Easthampton artists, priced out of studio building, exhibit new work and defiance

A group of about 40 artists from Easthampton, Massachusetts, have mounted a new exhibition titled “Cottage Street Studios, Past and Present” at Easthampton City Arts, nearly a year after rising rents forced many of them out of their longtime studio building at One Cottage Street. The former factory, owned by nonprofit Riverside Industries, had housed a mix of painters, potters, and woodworkers for half a century, but a management change led to rent increases that doubled some tenants’ costs, prompting roughly half of the 80 artists to leave. Fiber artist Andrea Zax organized the show as a defiant act of community reconnection, while artists like Piper Foreso and Matthew Simons described the scattering as devastating to their creative ecosystem.

Art gallery opens in former Wilko store

An art gallery has opened in a former Wilko store in Hillsborough, which closed in September 2023 after the high-street chain collapsed. Hypha Studios, a charity led by director Will Jennings, repurposed the empty retail space to provide artists with a venue for exhibitions, acting as a middleman between landlords and creatives.

Art exhibit to show the realities of homelessness in Kansas City

Artist Daniel Montoute will present "Living in Tents," an exhibition of paintings, found objects, and mixed media works at the Shirley Stiles Gallery in Kansas City starting August 18, 2025. The show depicts the realities of homelessness in the Kansas City area, featuring imagery of tents, shopping carts, and people sleeping in alleyways. Montoute, who moved to Kansas City in 2023 to join the Pendleton ArtsBlock artist community, was struck by the prevalence of homelessness. All exhibition pieces will be donated to reStart Inc., an emergency shelter, and auctioned at its annual fundraising gala on September 11.

A grocery store turned art gallery? Only in the East Village

Village Gourmet Grocery, a corner store on 2nd Avenue and East 6th Street in New York's East Village, is hosting "EN EL KIOSCO," a solo exhibition of surreal paintings by Miami-born artist Juan Jose Heredia, through June 29. The show is organized by the nomadic Desnivel Gallery, founded by artist-curator Maria De Victoria, and features Heredia's works on soft fabrics like burlap, including pieces such as "Bunny ears of absence" and "Anemone Cerberus." The grocery store remains open for regular business from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. (3 a.m. on weekends), allowing visitors to view contemporary art while shopping for snacks.

Leaders of former Maine syringe provider open Winterport art gallery

Abby D'Alessio and her husband Josh, former leaders of the Bangor-based Health Equity Alliance (HEAL)—which operated a syringe exchange and closed in April amid financial turmoil—have opened Selah Gallery on Main Street in Winterport, Maine. The gallery, named after a Biblical word meaning 'pause' and 'reflect,' offers a space for mindful contemplation and sells a mix of artwork, skin care products, jewelry, and accessories, with pieces priced from a few hundred dollars to $100,000. Abby D'Alessio, who stepped down as HEAL's harm reduction manager in December, curates the gallery, while Josh D'Alessio is a featured photographer. The space also includes the 'Canvas of Courage' project, which showcases artists who have faced homelessness, substance use, or mental health struggles, such as acrylic painter Ben Rasche.

Surprise art exhibition in Gourock brought together 18 artists from Inverclyde

A surprise art exhibition in Gourock, Scotland, brought together 18 artists from Inverclyde in a pop-up shop on Kempock Street. Organized by local painter Catriona Reid on just a week's notice, the show featured paintings, sculptures, photography, and illustrations, including works like Linda Ross's oil painting 'Rain Storm' and Andrew King's sunset photography. The event drew many visitors and received an overwhelmingly positive response.

New gallery in Garnethill to celebrate Glasgow's street art and graffiti scene

A new gallery called Grateful Gallery is opening at 50 Hill Street in Glasgow's Garnethill neighborhood, founded by artists Ciaran Globel and Panda McGlone. The public opening is set for Friday, June 6, 2025. The duo, who have been friends since 2006, aim to create a welcoming space dedicated to Glasgow's street art and graffiti scene. The gallery will sell affordable prints, merchandise, and artwork from local street artists, with a rotating monthly floor show; the inaugural exhibition, titled "Friends," runs from June 6 to July 3. The space has been renovated with community help, and a crowdfunder raised nearly £12,000 from over 300 supporters.

