Before We Knew Better or We Should All Know Better

The article reviews "Before We Knew Better," a group exhibition at Elise Seigenthaler Gallery featuring artists Sarah Bedford, Day Brièrre, Josiah Ellner, and Léa LeFloc'h. The critic reflects on the show's thematic framing around narrative, folklore, and personal mythology, while expressing frustration with its open-endedness and lack of clear intent. Specific works are discussed, including Ellner's psychedelic unicorn paintings, LeFloc'h's enigmatic works on paper, Bedford's nocturnal flowers, and Brièrre's intricate ceramics, though the critic notes the installation does not always serve the pieces well.

Norman Firehouse Art Center to open Sohail & Co. exhibition

The Norman Firehouse Art Center in Norman, Oklahoma, will present "Sohail & Co.," a summer exhibition focused on figure drawing and sculpture, on view from May 13 to August 7, 2026. The show brings together artists connected to the University of Oklahoma School of Visual Arts, exploring how the human figure evolves from observation to finished form across drawing, ceramics, and sculpture. An opening reception on May 13 will also feature the unveiling of "Rooted," a new public sculpture by undergraduate student Isabella Clark, installed in the Firehouse park as part of the Lions Park Sculpture Garden initiative.

Meet artist Sanya Kantarovsky as he creates an immersive world in a Venetian palazzo

Sanya Kantarovsky presents 'Basic Failure,' an exhibition of paintings, ceramics, and a glass sculpture at Palazzo Loredan in Venice, running concurrently with the Venice Art Biennale 2026. The show features haunting, figurative works that resist linear narrative, drawing on themes of religion, history, philosophy, and human emotion, with the artist describing his intuitive, fragmentary approach to composition.

Cerritos College Opens 2026 Student Art Exhibition with Night of Awards and Celebration

Cerritos College opened its 2026 annual Student Art Exhibition on April 23 at the Cerritos College Art Gallery, featuring over 150 student artworks selected by faculty from the college's art, design, and photography programs. The opening night included an award ceremony introduced by Gallery Director James Mac Devitt and a speech by Dr. Jose Fierro. Juror Kim Abeles, an established L.A. artist, presented five awards across seven categories including Ceramics/3D Design, Painting/Life Drawing, Freehand Drawing, Printmaking/2D Design, Graphic Design/Digital Illustration, Photography, and 3D Modeling/Motion Picture Editing. Faculty also gave honorable mentions in each category. Approximately $7,000 in awards was distributed, supported by the Associated Students of Cerritos College, the Cerritos Foundation, and donors including former student John DeMott.

Old School Studios: New Meanwhile Arts Space opens for Artists Open Houses 2026

Old School Studios, a new meanwhile arts space, opens this May as part of Artists Open Houses 2026 in Brighton. Developed by Artcore Brighton, the project transforms the former Brighton Waldorf school into working studios and an exhibition site, featuring over 50 artists working across sculpture, painting, photography, printmaking, textiles, ceramics, jewellery, and moving image. Co-founded with Mutoid Waste Company and Glastonbury Art Director Alex Wright (aka Wreckage), the space includes pop-up performances, workshops, and food from Lost Pier and La Cantina.

Interview with the curators who brought Italy to London Craft Week

Intervista alle curatrici che hanno portato l’Italia alla Craft Week di Londra

Amalia di Lanno and Valeria Zerbo, founders of the London-based curatorial platform Avant Craft, are bringing Italian ceramics to the London Craft Week for the first time. Their exhibition, "Contemporary Perspectives on Italian Ceramics," showcases a selection of independent Italian artists and designers who explore ceramics as a material investigation, sculptural experimentation, and cultural continuity. The show opens on May 14 with a "Meet a Master" event featuring artist Riccardo Monachesi, marking the official kickoff of Avant Craft.

Visitors invited behind the scenes with return of Welsh art trail

Crickhowell Open Studios returns from 23 to 25 May 2026, inviting visitors to explore 26 venues across Crickhowell and Abergavenny. The free-entry trail includes artists' studios, galleries, and creative spaces showcasing paintings, printmaking, textiles, sculpture, jewellery, ceramics, and glass. Organized by the Crickhowell Resource and Information Centre (CRiC), which celebrates twenty years of community support, the event features the Open Art Competition Exhibition at Oriel CRiC Gallery, a residency by portrait artist Oriane Pierrepont, and participation from artists such as Nadia Epping, Lucy Corbett, and Lee Wright. Venues range from St Edmund’s Church to Antur Brew Co. and The Welsh Academy of Art.

