Cocoa’s picks: Gallery openings, mural celebrations and music competitions

The article highlights several arts events in Bellingham, Washington, including a community mural celebration led by Coast Salish artist Jason LaClair, an opening reception for Charles Villiers' solo exhibition "Untethered" at Cordata Gallery, an improvised musical called "You: The Musical" at The Upfront Theatre, and a Youth Chamber Music Competition hosted by the Harmony Chamber Music Festival. These events span visual art, theater, and classical music, with the mural project involving over 500 children and families in selecting the design.

Return of popular Goole open art showcase sparks call-out for local artists

Goole Museum has issued a call for local artists to submit works for its 12th annual Open Art Exhibition, which will open on March 21, 2026. The museum welcomes all mediums including paintings, illustrations, textiles, sculptures, ceramics, and digital entries, with a particular invitation for pieces inspired by Goole's bicentenary—200 years since the town was built as a purpose-built port. Submissions can be dropped off on specified dates in early March, and the exhibition runs until May 16.

A look at '50 Years of PUNK,' opening tonight at the Ki Smith Gallery

A new exhibition titled '50 Years of PUNK' opens tonight at the Ki Smith Gallery on the Lower East Side, celebrating the legacy of PUNK Magazine. The show features original work from artists, photographers, and contributors associated with the magazine, which helped launch bands like the Ramones and Blondie. Co-founder John Holmstrom and gallery owner Ki Smith organized the exhibit, which includes upcoming events such as a clothing sale, a script reading about the Sex Pistols' 1978 U.S. tour, and a discussion on the making of the first issue.

Marae to host Pātaka Ora auction

Dunedin’s Araiteuru Marae will host the inaugural Pātaka Ora Summer Art Exhibition & Auction on November 24, 2025, from 5pm to 9pm at the Shetland Street marae. The event features works from rangatahi (youth) to tohunga toi (experienced artists), including paintings, ceramics, and photography, alongside music, conversation, and food. Organized by the volunteer Pātaka Ora committee, the auction aims to raise funds for the marae’s community wellbeing kitchen, which has provided 18 meal services so far this year.

A collective lunch is organized in Milan to discuss the problems of the cultural sector. Here is how to participate

A Milano si organizza un pranzo collettivo per discutere dei problemi del settore culturale. Ecco come partecipare

The nomadic assembly "OMTU – Organized Meals for Times of Uprising" is heading to Milan on April 19, 2026, coinciding with the miart art fair. Organized by a coalition of independent spaces including terzospazio, Osservatorio Futura, Parsec, and Arts of the Working Class, the event features a collective lunch followed by a public discussion at the Baséll space. The gathering aims to address the systemic precariousness of the cultural sector, focusing specifically on the scarcity of affordable social and cultural spaces in Milan.

Evanston's Dittmar Gallery Hosts Community Art Exhibition 'I Was Here'

The Dittmar Memorial Gallery in Evanston is hosting 'I Was Here,' a community-driven exhibition running from April 9 to May 3, 2026. Curated by Jasmine Ametovski and Clare Kirwan, the show features 24 local artists utilizing diverse mediums such as sound, video, and beeswax to document their daily lives. The project prioritizes lived experience and personal encounters over traditional, academic studio practices.

40 years of Hammersmith art on show – for FREE – at Riverside Studios

The Riverside Artists Group is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a major retrospective titled "PULL FOCUS" at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. The exhibition features 48 artworks across various media—including oil paintings, sculptures, and digital prints—by 33 artists, alongside a 30-minute documentary film and an extensive archive of the group's history. Founded in 1986 following an open submission call that drew over 1,000 entrants, the collective has grown from a local community initiative into an international presence.

Chicago creator honors community with collaborative art exhibition

Chicago artist Brian Sykes is debuting a multidisciplinary exhibition titled “I Heard the City Breathe” at the Beverly Arts Center, running from April 6 through May 1. The project, which includes a short film and gallery-style visual art, serves as a collaborative reflection on the Black experience in Chicago. By blending music, storytelling, and intergenerational community input, Sykes explores themes of identity, memory, and the cultural realities of the city’s South Side.

Three Tiny Art Exhibits You Should Visit This Week in Utah

Three tiny art exhibits are popping up across Utah, offering miniature artworks and community-driven art exchanges. The Community Caring Consortium in Bountiful, created by Heidi Bateman, features bright boxes on the sidewalk where people can leave and take tiny art. The Free Little Art Gallery, founded by Mike Christoff, operates like a Little Free Library for art, originally outside 1833 Craft in Salt Lake City and set to reopen in spring 2026. The Tiny Art Show in Provo displays original miniature artworks and opens Saturdays. Additionally, artist Loren Mendoza (Loren Duzzet) runs a doll-sized portrait booth at various boutiques, sketching likenesses for $10.

