Dive deep into creativity at AMSET’s Free Family Arts Day celebration Saturday

The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will host a Free Family Arts Day titled "The Art of H2O" on Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Beaumont, Texas. The event features hands-on art activities inspired by the museum's current exhibitions, "Julius Stockfleth: Dawn of a Century" and "Bill Pangburn: Printed Traces - A Neches River Journal," both celebrating water. Visitors can explore galleries, create art, and enjoy live entertainment from Sonny “The Birdman” Carlin, with treats from the IScream Ice Cream Truck available for purchase.

Museum Night 2026: Events in Belarus and Beyond

On May 16, 2026, Museum Night celebrations will take place across Belarus and beyond, with cultural institutions offering extended hours and special programs. Highlights include the National Centre for Contemporary Arts in Minsk hosting lectures, artist talks, and exhibitions such as “Forms and Shadows: Feminine” and “Difficulties of Translation,” while the National Art Museum explores the color blue through its program “Blue of Blue.” Literary museums dedicated to Maksim Bahdanovich, Yakub Kolas, and Yanka Kupala will feature space-themed activities, reenactments, and fashion shows, and the “Sula” History Park will offer an interactive journey called “Hunting the Dragon.”

A new AGWA exhibition will showcase giant 12-metre paintings by a WA street artist

Perth-raised street artist Stormie Mills will present his first-ever solo exhibition at an Australian state gallery, titled *All the secrets are buried between the oceans and the mountains*, at the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) from August 1 to November 8, 2026. The show features works from his four-decade career, including two monumental 12-metre-long paintings inspired by the sea and mountains, exploring themes of connection, isolation, and human vulnerability.

Art Gallery of Burlington opens vibrant spring exhibition you have to experience

The Art Gallery of Burlington (AGB) opens its spring exhibition "A material called Earth, Volume 1: The life of corners" on May 16th, featuring the immersive textile art of Argentinian artist Celina Eceiza. The installation transforms the main gallery with hand-dyed, stitched, and embroidered works, including sculptures ranging from palm-sized to near-monumental, and incorporates ceramics from the AGB's collection. A public opening on May 16th includes a talk and tour with curator Sylvie Fortin and the artist, plus free programming by artist Camila Salcedo and refreshments from local vendors.

St. Mary’s College Professor Of Art Sue Johnson Reveals D.C. Gallery Exhibition

Sue Johnson, professor of art at St. Mary's College, is presenting her second solo exhibition at gallery neptune & brown in Washington, D.C., titled “Blueprint for Happiness.” The show runs from May 16 through June 20, with an opening reception on May 16. Johnson debuts a new series, “My Teenage Years,” which builds on her earlier “Symmetrical Bodies” work and examines the pressures on women to conform to ideals of happiness and perfection in body image and domestic spaces, drawing on 1960s-70s material and commercial culture.

Exhibition | Dai Chenlian, 'Waxing and Waning of the Augustness III' at ShanghART, M50, Shanghai, China

ShanghART Gallery presents Dai Chenlian's solo exhibition 'Waxing and Waning of the Augustness III' at its M50 space in Shanghai from April 10 to May 29, 2026. The show is the final chapter of the artist's 'Mother Trilogy,' centering on his mother's life from 1954 to 2025. Through a reconstructed old house made from loom parts, along with painting, installation, performance, sound narration, and shadow puppetry, the exhibition explores themes of memory, migration, and female resilience, drawing on a line by Tang dynasty poet Li Shangyin.

Art Gallery of Burlington to host inaugural exhibition for emerging artists

The Art Gallery of Burlington (AGB) will host the inaugural Henry Goodman Exhibition for Emerging Artists starting May 21, presented by the arts charity FUSION. The traveling show features over 25 emerging artists working in ceramic and glass under the theme 'gathering,' curated by 2025 Sobey Award finalist Chukwudubem Ukaigwe. Artists include Laura Wagner, Thomas Paik, Deborah Hatanaka, and Ryan Nesbitt. The exhibition will later travel to Rails End Gallery in Haliburton and Neilson Park Creative Arts Centre in Mississauga.

This Family Made Gin on Zoom During Covid. Here’s How It Became an Art World Staple.

During the pandemic, the Mordant family—Simon, Catriona, Brielle, and Angus—began making gin from wild juniper on their Umbria property, splitting operations between Italy, London, and upstate New York. After enrolling in a master gin-making course and refining recipes via Zoom, they entered their creation into the World Gin Awards, earning a triple-gold medal with a score of 97 out of 100. Despite initially producing only 502 bottles not intended for sale, global demand prompted them to scale up commercially, leading to Quattro Gatti becoming the official gin of the Venice Biennale.

