Biggs Museum spotlights the art and influence of Elizabeth Catlett

The Biggs Museum of American Art is presenting "The Art of Elizabeth Catlett from the Collection of Samella Lewis," on view through June 21, 2026. The exhibition features Catlett's prints and sculptures, drawn from the collection of her former student and lifelong friend Samella Lewis, and also includes works by Lewis and Catlett's husband, Francisco Mora. Catlett, who studied with Grant Wood and worked with the Taller de Gráfica Popular in Mexico City, focused her art on the lives of Black women, addressing themes of identity, equity, labor, family, and freedom.

Show White: Academy of Visual Arts, University of the Arts Sharjah exhibition

The Academy of Visual Arts at the University of the Arts Sharjah is presenting a faculty exhibition titled 'Show White,' curated by Tor Seidel and assisted by Maryam AlQassimi. The show, first hosted at Rawaq Gallery (April 8–23) and currently at XVA Gallery in Al Fahidi (April 25–May 21), explores the multifaceted concept of 'white' through diverse mediums and techniques. Participating faculty artists include Georgina Abood, Dr. Mohammed Yousif Alhammadi, Muatasim Alkubaisy, Alina Erimia, Muhammad Asad Iqbal, Thaier Helal, Dr. Iman Ibrahim, and Andreea Lonhardt-Muresan, each presenting works that engage with white as a symbol of minimalism, purity, emptiness, or cultural memory.

Artist Murari Jha sculpts memory and home in his New Delhi exhibition

Artist Murari Jha presents *The Future of Nostalgia*, a solo exhibition at Nature Morte in New Delhi, running through May 17, 2026. The show features abstract sculptures in stone, bronze, wood, brass, aluminum, and synthetic putty that explore themes of home, migration, memory, and belonging. A live durational performance is scheduled for May 16, with Jha describing the gallery as a stage and his sculptures as performative objects. The works are deliberately untitled to invite viewers to become co-creators of meaning.

Exhibition | 'New Voices in Paris Now: Between Memory and Matter' at Alisan Fine Arts, Alisan Atelier, Hong Kong

Alisan Fine Arts is presenting 'New Voices in Paris Now: Between Memory and Matter' at Alisan Atelier in Hong Kong as part of its 45th anniversary programme. The exhibition features four contemporary Chinese artists—Li Donglu, Qi Zhuo, Shi Qi, and Yao Qingmei—who currently live and work in Paris. Each artist explores themes of memory, cultural identity, and material transformation through diverse media including oil painting, eroded film, paper reliefs, and blown-glass sculptures. The show runs parallel to 'The Chinese Avant-Garde in Paris' at the gallery's Central location, both part of the French May Arts Festival.

19th-century European weapons found in cenote in Mexico

Archaeologists from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have discovered 153 Spanish and British muskets and rifles, along with an iron cannon, in the Síis Já cenote beneath the 16th-century former convent San Bernardino de Siena in Valladolid, Mexico. The weapons were likely discarded by the Yucatecan government during the early years of the Caste War of Yucatán (1847-1901) to prevent them from falling into Maya rebels' hands. The site also yielded Maya ceramic pieces and 18th-century Chinese porcelain, and INAH reported debris and pollution affecting the cenote.

The Christophers review – Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel are the double act of the year

Steven Soderbergh's new film "The Christophers" is a London-set movie about contemporary art, starring Ian McKellen as Julian Sklar, a once-dominant but now outmoded English painter, and Michaela Coel as Lori Butler, a former art student hired as his assistant. The plot revolves around a series of hidden paintings called "The Christophers" that Julian's grasping adult children want to find and potentially forge for profit. The film is described as fast, literate, and funny, with McKellen and Coel delivering a compelling double act.

The Many Sheddings of Valie Export

Die vielen Häutungen der Valie Export

Valie Export, the Austrian media and performance artist known for using her body as a site of social critique, has died at age 85 in Vienna. Her final works include a black-and-white photo series of her forearm resting on a stone snake sculpture at the University of Vienna, exploring themes of skin, transformation, and mimesis. From the 1970s onward, she created iconic "Body Configurations" in which she placed her body on streets and against buildings along Vienna's Ringstrasse, tracing architectural forms to expose institutional power and patriarchal authority.