El Paso's International Museum Of Art Features A Tattoo Artists For The First Time Ever

El Paso tattoo artist Francella Baca will open a solo exhibition at the International Museum of Art on May 4, marking the first time the museum has featured a tattoo artist in a solo show. Baca, who has worked in tattooing for nearly two decades and owns the shop Dreadful Things, will display painted works alongside tattooed synthetic skins and a recreated tattoo shop environment, blending her background in tattoo culture with surrealist painting.

Dato’ Chong Hon Fatt’s Solo Art Exhibition at Khoo Kongsi

Dato’ Chong Hon Fatt’s solo art exhibition opened at the Khoo Kongsi Art Gallery in Georgetown, Penang, on a Sunday afternoon. The event featured paintings created between April 21 and May 3, 2025, depicting traditional buildings, temples, shophouses, and street scenes that capture Penang’s architectural and cultural heritage. Speeches were delivered by Mr. Khoo Boo Yeang, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Leong San Tong, and Guest of Honour Mr. Lee Khai, Chairman of the Penang State Art Gallery, before the official opening ceremony.

Landmark store transformed into art gallery

Kellie Miller Art (KMA) gallery has opened a new location in Brighton's Church Street, taking over the former Dockerills hardware store. The two-floor space, which doubles the gallery's previous size, was inaugurated with a packed opening event on Friday evening, featuring paintings, ceramics, and sculptures from over 100 local, national, and international artists. The gallery is run by artist and curator Kellie Miller, who has over 30 years of industry experience.

Renewal of spirit: Innovative photography gallery, listening room opens at 78th Street Studios

Cleveland artist Jason Toth has opened a new studio and gallery space at 78th Street Studios, featuring an immersive listening room called "Surrender & Smile" that combines high-end audio with hyper-colored photography installations. The 1,800-square-foot space includes a gallery hall, main exhibition area, and a specially designed listening room with acoustic treatments from Cleveland-based Audimute. The opening night on March 21 drew over 200 visitors who experienced an AI-animated projection of Toth's artwork. Toth plans to offer private meditation and music listening sessions, and to launch a live-stream concert series called "The Surrender Sessions" modeled after NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts.

In Greece, the Thessalonikéon Métropolis Archaeological Museum Opens Its Doors

En Grèce, le musée archéologique Thessalonikéon Métropolis ouvre ses portes

The Thessalonikéon Métropolis archaeological museum opened on May 7 in Thessaloniki, Greece, inside the renovated Pavlos Melas barracks (Building A3). Its collection of over 300,000 objects—including ceramics, jewelry, mosaics, sarcophagi, and architectural fragments—was unearthed during the construction of the city's metro system, which began in 2006 and became the largest rescue excavation in northern Greece. The centerpiece is the Decumanus Maximus, a well-preserved Roman-Byzantine commercial street discovered at the Venizelou station, nicknamed "Byzantine Pompeii." The museum's restoration cost about €14.5 million, partly funded by European Union funds, while the total archaeological interventions cost between €75 and €203 million.

Cultural Cities at the Heart of New Municipal Conquests

Villes culturelles, au cœur des nouvelles conquêtes municipales

Municipal elections across France have resulted in a wave of new and re-elected mayors, many of whom campaigned on strong cultural platforms. Key victories include Emmanuel Grégoire in Paris, Catherine Trautmann in Strasbourg, Grégory Doucet in Lyon, Yann Galut in Bourges, and Arnaud Deslandes in Lille, each outlining specific cultural visions ranging from continuity and private-public partnerships to fostering urban and street culture.

Rachel Mentzer Transforms Discarded Cartons into Dusky Collagraphs

Ohio-based artist Rachel Mentzer creates collagraph prints using discarded cartons as printing plates, carving them with images of birds, trees, and energy infrastructure. Her process involves carving the cardboard, sealing it with polyurethane, inking it, and transferring the image via an etching press, often incorporating chine collé for color. Her work was recently shown at the Manhattan Graphics Center, and she will participate in the Suzanne Wilson Artist-in-Residence Program at Glen Arbor Arts Center this summer.