Melville to become an open-air art gallery for a weekend

Melville Open Studios returns for its ninth year, transforming the Western Australian suburb into an open-air gallery for one weekend. Seventy-seven local artists will open their home studios and dedicated hubs—including Atwell House, Goolugatup Heathcote, Applecross Art Gallery, Feld & Co., and Myaree Ceramics—to the public. Visitors can explore ceramics, painting, printmaking, floristry, mixed media, and textiles, purchase artworks commission-free, and take guided bus tours across six routes. Coordinator Jennifer Gaye, who took over the event from the City of Melville in 2022, reports that last year's edition attracted 5,000 visitors and generated over $100,000 in direct sales for artists.

Arts Council weaves 50 years of connection through new exhibit

The Worcester County Arts Council in Berlin, Maryland, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a juried art competition and exhibition titled “Threads of Connections.” The show invites artists to submit original works exploring relationships across communities, cultures, and shared experiences, with submissions accepted in all media. Local artist and muralist Olga Deshields will serve as juror, selecting pieces for the exhibition running May 1 through June 28 at the Arts Council’s Berlin gallery. Artwork drop-off is scheduled for April 28-30, with an opening reception on May 8.

Paphos exhibition brings 22 artists together

A new group exhibition titled 'Beyond the Surface' opens at Ibrahim’s Khan Art Gallery in Paphos, Cyprus, from April 24 to 26, featuring 22 artists of 14 nationalities. Curated by Elham Razani, the three-day show includes paintings, sculpture, mosaic, and ceramic art, and is sponsored by Ezousa Winery. The exhibition aims to foster cultural exchange and community engagement through diverse artistic voices.

Local artist exhibition launch – Northampton, June 27, 2026 MTB Artwork

A local artist known as MTB Artwork is launching a solo exhibition of new acrylic paintings on cardboard on June 27, 2026, at a renovated flat and shop space on Kingsley Park Terrace in Northampton. The artist began painting in 2020 as a therapeutic activity and has since sold over 400 pieces internationally.

100 Mile House’s Parkside Art Gallery looking for new volunteers

Parkside Art Gallery in 100 Mile House, British Columbia, is actively seeking new volunteers to help maintain its operations. The gallery, which has been a free, community-run space for 26 years, relies entirely on volunteers from the South Cariboo Arts and Culture Society to stay open five days a week.

Rutherglen exhibition highlights creativty of local artists

A community-led exhibition titled 'We Are Rutherglen' is being held at the Number 18 Venue in Rutherglen, Scotland. The show features work from 14 local artists across various media, including painting, drawing, and sculpture, and is part of the town's 900th-anniversary celebrations. Entry is free, with several viewing dates remaining in April.

Ravenswood Art Gallery hosts photography contest sponsored by Black Sheep Tattoo

The Ravenswood Art Gallery recently hosted a photography contest titled "Bright, Beautiful WV!", which featured 21 entries from local photographers. Sponsored by Black Sheep Tattoo Co., the event awarded $500 in prizes and was judged by a four-person panel. The ceremony highlighted the gallery's ongoing commitment to community engagement and its growth since opening 16 months ago.

Art for all: Ogden community art shows provide opportunities for creativity and connection

Ogden City’s quarterly Community Art Show at Union Station has become a staple of the local creative scene, offering a low-barrier platform for artists of all ages and skill levels. Managed by Ogden City Arts, the program accepts a diverse range of media—including poetry, textiles, and 3D works—with no entry fees for participants. The initiative, which began in 2020 as a way to activate the historic Union Station lobby during the pandemic, now showcases between 25 and 75 pieces per exhibition.

Sullivan Area Arts Guild celebrates a big milestone

The Sullivan Area Art Guild is celebrating its 50th anniversary, marking five decades of supporting local creativity in Sullivan, Indiana. Founded in April 1976, the organization maintains a gallery on the town square where it hosts monthly meetings and year-round community projects. To commemorate the milestone, the guild is currently featuring a themed exhibition titled "Past, Present and Future."

Berthoud’s fine art gallery displays community creativity

Homestead Fine Art Gallery in downtown Berthoud has established itself as a vital community hub, currently representing 23 local artists from Northern Colorado. The gallery recently hosted its third annual student art show, featuring works from Berthoud High School students and concluding with a public awards reception. Managed by volunteer Executive Director Jim Fronapfel, the space operates on a cooperative model where artists juried into the gallery rent space and contribute volunteer hours to maintain operations.

Greenock Art Club announces summer exhibition of artists and makers

Greenock Art Club has scheduled its annual summer art exhibition and craft sale, set to take place over two consecutive weekends in June. Hosted at The Stables in Gourock, the event will showcase a diverse range of works produced by local artists and makers, with all pieces available for public viewing and purchase.