KU students, teachers to show off form-defying ceramics at Off-Site Art Gallery exhibition

University of Kansas students and teachers are showcasing ceramics that defy gravity and traditional form at Off-Site Art Space in Lawrence. The exhibition, titled “Almost a Body: Not Quite a Thing,” features works by artists-in-residence Seuil Chung and SunYoung Park alongside their students, including pieces like Natalie Slutsky’s “Vital Exchange,” an anatomical heart with arteries forming a Möbius strip. The show highlights innovative techniques such as using sand-filled brick boxes for firing, French cleat mounting systems, and beeswax finishes inspired by natural forms from the McGregor Herbarium.

Artist explores shifting perspective on family story

Artist Avi Amesbury has opened her new exhibition, 'Shifting Perspectives: The Self Reconciliation Project', at Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery in Australia. The show combines ceramics, mixed media, and sound to explore her personal family history as a descendant of white settler colonists in Western Australia. Over three years, Amesbury traveled across the country for residencies at Fremantle Arts Centre and Central Craft in Alice Springs, collecting wild clays and collaborating with composer MJ from Those Who Ride With Giants to incorporate poems, writings, and landscape sounds into the installation.

Art on Main presents "Women in Art: Revealing Our Magnificence" opening reception

Art on Main in Dallas is presenting "Women in Art: Revealing Our Magnificence," a juried exhibition featuring bold, expressive works across mediums such as painting, drawing, photography, fiber art, sculpture, printmaking, and ceramics. The opening reception includes live music by the East Dallas Uke-A-Ladies and a set by DJ MISO, along with a Best in Show award presentation, and the exhibit runs through May 30.

Nearly 70 Student Artists Featured in SUNY Oneonta’s Annual Juried Art Show

Nearly 70 student artists are featured in SUNY Oneonta’s 2026 Juried Student Show, now on display at the Martin-Mullen Art Gallery through May 2. The exhibition includes over 90 works in media such as painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, digital art, and mixed media, selected by faculty from more than 100 submissions. A public reception with 17 awards will be held on April 30.

Art show reflects on human experience, aspiration

A group of nine young artists, all alumni of the Government College of Fine Arts in Chennai, have formed a collective called Continuum and will present their first exhibition, 'Between Becoming & Being,' starting May 15 at Lalit Kala Akademi. Initiated by artist couple Preethi Umapathy and Prithiviraj, the show features works in painting, printmaking, sculpture, and ceramics by Deepika, Ganesh, Jagath Ravi, Padmapriya, Prithiviraj, Preethi, Ramesh, Saran Mathi, and Sarath Kumar, exploring themes of identity, aspiration, human existence, and lived experiences.

Madras’ Art Adventure Gallery is celebrating 40 years of business

Art Adventure Gallery in Madras, Oregon, celebrated its 40th anniversary with a gathering of over 30 people. The event featured ice cream in handpainted ceramic bowls by Jozil Ceramics and showcased a new multi-medium exhibit highlighting artists from Jefferson County. Board members Mia Kelsay and John Scheideman, along with artist Diana Krugel and gallery director Coralee Popp, spoke about the gallery's role in supporting local talent and the challenges of sustaining a nonprofit art space.

Neosho Valley Spring Art Exhibit opens at Chanute Art Gallery

The Neosho Valley Spring Art Exhibit has opened at the Chanute Art Gallery in Chanute, Kansas, showcasing original works by artists from the Four-State area. The exhibition features a variety of mediums including paintings, photography, sculpture, and ceramics, and will run through the end of the month. A reception is scheduled for May 23, with awards including a $200 best of show prize, first- and second-place prizes in each category, and a people’s choice award.

Melville to become an open-air art gallery for a weekend

Melville Open Studios returns for its ninth year, transforming the Western Australian suburb into an open-air gallery for one weekend. Seventy-seven local artists will open their home studios and dedicated hubs—including Atwell House, Goolugatup Heathcote, Applecross Art Gallery, Feld & Co., and Myaree Ceramics—to the public. Visitors can explore ceramics, painting, printmaking, floristry, mixed media, and textiles, purchase artworks commission-free, and take guided bus tours across six routes. Coordinator Jennifer Gaye, who took over the event from the City of Melville in 2022, reports that last year's edition attracted 5,000 visitors and generated over $100,000 in direct sales for artists.

