Here's what the much-talked-about Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale looks like. Photos and video

Ecco com’è il chiacchieratissimo Padiglione Russia della Biennale di Venezia. Foto e video

The Russian Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale has opened amid intense controversy over its unauthorized participation. The pavilion, housed in a 1914 building recently restored by Italian architects 2050+, features a program of musical improvisations, ensemble performances, techno concerts, and interactive actions, including free used clothing. The space is designed as a fragrant flower shop with a chill-out room featuring a conifer grove and video installations. The exhibition, titled "L’Albero Radicato nel Cielo" (The Tree Rooted in the Sky), is organized by young poets, musicians, and philosophers who prefer to remain anonymous as a collective, coordinated by the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music. However, due to sanctions, the pavilion is only open from May 5 to 8, as organizers cannot obtain the necessary permit to operate beyond the private opening.

Harrison Brothers Store to celebrate America's 250th with art exhibit

Harrison Brothers Hardware Store, a historic fixture in downtown Huntsville, Alabama, is celebrating America's 250th birthday with an art exhibition featuring works by local artists. The open call for submissions, organized by the Historic Huntsville Foundation which owns the store, resulted in a collection of paintings that share a common theme of home and belonging, rather than overt patriotic symbols. The exhibit also includes the historic American signature quilt, stitched with notable 20th-century names.

ART OSAKA 2026 RETURNS WITH EXPANDED VENUES

ART OSAKA 2026 will take place from 28 May to 1 June with an expanded two-venue format, featuring over 60 galleries from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, and beyond. The fair is split between the Galleries Section at Grand Green Osaka in the Umekita district and the Expanded Section at Creative Center Osaka, a former shipyard. A special exhibition, "Another 1990s—Kansai Artists Beyond Time," revisits regional art practices from the 1990s.

Lifework: An Exhibition by KCAT Studio Artists

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council presents "Lifework," an exhibition of artworks by seven artists from the Kilkenny Collective for Arts Talent (KCAT) Studio. The show runs from May 9 to August 26, 2026 at the Municipal Gallery, dlr LexIcon in Dún Laoghaire, featuring artists Thomas Barron, Declan Byrne, Lorna Corrigan, Sinéad Fahey, Fergus Fitzgerald, Andrew Pike, and Jason Turner. Curated by Dominic Thorpe, the exhibition pairs each artist's earliest work with recent pieces to highlight their long-term artistic development. A concurrent showcase of inclusive artwork from the county will be displayed in Gallery Two, accompanied by workshops programmed by Moran Been-noon and Rayne Booth.

Colares studio opens its doors for one-day art show

Three artists—Maria José Meneses, Clara Rêgo, and Mary St. George—are opening their studio at Casa do Celeiro in Colares, Sintra, for a one-day "Open Studio" event on Saturday, May 30, from 12pm to 6pm. The event offers the public a rare behind-the-scenes look at a working art studio, featuring contemporary paintings, mixed media, sculptural ceramics, and artists' books in a 17th-century building that was once a barn and stable.

Gallery 100 Presents “Juxtaposition,” a Textile Art Exhibition

Gallery 100 in Chelsea, Michigan, will present “Juxtaposition,” a textile art exhibition featuring quilted photographic works by fiber artist Charlotte Wyche, from May 12 through July 5, 2026. An opening reception on May 14 offers guests a chance to meet the artist and view her work, which blends traditional quilting techniques with photographic inspiration to create layered, tactile compositions.

Annual {Ink}arcerated art exhibition returns to Arizona Center May 15

The {Ink}arcerated: Creativity Within Confinement art exhibition returns to the Arizona Center on May 15, featuring 365 new paintings, drawings, and sculptures created by incarcerated individuals. Managed by doctoral students Alexis Klemm and Madeline Boersma from ASU's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, the program involves distributing art supplies to 17 correctional facilities across Arizona, including a youth facility for the first time, and curating the completed works into a polished exhibition with museum lighting and display walls.

dk Gallery to debut new floral art exhibit Friday

Marietta's dk Gallery will debut a new floral-themed exhibit titled "This Is Us: Bloom" on Friday, April 30, 2026. The opening reception runs from 6 to 8 p.m., featuring floral-inspired contemporary fine art from over a dozen artists. Members of the Marietta Educational Garden Center will create corresponding floral arrangements, which will be auctioned to raise funds for the center. The exhibit will be on display through May 20.

