City of the Arts? Costa Mesa called out for not having official arts budget

Costa Mesa’s Arts Commission delivered a report to the City Council on Tuesday, calling for a significant increase in arts funding as the city updates its arts and culture master plan. Currently, arts programs are primarily funded by a portion of cannabis tax revenue—about $230,000 annually—but actual expenditures are nearly double that, forcing the city to use general fund revenue to cover the gap. Commissioners recommended establishing a public art fund, increasing the cannabis tax allocation, imposing a 1% public art fee on capital projects over $500,000, and potentially using hotel-stay tax revenue to support the arts. They also proposed expanding the arts grants program, funding a consultant to update the master plan, and creating a dedicated arts specialist position.

“Persona” Crafts a Lineage of Performed Identity

Boston Art Review (BAR) has published an article titled “Persona” Crafts a Lineage of Performed Identity, exploring how contemporary artists use persona and self-performance to trace a lineage of identity construction. The piece examines works by artists who adopt alter egos or theatrical roles to challenge fixed notions of selfhood, drawing connections to historical precedents in art and culture.

Scene Calendar: Harn exhibit on Florida, 'Million Dollar Quarter' at Hipp

The article is a scene calendar listing upcoming events in the Gainesville, Florida area, including art exhibitions and a theatrical production. Key visual art events include the Santa Fe College Student Juried Art Exhibition, the Santa Fe Springs Plein Air Paintout, the Gainesville Fine Arts Association's 'NEXT: High School and College Juried Exhibition', and the Harn Museum of Art's exhibition 'Florida in the Frame: A Century of Artists’ Reflections on the Sunshine State', which features works by Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, and Florida Highwaymen painters. The calendar also lists non-visual-art events such as the Levitt AMP Alachua Music Series and the Hippodrome Theatre's production of 'Million Dollar Quartet'.

Kids Day: When Nature Becomes Art

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice offers a free weekly workshop series called "Kids Day" for children aged 4 to 10, held on Sundays at 3 pm. The upcoming session, "When Nature Becomes Art," introduces young participants to collage techniques inspired by Surrealist artists such as Eileen Agar and André Masson, who used natural materials like shells, sand, feathers, and plants. The program includes a brief guided tour of the museum followed by a hands-on art workshop, conducted in Italian with interpretation available upon request.

Between everyday and exceptional

Emami Art in Kolkata presents "Nothing Twice," an exhibition featuring nine young women artists that explores the fragility of ordinary life through domestic, tactile, and overlooked subjects. Curated by Ushmita Sahu, the show includes works in painting, textiles, photography, ceramics, drawing, and video, with artists like Moumita Basak, Shilpi Sharma, and Riti Sengupta focusing on material memory and feminist art histories. Concurrently, "Khadi: A Canvas" at TRI Art & Culture showcases 19 khadi sarees woven in the jamdani technique by tribal women from Srikakulam, connecting Raja Ravi Varma's visual culture with Gandhi's politics of self-reliance, curated by Lavina Baldota with textile artist Gaurang Shah. Additionally, "Digital Atma (Spirits) X The Wandering Souls" at A.M (Art Multi-disciplines) examines digital life and technology's impact on identity and intimacy through poetry, sound, image, and performance.

Discover the David Geffen Galleries, Jazz at LACMA, and More This Weekend

LACMA is hosting its monthly Third Weekends event from May 15-17, 2025, featuring free workshops, screenings, concerts, and performances across its newly transformed campus, including the David Geffen Galleries. Highlights include guided architectural walks, figure drawing workshops, a concert by the Julius Rodriguez Trio at Jazz at LACMA, a screening of Tenzin Phuntsog’s film *Next Life*, a roving dance performance by Lula Washington Dance Theatre, and artist talks with Todd Gray. The weekend also includes outdoor activities, chess sessions, and a screening of the 1986 World Cup match.

Es Devlin invites the UK to become part of a collective digital portrait at the National Portrait Gallery

Es Devlin has launched *A National Portrait*, a participatory digital artwork at the National Portrait Gallery in London, created in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture Lab. Opening on 14 May 2026 and running until 27 October 2026, the project invites anyone in the UK to upload a photograph of themselves via an online platform, where it is transformed into an animated digital portrait inspired by Devlin's charcoal and chalk drawing practice. These portraits are displayed collectively in the gallery's History Makers space, and participants receive a downloadable digital edition of their own portrait. The project is the result of three years of collaborative research between Devlin and Google Arts & Culture Lab.

