‘Rightstarter’ art exhibit at Antioch revisits hip-hop’s golden era

The Herndon Gallery at Antioch College is opening a group exhibition titled 'Rightstarter: Resistance, Rap and the Golden Era,' curated by artist Joshua Whitaker. The show, launching with a reception on May 9, explores the rap counterculture of the late 1980s and early 1990s, featuring works by artists from Dayton and beyond. It includes drawings, paintings, sculpture, installations, video, and performance, with a live jazz performance by G. Scott Jones and the Freedom Ensemble. The exhibition highlights how hip-hop served as a platform for social commentary against the backdrop of Reaganomics, the crack epidemic, the war on drugs, and the AIDS crisis.

Emerging and Mid-Career Craft and Design Artists Gather at KCDF Open Call Exhibition

The Korea Craft and Design Foundation (KCDF) announced the launch of its "2026 KCDF Craft and Design Open Call Exhibition" on April 27, selecting 10 emerging artists, 6 mid-career artists, and 3 groups through a professional review. The program opens with a solo exhibition by mid-career artist Seo Junghwa, titled "Ambiguity," featuring metal furniture that blurs boundaries between natural and artificial objects, running from April 29 to May 10 at KCDF Gallery. Additional window gallery shows include Jeon Young Eun's "Showcase of Extinction" (April 15–May 10) and Lee Hyungchan's "Supporting [ ]s" (May 13–June 7). Since 2018, the Foundation has supported 154 exhibitions through this initiative.

Frank O’Hara and the end of the ‘American Century’

Frank O’Hara, the poet and curator at the Museum of Modern Art, was a central figure in the mid-20th-century effort to promote American high art globally as a cultural counterpart to U.S. military and economic power. The article examines how O’Hara’s work, alongside the Abstract Expressionists and other artists, helped establish New York as the capital of the art world, projecting American cultural influence abroad through exhibitions, poetry, and institutional support.

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.

OPEN CALL – Diriyah Art Futures: Emerging New Media Artists 2026-2027 Edition.

Diriyah Art Futures (DAF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has opened applications for its third Emerging New Media Artists Programme, a one-year fully supported residency running from October 2026 to October 2027. Developed in collaboration with Le Fresnoy – Studio National des Arts Contemporains in France, the programme offers emerging artists aged 35 or under access to professional equipment, a production budget, mentorship by international digital artists, and multidisciplinary training in art, science, and technology. The deadline for applications is May 31, 2026, with a focus on applicants from the Middle East and North Africa.

Saudi artists explore faith in Hajj exhibit held in car showroom

A car showroom in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was transformed into a Hajj-themed art gallery for the exhibition "Where the Journey Begins," held from May 4 to 14. Organized by Genesis Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Co. and the Darb Al-Fann foundation, the show featured over 25 artworks selected from more than 100 entries by a committee of well-known Saudi artists. The works, created by modern and contemporary Saudi artists including Sultan Othman, Mohammed Jamal, and Majed Baswad, explore the spiritual stages of the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages, from Makkah through ritual sites to Madinah.

Ormond Memorial Art Museum hosts 'Tradewinds' Seabreeze art show

Ormond Memorial Art Museum is hosting the 2026 'Tradewinds' art show, featuring 138 artworks by Seabreeze High School students. The juried exhibition includes 2D and 3D pieces created in media such as acrylic, ceramic, clay, colored pencil, and glass, with awards distributed at a May 7 reception. The show runs through May 24 and was judged by museum guest curator Ruth Grim.

Scottsdale Arts opens ‘Visions ’26’ student exhibition

Scottsdale Arts has opened 'Visions ’26,' an exhibition at the Center Space gallery inside the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, featuring works by 40 high school students from six Valley schools. The show is the culmination of a yearlong mentorship program pairing young artists with 13 professional Arizona-based teaching artists, with instruction from faculty at Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, and Paradise Valley Community College. Participating students, including Emily Pye and Ilana Belogorodsky, created pieces in painting, multimedia, and sculpture, with Pye's mixed-media work 'Le Stagioni' exploring her Italian heritage and Belogorodsky's oil painting 'Refracted' representing childhood emotions.

Thomas Duffield documents a father-son relationship after years of estrangement

Thomas Duffield, a photographer, has created a body of work documenting his relationship with his father after years of estrangement. The project captures their gradual reconnection, moving beyond superficial conversation to address deeper, unspoken tensions. Duffield's images explore the emotional landscape of rebuilding a father-son bond, using photography as a tool for reconciliation and understanding.

SMFA at Tufts Presents Passages, the 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (SMFA at Tufts) presents "Passages," the 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition, on view from May 5 to 17 at Tufts University Art Galleries in Medford, Massachusetts. The show features thesis work by nineteen MFA candidates, exploring themes of journey, transition, and exploration across media including painting, sculpture, assemblage, and artists' books. Works incorporate found visa documents, portraiture, clay cities, and symbolic animals such as goldfish, black birds, and a dog-headed cynocephalus.