Cultural workers at Venice Biennale to strike over Israel’s participation

Cultural workers and participants at the Venice Biennale plan to strike on 8 May during the opening week of the 61st edition, protesting Israel’s participation in the event. The strike, organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) and supported by Italian trade unions, includes a rally near the Arsenale site. ANGA previously sent a letter signed by over 230 artists and curators demanding the cancellation of the Israeli pavilion, citing opposition to "genocide normalisation in culture" and precarious labor conditions. Israel is represented this year by sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, who opposes cultural boycotts.

Venice Biennale jury quits amid row over participation of Russia

The entire jury of the Venice Biennale resigned just days before the 61st international art exhibition's opening on May 9, following a dispute over the decision to allow Russia to participate. The five-member panel, led by Solange Farkas and including Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi, had previously stated it would not award prizes to artists from countries whose leaders face charges of crimes against humanity, a move seen as targeting Russia and Israel. The Biennale responded by postponing the award ceremony to November 22 and announcing it would give two awards, including one that could go to any national participation, citing its founding principles of openness and rejection of censorship.

art fair conductor powerhouse arts new york

Conductor Art Fair made its debut at Powerhouse Arts in Gowanus, Brooklyn, with a VIP preview night on April 29, ahead of its public run from April 30 to May 3. Led by Powerhouse Arts President Eric Shiner and Fair Director Adriana Farietta, the event drew over 800 guests, featuring installations by Juan Jose Barboza-Gubo, House of Silence by Vuslat, and Sana Frini, along with 28 gallery exhibitors and 20 special projects. A performance by Grammy-nominated artist Lido Pimienta highlighted the evening, and the fair showcased works by numerous artists and gallerists.

The Death of the Art School

In a faculty meeting at Purchase College in New York, an administrator referred to students as "consumers," prompting the author to reflect on the pervasive corporatization and "administrification" of American higher education. The article argues that this language reflects a broader restructuring of universities as businesses, where students are customers, knowledge is a product, and faculty are service providers. It cites data showing that between 1976 and 2011, non-faculty professional positions grew by 369% while tenure-track faculty grew by only 23%, and at Purchase College, administrator salaries rose over 45% from 2016 to 2024 while assistant professor salaries rose just 14%, with inflation at 31%.

Where It Doesn’t Reach at Lo Brutto Stahl

Lo Brutto Stahl presents "Where It Doesn’t Reach," a group exhibition featuring works by Bas Jan Ader, Hélène Janicot, and Park McArthur, running from March 27 to May 2, 2026, at both its Basel and Paris locations. The show brings together three artists whose practices explore absence, gesture, and the limits of perception, with the press release and floor plan available on the gallery's website.

Art, museum exhibits in Kenosha, Racine counties this week

This article highlights a series of art exhibitions and events taking place in Kenosha and Racine counties this week. The Anderson Arts Center in Kenosha is hosting a watercolor exhibition in collaboration with the Watercolor USA Honor Society through May 24. Additionally, the Kenosha Art Association is offering a Tatakizome (hammering plants) Flower Printing class with instructor Jill Montgomery. In Racine, an exhibition titled "Flying Kites in a Windless World" featuring works by Vanessa Filley continues.

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.

Buhlebezwe Siwani “uYana umhlaba” at Consonni Radziszewski, Milan

Consonni Radziszewski inaugurates its Milan space with "uYana umhlaba," the first solo exhibition in Italy by South African artist Buhlebezwe Siwani. The show presents a new body of work that expands on research begun in 2020 with the Inkanyamba series, first exhibited at the Galeria Municipal de Almada in Portugal.

Four Dozen Artists Celebrate Marine Wildlife and Lore in ‘Common Waters’

Arch Enemy Arts in Philadelphia is presenting 'Common Waters,' a group exhibition running from June 5 to July 5, featuring 60 artists from around the world. The show celebrates marine wildlife and lore through square-format works that range from fantastical depictions of coral-haired sirens and octopuses to miniature paintings and sculpted paper reliefs of sea turtles. A portion of sales proceeds will be donated to PangeaSeed, a non-profit that uses art to advocate for ocean conservation.