Painting the park: Artists blossom at Wegerzyn as they make it their classroom

Sinclair Community College associate professor of art Bridgette Bogle took her mixed-level painting class to Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark in Dayton, Ohio, for a plein air painting session. Students ranging in age from 18 to 80, including postal worker Don Adams and lifelong artist Aubrey Botts, set up easels throughout the gardens to paint landscapes outdoors, learning the Impressionist-inspired technique of working quickly in natural light.

The Anti-Pop Art of Domenico Gnoli

The article reviews "The Adventure of Domenico Gnoli," a retrospective at Lévy Gorvy Dayan in New York, focusing on the Italian artist's 1967 painting *L'inverno (Couple au lit)* and other works featuring intimate, fabric-rich domestic scenes. Gnoli (1933–1970), born into an art-world family, is often associated with Pop Art, but the author argues his work depicts a private, almost childlike world of memory and longing, contrasting with Pop's mass-produced commodities.

The Biennale of Quiet Tones

Die Biennale der leisen Töne

The 61st Venice Biennale's main exhibition, titled "Gardens, Processions, Art as Expression of Lived Realities," places humanity at its center. Curators revealed minimal biographical details for the 111 participating artists, only noting the oldest (Marcel Duchamp, born 1887) and youngest (Mohammed Z Rahman, born 1997), signaling a deliberate shift away from individual fame toward collective experience.

Risk and Reward: Jason Price Gets Artists Business-Savvy

Jason Price, an artist and entrepreneur, is launching a new initiative called 'Risk and Reward' aimed at helping artists develop business acumen. The program offers workshops and resources on financial literacy, contract negotiation, and marketing strategies tailored specifically for visual artists. Price draws on his own experience navigating the art market to provide practical guidance, with the first sessions scheduled to take place in New York and Los Angeles.

Archives : MAMM : Lauren Greenfield : Generation Wealth

The Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow (MAMM) presents 'Generation Wealth' by American documentary photographer and director Lauren Greenfield as part of the XII Moscow International Biennale 'Fashion and Style in Photography 2021'. The exhibition, opening May 21, 2021, includes over 200 photographs, documentary films, and interviews drawn from Greenfield's 25-year investigation into global consumer culture, wealth aspiration, and the transformation of happiness. It marks Greenfield's third exhibition at MAMM, following previous shows in 2000 and 2004.

Bath museum to host artist workshop, lecture series in conjunction with exhibition

Maine Maritime Museum in Bath is hosting an artist workshop and lecture series from May through August 2025, tied to its exhibition “Re|Sounding.” Each month, a different contributing artist will lead a session exploring a specific medium—painting, oral storytelling, assemblage, or poetry—as a tool for examining local and personal histories. The first event on May 10 features James Eric Francis Sr., the Penobscot Nation’s tribal historian and visual artist, who will give a lecture, lead a painting workshop, and have his works on view in the exhibition. Attendance is on a sliding scale.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts hosts Seventh AIM Biennial open house

The Bronx Museum of the Arts hosted its Seventh AIM Biennial Open House on April 18, a free family day that combined hands-on art-making activities with the ongoing biennial exhibition. Visitors participated in button-making, print-making, screen printing, and memory box creation, led by AIM artists including Skip Brea, Hedwig Brouckaert, Ricki Dwyer, Leekyung Kang, Juyon Lee, lauren mcavoy, Piero Penizzotto, Motohiro Takeda, and V Yeh. The day also featured a critique session with artist V Yeh and a panel discussion titled “Tender Monuments,” moderated by co-curator Nell Klugman, exploring themes of personal, communal, and environmental grief.

After Going Through the Darkness Part 1: Kōta Takeuchi Exhibition "Nononononomatsuri" @ Ichihara Lakeside Museum

暗闇をくぐってみたら Part1 竹内公太展「のののののまつり」@ 市原湖畔美術館

The Ichihara Lakeside Museum, currently under renovation since late 2025, will partially reopen on May 1, 2026, with a theater-style series of solo exhibitions titled "Kōta Takeuchi: Nononononomatsuri" as its first installment. Artist Kōta Takeuchi, born in 1982 in Hyogo Prefecture and based in Fukushima, presents new video installations created during a four-month residency in Ichihara, where he visited over 70 stone monuments across the city—including horse-headed Kannon statues, Koyasu statues, and war memorials—to explore themes of parallel bodies and possession. The exhibition features works such as "Disassembly of the Sansha-za" (2013–2023), "Cement Thief" (2024), and "Sigh of the Ground" (2022), with a map showing the locations of the documented stone monuments.