Tatiana Malinovscaia | 130x100cm-Blue Distance in Quiet Light (2026) | For Sale

Tatiana Malinovscaia's painting "Blue Distance in Quiet Light" (2026) is being offered for sale by Artseeker Gallery. The 100x130 cm acrylic on canvas work features a restrained abstract composition with muted blues, ivories, beiges, and charcoals, built through layered textures and tonal contrasts. Malinovscaia, a self-taught Moldovan artist, explores the interplay between architectural clarity and atmospheric abstraction, with light acting as a central structural element that reveals nuanced variations across the textured surface throughout the day.

The Mokka-Milch-Eisbar reopens on Karl-Marx-Allee

Die Mokka-Milch-Eisbar eröffnet wieder auf der Karl-Marx-Allee

The iconic Mokka-Milch-Eisbar, a legendary ice cream café from East Berlin's DDR era, is reopening on Karl-Marx-Allee after a heritage-sensitive renovation. The pavilion, built in the early 1960s as part of the second construction phase of the boulevard, was famously celebrated in a 1969 DDR pop song. New operators Natacha and Alexander Neumann are launching the venue under the name "Mokka Milch" as a restaurant, café, and bar, with an opening celebration on Wednesday. The building's distinctive yellow-tiled facade and large glass windows have been preserved under strict heritage guidelines, overseen by the state monument office.

Ghosts in a Postcard Idyll

Geister im Postkartenidyll

Kôji Fukada's film "Nagi Notes" premieres in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, following Yoriko (Takako Matsu), a sculptor and farmer living a quiet, self-sufficient life in the rural Japanese town of Nagi. Her routine is disrupted when her old friend Yuri (Shizuka Ishibashi), an architect, arrives to model for a sculpture, stirring buried emotions and past conflicts. The film explores the slow, delicate process of creating art and the psychological tensions between the two women, set against the backdrop of Nagi's idyllic but symbolically flat landscape.

Where to go in Venice?

Wohin in Venedig?

Nicoletta Fiorucci, a collector and philanthropist, shares her personal recommendations for experiencing Venice beyond the tourist crowds. She suggests quiet gardens, romantic detours, hidden islands, and the best addresses for authentic local cuisine, offering insider tips for navigating the city's bustling atmosphere.

Berliner Kulturverwaltung arbeitet an Reformen

Berlin's cultural administration is pressing ahead with reforms to make funding for projects against antisemitism legally secure, following the resignation of Culture Senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson. Cultural State Secretary Cerstin Richter-Kotowski told the culture committee that a working group established under Wedl-Wilson is now implementing recommendations from the state audit office report, which had found serious legal violations and omissions in the allocation of funds for antisemitism prevention projects. Richter-Kotowski emphasized that the administration continues its normal operations despite the leadership change, and she publicly thanked both Wedl-Wilson and the recently dismissed State Secretary Oliver Friederici for their service.

SCV News | May 27: Artist Reception 'Flowing into Familiar' in Canyon Country

The Canyon Country Community Center will host an artist reception on Wednesday, May 27, from 6-7:30 p.m. for Olga Shiller's solo exhibit “Flowing into Familiar.” The event is part of the center's ongoing programming to showcase local visual artists.

“You already have everything you need”: interview with Thomas Dambo opening his first museum exhibition

Danish recycle artist Thomas Dambo has opened his first museum exhibition at the ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art in Ishøj, Denmark, on May 24. The exhibition, running until November 29, features his signature giant troll sculptures, which have previously been installed in forests, mountains, and deserts around the world. The show marks a shift from Dambo's typical outdoor, site-specific installations to a formal museum setting.

Feral Botanica | Hidenori Ishii

The HUB-Robeson Galleries at Penn State University will present “Feral Botanica,” an exhibition by visual artist Hidenori Ishii, from June 5 to October 31, 2026. The show features paintings, prints, and installations from Ishii’s “OTF-SL” series, including a diamond-shaped plexiglass window with gold tagging referencing a guerrilla art project in New York City since 2020. The installation explores the tension between civilization and nature, using reflective surfaces and green construction barricades to create a speculative botanical environment that blurs interior and exterior spaces.

Pocket Art exhibition at PMQ | PMQ | Art in Hong Kong

Pocket Art, Hong Kong's first art collection card exhibition, curated by local artist armechan, will run at PMQ from May 29 to June 21, 2026. The show features 10 local and overseas artists, including Li Chi Tak, Rex Koo, Lio Yeung, Erika Shiba, and Abby Lee Yan Yee, who have created nearly 200 collectable palm-sized art cards. Visitors can buy packs, swap cards, and build their own mini collections, with grading and authentication services provided by Grading Eleven Authentication. A collaboration with local fashion brand Grocery also translates the card motifs into wearable items.