‘Like a Rising River’ explores Nepali women through art

The art exhibition ‘Like a Rising River: Stories of Women and Change’ recently opened in Nepal, showcasing the results of a collaborative project between Srijanalaya, UN Women Nepal, and the Government of Finland. The initiative sent 15 Nepali artists to four provinces—Sudurpaschim, Bagmati, Sarlahi, and Madhesh—to document the lived experiences, social struggles, and resilience of local women through various artistic mediums, including textiles, mixed-media animation, and storytelling.

The power of ‘print as protest’ in new exhibition at Chicano Park museum

Multidisciplinary artist and printmaker Irie Zepeda has curated a new group exhibition titled “Print As Protest/Grafica En Resistencia” at the Chicano Park Museum & Cultural Center in San Diego. The show highlights printmaking as a vital medium for solidarity and community storytelling, drawing on Zepeda’s deep roots in Barrio Logan and their work with Por La Mano Press y Arte. The exhibition features works that position the craft of printing as a tool for visibility and collective action within marginalized communities.

Gadsden Arts Artist’s Guild On display through June 16, 2026

The Gadsden Arts Center & Museum in Quincy, Florida, is hosting its second Artists Guild exhibition of 2026. Running through June 16, the showcase features a diverse range of works by over thirty local artists, including John R. Isaacs, Jan Austin-Hicken, and Erika Zambello. The exhibition is staged across the museum’s Bates Community Room and Bates Gallery, offering a platform for regional talent to display their latest creative output.

IN PICTURES: Women’s rugby-themed exhibition opens in Teddington pub

Artist Agnieszka Lokaj has launched 'Breaking the Line,' a solo exhibition at The Lion pub in Teddington dedicated to the physicality and spirit of women’s rugby. The show features semi-abstract portraits of elite Red Roses players alongside works highlighting local community connections to the sport, timed to coincide with the Women’s Six Nations championship.

Creating a space to ‘Gossip’ with local artists

Seven local female artists have launched 'Gossip,' a self-produced group exhibition at Union Hall Gallery in San Diego’s Golden Hill neighborhood. Curated by Scarlett Baily, the show features a diverse array of disciplines including ceramics by Amber Schnitzius, oil painting by Baily Ludwick, and photography by Sarai Elguezabal. The exhibition emerged from the artists' shared desire to bypass the restrictive thematic requirements often found in San Diego’s limited gallery scene, opting instead for a space that prioritizes personal storytelling and creative intuition.

These Tiny "Joy Spots" Are Turning Chicago Sidewalks Into Free Art Galleries — And You Can Find Them All On This Secret Map

Chicago is experiencing a surge in "Sidewalk Joy Spots," miniature art-sharing stations modeled after the "Little Free Library" concept. These small, community-maintained boxes allow residents to exchange handmade jewelry, miniature paintings, and sculptures, effectively turning residential sidewalks into decentralized public galleries.

Amanzimtoti’s artsy talent on exhibition

The TOTALLY Art Club recently hosted a mini art exhibition at Seadoone Mall in Amanzimtoti, South Africa, featuring 11 local artists. The three-day event showcased 88 original works ranging across various styles and subjects, with artists such as Hazel Nunes, Ann Waterson, and Sylvia Holtzhausen presenting their pieces. The exhibition proved commercially successful for the local collective, resulting in the sale of 27 paintings.

Community Art Shines In Latest Exhibition At Gallery

The Griffith Regional Art Gallery recently debuted "Roots & Reflections," a major community exhibition featuring over 60 works from local artists. Curated by Melanie Toscan, the show includes a diverse array of mediums such as sculpture, painting, photography, and a collaborative 3D installation. A unique highlight of the exhibition is a section of anonymous, fixed-price paintings where the artist's identity is only revealed to the buyer after the sale, adding an element of mystery to the local showcase.

Cactus Club 'In the Clouds' Artist Residency Applications Now Open

Cactus Plus, the nonprofit arm of Milwaukee’s Cactus Club, has opened applications for the second year of its "In the Clouds" artist residency. The program offers three selected artists—one virtual and two in-person—a $1,500 stipend to support their practice between June 22 and 26, 2026. Designed with a focus on accessibility, the residency specifically prioritizes disabled, neurodivergent, and chronically ill creators across all artistic mediums, requiring a community event and an artist talk rather than the production of new physical work.

Nantwich Museum’s first Open Art exhibition begins

Nantwich Museum has launched its inaugural Open Art exhibition, marking a significant milestone for the local cultural institution. The showcase features a diverse range of works submitted by artists from the surrounding region, providing a platform for both amateur and professional creators to display their talents within a formal museum setting.