Arts Listings: Week of May 21, 2026

This article is a local arts listings roundup for the week of May 21, 2026, in Ventura County, California. It announces theater productions including "Firebringer," "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Zapalooza," and "The Wolves," along with art exhibitions at venues such as the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Camarillo Art Center, Dama Gallery, the Mexican Consulate in Oxnard, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, and UBS. It also includes a call for artists from the Arts Council of the Conejo Valley and an open call from Dama Gallery.

Phoenix Airport Museum Celebrates Museum Month

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is celebrating Museum Month and International Museum Day (May 18) by highlighting the Phoenix Airport Museum's exhibitions. The museum, which began as an art program in the 1960s with Paul Coze's mural "The Phoenix" and officially became a museum 38 years ago, has presented over 500 exhibitions focusing on Arizona's culture. It now houses more than 1,000 artworks across 40 display areas, including architecturally integrated pieces and portable works. Current exhibitions include "Spectral Alchemy" (15 local artists exploring light), "Fluoresce" (blacklight paintings), "Time & Place" (paintings by Martin Dimitrov), "Runway Fashion" (vintage flight attendant uniforms), and several others in Terminals 3 and 4, both pre- and post-security.

Mario Ceroli on display in Florence: forty works at Tornabuoni Arte

The Tornabuoni Arte gallery in Florence is hosting "Mario Ceroli. Myth and Matter," an anthological exhibition featuring forty sculptures and installations by the Roman artist Mario Ceroli. The show traces his career from the 1960s to 2000, including his iconic wooden silhouettes, works inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, and pieces referencing Greek myth and the Riace Bronzes. The exhibition runs until May 29 at the gallery's Lungarno Benvenuto Cellini 3 location.

Old toys, new life: Bloomingdale’s Step Mother Nature art gallery opens 'Child's Play'

Michael Greathouse's exhibition "Child's Play" opened at the Step Mother Nature gallery in Bloomingdale, featuring a dozen portraits of discarded stuffed animals. The show marks the gallery's third season reopening and is paired with a toy drive for the Saranac Lake Holiday Helpers, a local volunteer group that collects toys for children at Christmas. Greathouse's paintings depict battle-worn toys with scars, ripped fabric, and chipped paint, aiming to capture the history and soul of each object.

Rare, World-Class Masterworks from Picasso to Dalí Meet Contemporary Artists in Front Royal at Ichiuji Fine Arts Gallery

The Melissa Ichiuji Studio Gallery in Front Royal, Virginia, opened a new exhibition titled 'Slow Image: Material Intelligence Across Generations' on April 25th. The show features original prints by major 20th-century artists including Picasso, Miró, Matisse, Dalí, Chagall, Calder, and Giacometti, displayed alongside contemporary artists working in clay, steel, textiles, collage, drawing, and paint. Gallery proprietor and artist Melissa Ichiuji conceived the exhibition over two years, aiming to create a museum-level experience in an intimate setting for the local community.

'To Paint Is To Love Again' at Crèvecoeur, Paris–Cascades, France on 9 Apr–27 May 2026

The group exhibition 'To Paint Is To Love Again' at Crèvecoeur gallery in Paris explores the theme of artistic freedom, play, and a childlike approach to creation. The article examines this through the lens of Henry Miller's writings on painting, the influence of Jean Dubuffet's Art Brut, and the practices of contemporary artists Whitney Clafin, Sadie Benning, and Françoise Lapeyre, who incorporate found objects, toys, and a 'Sunday painter' ethos into their work.

Lindsay: Where Art Meets Life. Exhibit features Guffogg, Korean artists

The Lindsay Museum and Gallery recently debuted "Still Point: Everything Moves, One Remains," an international contemporary exhibition curated by JunHwan Chang of Gallery Chang. The show features a cross-cultural dialogue between local California artist Shane Guffogg and four prominent Korean artists: Kim Miné, Kim Hongbin, Anon, and Shin Kiwoun. The works on display range from Guffogg’s layered abstract paintings and Kim Miné’s lenticular "Nobody" series to hand-dyed fabric installations and video art exploring historical currency.