In Monica Rohan’s Paintings, Tablecloths and Chairs Uncannily Perch in Remote Landscapes

Monica Rohan, a Brisbane-based artist, creates vibrant oil paintings in which domestic objects like patterned tablecloths and bentwood dining chairs appear in remote, natural landscapes. Her recent works, including those from her upcoming solo exhibition "Invitations" at Sophie Gannon Gallery in Melbourne this June, increasingly omit human figures, allowing the objects themselves to become stand-ins for people. The scenes are inspired by her hiking trip through Tasmania, featuring alpine summits, streams, and meadows.

Da Carrà e de Chirico a Giorgio Morandi, ecco le nuove aste di Farsetti a Prato

Farsettiarte in Prato will hold two auctions at the end of May 2026, featuring modern and contemporary art. The Contemporary Art sale takes place on May 29, followed by the Modern Art sale on May 30, with highlights including works by Giorgio Morandi, Carlo Carrà, Giorgio de Chirico, Afro, Giuseppe Capogrossi, Piero Dorazio, and Hans Hartung. A rare Morandi still life from 1921 is estimated at €1.3-1.6 million, while de Chirico's 'Piazza d'Italia' (1963) carries an estimate of €220,000-320,000.

In Milan there is an art gallery where you can buy works by important artists all under 1000 euros

A Milano c’è una galleria d’arte dove si possono comprare opere di artisti importanti tutte a meno di 1000 euro

IONOI Gallery has opened in Milan at Via Perugino 24, founded by Alessia Rosato. The gallery debuts on April 15, 2026, with the exhibition "anew spring – prima che tutto accada," featuring 28 artists including Cesare Fullone, Giuseppe Frangi, Franko B., Antonio Marras, and Ercole Pignatelli. All works—prints, objects, and multiples—are priced under €1,000, aiming to make art collecting accessible. The space was formerly a showroom for designer Fabio Novembre.

Who the great jazz musician Miles Davis was, 100 years after his birth

Ecco chi era il grande musicista jazz Miles Davis a 100 anni dalla nascita

Miles Davis, the legendary jazz trumpeter and composer, is commemorated on the centenary of his birth. The article traces his career from his early days with Charlie Parker's bebop quintet in 1944, through his pioneering of cool jazz with "Birth of the Cool" (1949) and modal jazz with "Kind of Blue" (1959), to his later fusion experiments with electric instruments and funk-rock on albums like "Bitches Brew" (1970). It also highlights his lesser-known work as a painter, creating abstract, expressionist works influenced by Kandinsky, Basquiat, and Picasso, which were only exhibited after his death.

From crime to culture. In Ville Couëlle opens the first museum of the Costa Smeralda

Dalla criminalità alla cultura. A Ville Couëlle apre il primo museo della Costa Smeralda

The former Ville Couëlle complex in Sardinia's Costa Smeralda, an iconic example of organic architecture designed by French visionary Jacques Couëlle, has been officially transferred to the municipality of Arzachena after being seized from organized crime by Italy's National Agency for Seized and Confiscated Assets. The 37-million-euro property, spanning 30,000 square meters in the Abbiadori district, will be transformed into the first museum of the Costa Smeralda, featuring exhibition spaces, conference halls, educational labs, a bookshop, and a café.

The Forgotten of Art: The Story of Artist Valeria Alberti

I dimenticati dell’arte. La storia dell’artista Valeria Alberti

Valeria Alberti (1930-2011), a courageous, rebellious, and nonconformist Italian artist, had a brief but intense career before disappearing from the art world. Recent research by scholar Manuel Barrese reconstructs her trajectory as the only woman in a circle of artists and intellectuals around poet Emilio Villa and the Galleria Appia Antica. Alberti debuted in 1957 alongside Alberto Sartoris, collaborated with ceramist Mario Molli, and created painted panels for the transatlantic liners Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo. She exhibited at Galleria Ferro di Cavallo and Galleria Azimuth, and received Piero Manzoni's Certificate of Authenticity No. 26 in 1961. Her later work included geometric metal sculptures, but she ultimately vanished from the art scene.

Omaggio a Luigi Ghirri ad Artbox su Sky Arte

The new episode of Artbox on Sky Arte, airing May 26, focuses on the exhibition "Luigi Ghirri. A series of dreams. Paesaggi visivi e paesaggi sonori" at the Musei Civici and Teatro Valli in Reggio Emilia, which explores the unique relationship between Luigi Ghirri's photography and music. The episode features curator Ilaria Campioli and Adele Ghirri, president of the Fondazione Luigi Ghirri and the artist's daughter. Additionally, Maria Vittoria Baravelli's segment "Invito al viaggio" examines female royalty through art, cinema, and fashion, and the program visits the Galleria d’Arte Moderna Ricci Oddi in Piacenza to discuss recent renovations by architect Piero Lissoni. The episode also includes a book review of "Histoire des galeries d’art en France" by Alice Ensabella.