In Venice, the Passion of Life and the Ghost of Art

The 2026 Venice Biennale, the world’s oldest art exhibition, has opened with a theme centered on vitality and the celebration of life. The edition is described as both a passionate embrace of energy and a reminder of art’s lingering ghosts, offering a mixed but compelling experience for visitors.

Aux châteaux de Malmaison et de Bois-Préau, le festival des Premiers Romantiques fait dialoguer musique et nature

The Festival des Premiers Romantiques takes place from May 22 to 25 at the châteaux of Malmaison and Bois-Préau in Rueil-Malmaison, France. The event features concerts on period pianos (including an 1806 Erard pianoforte and an 1847 Streicher), performed by musicians from La Nouvelle Athènes collective, alongside an exhibition titled "Roses & Pivoines" showcasing works by Pierre-Joseph Redouté and contemporary German artist Thilo Westermann. The festival celebrates Romantic-era music and nature, set in the recently restored château and its emblematic gardens, once the botanical passion of Empress Joséphine.

Blood-Red Landscapes by Andrew McIntosh Conjure the Terrifying Unknown

Scottish artist Andrew McIntosh presents a new series of crimson-hued landscape paintings in his solo exhibition "I Hope This Transmission Finds You Soon" at School Gallery in Folkestone, U.K. The works, including pieces titled "Whitney," "K2," "Gasherbrum," and "Matterhorn" (all 2026), transform familiar mountain forms into eerie, otherworldly scenes with glowing orbs and uncanny light, drawing inspiration from Cormac McCarthy's novel "Blood Meridian." The exhibition runs through May 30.

Markus Brunetti’s Monumental Photos Venerate European Ecclesiastical Landmarks

Bavarian photographer Markus Brunetti, working with collaborator Betty Schöner, has spent over two decades traveling across Europe in a converted firetruck photo lab to capture monumental composite photographs of basilicas, cathedrals, and other ecclesiastical landmarks. Their process involves taking thousands of meter-by-meter shots of each structure over several years, then meticulously layering and arranging them into high-resolution images that correct perspective to create a striking one-point view. Brunetti's current solo exhibition, "Facades IV" at Yossi Milo gallery in New York City, features recent works including "Roma, Basilica di San Pietro" (2007-2026), which required seven visits over nineteen years to complete.

Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme “Prisoners of Love: Until the Sun of Freedom” at The Bell Gallery, Providence

The Bell Gallery at Brown University is presenting "Prisoners of Love: Until the Sun of Freedom," a new exhibition by internationally renowned sound, video, and installation artists Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme. The show is co-curated by Kate Kraczon, Director of Exhibitions and Chief Curator of the Brown Arts Institute (BAI) / The Bell, and Thea Quiray.

Yalda Afsah “Surge” at Kunsthal Thy, Hurup Thy

Yalda Afsah presents her first exhibition in Denmark, titled "Surge," at Kunsthal Thy. The show features two video works: "Curro" (2023), which explores human relationships with animals, and "Jarramplas" (2025), which initiates a new series centered on rituals and communal social dynamics.

Celebrity artists support Oxford primary school art exhibition

An Oxford primary school is hosting an art exhibition on 16-17 and 23-25 May as part of Oxford Art Weeks, featuring works by celebrity artists to raise funds for improving the school's deteriorating adventure playground and restoring a community green space. The exhibition, themed 'inspired by birds,' is accompanied by talks from historian Mark Davies on how Jericho and Oxford inspired figures like Lewis Carroll and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

How a Loveland wilderness photographer is turning his art into a career, and finding gratitude in the process

Dean Allen, a wilderness photographer from Loveland, Colorado, is hosting a free outdoor photography showcase at the Wilderness Art Quarry on Sunday, displaying his images of Colorado's northern lights, mountains, and aspen trees. Allen, who grew up in Loveland and learned photography at Thompson Valley High School, began pursuing photography full-time after selling the electronics company he co-owned in 2023, using the financial cushion to fund his passion. His work reflects a deep gratitude for natural beauty and aims to inspire viewers to appreciate the world around them.