Hopkins Bloomberg Center exhibition to explore American art as cultural diplomacy

The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center is set to launch a new exhibition titled 'Artistic Generosity and the American Artist Abroad,' showcasing four decades of American art commissioned for U.S. embassies. Opening April 7 at the Irene and Richard Frary Gallery, the show features works from the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE) by renowned artists including Sam Gilliam, Ellsworth Kelly, Julie Mehretu, and Martin Puryear. Highlights include never-before-seen maquettes by Don Gummer and the late Frank Stella, alongside a replica of the Declaration of Independence donated by David M. Rubenstein.

Hopkins Bloomberg Center exhibition to explore American art as cultural diplomacy

The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center is launching a new exhibition titled "Artistic Generosity and the American Artist Abroad," showcasing four decades of American art commissioned for U.S. embassies worldwide. Opening April 7 at the Irene and Richard Frary Gallery, the show features site-specific commissions, prints, and photographs from the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE) collection, including works by Frank Stella, Ellsworth Kelly, and Julie Mehretu.

Five Women Artists Bring 'Psychedelic' Sense of Play to Pioneer Square Exhibit

The Beauty Shop collective, a group of five female artists based in the Puget Sound region, has launched a new group exhibition titled "The Party Mix" at Gallery 110 in Seattle's Pioneer Square. Featuring works by Arni Adler, Lynette Charters, Saundra Fleming, Kate Harkins, and Ingrid Sojit, the show presents a diverse array of media unified by a "psychedelic" sense of play, intuitive creative processes, and a focus on the female figure. The exhibition, which runs through March 28, was born out of a collaborative support network that began during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paradigm Shift and Ryoji Ikeda exhibitions at 180 Studios extended due to popular demand

180 Studios in London has extended two exhibitions—'Paradigm Shift' and Ryoji Ikeda's 'data-cosm [n°1]'—through February 1, 2026, due to popular demand. 'Paradigm Shift' presents moving-image works from the 1970s to the present by artists including Andy Warhol, Pipilotti Rist, Nan Goldin, and Arthur Jafa, exploring the evolution of screen culture across avant-garde cinema, TV, music video, and internet culture. Ikeda's 'data-cosm [n°1]' is a world-premiere, site-specific audio-visual installation commissioned by 180 Studios, charting data from particle physics to astrophysics.

Featured Artists & Exhibitions

Relévant Galleries in Vail, Colorado, is hosting a series of artist meet-and-greet events and exhibitions throughout July 2025, featuring works by renowned photographer David Yarrow, jeweler Dan Telleen, and painter Sarah Winkler, among others. The gallery also highlights its other locations in Scottsdale, Park City, and Denver, while C. Anthony Gallery in Beaver Creek and Vail International Gallery present concurrent shows with artists like Britten and Sarah Winkler.

In the heart of Trastevere, an exhibition by an artist paying homage to an ancient Roman goddess

Nel cuore di Trastevere la mostra di un artista che omaggia un’antica dea romana

Diego Gualandris presents 'Floralia,' a solo exhibition at ADA gallery in Rome's Trastevere district, running until May 24, 2026. The show blends painting and music to create a modern homage to Flora, the ancient Roman goddess of spring and fertility. Gualandris displays a series of medium- and small-scale canvases from 2026 alongside a 1970s gramophone playing two original tracks—'The world in a flowerbed' improvised by the artist on piano with saxophonist Francesca Pegurri, his mother. The exhibition also references Hermann Nitsch through works like 'Prinzendorf,' and features playful, erotic botanical compositions that invite viewers to lie down and experience the space through sound and imagery.

100 anni tra arte e poesia per annullare i confini. Intervista a Lamberto Pignotti

Lamberto Pignotti, the 100-year-old Florentine artist and poet and a leading figure in visual poetry, is celebrated with two concurrent exhibitions: "Pignotti 100. Pop-esie visive" at the Mart in Rovereto (in collaboration with the Collegio Cairoli of Pavia) and the dual solo show "Identikit di Pignotti e Hogre" curated by Marco Giovenale at Galleria Bianco Contemporaneo in Rome. The latter exhibition, born from a dialogue between Pignotti and the anonymous artist Hogre, centers on a collection of envelopes Pignotti has saved for over fifty years—each addressed to him with varying titles (architect, artist, poet, professor) or altered names (Alberto, Lorenzo, Mario, Giuseppe)—revealing his fragmented identity. Pignotti co-founded the Gruppo '70 in Florence in 1963 with Eugenio Miccini, a movement that brought together multidisciplinary artists including Lucia Marcucci, Ketty La Rocca, and musicians Giuseppe Chiari and Sylvano Bussotti.

