die Wiederentdeckung der Alten Meisterinnen

The Museum of Fine Arts Ghent (MSK) has launched a major exhibition titled "Unforgettable: Women Artists from Amsterdam to Antwerp, 1600–1750," showcasing over 40 female Baroque artists who were once highly successful but later faded into obscurity. The show highlights figures like Michaelina Wautier, who defied gender norms by painting large-scale history scenes and male nudes, and Rachel Ruysch, whose floral still lifes commanded prices rivaling those of Rembrandt. These women were not merely exceptions but active participants in the art market, running workshops and securing royal patronage across the Low Countries.

This Watch Witnessed the Rise of the Empire State Building. Now It’s Up for Sale

A rare 1929 Patek Philippe wristwatch, originally owned by Paul Starrett—the chairman of the corporation behind the Empire State Building—is headed to auction at Phillips in New York. The Tiffany & Co. signed timepiece was purchased by Starrett during the construction of the iconic skyscraper and features unique floral engravings alongside his initials. It is expected to fetch between $15,000 and $30,000 during the June sale.

Flowery Films Whose Plant Life Lingers in the Mind

Ten prominent artists and designers have curated a selection of cinematic flora that has significantly influenced their creative practices. From the surreal, hand-shaped topiaries in *Edward Scissorhands* to the symbolic, scene-setting bouquets in *The Age of Innocence*, these creators analyze how botanical elements on screen transcend mere decoration to become vital narrative and aesthetic tools.

Long Overlooked, Minnie Evans’s Mystical Landscapes Are Finally Getting the Spotlight

Minnie Evans (1892–1987), a self-taught African American artist who worked for 25 years as a ticket seller at Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, North Carolina, is experiencing a major resurgence. Long overlooked after her death, Evans created thousands of vibrant, kaleidoscopic drawings featuring florals, animals, and abstraction, often on scrap paper using affordable materials. A touring exhibition, "The Visionary Art of Minnie Evans," is currently on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, curated by Colton Klein, and a larger exhibition opens this November at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta before traveling to the Whitney Museum of American Art in summer 2026. Evans had a 1975 retrospective at the Whitney during her lifetime but faded from prominence afterward.

Exhibitions set to open in Paris in May 2026: what's new to discover this month

A roundup of new art and cultural exhibitions opening in Paris and the Île-de-France region in May 2026 is announced. Highlights include the annual Rambolitrain toy train fair at Rambolitrain museum on May 1, free evening hours at the Bourse de Commerce on May 2, free entry to castles and museums in Yvelines and Seine-et-Marne on May 3, the Tour Auto classic car display under the Grand Palais glass roof on May 3-4, the Circle of Parisian Artists' 24th annual exhibition at Parc Floral from May 4-31, a new garden art exhibition "Jardin des Lumières" at the Grand Trianon in Versailles from May 5 to September 27, and a major Hilma af Klint exhibition at the Grand Palais.

Museum Exhibitions On View in East Texas, South Texas & the Valley this Fall

Several museums and art centers across East Texas, South Texas, and the Rio Grande Valley have announced their fall 2025 exhibition schedules. Highlights include the Tyler Museum of Art’s "Alas…" by Alicia Eggert, a floral sculpture that wilts over three weeks, and "Assembled: A Look at Contemporary Collage" featuring Texas artists. The Art Museum of South Texas in Corpus Christi will present three shows: Jason DeMarte’s surrealist photography in "Arcadian Enclosures," the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi faculty biennial "Quarter Turn," and "Breadth of Latino/a Voices" from its permanent collection. The Rockport Center for the Arts opens Jessica Ninci’s "A Field Guide" and Moira Garcia’s "Nepantla: In-Between." The Beeville Art Museum hosts Caprice Pierucci’s "Threads Through Time," and the Five Points Museum of Contemporary Art in Victoria will survey work by Fort Bend County artists.

Pictures: Art in Bloom at Orlando Museum of Art

The Orlando Museum of Art has launched its annual "Art in Bloom" festival, a multi-day event where floral designers create living arrangements inspired by specific works in the museum’s permanent collection and current exhibitions. Organized by the Council of 101, the showcase features floral interpretations of pieces by artists such as James Rosenquist, Beatriz Milhazes, and Howard William Mehring, alongside fashion displays, pop-up shops, and silent auctions.

The Third Line presents Anuar Khalifi's Remember the Future solo show

The Third Line gallery in Dubai is presenting 'Remember the Future', the third solo exhibition by Spanish-Moroccan artist Anuar Khalifi, running from January 17 to March 1. The show features large-scale paintings and works on paper that blend reality and imagination, drawing on magical realism, art history, and poetry. Khalifi’s works incorporate recurring symbols like chairs, vessels, and flora, and explore themes such as identity, diaspora, orientalism, and consumerism, often with ironic and humorous undertones.