Sculpture as a Form of Architecture: Happening at the Foundation of Super Artist Anish Kapoor in Venice

La scultura come forma di architettura. Succede alla Fondazione del super artista Anish Kapoor a Venezia

Anish Kapoor has opened a major solo exhibition at Palazzo Manfrin in Venice, a 16th-century building he purchased in 2018, now home to his foundation. The show, running until August 8 during the 61st Venice Biennale, spans over fifty years of his practice, featuring models, studies, and installations that blur the line between sculpture and architecture. Works include the Monte Sant'Angelo metro station in Naples, the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower for the 2012 London Olympics, the inflatable concert hall Ark Nova, and the environmental installation Temenos. The palazzo itself remains under restoration, with exposed construction elements and workspaces visible, reinforcing the exhibition's theme of continuous transformation.

The regeneration of Rome's former barracks begins, where the Museum of Science will also rise. Objectives and timeline of the construction site

Parte la rigenerazione delle ex caserme di Roma, dove sorgerà anche il Museo della Scienza. Obiettivi e tempi del cantiere

The Italian government, through Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and COIMA Sgr, has launched the regeneration of the former Guido Reni military barracks in Rome's Flaminio district. The 5-hectare site, abandoned since 2019 and located opposite the MAXXI museum, will be transformed into a mixed-use urban district including housing, retail, a hotel, green spaces, and a new Museum of Science. Demolitions are set to begin in October 2026, with the project expected to be completed by 2029. The museum will be designed by Rome-based studio ADAT, which won an international competition in 2023.

In Milan, the first exhibition-market dedicated entirely to 20th-century modernariato arrives

A Milano arriva la prima mostra-mercato dedicata interamente al modernariato del Novecento

The article announces the arrival of SOMO (Solo Modernariato), Italy's only fair dedicated entirely to 20th-century modernariato, in Milan. After two years in Alzano Lombardo near Bergamo, the event will take place at Superstudio Più in Via Tortona 27 on May 23-24, 2026. It will feature over 70 exhibitors from across Italy, showcasing furniture, lamps, and objects produced between the post-war period and the 1980s, targeting collectors, architects, interior designers, and a new generation of enthusiasts.

Nella Tenuta Todini in Umbria sta per aprire un parco di sculture d’arte contemporanea. Le immagini

A new contemporary sculpture park, Parco Sculture Todini, is set to open on May 23 within the Tenuta Todini estate in Collevalenza, near Todi, Umbria. The debut features two site-specific works: "VITE" by Matteo Attruia, which plays on the double meaning of vine and lives, and "Tempus Mirabilis" by Silvia Ranchicchio, a reflective environmental sculpture that changes with light and seasons. The park is curated by Massimo Mattioli and supported by the Arvedi steelworks of Terni and entrepreneur Luisa Todini.

La grande artista Carla Accardi e l’arte italiana sono da record nell’asta da Dorotheum a Vienna

Dorotheum opened its Contemporary Week in Vienna on May 19, 2026, with modern and contemporary art sales that achieved strong results, particularly for Italian artists. Carla Accardi set a new auction record when her 1986 triptych *Fonda Notte Pieno Giorno* sold for €520,000, while works by Piero Dorazio, Emilio Vedova, Marino Marini, and Gino Severini also far exceeded their estimates. Top lots included Claude Monet’s *Waterloo Bridge* (€611,000) and Mikuláš Medek’s *Too Deep a Sleep V* (€546,000).

The archive of the great architect Piero Portaluppi opens to the public: it happens at Villa Necchi in Milan

L’archivio del grande architetto Piero Portaluppi apre al pubblico: succede a Villa Necchi a Milano

The Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI) has opened a new permanent archive space dedicated to the architect and intellectual Piero Portaluppi (1888-1967) inside Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan, the architect's own masterpiece. The archive, acquired by FAI in December 2025 from the closing Fondazione Portaluppi, is housed in three attic rooms and includes thousands of original documents, drawings, photographic prints, sketchbooks, caricatures, postcards, and 16 mm film reels totaling eight hours of footage shot between the 1930s and 1960s. The collection also features Portaluppi's personal library of three thousand volumes and architecture journals, which will be made available for study in collaboration with the Soprintendenza Archivistica e Bibliografica della Lombardia and the Politecnico di Milano.