British Museum reveals ticket prices for Bayeux Tapestry exhibition

The British Museum has announced ticket prices for its upcoming Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, running from 10 September 2026 to 11 July 2027. Top-price adult tickets will cost £33, with off-peak tickets at £27 and student/disabled tickets at £25. Super-off-peak tickets priced at £25 will be available for the last weekday slot during school terms. Members can book free timed tickets from 16 June, with public booking opening on 1 July. The tapestry, depicting the Norman invasion of 1066, will be displayed in the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery while its home museum in Normandy undergoes renovations. Additionally, a garden installation titled 'Tapestry of Trees' by designer Andy Sturgeon has been unveiled on the museum forecourt, featuring 37 silver birch trees inspired by the tapestry.

David Nott’s Textured Abstractions Go Digital With LG Gallery+

Contemporary artist David Nott has partnered with LG Gallery+, a digital visual curation service from LG Electronics, to make his work available digitally. His new piece, COLOR RIDDLE VI (2026), created specifically for the collaboration, is accessible via the platform's Artist Collaboration Shelf, allowing users to display it on LG screens.

Charlotte Gere obituary

Art historian Charlotte Gere has died at the age of 88. A specialist in 19th-century art and design, she was the author of seminal works like 'Victorian Jewellery Design' and played a key role in rediscovering the lost jewels of architect William Burges, turning her research into compelling detective stories.

Pixels and paintings: video games return to the V&A

The Victoria & Albert Museum hosted a special Friday Late event in collaboration with the London Games Festival, transforming its historic galleries into a playground for interactive and independent video games. Visitors could play titles like the Bafta-winning 'Thank Goodness You’re Here!' and the comedic 'Sex With Friends' amidst the museum's permanent collection, while live-coding music performances and participatory art projects like 'Robot Karaoke' and 'The Line is the Game' emphasized communal, performative experiences.

Lloyd Le Blanc obituary

Sculptor Lloyd Le Blanc has died at the age of 85. He was known for creating large-scale bronze works of flora and fauna and, with his wife Judith Holmes Drewry, established the Le Blanc Fine Art foundry and studios in Saxby, Leicestershire. Le Blanc was involved in every stage of his sculptures' creation and also cast works for other artists from his foundry.

Victorian time capsule: exhibition tells story of Brodsworth Hall in Yorkshire

An exhibition opens at Brodsworth Hall in Yorkshire celebrating the life and passion of Sylvia Grant-Dalton, the house's long-term custodian. The show focuses on her love of gardening and floral art, featuring her collection of decorative objects, a recreated flower preparation room, and displays inspired by her work, including a large floral installation by local floristry students.

In John Constable’s Hometown, a Trio of Shows Marks His 250th Birthday

A series of three exhibitions in Suffolk, England, celebrates the 250th anniversary of John Constable's birth. The program, hosted at Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich, includes "Constable: A Cast of Characters," focusing on his personal life and circle; "The Hay Wain: Walking Constable's Landscape," featuring his iconic paintings including *The Hay Wain* displayed in its depicted county for the first time; and "Constable to Contemporary," examining his ongoing influence on modern artists.

China’s Tech Capital Wants to Be an Art Hub, Too

Shenzhen, China's major technology hub, is making a concerted push to become a significant player in the art world. The city began 2025 with major announcements from tech giants JD.com and Tencent, which are establishing new art museums in the city, appointing prominent directors Robin Peckham and Pi Li to lead them. This follows years of building cultural infrastructure, including the OCAT museum, the Sea World Culture and Arts Center, and the growth of local art fairs like Art Shenzhen.

youtubes first video acquired by londons va

London's Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has acquired a reconstructed version of YouTube's 2006 interface, including its first-ever uploaded video, 'Me at the zoo.' The interactive display, built using archived code and Adobe Flash, is now on view in the museum's 'Design 1900-Now' gallery, representing a significant effort to preserve the look and feel of early internet culture.