SOPAC's Herb + Milly Iris Gallery Presents INSPIRED MINDS: Young Artist Exhibition Opening Reception Thursday, May 14

The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) will open the INSPIRED MINDS: Young Artist Exhibition in its Herb + Milly Iris Gallery on May 14, 2026, with a free public reception at 5:00 PM. Over 300 students from 20 area high schools submitted more than 1,000 original works across media including photography, digital art, painting, drawing, sculpture, fiber arts, and ceramics; 70 pieces were selected for the exhibition. The show is sponsored by the Iris Family Foundation and features professional installation, a formal reception, and opportunities for students to sell their work.

RISD Grad Show 2026

The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) will hold its annual graduate thesis exhibition, RISD Grad Show 2026, from May 21 to 30 at the Rhode Island Convention Center. The show features work from students across 19 advanced degree programs, including Architecture, Ceramics, Graphic Design, Painting, and Sculpture. A digital version will be available online at risdgrad.show starting May 21, with a public opening reception on May 20.

Arte in Situ Vodnjan 2026: final artists’ exhibition at

The eighteenth edition of the international art symposium Arte in Situ is taking place from 25 to 28 May 2026 at Casa Rosina in Vodnjan, Croatia. Organized by artist Solidea Guerra and co-organized by the Tourist Board of the Town of Vodnjan, the event brings together artists from Croatia and Austria, including Elisabeth Melkonyan, Boris Kačić, Snježana Pokos-Vujec, Nela Marušić, Dunja De Martini, Vesna Kuharić-Ternovec, Solidea Guerra, and Boris Roce. The symposium concludes on 28 May with a vernissage at 6 p.m., presenting works created during the residency. Founded in 2004 as a ceramics meeting, Arte in Situ has expanded to include painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, and mixed media, hosting over 200 artists over the years.

Grand Opening Celebration for Seabreeze Gallery

Seabreeze Gallery, a new cooperative art space on Bowen Island, will hold its grand opening celebration on Friday, May 22 from 4 to 7 pm at 455 Bowen Island Trunk Road in Snug Cove. The gallery is the only one on the island dedicated exclusively to showcasing Bowen Island artists, featuring work from 19 local makers across diverse mediums including paintings, ceramics, fiber arts, jewelry, woodworks, and glass. The gallery operates as a cooperative, with a different artist opening the doors each day to engage visitors directly.

Student art work shines at Kapiʻolani CC’s Koa Gallery

Kapiʻolani Community College’s Koa Gallery hosted the Kapiʻolani CC Student Show 2026 from April 29 to May 8, featuring works by introductory and intermediate studio art and new media art students. Student artist Geneva Mellison, an English literature major, exhibited her photography series *My Perfect Mask* (2025), a set of gelatin silver prints exploring social conformity and masking. The show included mixed media, ceramics, drawing, painting, and sculpture, emphasizing material processes and contemporary artistic exploration.

Masuk Senior Art Show displays young talent across different mediums

Masuk High School in Monroe, Connecticut, hosted its Senior Art Show in the school's media center, featuring 20 works by students in mediums including oil and acrylic paintings, charcoal drawings, sculptures, and ceramics. Organized by art teacher Monika Gagnon and ceramics teacher Dana Moraniec, the event replaced the canceled da Vinci Festival and included AP art portfolios alongside themed pieces exploring social commentary, personal experience, and identity. Students like Olivia Neel (adolescence and divorce), Seraphine Lambert (nature, memory, and religion), and Christian Kloter (metaphors of self) presented and discussed their work with visitors.

‘Borderless’ art exhibit celebrates Asian and Pacific Islander heritage in Brentwood

The Brentwood Arts Exchange is hosting 'Borderless,' a mixed-media art exhibit celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, running through May 30. Curated by ceramics artist and art teacher Akemi Maegawa, the show features works from artists including Mei Mei Chang, Julia Chon, Jeff Huntington (JAHRU), Jun Lee, and Tang, representing Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines. The exhibit includes oil portraits, 3D masks, found-object installations, sculptures, and woodblock prints exploring themes of identity, migration, and cultural fluidity. On May 9, the artists participated in a talk as part of the Gateway Open Studios Tour, a one-day annual art event spanning multiple Maryland communities.

