Exhibit Opening: Retrospectives~The Art of Dennis Sirrine & Tom Frohnapfel at the La Grua Center in Stonington

An exhibit opening at the La Grua Center in Stonington, Connecticut, celebrates the work of local artists Dennis Sirrine and Tom Frohnapfel. The show, which runs through the end of February, features their representational and abstract paintings, mixed media, glass works, and furniture, reflecting over four decades of creative exploration. Both artists moved from the Midwest to New York City in the 1980s before settling in Stonington in the 2000s. Sirrine, who manages the Velvet Mill Gallery, presents works ranging from early cityscapes to recent abstractions, while Frohnapfel, a Pratt Institute graduate, showcases his design-and-build furniture, glass blowing, and paintings.

Travel back in time on an immersive journey through Italy’s rich mosaics at Miami’s Frost Art Museum

The Frost Art Museum at Florida International University in Miami has opened "MOSAICO: Italian Code of a Timeless Art," an exhibition featuring ancient Italian mosaics, including fragments from a ship belonging to Roman emperor Caligula and 11th-century stone slabs from the tombs of Saints Benedict and Scholastica. These artifacts, on view in the US for the first time, are loaned from the Capitoline Museums in Rome and are presented alongside immersive digital projections by Magister Art that recreate sites like the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and the Basilica of San Vitale. The exhibition is organized by region, highlighting Unesco World Heritage sites and spanning techniques from the Hellenistic period to Roman opus sectile.

'Cultural cornerstone.' Canton Museum of Art celebrates anniversary with major exhibit

The Canton Museum of Art is celebrating its 90th anniversary with a major exhibition titled "Shattered Glass: The Women Who Elevated American Art," which honors elite women artists. The exhibit will debut at the sold-out 2025 Art Inspires Gala on November 22 before opening to the public on November 25, with a free opening reception on December 11.

ASU, Phoenix Art Museum shed new light on influential Chicano arts organization

Arizona State University's Barrett, The Honors College is partnering with Phoenix Art Museum to host a one-day symposium titled "MARS: Revisited" on September 20, 2025, at the museum. The event revisits the legacy of El Movimiento Artístico del Río Salado (MARS), a Chicano arts collective founded in the late 1970s that provided a platform for Mexican American artists excluded from major Arizona museums and galleries. MARS operated for over two decades, helping launch the First Fridays on Roosevelt Row arts event and shaping Phoenix's cultural identity before closing in the early 2000s. The symposium, co-organized by professor Mathew Sandoval and curator Christian Ramírez, will feature archival research and oral histories conducted by Barrett students, with a major MARS exhibition and scholarly monograph planned for 2028.

Despite red tape from US sanctions, Tehran-based gallery champions Iranian art at The Armory Show

Tehran-based O Gallery is participating in The Armory Show in New York for the first time, but US sanctions imposed in 2019 have forced the fair to remove the gallery's Tehran location from its website and refrain from promoting its presence. The gallery's name was briefly removed from the exhibitor list before being reinstated, and its location is only noted on signage at the Javits Center. Founder Orkideh Daroodi, a US citizen living in California, describes the participation as a milestone after years of work, despite challenges including currency devaluation, shipping costs, and bureaucratic hurdles. Two other Iranian galleries—Sarai and Dastan Gallery—are also exhibiting, listed online as having multiple locations.

Vandals destroy South Shields art gallery days before opening

Vandals broke into The Market Gallery, a new art space set to open in a former Wilko store in South Shields, UK, days before its launch. Artists Laura Robertson and Theodore Godfrey-Cass discovered the gallery had been graffitied, studio booths damaged, and artwork urinated on, smashed, or stolen. The culprits posted videos of the attack online, which have been shared with Northumbria Police, who are investigating the burglary that occurred between 20:00 BST on Friday and 11:30 on Tuesday.

‘Radical Clay’ ceramics are more than vessels

The Ackland Art Museum at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill has opened 'Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists From Japan,' an exhibition featuring sculptural ceramics by 36 contemporary female Japanese artists. The works, drawn from the collection of noted art collector Carol Horvitz, honor centuries-old Japanese ceramic traditions while employing modern techniques to push beyond conventional vessel forms. Highlights include Kawaura Saki and Tanaka Yu, whose piece 'Bag Work' exemplifies the shift from functional pottery to purely sculptural expression. The exhibition runs through August 31 and is only the third U.S. museum to host it.