smithsonian insitutition executive order compliance trump

The Smithsonian Institution has agreed to turn over internal materials related to its programming and operations to the White House, following an executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at purging what he calls “anti-American ideology” from the consortium of museums and archives. Private emails from Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch II, obtained by The New York Times, reveal that the Smithsonian will provide digital photographs of labels, placards, and other text on public display, as well as other materials, on a rolling basis to avoid losing federal funding, which makes up nearly two-thirds of its roughly $1 billion annual budget.

cats medieval manuscripts walters art museum

The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore has opened an exhibition titled "Paws on Parchment," exploring the depiction of cats in medieval manuscripts from Europe, Asia, and the Islamic world. The show was inspired by a 15th-century Flemish manuscript that still bears the inky paw prints of a cat that walked across the pages while they were drying. Curator Lynley Anne Herbert assembled the exhibition after discovering the manuscript in the museum's collection, researching medieval poetry, bestiaries, and encyclopedic works to understand historical attitudes toward cats. The exhibition runs through February 22, 2026, and is the first of three shows dedicated to animals in art.

belgian authorities return gilded sacrophagus to egypt

Egypt has recovered two ancient artifacts from Belgium after a decade-long effort, announced on December 2 by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The objects—a painted and gilded Ptolemaic sarcophagus (305–30 B.C.E.) and a wooden beard from a Middle Kingdom statue—were seized by Belgian authorities in 2015 following an Interpol alert, as they were displayed in a Brussels antiques gallery without legal documentation. After a drawn-out diplomatic and legal process, the artifacts were returned in a ceremony at the Royal Museums of Art and History in July, attended by senior Egyptian culture ministers.

stolen snuff boxes recovered cognacq jay museum paris

Five of seven valuable 18th-century snuffboxes stolen from Paris’s Cognacq-Jay Museum in November 2024 have been recovered. Paris Musées announced the return, crediting a police investigation with assistance from the Paris Criminal Investigation Department. The boxes were taken by masked thieves during a daylight robbery from the exhibition “Pocket Luxury.” Two of the recovered boxes were on loan from the Louvre, two from the British royal family’s Royal Collection Trust, and one from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Two more boxes, one from the V&A and one from the Royal Collection, remain missing. The stolen items, decorated with gold, precious stones, mother-of-pearl, or enamel, are estimated to be worth at least €1 million ($1.16 million).

norwich castle reopens restoration

Norwich Castle in Norfolk, England, has reopened after a five-year, $37 million restoration led by architectural firm Feilden + Mawson. For the first time, visitors can explore all five floors of the 900-year-old fortress, including reconstructed Medieval chambers and over 900 artifacts. The restoration reestablished the original Medieval layout with era-appropriate furnishings in the kitchen, chapel, king's chamber, and Great Hall. A new exhibition, "Gallery of Medieval Life," co-organized with the British Museum, features objects from daily life and nobility spanning the Norman Conquest through the reign of Henry VIII. The project was funded by a £13 million grant from the National Lottery Players and £12 million from Norfolk County Council.

uae to open massive museum in december that reflects historical trajectory of the country

The Zayed National Museum, a new mega museum designed by Foster + Partners, will open on Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island in December. Named after the UAE's first president, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the museum will feature six permanent galleries spanning 300,000 years of history, displaying artifacts including a 1,000-year-old Qur'an, the world's oldest natural pearl (the 8,000-year-old Abu Dhabi Pearl), and objects from the Palaeolithic to Iron Age. It will also host loans from international institutions like the British Museum.

rijksmuseum condom christian backlash

The Rijksmuseum has acquired a nearly 200-year-old condom made from sheep intestine, which features an erotic illustration of a nun and clergymen and is now on display as part of a small exhibition on 19th-century sex work. The object, likely a brothel souvenir, has sparked outrage from the conservative Christian group Stichting Civitas Christiana and its youth wing TFP Student Action Europe, who organized a protest outside the museum and circulated flyers calling it an insult to God, the Catholic Church, and the Dutch nation.