Paul Noth Named MOWA’s Inaugural Cartoonist Laureate

Paul Noth has been named the inaugural Cartoonist Laureate by the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) in West Bend, making him Wisconsin's first holder of the title. The appointment, announced ahead of the October 13 publication of his debut cartoon collection *I Am Going to Eat You … and Other Awkward Truths*, comes with a three-year term, a cash award, a solo exhibition at MOWA, and recognition at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Noth, a *New Yorker* cartoonist with over 400 published cartoons, will serve as an ambassador for cartoon art, teaching workshops and promoting comics literacy.

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.

Photos | Artists go ‘beyond the frame’ at Pajaro Valley Arts printmaking exhibit

The Pajaro Valley Arts gallery in Watsonville is hosting a new exhibition titled "Over the Edge: Printmaking Without Limits," curated by Jane Gregorius and Katherine Levin-Lau. The show features works by 30 local artists using techniques such as woodcut, linocut, screen printing, etching, monotype, and jelly prints, with an emphasis on pushing prints beyond traditional flat formats through cutting, folding, layering, and installation. The exhibition runs from May 26 to July 11, with a public reception on May 30, and includes free workshops like Kitchen Table Printmaking and Trace Monotype.

Masuk Senior Art Show displays young talent across different mediums

Masuk High School in Monroe, Connecticut, hosted its Senior Art Show in the school's media center, featuring 20 works by students in mediums including oil and acrylic paintings, charcoal drawings, sculptures, and ceramics. Organized by art teacher Monika Gagnon and ceramics teacher Dana Moraniec, the event replaced the canceled da Vinci Festival and included AP art portfolios alongside themed pieces exploring social commentary, personal experience, and identity. Students like Olivia Neel (adolescence and divorce), Seraphine Lambert (nature, memory, and religion), and Christian Kloter (metaphors of self) presented and discussed their work with visitors.

Stephanie Pierre opens Haitian art-inspired gallery in East Flatbush

Stephanie Pierre, a Haitian American community developer and placemaker, has opened Kafou, a Haitian art-inspired gallery in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. The gallery launched with an inaugural exhibition titled “Space as Place,” featuring seven artists—including Bianca Allen, Marie Medijne Antoine, Jordan Dubreuil, Wilfrid Ignace, Richard Louissant, Claire Saintil, and Zarita Zevallos—whose works explore themes of space, place, migration, and identity. The opening reception on April 16, 2026 drew strong public interest, prompting the gallery to extend the show through May 17. Kafou operates on a community-centered model, charging artists a reduced commission in exchange for their active involvement in managing and promoting their own work.

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.

Gryphon Gallery presents "Absence of Gravity" - a Robin Love solo exhibition

Robin Love's solo exhibition "Absence of Gravity" opens at Gryphon Gallery in Califon, New Jersey, on May 30, 2026, running through September 27. The show features 22 small-format oil-on-paper paintings created over the past year, half of which were made during a residency in Orquevaux, France, along with larger works and a selection of oil-on-linen paintings. It marks Love's first solo exhibition of oil paintings, following a career as a photographer and co-founder of a multidisciplinary design studio with her late partner David Derrick.

The Returning Artists Guild

The Blue House Gallery in Dayton, Ohio, will host "Imagining Abolition: State Blues," a group exhibition presented by The Returning Artists Guild (RAG), an abolitionist collective of directly-impacted practicing artists from Ohio and beyond. The exhibition opens on June 13, 2026, with a reception from 6-9pm, and runs through July 13, 2026, with open hours on Fridays from 4-6pm or by appointment.

The annual Deck Art exhibition in stores throughout downtown Rochester

The 16th annual Rochester Deck Art exhibition opened on May 19, 2026, in downtown Rochester, Michigan, displaying skateboard artworks created by artists ranging from elementary school students to adults. The exhibition features multiple categories and is hosted in storefronts and windows throughout the city, with works such as Michelle Villette's first-place winner and Claire LaMontagne's "Phoenix Rising" on view.

Studio 7 Gallery Exhibit Featuring Art Inspired by Fernridge Lake

Studio 7 Gallery in Eugene, Oregon, is hosting an exhibition featuring art inspired by Fernridge Lake, the largest reservoir in the Willamette Valley. The show highlights the lake's wetlands, wildlife, and tributaries through works by local and regional artists including Sarkis Antikajian, Margret Plumb, Nik Skoog, Sally Yost, Bob Keefer, Harold Hoy, and guest artist Laura Wingerd. The exhibition runs through August 2026, with weekly Tuesday viewing hours or by appointment.

Acclaimed Artist and Designer Kim Parker to Host Book Talk and Art Showcase at Maxfield Engine House Gallery

Kim Parker, an internationally celebrated artist and designer, will host a book talk and art showcase at the Maxfield Engine House Gallery in Boonton, New Jersey, on March 29, 2025. The event features a discussion of her bestselling book *Kim Parker Home: A Life in Design* and coincides with the exhibition *Artists as Advocates of the NJ Highlands Coalition*, alongside her solo show *Kim Parker: Interior Gardens*, displaying her vibrant floral art, textiles, and home furnishings.