‘The pain has become unbearable’: Tel Aviv Museum of Art workers stage daily protest outside the institution

Since early April, employees of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art have been staging a daily 30-minute protest outside the museum's two public entrances before opening hours. Initiated by senior curator of Israeli art Dalit Matatyahu, the protest brings together staff with diverse stances on the war, the hostage crisis, and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The demonstration takes place at the intersection of the museum and Hostages Square, a site already central to hostage-family activism. Participants include chief curator Mira Lapidot and contemporary art curator Shahar Molcho, who describe the protest as a moral response to the unbearable transition from the charged square to museum work.

The Aussie ‘messenger girls’ who changed art

Nora Heysen became the first woman to win the Archibald Prize in 1938, yet the media response focused on her domestic life. This weekend, the Art Gallery of South Australia opens an exhibition highlighting Heysen and other local female artists who traveled to Europe before World War II, showcasing their portraits and still lifes that helped catalyze the modernist art movement in Australia.

Holy smoke! London’s National Gallery used to allow visitors to spark up just metres from the art

London's National Gallery opened a smoking room in 1975, located dangerously close to galleries housing priceless paintings. A photograph from the gallery's annual report shows staff members Betty Churchyard and Phyllis Rowlands using the facility. The smoking room was closed decades ago, well before the 2007 ban on smoking in public places, and the space has now been repurposed as part of the Roden Centre for Creative Learning, which opened in February 2025.

MASP Contested Narratives Between Replica and Weaving

MASP CONTESTED NARRATIVES BETWEEN REPLICA AND WEAVING

The Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP) has opened two simultaneous exhibitions that critically examine how narratives in Latin American art are formed. 'Réplica (Replica)' is a retrospective of Peruvian artist Sandra Gamarra Heshiki, featuring over 70 works that appropriate and alter historical pieces to expose the exclusionary mechanisms of museums. 'Vivir, tejer (Living, Weaving)' presents the collaborative textile work of Claudia Alarcón and the Silät collective, a group of over one hundred Wichí women weavers, foregrounding ancestral knowledge and collective creation.

A Walk in the Cypress: Evolving at Cypress Art Gallery in May

The Cypress Art Gallery, operated by the Lompoc Valley Art Association, is presenting a new exhibition titled "A Walk in the Cypress: Evolving" during May. The show features works by local member artists and reflects the gallery's ongoing commitment to community engagement and artistic growth in the Lompoc and Santa Ynez Valley region.

Artistic aura: Bringing masterpieces to the forefront at The Little Green Store & Gallery

The Little Green Store & Gallery in Huntsville, Alabama, is hosting an Artist Open House on Thursday, May 7, from 5 PM to 8 PM, featuring a showcase titled “Hidden Treasures Around Us” that highlights the artwork of local artist Ann Caudle. Gallery owners and artists Anna and Kyle Husband discussed the event and the backstory of their business during a studio visit.

Beat the rush: Sign up for Greeley Park Art Show before early deadline

The 73rd annual Greeley Park Art Show, hosted by the Nashua Area Artists Association, will take place August 29-30, 2026, at Greeley Park in Nashua, New Hampshire. The two-day outdoor juried show is open to artists 18 and older working in 2D and 3D media, with an early registration deadline of May 30. New features this year include options for one- or two-day participation, tent sharing, tent rentals, senior discounts, and expanded entertainment. Awards will be given in categories including 3D, acrylic, drawing, mixed media, oil, pastel, photography, watercolor, digital art, Best in Show, and Viewer’s Choice. The show is free and open to the public, drawing thousands of visitors from New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Munson celebrates student accomplishments with exhibits

Munson is hosting two juried exhibitions at the Pratt Munson College of Art and Design to showcase the work of its first-year and sophomore students. The First-Year Exhibition, running from April 10 to May 6, highlights foundational skills and interdisciplinary research, while the Sophomore Exhibition, held from April 17 to May 16, features more specialized work across various media. A public reception for both shows is scheduled for April 25 in the Museum’s Root Court.