Frank Relle’s Photos Revel in Louisiana’s Otherworldly Swampland

Photographer Frank Relle continues his long-term artistic exploration of Louisiana's swamps, capturing the ethereal transition between day and night in his series 'Until the Water'. Based in New Orleans, Relle uses submerged lights to illuminate cypress trees and Spanish moss, creating serene, otherworldly images that convey a sense of timelessness and connection to a primordial landscape.

Stephen Morrison’s Trompe-L’œil ‘Dog World’ Paintings Are Fetching

Artist Stephen Morrison is presenting a solo exhibition titled 'Dog Show #5: Field Recordings' at SLAG&RX gallery in New York. The show features his vibrant, trompe-l'œil paintings that embed canine features into compositions of everyday objects and textiles, referencing his personal connections to Paris, New York City, and Maine.

Pejac Transforms Basic Graph Paper into Detailed, Trompe-L’œil Tableaux

Artist Pejac has created a new series of detailed, trompe-l'œil tableaux on basic graph paper. He transforms the two-dimensional grid into scenes of depth and movement, such as children throwing snowballs that are actually cubes from the grid itself, and a construction worker carving the iconic Sistine Chapel hand motif from the paper's lines.

Creative Well Arts Foundation opening doors at new gallery on Coast Live

Creative Well Arts Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by artists Monica Turley and Tessa Hall Duquette, has opened its first gallery in Virginia Beach. Located in the former 17th Street Marketplace space at the corner of Mediterranean Avenue and Virginia Beach Boulevard, the 2,500-square-foot facility includes five artist studios, a rotating art gallery, and a multi-use classroom focused on therapeutic arts education and community connection. The foundation was established through donors, grants, and tax-deductible donations, and its inaugural exhibition, “Where is the Color: A Solo Exhibition by DKANE,” is scheduled for August 8.

Science Museum Partners With Serendipity Arts For Free Events In London This June

The Science Museum in London has partnered with Serendipity Arts, a not-for-profit foundation supporting artistic practice across South Asia, to present free events this June. The collaboration launches on June 5 with Innovation Lates, an adults-only evening of music, making, and ideas inspired by Indian innovation, as part of the Great Exhibition Road Festival. The festival marks 175 years since the Great Exhibition of 1851 and includes workshops, talks, performances, and a puppet parade directed by Dadi Pudumjee.

Former Farmers building 'leading candidate' for art gallery

A feasibility study commissioned by the Invercargill City Council has identified the former Farmers department store building on Dee Street as the leading candidate for a new public art gallery in Invercargill, New Zealand. The study, prepared by Rebecca McElrea of McElrea Consulting, assessed multiple location options—including the H&J Smith building, an extension of the Te Unua Museum site, and incorporation into the new Te Unua museum—but concluded that the Farmers building offers the best alignment with investment objectives due to its size, configuration, central city location, and preliminary cost certainty. The council will consider proceeding with a detailed business case for this option at a committee meeting on Tuesday.

'It's something we should all be concerned about' - Belfast studio moves to temporary hub amid rising costs

Vault Artist Studios, a Belfast-based arts collective with over 100 members including musicians, circus performers, and visual artists, has moved into a temporary hub at Bankmore House on Bedford Street after spending three years at Victoria Street and the Shankill Mission building. The collective, formed in 2017 to transform derelict buildings into affordable studio space, now provides studios for 30 artists plus a gallery and project space, with further space opening soon in a former Masonic Lodge on the lower Newtownards Road. Their first exhibition in the new space, titled 'Mayday Mayday', serves as both a distress signal and a rallying call for workers.

First Friday Art Walk showcases student exhibitions

The May First Friday Art Walk in downtown Springfield features student exhibitions from Drury University, Missouri State University, and Ozarks Technical Community College, alongside Route 66-themed shows. Seventeen venues participate in the self-guided tour, with college artists displaying work at four locations, including the Robert & Margaret Carolla Arts Exhibition Center, Brick City Gallery, the Pool Arts Center, and Ozarks Technical Community College's Art and Design Department. The Route 66 Centennial Traveling Exhibit, created by documentary filmmaker Katrina Parks, is on display at the Historic Gillioz Theatre, and photographers Vance Clark and Andrew Mann present their 'Unique Lens' exhibit at the Park Central Branch Library.

