The Cornell Art Museum will host the opening of "Rodney Demps: The Surrealist of the Highwaymen" on Friday, May 1, 2026. The exhibition highlights the work of Rodney Demps, a contemporary artist whose surrealist style connects to the legacy of the Florida Highwaymen, a group of African American landscape painters active in the mid-20th century.
Contemporary painter Mär Martinez, a Fulbright scholar and UCF alum, presents her first solo museum exhibition, “A loom, a fence, a wire, a thread,” at the Art & History Museums of Maitland (A&H) in Maitland, Florida. The show features works developed during her 2024–25 Fulbright research in Istanbul and builds on ideas from her 2021–2023 Studio Artist Residency at A&H. Inspired by traditional Turkish and Middle Eastern textile practices, Martinez explores themes of urban life, surveillance, and cultural memory, using imagery from nighttime walks through Istanbul—fences, checkpoints, and barbed wire—combined with historic textile patterns. Her Cuban and Arab heritage and family’s experience of displacement inform her work, with weaving serving as a metaphor for endurance and resistance. The opening night is free to the public, with live music, food, and a cash bar.
Artist Mär Martinez is presenting her first solo exhibition in Orlando, titled 'a loom, a fence, a wire, a thread,' at the Art & History Museums of Maitland. The exhibition features paintings and a loom, inspired by her experiences during a Fulbright Scholar grant in Istanbul and her family's history with Syrian textiles.
The Edwardsville Arts Center has announced a two-week countdown for artist applications for the 2026 Edwardsville Art Fair. Scheduled for September 25-27 in City Park, the fair seeks roughly 90 artists across various media, including ceramics, painting, and digital art, with a final deadline of April 30. The event features a specialized category for emerging artists that waives booth fees to encourage newcomers to the professional circuit.
The First Coast Cultural Center in Ponte Vedra, Florida, is set to host "Layers of Art," a solo exhibition featuring the surrealistic oil and watercolor paintings of Susanne Schuenke. Opening with a public reception on April 23, the show highlights Schuenke’s intellectually driven approach to composition, where multiple layers of meaning are embedded within her visual narratives. The exhibition will be accompanied by a special lecture on May 1, where the artist will discuss the scholarly and imaginative foundations of her work.
The Gadsden Arts Center & Museum has officially opened applications for its 38th Annual Art in Gadsden Juried Exhibition. Open to current members living within 200 miles of Quincy, Florida, as well as former Gadsden County residents, the call for entries remains active until May 15, 2026. This year’s programming is set to expand beyond the gallery walls, featuring a three-day flash sale, artist studio tours, and a specialized luncheon to engage the local community.
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.
Florida State University’s Department of Art is set to debut "A New Paradigm," an exhibition showcasing the thesis projects of eight graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts students. Opening April 17 at the Working Method Contemporary Gallery, the show features a diverse array of media including ceramics, digital fabrication, installation, and printmaking. The works collectively explore shifting societal frameworks and represent the culmination of the students' academic journeys.
An online exhibition titled "The Art of Parkinson's," sponsored by medical technology company Abbott, launched on April 1, 2026, showcasing paintings by eight artists with Parkinson's who have undergone Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) treatment. Featured artists include Margie Burns-Kohn from Florida, Clive Couperthwaite from Australia, Ann Harwell from North Carolina, and Roger Saunders from Queensland, all of whom describe how DBS alleviated tremors and restored their ability to create art, with many experiencing a surge in creativity post-treatment.
Florida Atlantic University’s Division of Research is launching its seventh annual Art of Science exhibition at the Ritter Art Gallery in Boca Raton. The competition features photography and video submitted by FAU faculty, students, and staff that capture aesthetic moments encountered during scientific research. This year’s top honors go to Chelsea Bennice for her photograph of an octopus and Aleksandra Nedovic for her abstract visualization of drug development research.
Resource Depot in West Palm Beach, Florida, has opened its 8th Annual Waste to Wonder juried group exhibition. The show features 21 local artists who create artworks from discarded materials sourced from the organization's inventory, transforming items like textiles, plastics, and industrial scraps into sculptures and mixed-media pieces. The exhibition runs through February 26, 2026, in the Pam Sartory GalleRE at the depot's headquarters.
Florida State University's Museum of Fine Arts and College of Fine Arts have unveiled their spring 2026 schedule of exhibitions and public programs. The lineup includes student and faculty exhibitions across multiple campus gallery spaces, a series of public workshops on topics like experimental cartography and basket weaving, and special events like an art crawl and family storytime sessions. Key exhibitions include "A Place Within," "Horizon: Speculative Worlds and Interdisciplinary Research," and the MFA thesis shows.