KAWS to take centre stage at second edition of Manar Abu Dhabi

The second edition of Manar Abu Dhabi, a public art initiative focused on light-based works, will launch on 1 November 2025, featuring 23 installations across four locations including Jubail Island and Al Ain. High-profile street artist KAWS will present a large-scale work showing his signature COMPANION figure reclining while lifting a lit moon. Other participating artists include Emirati sculptor Shaikha Al Mazrou, Dutch duo DRIFT, Maitha Hamdan, Ammar Al Attar, and Hamburg-based Christian Brinkmann, who will debut an interactive audio-visual piece called Floral Resonance.

Preston Park Museum's new exhibition space to open with host of exciting exhibitions celebrating the railway

Preston Park Museum is opening a new multi-million pound exhibition space in 2025 with a series of railway-themed exhibitions called 'Tracks of Change', part of the S&DR200 festival celebrating the bicentenary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. Highlights include 'Corridors', a suspended floral installation by internationally acclaimed artist Rebecca Louise Law; 'All Aboard', an interactive playscape for children; 'Gateway to the World', a collection of nationally significant paintings; and 'Perfume', a light-and-sound installation by visual artist Yann Nguema. All exhibitions will be free with museum admission.

Must-See Art Installations in NYC, June 2025

This article highlights several must-see art installations and events in New York City for June 2025. Highlights include "Van Gogh's Flowers" at the New York Botanical Garden, featuring floral displays inspired by van Gogh's paintings; Photoville, a citywide pop-up photography festival with over 80 international exhibits; Pigeon Fest on the High Line, celebrating Iván Argote's pigeon sculpture "Dinosaur"; AMPLIFIED, an immersive rock 'n' roll experience at ARTECHOUSE NYC presented by Rolling Stone; and Lily Kwong's living installation "Gardens of Renewal" in Madison Square Park.

Ambiguity Reigns in Olaf Hajek’s Mysterious Illustrations

Berlin-based illustrator Olaf Hajek creates dense, uncanny compositions that blend nature, culture, and magic, drawing inspiration from Surrealist icons like Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo. His work emphasizes ambiguity, using superimposed florals and figures, dramatic scale shifts, and a tension between decay and renewal to develop a universal visual language from diverse cultural influences.

Flowers, Figures & Fantastical Frames at the 2026 Dallas Art Fair

Jessica Fuentes and Brandon Zech, returning to the 2026 Dallas Art Fair, found the event familiar rather than surprising. Fuentes noted that after attending major fairs like Frieze, NADA, and the Armory Show, many works by Texas galleries felt recognizable. Zech observed an overarching theme of flora and fauna, with flower paintings dominating both the art and attendees' fashion. Fuentes, however, was drawn to figurative pieces, influenced by her recent visit to Mexico City Art Week. Standout works included Jessica Vollrath's painting "A thousand hills" at Erin Cluley Gallery, which marked a stylistic shift in color and composition.

Alexandria Art Galleries in April: Floral Exhibits, Events & Spring Shows

The Alexandria art scene is hosting a diverse array of exhibitions and events throughout April 2026, centered around the Torpedo Factory Art Center, Del Ray Artisans, and Nepenthe Gallery. Key highlights include Marcus Beauregard’s solo printmaking show "Paint to Print," a car-themed exhibition titled "Fast and Fabulous" curated by Kelly and Scott MacConomy, and a series of weekly receptions at Nepenthe Gallery featuring artists like Sweta Shah and the NOVA Plein Air Artists. Many of these events serve charitable purposes, with proceeds from specific sales at Del Ray Artisans being donated in memory of late local artists Donna Gallo and Rusty Lynn.

‘A true champion of artists’: Victoria Miro's artists celebrate gallery's 40th anniversary

Victoria Miro opened her eponymous gallery on Cork Street in London in December 1985, at a time when the punk collective The Grey Organisation was protesting the conservative art establishment. To mark the gallery's 40th anniversary, Miro is hosting an exhibition of works by all her artists at her 17,000 sq. ft space in Hoxton, with 23 of them creating new works specifically for the show, including Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Flora Yukhnovich, Elmgreen & Dragset, Chris Ofili, Chantal Joffe, Grayson Perry, and Celia Paul. The article features heartfelt tributes from artists like Isaac Julien, who calls Miro 'a true champion of artists,' and Joffe, who describes the gallery as family.