Tweed Gallery's Winter: Art and Transformation

Three exhibitions will open at Tweed Regional Gallery on Friday 29 May as part of the Gallery's 2026 winter program. The program includes the group exhibition 'Indelible: The Poetry of Decay' alongside solo exhibitions by regional artists Antoinette O'Brien and Luke Close (Githabal), spanning ceramics, painting, and multidisciplinary practice. A curator preview talk, live performance, and opening celebrations will accompany the openings.

Three exhibitions set to open at Hunterdon Art Museum

The Hunterdon Art Museum in New Jersey will open three new exhibitions on May 17, 2025. The shows include a solo exhibition of figurative painter Emily Strong, featuring large-scale realist oil paintings that explore identity and relationships; “Claybash,” the museum’s second triennial juried ceramics exhibition curated by Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy; and “Mindscapes,” a retrospective of 60 years of work by 93-year-old New Jersey artist Bascha Mon, whose recent pieces are inspired by the music of composer Olivier Messiaen.

'Do or die': Flick's journey from jail to artist and First Nations mentor

Flick Chafer-Smith, a First Nations artist, turned her life around after being incarcerated on her 18th birthday and spending six years in and out of prison due to drug addiction. Through the Victorian Indigenous arts program The Torch, she discovered painting as a means of expression and healing. She is now among 424 artists featured in Confined 17, an annual exhibition at Glen Eira Town Hall showcasing works by First Nations artists with lived experience of incarceration in Victoria. The exhibition includes paintings, weavings, ceramics, and carved emu eggs, with sales proceeds going directly to the artists.

Edmonds College Art Gallery spring exhibition showcases students’ art

Edmonds College Art Gallery in Lynnwood, Washington, is presenting its spring exhibition, "Student Art Show," from May 8 to June 12. The show features works by nine emerging student artists—Alexandria Ashley, Christian Douglas, Karis Johnson, Daphne Lynch, Zoe Mody, Aya Nakano, Jinx Pineda, Lika Rukhadze, and Felicity Silvers—across mixed media, painting, sculpture, and ceramics. An opening reception will be held on May 8 with food, refreshments, and live piano music.

Studio art capstone exhibition running through May 8

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s School of Art, Art History and Design is presenting the Spring 2026 Studio Art Capstone Exhibition, featuring work from 21 graduating studio art and graphic design students. The exhibition runs through May 8 in the Eisentrager-Howard Gallery, with a closing reception on May 8 from 5-7 p.m. Students such as Anna Dirrim, Braylon Schroeder, Hannah Nigh, and Coralea Montague are showcasing pieces in mediums including painting, drawing, ceramics, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and interdisciplinary art.

PSAD Student Art Exhibition returns, showcasing year of creativity

The Paducah School of Art and Design (PSAD) is hosting its annual student art exhibition, featuring works created during the 2025-2026 academic year. The exhibition includes ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, digital photography, audio and video, graphic design, print production, and digital art. An opening awards ceremony will take place on May 1, 2026, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., with cash merit awards in categories such as 2D art, 3D art, digital media, and commercial graphic design. Additional honors include the President’s Choice Purchase Award and a Juror’s Choice Award, judged by former PSAD director and photography instructor Paul Aho. The exhibition runs from May 1 to 8 at the Bill Ford Gallery in Paducah.

Youth Art Exhibition award winners announced

The 33rd Annual Creative Youth Art League exhibition opened at the LaGrange Art Museum on April 26, 2026, with award winners announced for student-created artworks. Jackson Rakestraw, a 9th grader from Heard County High, won the Morrill Hutchinson Award for Best of Show, while Taylor Norred, an 11th grader from Troup High, received the Wates Keller Award for Best of Show in Troup County. The exhibition features over 384 students from 30 schools and homeschool groups across four Georgia counties, with categories spanning drawing, painting, mixed media, sculpture, ceramics, and photography.

Paradise Mobile Heritage Month Art Showcase

Paradise Mobile has announced the return of its Heritage Month Art Showcase, a local art exhibition running throughout May at its 24 Reid Street store in Bermuda. The exhibition features nearly 50 works from 20 Bermudian artists, selected through an open call around the theme 'For de Culture' set by the Department of Culture. Pieces span paintings, ceramics, photography, music, embroidery, woodwork, sculpture, model boats, and poetry, and are available for purchase with all proceeds going to the artists. A public opening reception will be held on May 8th with live music and refreshments, and visitors can vote for the 'Paradise People's Choice Award' winner.