Exhibition celebrates the horse's cultural role

An exhibition titled 'New Steeds of the Silk Road' has opened at Yanhuang Art Museum in Beijing, featuring horse-themed paintings and sculptures by artists from China and Belarus. The show celebrates the horse as a symbol of strength, courage, freedom, and loyalty, and coincides with the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac. It runs until May 18.

Between Here and Elsewhere: A New Generation Steps Forward

The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria will host 'Between Here and Elsewhere,' an exhibition featuring the Top 10 artists from the 2025/26 Tlhagella Incubation Programme. Curated by Puleng Plessie, the show opens on 1 May 2026 and presents works that explore themes of presence, memory, and belonging through a polyphonic, multi-perspectival approach.

Mango Tango Art Gallery Presents: Fresh Paint and Seasoned Strokes

Mango Tango Art Gallery in St. Thomas is opening a group exhibition titled 'Fresh Paint and Seasoned Strokes' on May 30, featuring works by three artists: newcomer Vickie Lawrence, regional icon Eric Winter, and master teacher David Millard. The show includes watercolors, acrylics, and oil paintings, with live music by Sammy Watts and Ras Abu, and will run for one month.

Keokuk School District to open art gallery

The Keokuk Community School District in Iowa plans to open a new art gallery in fall 2026, featuring student work and organized by the Keokuk High School Art Department. The gallery will be located in the same building as the Collaboration Center in the district's new central office at 420 N. 17th St. in Keokuk. To fund display items such as frames, pedestals, and presentation equipment, the Art Department is hosting a fundraiser with sponsorship levels ranging from $250 to over $1,000, offering recognition opportunities for donors.

SouthSide Works lands pop-up gallery focused on manufacturing and art

A new pop-up gallery focused on the intersection of manufacturing and art will open at SouthSide Works on May 21 and operate throughout the summer. The space complements an existing gallery in the Hill District, aiming to bridge industrial heritage with contemporary artistic expression.

Western’s ‘Student Art Exhibition’ now open to the public

Western’s Student Art Exhibition has opened to the public at the school’s Art Gallery, featuring works in painting, printmaking, ceramics, photography, drawing, sculpture, and mixed media. The exhibition runs until August 28, with a public reception and awards ceremony scheduled for May 14, where community members can meet the student artists and purchase their work.

OPINION: How the biennial staff and faculty exhibition benefits art students

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.

Creative outlets on show

Two artists, Judy Green-Philpott and Christina McTaggart, will showcase their work at the Thames Art Gallery in New Zealand throughout June. Green-Philpott, a former cake decorator turned painter, presents her first-ever exhibition featuring acrylic landscapes, mixed-media collage, and tile mosaics. McTaggart, originally from Singapore and now based in New Zealand, displays watercolor paintings specializing in flowers and abstract subjects. The exhibition runs from May 1 at the gallery on Tararu Road.

Manassas Gallery Celebrates 250 Years with Fine Art Exhibit

Creative Brush Studio in Manassas, Virginia, is presenting "America the Beautiful," a fine art exhibit featuring over 70 works that depict all 50 U.S. states. The show opens with receptions on June 27 and 28, 2026, and runs through August 15, 2026. It includes contributions from 35 resident and regional artists, with subjects ranging from iconic landmarks like Chicago's "Bean" and Niagara Falls to intimate portrayals of everyday scenes. Visitors can vote for their favorite pieces and enter to win a themed gift basket.

Art exhibit brings mental health into focus

A touring exhibition featuring work by well-established and up-and-coming Saskatchewan artists has opened at a church-turned-art gallery in St. Walburg, Saskatchewan, just in time for Mental Health Awareness Month. The show focuses on mental health themes and brings together diverse artistic voices in a small town 60 kilometres east of the Alberta border.

'Earth Sky Color' show at Seven Stars Art Gallery

A new group exhibition titled 'Earth Sky Color' opens at the Seven Stars Art Gallery in Nevada City, featuring local Plein Air and landscape artists Laurence Fogiel, Sam Mitchell, Bob Kittle, Warren Knox, Susan Moreno, Linda Roemisch, Sharri Tucker, and Jane Welles. The show presents original paintings in acrylic, gouache, oil, pastel, and watercolor, with an opening reception scheduled for Saturday, June 6 from 6-8 p.m., sponsored by the Nevada City Odd Fellows Lodge.