7 Contemporary Artists to Follow If You Like Cecily Brown

The article presents a curated list of seven contemporary artists whose work shares aesthetic or thematic connections with the painter Cecily Brown. It highlights artists like Jenna Gribbon, known for intimate, luminous portraits; Issy Wood, who blends Old Master techniques with contemporary malaise; and others such as Flora Yukhnovich, Doron Langberg, Louis Fratino, Maia Cruz Palileo, and Somaya Critchlow, each exploring figuration, sensuality, and painterly abstraction in distinct ways.

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Anonymous floral artist Mr. Flower Fantastic has created this year's Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden, titled "Mr. Flower Fantastic's Concrete Jungle." The exhibition transforms the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory with approximately 7,000 orchids arranged in installations that pay homage to New York City's urban landscape, including a subway station, a pizzeria, a newsstand, a dumpster, and a brownstone.

A semester of SLAM

The St. Louis Art Museum (SLAM) hosted two special exhibitions during the past semester: the annual "Art in Bloom" floral exhibition from February 27 to March 1, 2026, and the solo show "Currents 125: Blas Isasi" opening February 6, 2026. "Art in Bloom" pairs 30 permanent collection pieces with ephemeral floral arrangements created by local designers, featuring a centerpiece by New York-based floral designer Rachel Cho. The exhibition has grown from an invitational event with 7,000 attendees to an open call drawing over 30,000 visitors. Isasi's exhibition, titled "The weight of a gaze (is to listen to the sound of a kilogram)," is part of SLAM's "Currents" series and the WashU Henry L. and Natalie E. Freund Teaching Fellowship, incorporating a Chincha Inka balance from the museum's collection alongside sandstone sculptures and aluminum foil pieces.

Flowers laid after Bondi terror attack will form new work of art at Sydney Jewish Museum

Floral tributes left at Bondi Beach after a deadly terrorist attack on a Hanukkah celebration in December 2024 have been collected and will be transformed into an art installation at the Sydney Jewish Museum. Jewish Australian artist Nina Sanadze, born in Georgia and based in Melbourne, is working with volunteers to dry and process the flowers in a Sydney warehouse, experimenting with resin, bronze casting, and composted materials to create a work that may depict beachgoers fleeing the attack. The museum, currently closed for redevelopment, plans to feature the installation in a special exhibition when it reopens in 2027.

In pictures: flora and fauna at Design Miami

Design Miami celebrates its 20th anniversary with the theme "Make. Believe.," curated by Glenn Adamson, emphasizing the evolving possibilities of collectible design. The fair features the 10th anniversary of the Curatorial Lab Annual Design Commission, including a mirrored carousel by ceramicist Katie Stout, alongside works by artists such as Bea Pernia, Pia-Maria Raeder, Joyce Billet, Teemu Salonen, Jennifer Trask, Roham Shamekh, and Clotilde Ancarani. Pieces range from a chrome-and-stone chair inspired by marine life to benches that double as planters, reflecting a pervasive focus on flora and fauna.

Folk is having a revival—in the art world too

The article reports on the growing revival of folk culture in the visual arts, centered on the Neo Ancients festival in Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK. The second edition of the festival, held over May Day weekend, featured an eclectic mix of music, Morris dancing, talks, film screenings, and exhibitions celebrating British folklore. Art dealer James Elwes organized a show at the local gallery Rattle and Brash, featuring artists like Sue Webster, Jeremy Deller, and Stanley Donwood, who presented works outside their usual practices. Exhibitions included Donwood's 'Floralia' and Webster's new self-portraits exploring pregnancy and reinvention.

Artist Kasper Eistrup Maps the Human Condition on Canvas

Danish artist Kasper Eistrup (b. 1973) presents his first solo exhibition in Germany, titled "Bridges Over Magma," at Galerie Schimming in Hamburg. The show features a new body of work created during a recent artist-in-residence program in Hamburg, where Eistrup drew inspiration from the city's famous bridges and his ongoing exploration of painting and drawing. The compositions blend meticulously rendered figures with architecture, flora, fauna, handwritten text, and abstract textures, exploring themes of human connection and resilience.

'Walk this way' — Easton welcomes art lovers on First Friday

Easton's downtown art scene came alive during the May First Friday event, with multiple galleries opening their doors to the public. At the Zach Gallery inside the Prager Family Center for the Arts, a new exhibition of paintings by Paton Miller was curated by interior designer Jeffrey Parker. The TRA Gallery, run by the Talbot Arts Council, featured a photography show by Steve Waltrich, Mike Miller, and Maire McCardle. Troika Gallery, Easton's original fine art gallery, also participated, with artist Deborah Elville showing her work. Looking ahead, Zach Gallery announced a June 4 solo exhibition by Rhode Island artist Breath Day Wyndham titled "Gathering the Chesapeake," featuring cyanotypes created from flora and fauna collected from the Chesapeake Bay region.