Blue Phrog Gallery closing doors in downtown Montevallo

The Blue Phrog Gallery, a staple of the downtown Montevallo art scene for over 15 years, has announced its permanent closure. Founded in 2009 by Phil and Suzanne Hurst in a repurposed bank building, the gallery served as a primary venue for Alabama-based artists and University of Montevallo students to showcase and sell their work. The building at 955 Main Street is currently listed for sale following the recent passing of co-founder Phil Hurst.

Old Town galleries open doors for monthly Park City Gallery Stroll

The Arts Council of Park City and Summit County is hosting its monthly Gallery Stroll this Friday, featuring 15 participating art spaces across Old Town and Kearns Boulevard. Executive Director Jocelyn Scudder highlighted the event as a primary opportunity for the community to engage with local Utah creators and explore the diverse curatorial styles of regional gallerists.

Story of Stampé is the new social atelier in Turin: art gallery, workshop, laboratory of ideas and participation

Storia di Stampé è il nuovo atelier sociale di Torino: galleria d’arte, bottega, laboratorio di idee e di partecipazione

Stampé, a new community atelier in Turin, Italy, has opened at Via Stampatori 5, a historic street once home to printers. The space is a hybrid cultural hub combining an art gallery, a workshop, a showroom for artisanal and food products, and a social enterprise incubator. It launched with a group exhibition featuring seven cultural associations and the communication agency Hello Tomorrow, showcasing works by emerging artists and graphic artworks from past events. The initiative is part of the "Piani Generativi 2" social enterprise development project, funded by the city of Turin and the Compagnia di San Paolo foundation.

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.

Transforming (and Transforming) to Survive. Interview with sculptor and designer Tadeáš Podracký

Trasformarsi (e trasformare) per sopravvivere. Intervista allo scultore e designer Tadeáš Podracký

Czech sculptor and designer Tadeáš Podracký (b. 1989) presents new works during Milan Design Week 2026, including three carved wooden lamps and sculptures exploring hybridity. The pieces are inspired by the rare Sorbus sudetica tree, a hybrid species that has survived for nearly 20,000 years through asexual reproduction. The exhibition, titled "Before the Shape Appears," is produced by 5 Vie and hosted at Cavallerizze in Via Olona. Podracký's practice bridges fine art and collectible design, using techniques such as carving, waxing, patination, and pigment infusion to create objects that appear to have grown organically.

Bread, Wine, and Fish: How the Archaeology of Food Tells the Story of Life in Herculaneum

Pane, vino e pesce. Tutta l’archeologia del cibo racconta che vita si faceva a Ercolano: l’itinerario gratuito

The Herculaneum Archaeological Park has launched a new thematic itinerary titled "I luoghi del cibo a Ercolano" (The Places of Food in Herculaneum), offering visitors a deep dive into the gastronomic culture of the Roman city buried by Vesuvius in 79 AD. The guided path leads through ancient street food stalls known as thermopolia, specialized wine shops, and the bakery of Sextus Patulcius Felix, where stone mills and ovens remain intact. The experience extends to the Casa dei Cervi to illustrate the social rituals of elite banqueting and includes a supplementary exhibition at Villa Campolieto featuring organic remains preserved by the eruption.

California Art Club’s “American Road Trip” Opens at the Old Mill

The California Art Club opens its third exhibition, “A Rite of Passage: The American Road Trip,” at the Old Mill in San Marino on May 14. The show features paintings by CAC artists depicting cross-country highway scenes, including desert roads, small-town main streets, and roadside landmarks, as part of the club’s series celebrating California’s 175th anniversary and the United States’ 250th. The exhibition runs through October 4.

Boyne Arts Center seeks artists for new installation honoring donors

The Boyne Arts Center in Boyne City, Michigan, is calling for artists to submit proposals for a commissioned installation that will honor donors at its new gallery at 211 Water Street. The permanent piece will initially feature 50 to 100 donor names and be expandable. Artists may propose designs for one of three locations: an exterior courtyard, a gallery window, or a moveable interior piece. Proposals are due May 26, with selection by June 15 and installation by September 7, ahead of an October ribbon-cutting ceremony.