May - June Exhibits @ Art Works!

Art Works in Richmond, Virginia, is presenting six new exhibits from May through June 2026, featuring artists Heidi Peelen, Geneva Dinh, Anna Demovidova, RVA Clay Founding Members, and Meagan Samuel. Highlights include the May All Media Show, a juried exhibition of regional artists, and a collaborative Bridge Project with Richmond Public Schools, the Children’s Museum of Richmond, and Richard Harding. The venue also offers over 80 working artist studios, free admission, and free parking, with exhibits running through various dates in June and July.

Landscape, colour and imagination celebrated at Armstrong art gallery

The Armstrong Spallumcheen Museum & Art Gallery in British Columbia is opening a dual exhibition on May 28, 2026, featuring the Shuswap Plein Air Troupe and artist Nancy Vince. The Main Gallery presents "Together: From There to Here," a group show by Diane Akey, Maureen Howard, and Patricia L. Smith, who paint together as the Plein Air Troupe, capturing landscapes with varied textures and emotional depth. In the Freeze Gallery, "A Touch of Whimsy" showcases Vince's high-definition metal prints filled with vibrant, playful imagery of flowers, cottages, and lakeside scenes. The exhibition runs through June 27, with a reception on opening night.

Fabio Adani investigates the perception of reality in his exhibition at Salamon Fine Art

Salamon Fine Art gallery in Milan is hosting Fabio Adani's solo exhibition 'Silentium fin che parli' from May 16 to June 4, 2026. The show explores the perceptual transformation of reality through painting, graphite, and the written word, emphasizing allusion over direct representation. The exhibition includes a critical text by Beatrice Gardella and prose and poetry by Elisabetta Amaini, featuring works inspired by natural environments that invite viewers to engage in an open-ended process of interpretation.

Furlong Gallery showcases student artists

Furlong Gallery, a venue associated with the University of Wisconsin–Stout, is currently hosting an exhibition that highlights the work of student artists. The show features a range of visual art created by emerging student talents, providing them with a platform to display their creations to the public and campus community.

Artist Talk - Aspen Chapel Gallery

The Aspen Chapel Gallery is hosting an Artist Talk event, featuring local artists discussing their work and creative processes. The talk is designed to engage the community and provide insight into the exhibitions currently on view at the gallery.

In-Town's Gallery's Spring All Member Show Celebrates Local Artists

In-Town Gallery on Frazier Avenue in Chattanooga is hosting its Spring All Member Show, a biannual exhibition featuring new artwork from all of its over 38 local and regional artist members. The show opens with a free reception on Friday, May 8th, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm, and runs through May 31st, showcasing a wide range of media including painting, pottery, turned wood, fused glass, photography, and jewelry.

May Flowers: Opening Reception Featuring Community Artists Sat. May 9th at Blue Water Fine Art Gallery in Rockaway Beach – Tillamook County Pioneer

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.

Terry Curtain Named ZAAP Gallery Artist of the Month - WHIZ - Fox 5 / Marquee Broadcasting

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.

TINY ART show is back at ArtWorks Gallery

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.

First Friday Art Walk set this weekend in Sequim

The First Friday Art Walk in Sequim, Washington, will take place this weekend from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., featuring an aqua-themed self-guided tour of downtown venues. Highlights include a reception for "May Flowers" at Blue Whole Gallery with works by Jolene Sanborn and Rick George, a fiber arts exhibit at Sequim Museum & Arts, and new works at A. Milligan Art Studio and Gallery by Lyn Conlan and Anne Pfeiffer, along with live music and local artisan offerings at multiple participating businesses.

Seafront gallery hosts major exhibition of local artists

The Fishing Quarter Gallery on Brighton seafront hosted the Bright On Open Call Exhibition, featuring works by 65 local artists. Curated by seascape painter Emma Christopherson, the exhibition presented a visual tour of Brighton from the sea through the city to the South Downs, including seascapes, portraits, and landscapes. Most works were available for purchase, and visitors could meet the artists. This is the second year Christopherson has organized the event, with plans to continue next year.