No Lost Generation Hosts Beautiful, Poignant Exhibition of Afghan Refugee Artists’ Work

Georgetown University’s student organization No Lost Generation (NLG) partnered with the Afghan artist collective ArtLords to host a five-day exhibition at the Intercultural Center galleria. Curated by Omaid Sharifi, the showcase featured works by three Afghan refugee artists—Abdul Hakim Maqsoodi, Mohammad Younus Qani, and Fatima Wojohat—centered around the theme of "nawroz" (new day). The collection spanned traditional Afghan miniatures, scenes of displacement, and portraits exploring the resilience of female refugees.

Artist Brad Chapman Bleau seeks community connections

Artist and educator Brad Chapman Bleau, a graduate of Massachusetts College of Art and Design and Goddard College, discusses his multifaceted career in a recent interview. Bleau works as an adjunct professor at Worcester State University and assistant director of the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Art Gallery, while also curating the Worcester Center for Crafts Hot Night in the City exhibition. He creates mixed-media "junk paintings" using vintage objects and ephemera, sells art at Almanac Market in Paxton, and teaches a nature-based art class at Turn Back Time farm and forest education center.

Photo exhibition 'Eternity of a Moment' opens at D'ART Gallery [PHOTOS]

On May 13, 2026, D'ART Gallery in Baku opened the solo photography exhibition 'The Eternity of a Moment' by fine art photographer Anna Ibrahimbayova. The show is the first installment of the gallery's new project 'Homes Warmed by Love and Art,' which explores how creative partnerships shape shared lives and artistic growth. The opening featured remarks by gallery founder Dilara Muzaffarli, an interview with the artist conducted by art producer Sofiko Dvalishvili, and tributes to Ibrahimbayova's late husband, Azerbaijani playwright Maksud Ibrahimbayov, from People's Artist Omar Eldarov and MP Ulviyya Hamzayeva. The exhibition runs through May 15.

Exhibition and meet-the-artist session: Nuit Blanche 2026 at the Polish Institute in Paris

The Polish Institute in Paris is participating in the 25th edition of Nuit Blanche on June 6-7, 2026, with a program featuring photographer and war correspondent Agata Grzybowska, who will give an artist talk titled "Everyone deserves their own story," followed by a guided tour of an exhibition by Anglo-Polish photojournalist Chris Niedenthal. The event runs from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., offering free access to the public as part of the citywide contemporary art festival.

‘Beaming smiles’: Karachi art exhibit puts artists with Down syndrome on path to empowerment

The Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi recently hosted the fourth edition of 'Rangon Ki Lehr,' an exhibition showcasing over 90 paintings by 80 artists with Down syndrome. Organized by the Karachi Down Syndrome Program (KDSP), the event featured works created by students in the 'Education for Life' program, drawing participants from Karachi, Islamabad, and Faisalabad. The exhibition serves as a professional platform where artists take full creative control of their canvases, choosing their own techniques, colors, and subjects.

Open air art exhibition held in village of China's Zhejiang

An open-air art exhibition featuring photography and oil paintings was unveiled on May 16, 2026, in Zhijiang Village, Xiaya Town, Jiande City, Zhejiang Province, China. The exhibition breaks from traditional gallery settings by displaying 90 works in fields, forests, and village paths, with most of the artists being local villagers. The artworks highlight rural customs and landscapes of the region.

Greater New York at MoMA PS1 is a capacious celebration of the city’s artistic life

MoMA PS1's exhibition "Greater New York" presents a sprawling, humorous, and messy celebration of New York City's artistic life, reflecting the city's complexity and instability. The show features a wide range of local artists and works, embracing an amiable chaos that mirrors the metropolis itself.

New exhibition on local cold water swimmers at Bournemouth Hospital gallery

Photographer David Bird has unveiled a new exhibition titled "Cold Water Swimmers" at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s Art Space gallery. The series features before-and-after portraits of local swimming groups, such as Beyond the Blue in Poole, capturing the physical and emotional transformation of participants who brave the sea at sunrise without wetsuits. The project was developed during Bird's recent MA in Photography at Arts University Bournemouth, marking a return to academia after a 30-year career in commercial and press photography.