Aste a Parigi: nuovo record per Claude Monet da Sotheby’s e per Ettore Spalletti da Christie’s

Sotheby's Paris achieved a new French auction record for Claude Monet on April 16, 2026, with 'Vétheuil, effet du matin' (1901) selling for €10.2 million, far above its €6-8 million estimate. The evening sale generated €35 million total, an 84% increase over the 2025 session, also featuring strong results for Marc Chagall, Lucio Fontana, and Rembrandt Bugatti. Meanwhile, Christie's Paris celebrated the 25th anniversary of its 'Thinking Italian' section with a complete sell-out of 11 lots, including a new auction record for Ettore Spalletti's 'Mobile' (1974) at €203,200. The overall Paris modern and contemporary art week reached a record €80.9 million, up 39% year-on-year.

WUF13: Director of National Art Museum explains how art shapes cities and urban change [INTERVIEW]

At the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Shirin Malikova, director of the Azerbaijan National Art Museum, gave an interview discussing how art reflects and shapes urban development. She cited historical examples such as Bernardo Bellotto's 18th-century vedute paintings, which were used to reconstruct Warsaw's historic center after WWII, and the Eiffel Tower, originally a temporary installation that became a permanent symbol of Paris. The museum also presented an exhibition at the forum focusing on Baku's transformation across different eras, highlighting how art captures the multilayered history and cultural identity of cities.

Los Angeles Metro’s Stunning D Line Art Turns Stations Into Galleries

Los Angeles Metro unveiled a major public art installation on May 8 with the opening of the 3.92-mile D Line extension, connecting downtown to Beverly Hills. Nine artists were selected from over 1,400 applicants to create works across three stations—Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega. Notable pieces include Karl Haendel's "Hands and Things" at the Wilshire/Fairfax station, featuring photorealist pencil drawings of hands holding objects sourced from nearby cultural institutions, and Susan Silton's "WE, OUR, US." The artworks are mounted using durable porcelain enameling that resists corrosion, scratching, fading, and graffiti.

Cinematic Painting Series

Cary Kwok's exhibition at Sessions Arts Club in London presents four new paintings created with support from Herald St, Cabin Studio, Jonny Gent, and David Southard. The works, rendered in acrylic and ink on paper, explore still lifes, silhouettes, and staged interiors inspired by 1980s visual culture, including interior design, cinematography, fashion editorials, and advertising. Featured pieces include *Eclipse* (2026) and *Anticipation* (2026), with the artist's signature subtly embedded in objects like jewelry and glassware. The show opens May 18 and is viewable by appointment or during dining hours, alongside a related wine label collaboration for the Sessions Arts Club Lost Wines Project.

The LA Art World’s New Obsession Is a Theater Where Artists Run the Show

Calla Henkel and Max Pitegoff, former artistic directors of Berlin's Grüner Salon, launched New Theater Hollywood in 2024 as a nonprofit venue on Santa Monica Boulevard. The 49-seat theater specializes in genre-defying, multidisciplinary collaborations, staging works like Sophie Becker's ventriloquist act *Ronnie's Big Idea* and Diamond Stingily's *The Driver*. Every performance sells out, attracting a cult following of literary, art world, and pop culture figures who often linger to discuss shows.

La Rocabella : une résidence d’artistes paradisiaque qui croise les disciplines près de Toulon

La Rocabella, a Belle Époque villa near Toulon, France, has been transformed into an interdisciplinary artist residency by Jean-Baptiste Rudelle, co-founder of Criteo. Built in 1898 by architect Hans-Georg Tersling, the estate now hosts ceramic sculptors, comic artists, documentary filmmakers, and musicians in two-month sessions, with themes like 'Les Gardiennes de la mer' linking their work. The residency, funded entirely by Rudelle, aims to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration in a serene Mediterranean setting.

We Spent a Week Quarantined on an Uninhabited Island with 80 Artists

A journalist from Colossal spent a week on an uninhabited island in the Balearic Islands with nearly 80 artists for a residency program called Quarantine, conceived by artist Carles Gomila. Participants follow a rigorous, opaque schedule of talks, workshops, and mentorship sessions, with phones and internet banned, and must stay on the island from early morning until late evening. The April 2026 edition, themed "Tears in Rain" after a Blade Runner monologue, began with a theatrical tour by an actor playing Captain Horacio Hollynwood, who introduced the historic Lazaretto of Mahón, an 18th-century fortress and infirmary.