Brea Gallery is made for enjoying art

The Brea Gallery in Brea, California, is currently hosting its 41st annual "Made in California" exhibition, featuring nearly 100 artists from across the state. The juried show, which runs through June 28, 2026, includes works in multiple media created within the last three years, with submissions reaching 5,000 this year. The gallery, a 6,500-square-foot space opened in 1980, focuses on contemporary art by living artists and mounts four exhibitions annually. Upcoming shows include "America 350" (opening July 31) and "What Fearful Shadows" (opening October 10), which reimagines early American horror themes.

Reggie Burrows Hodges Debuts First European Solo Exhibition at Malta’s MICAS

The Malta International Contemporary Art Space (MICAS) has opened "Mela," the first European solo exhibition by American artist Reggie Burrows Hodges. Running from May 9 to August 30, the show features 30 newly created works inspired by Malta, including the monumental painting "Mamajamma" (over 14 feet high and 26 feet wide), which responds to Caravaggio's "The Beheading of St. John the Baptist." Hodges relocated his studio to Malta to develop the exhibition, engaging with the island's coastline, architecture, labor traditions, and communities.

Stella’s Art Gallery selects ‘Size Matters’ winners | Gallery Glances

Stella's Art Gallery in Willoughby, Ohio, held its awards reception for the annual 'Size Matters' exhibition on May 8, with this year's theme requiring all works to be exactly 10 inches. Best of Show went to Breda Fallon for 'One Woman Show,' a 3D diorama. Winners in 3D included John Carreon (first and second place) and Daniel Fishwick (third); in 2D, Tatiana Strelnikova, Tracy Parsons, and Sheri Lawrence took top honors. The article also covers upcoming calls for art at the gallery, including 'The Landscape Show: Real or Fantasy' in June and 'The H2O Show' in July.

iris van herpen's colossal body of intricate work on view at the brooklyn museum

Iris van Herpen's exhibition "Iris Van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses" opens at the Brooklyn Museum from May 16 to December 6, 2026, featuring over 140 haute couture creations alongside contemporary art, design objects, and natural history specimens. The show, previewed by designboom, is organized around natural themes from water to planetary scale, with the Dutch designer leading a walkthrough that emphasized her inspirations from micro and macro worlds and her process of turning material experiments into wearable sculptures.

Interconnectedness through Indigenous art

Seven local Indigenous artists were featured in this year's Indigenous Art exhibition at Gallery 121 in Belleville, Ontario. The exhibition, curated by Maureen Swann, showcased works including Tyler Tabobondung Rushnell's painting "Howling into the Sunset," alongside pieces by Mohawk artists David R. Maracle, Janice Brant, and Jennifer Brant, among others. The artists emphasized personal storytelling, cultural heritage, and the use of traditional materials and themes.

SCST: Celebrating Cultural Exchange Through Art at the Opening Reception of "Fermata: Hong Kong in Venice" Collateral Event of 61st International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia (Venice Biennale)

At the opening reception of "Fermata: Hong Kong in Venice," a Collateral Event of the 61st Venice Biennale, Hong Kong's Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, delivered a speech celebrating the exhibition. The event marks Hong Kong's 25th year of participation in the Biennale, featuring artists Kingsley Ng and Angel Hui, who present five new site-specific installations that explore stillness and overlooked rhythms of everyday life, in resonance with the Biennale's theme "In Minor Keys." For the first time, the Hong Kong Museum of Art co-organized the exhibition with the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, curating a dialogue between the two artists.

Besser Museum hosts Dr. Kelly Bushey for final Gallery Talk in Divine Comedy Series

Dr. Kelly Bushey will deliver the final Gallery Talk titled “The Agnostic and The Atheist” at the Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan on May 28, as part of a four-part lecture series accompanying the museum's exhibition *Divine Comedy Reenvisioned*. The talk explores Salvador Dalí's transition from surrealism to neo-classicism, influenced by his encounter with Sigmund Freud and his renewed spiritual perspective, offering insight into his illustrations of Dante Alighieri's *Divine Comedy*. The exhibition remains on view through July 18.