Could Colorado Create the Country's First Artist Corporation?

Colorado legislators are considering a bipartisan bill to establish the nation's first Artist Corporation (A-Corp), a specialized limited liability company exclusively for artists. This legal framework aims to simplify incorporation, protect intellectual property rights, and allow artists to secure investors without ceding ownership of their creative output.

North Fork art openings to explore Memorial Day weekend

Memorial Day weekend on New York's North Fork features multiple art openings, including Madeline Daversa's watercolors at Lenz Winery, Courtney Leonard's Indigenous-focused exhibition 'BREACH: Logbook 26 | CONVERGENCE' at the East End Seaport Museum, the 'Small Works' group show at the North Fork Arts Center with works by Virginia Cava, Delia Reiss, Debra Riva, Hilary North, and Gerard Lehner, and 'Plein Air, Pointillism & Patterns' at William Ris Gallery. Other openings include 'Forest Bathing' at Vine + Sand, curated by Dena Zemsky with Robert Bentley, and historic exhibits at the Oysterponds Historical Society.

Senior Art Show Reception Highlights Student Artists and Award Winners

Hartwick College's Art and Art History Department held its Senior Art Show Reception on May 15 in the Foreman Gallery, showcasing graduating students' work across diverse media. Awards included the Presidential Purchase Prize ($1,000) to Marissa Yanacheak for "Transformation," a plexiglass layered piece; first-place Best in Show ($600) to Kylee Hosmer for "Minoans in the Modern Day," a 3D installation inspired by ancient Minoan civilization; and second-place Best in Show ($400) to Megan Bryla for "Internal Integrity," a ceramic work. Additional awards were given earlier in May to Devlin Woughter and Samuel Scott.

Take this arty road trip, and dive into the work of a top Colorado talent

Artist Ana María Hernando currently has solo exhibitions at both the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, a rare double-header in Colorado art history. In Denver, "Seguir cantando (Keep Singing)" fills the museum's second floor with new and recent works, while in Colorado Springs, "Cantando Bajito (Singing Softly)" functions more as a career retrospective. Both shows feature Hernando's signature textile installations made from yards of tulle, including the monumental new piece "Seguimos cantando (Waterfalls)" at MCA Denver.

New Copper County art exhibit ‘Emergence’ opens Thursday night

The Copper Country Community Arts Center in Hancock, Michigan, has opened a new exhibit titled 'Emergence,' featuring the work of local artist Rob Kangas. The exhibit, which runs through the end of the month, showcases Kangas's paintings inspired by the waters and forests of Lake Superior, exploring themes of isolation, memory, and solitude. A public reception is scheduled for Thursday evening from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Asian-American artists shine at US fair amid ongoing anti-immigrant rhetoric

At the San Francisco Art Fair in April, held at Fort Mason Centre’s Festival Pavilion, organizers, curators, and gallerists centered Asian-American and Pacific Islander voices through a curated group exhibition titled “Da Da Daam” and a pop-up design store featuring over 70 Asian diaspora artists and brands. The fair’s 14th edition, directed by Kelly Freeman, responded to ongoing anti-immigrant rhetoric in the US by celebrating the strength of the immigrant community in a city where nearly 35% of the population identifies as Asian.

Equatorial Guinea debuts at the Venice Biennale with Paraguayan artist Ingrid Seall and the theme of undergrowth

Equatorial Guinea makes its debut at the Venice Biennale with a national pavilion at Palazzo Donà dalle Rose, featuring Paraguayan artist Ingrid Seall and her work "Manar." The pavilion, titled "The Forest: The Undergrowth," runs from May 9 to November 22, 2026, and presents an immersive journey inspired by Equatorial Guinea's forests. Seall's piece uses materials like paper, cellulose, iron, and cassava paste to create a vertical, living organism that transforms waste into vital matter. The exhibition includes works by multiple international artists and is curated by Joan Abelló, with Brazilian commissioner Paulo Speller.