L’antica certosa vicino Siena dove il disegno è diventato una performance condivisa. Il report

The third edition of the De Linea Art Festival took place on May 2-3 at the Certosa di Pontignano near Siena, Italy. Curated by Matteo Marsan and Riccardo Guasco, the event transformed the historic monastery into a living laboratory of drawing, illustration, and performance. Nine illustrators—including Marina Marcolin, Francesco Poroli, Elisa Macellari, Gianluca Folì, Ale Giorgini, Gloria Pizzilli, Matteo Berton, Giovanna Giuliano, and Daniele Caluri—participated in a week-long residency, producing works inspired by the site and the festival's theme "Crepe e spiragli" (Cracks and Glimmers), a contemporary interpretation of a Leonard Cohen quote. Over 500 visitors attended workshops, talks, and shared creative sessions, including a workshop by Fondazione Il Bisonte and performances by actress Daniela Morozzi and graphic poet Alessandro Valenti (Alvalenti).

Serakai Studio unveils dreamedcore, a multi-sensorial exhibition exploring digital nostalgia in Hong Kong

Serakai Studio presents 'dreamedcore', its second exhibition at GOLD in Hong Kong's Wong Chuk Hang district, running from June 6 to August 1. Curated by Shirley Lau and Tobias Berge, the show blends an art exhibition, concept store, and runway format to explore digital-age nostalgia through the lens of 'dreamcore' aesthetics—drawing on 1990s and early 2000s visual textures. Featuring 22 emerging multi-disciplinary artists and creative practitioners from across Asia, including Li Shuang, Wong Ping, and Peng Ke, the exhibition is divided into two chapters: 'The Lure' and 'The Twist', with a central runway stage, ambient lighting, and a mini cinema screening a video by Wong Ping.

Artists in Action: Supporting Salem-area artists for a quarter-century

Artists in Action (AiA), a nonprofit organization supporting Salem-area artists, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a public reception on May 3, 2026, at Elsinore Framing & Fine Art Gallery in Salem, Oregon. Founded by Diane Trevett and about five other artists, the group began as a small support network for struggling artists and has grown into an established arts organization with around 65 active members. AiA hosts monthly openings, critique sessions, open-call shows, and special events like Paint and Write the Town, providing opportunities for artists to exhibit and sell their work across various mediums.

"Dispossessions in the Americas" Confronts the Colonialism That Invades All Territory

The article reviews "Dispossessions in the Americas," a group exhibition at Wrightwood 659 in Chicago curated by Jonathan D. Katz and Eduardo Carrera. Featuring works from 1960 to 2025, the show examines colonial legacies in the Americas, focusing on the forced dispossession of land, culture, and language from indigenous, Afro-descendant, queer, and trans communities. The review critically questions how a polished, architecturally prestigious venue can coherently display art about socially voiceless communities without falling into voyeurism or fetishization of pain.

Studio Sessions: Raili Jänese

Artist Raili Jänese, an Estonian-born painter now based in Kirkland, Washington, creates colorful acrylic works that capture everyday human and animal behaviors with humor and tenderness. Her practice, which began after a corporate career, focuses on observation of mundane moments—people eating, drinking coffee, riding transit, and animals in urban settings. Her upcoming solo exhibition, "E.L.U," will be on view at Ryan James Fine Arts from May 1–31, 2025, with a Gallery Night on May 22. Jänese has shown work regionally at venues including Happy Time Studio Gallery, Oxbow Montlake, and the Seattle Art Fair, and has completed public art projects in Bellevue, Kent, Kirkland, and Seattle.

Manitowoc Rahr-West offers monthly summer gallery tours with experts

The Rahr-West Art Museum in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, is offering free, monthly drop-in gallery tours throughout summer 2026, led by museum staff and guest experts. Tours include sessions on the art of David Roberts, recent acquisitions, salon-style installations, and a local artists exhibition, with no registration required. Additionally, docent-led tours of the historic Vilas-Rahr Mansion will be available on Thursdays from June through September.

New Loveland gallery celebrates motherhood with inaugural show

Sparrow Art Center, an art education company, has opened a new gallery and teaching facility in Loveland, Colorado, and is hosting its inaugural art show with a Mother's Day theme. The exhibition features work from over a dozen artists, including owner Cody Winiecki, who contributed a painting of a horse and foal. The show includes a free public reception on Saturday evening, as well as painting sessions for mothers and children. All proceeds from sales go directly to the artists, and the show will run until early June.

Why Is Everyone Obsessed With Bogs?

The New York Times Art section published an explainer titled "Why Is Everyone Obsessed With Bogs?" examining the cultural fascination with wetlands, particularly bogs, across fashion and art. The article explores how bogs have become a recurring motif in contemporary visual culture, from runway collections to gallery installations, reflecting a broader societal interest in these unique ecosystems.