In Kyoto, a photography festival unites artists on society's fringes

Kyotographie, an independent international photography festival in Kyoto, has announced 'The Edge' as its theme for the 2026 edition, following a focus on humanity in 2025. The festival will feature exhibitions exploring fringes, darkness, and extremes of life, including a posthumous show of Fatama Hassona's 'The Eye of Gaza', a focus on South Africa with works by Lebohang Kganye, Pieter Hugo, and a peripatetic library from A4 Arts Foundation, as well as Ernest Cole's 'House of Bondage' at the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art—his first exhibition in Japan. Other highlights include Linder Sterling's survey 'Goddess of the Mind' at the Museum of Kyoto Annex and Anton Corbijn's 'Presence' at the Shimadai Gallery.

Pajaro Valley student art exhibit showcases artistic skills of all grade levels

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District held an opening ceremony for its Annual Art Exhibition at the Watsonville Civic Plaza, showcasing hundreds of works by students from transitional kindergarten through high school seniors. The exhibition, which will remain on display for up to a year, features a variety of media including watercolors, charcoal drawings, photographs, collages, and mixed media, with subjects ranging from local landmarks to portraits of Frida Kahlo and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Art teachers like Itzel Vega of Landmark Elementary School collaborated to curate projects that represent each school, highlighting student creativity and problem-solving, such as first grader Aleyda Carrillo's collage of a crowned brontosaurus.

Photography in all its letters, an artistic ABC on display at the MEP

The Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP) in Paris is presenting a special exhibition titled "La photographie en toutes lettres" from June 10 to September 13, 2026, celebrating the bicentennial of photography. The show brings together 35 artists, including Nan Goldin, Ralph Gibson, Martin Parr, Sophie Calle, and Frank Horvat, organizing works alphabetically around key words to explore the medium's history, evolution, and thematic diversity.

Hanwha Culture Foundation hosts Lim Young-Joo solo show in New York

The Hanwha Culture Foundation is hosting a solo exhibition by artist Lim Young-Joo, titled 'The Late故', from May 15 to July 25 at Space Zero One in New York. The show features video and installation works that reinterpret themes of faith, anxiety, life, and death, including a centerpiece piece that reconfigures her previous major works and research from her residency. Lim Young-Joo won the 2025 Frieze Artist Award and was selected for the Korea Artist Prize by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea.

SMoCA Will Present DESERT PERSPECTIVES Exhibition on Southwest Landscape

The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) will present an exhibition titled "Desert Perspectives" focusing on the Southwest landscape. The show will explore artistic interpretations of the desert environment through works by various contemporary artists.

Haiti goes to Venice: Artist Duval-Carrié selected to represent nation at Biennale expo | PHOTOS

Internationally acclaimed Miami-based artist Edouard Duval-Carrié has been selected to represent Haiti at the 2026 Venice Biennale, the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. Ahead of the May 9 opening, Duval-Carrié hosted a behind-the-scenes preview event at his Little Haiti studio in Miami on April 24, 2026, where he discussed his conceptual approach. His installation draws on themes of history, politics, and spirituality in Haiti and the Caribbean, reflecting evolving perspectives on the nation's past and present. Duval-Carrié collaborated with Vanessa Selk, founding artistic director of the Tout-Monde Art Foundation, to frame Haiti's presence as both a national showcase and a reflection of diasporic influence and Caribbean identity. The exhibition runs through November 22, 2026.

Where's Al? Andy Warhol Exhibit at Hilliard Art Museum

The Hilliard Art Museum in Lafayette, Louisiana, has opened a new exhibition titled "Andy Warhol: Plus One," featuring works by Andy Warhol drawn from the museum's own permanent collection. The exhibit showcases Warhol's photographic and screenprint pieces, exploring themes of intimacy, observation, and voyeurism in the artist's life and practice.

The Art of Performing Maintenance

This article explores the work of artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles, who in 1969 wrote her "Manifesto for Maintenance Art" after experiencing a crisis of meaning following the birth of her first child. She proposed that routine maintenance tasks—like cleaning, cooking, and laundry—could be redefined as art when performed in public, particularly in museums. The article traces her early exhibitions at the Wadsworth Athenaeum, where she swept and mopped as performance, and her later projects interviewing passersby on New York City sidewalks and embedding herself in a Manhattan office building, where she invited workers to declare their maintenance tasks art.