Alcea Gallery opened in October at 7512 Madison St. in Forest Park, Illinois, owned by Summer Lambert, a former corporate marketer who turned to freelance marketing and decided to launch her own gallery after years of being rejected from museum and gallery jobs for lacking an art background. The gallery features contemporary paintings, collages, ceramics, and prints by local and national artists, with Lambert displaying work for free and offering a 70% commission on sales. She launched with her personal collection and has since received interest from artists in Forest Park, Oak Park, and as far as Florida, though she notes a deficit of buyers rather than artists.
At the Scope Art Show in Miami, Amnesty International has presented an installation titled "Cruelty Is Their Point—But Another World is Possible" featuring works by artists Agua Dulce Gloriosa and Clarence James. The project protests the notorious migrant-detention facility in the Everglades nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz, which opened in July 2025 and is operated by Florida’s Division of Emergency Management in partnership with the US Department of Homeland Security. The installation includes an altar-like piece by Dulce Gloriosa and a collage by James, and invites fairgoers to sign a petition demanding the facility's closure.
Tara Long's new installation *La Esquinita (little corner)* has taken over all three spaces at Locust Projects in Miami, transforming the gallery into a shop for sweets and souvenirs with over 500 miniature sculptures for sale. The immersive environment, her first major solo show, unfolds in three acts—seduction, exposure, and collapse—centered on a crumbling room-sized frosted cake. The exhibition draws parallels between Florida's early 20th-century Big Sugar land grab and today's Big Tech boom, reflecting on cycles of extraction and survival in Long's hometown. A pop-up speakeasy will run on Friday and Saturday nights (5 and 6 December).
Miami International Airport (MIA) has opened a new art exhibition titled "Closer: Photographs by Iran Issa-Khan," on view until April 2026. The show features nature-focused photography by artist Iran Issa-Khan, displayed in the airport's public spaces as part of its ongoing arts program.
The Dunedin Fine Art Center (DFAC) in Florida is showcasing the work of three new instructors—Anders Fernbach, Ritu Haldar, and Betsy Ore Class—in the exhibition "Now in the Studio" at its upstairs gallery. The show features Fernbach's photo-realistic paintings and graphite pieces, Haldar's applique textile art, and Class's pastel water scenes, highlighting the artistic practice behind their teaching.
The City of Homestead is bringing back its 'Artist in the Spotlight' program on November 15, 2025, at the Historic Seminole Theatre. The event, presented by Councilwoman Jenifer N. Bailey in partnership with The ArtBeat and Friends of the Seminole Theatre, features a month-long visual arts exhibition titled 'Blackity: Reframing Race, Ethnicity & Nationality Across the Diaspora,' curated by founding artist Ms. Tawana in collaboration with ArtWalk Presents. The opening reception includes live performances and opportunities to meet the artists.
The Plantation Artists’ Guild & Gallery (PAGG) in Amelia Island, Florida, is hosting an opening reception titled "All Wrapped Up" on Friday, November 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The exhibit features new artwork by PAGG members, with Osprey Village catering the event. All proceeds from the reception will be donated to Alzheimer’s research.
The St. Johns Cultural Council and the St. Augustine Art Association present the plein air art exhibition 'Historic Impressions on a Modern Canvas,' opening October 9 at the Rotunda Gallery in St. Augustine, Florida. Juried by artist Kathy Odom, the show features works created during the city's April Plein Air Paint Out and other local paint-out events at venues including the Lightner Museum Garden and Fort Mose Historic State Park. A public reception with a People's Choice Awards vote will be held on opening night.
Notta Gallery, founded by Danielle Klonecki, Andy Webb, and Katie Webb, will open with a "soft-ish" launch on September 5 at 125 N. Kentucky Ave., Suite 103, in downtown Lakeland, Florida. The space, formerly occupied by June Taylor (now Junely), aims to make art approachable and build collectors through a mix of interactive elements, affordable works, and higher-end pieces. The inaugural show is titled "Love Lakeland."
The Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Gardens in Ormond Beach, Florida, recently completed a 16-month renovation that added expanded classroom, exhibition, and meeting spaces, as well as a new rooftop terrace overlooking its 2.5-acre gardens. The museum, founded in 1946, features rotating and permanent collections including works by Malcolm Fraser and John Wilton, along with educational programs for all ages, outreach for students and military personnel, and a garden with native and exotic plants, a turtle sanctuary, and military tributes. Upcoming exhibits include a pop-up by Carson Kapp, the International Society of Experimental Artists' 'Innovations 2025,' and a 1940s-themed show organized by the OMAM Guild.
A new mini art gallery called the Tiny Art Swap Shop has opened in Ocala, Florida, located outside the Art Approach Ocala Creativity Studio. Created by artist and business owner Stacie Rae Pedrick, the interactive space invites people of all ages and skill levels to leave their own miniature artworks, take a piece left by another artist, or simply view the display. The shop has no restrictions on age, talent, or medium, and Pedrick aims to inspire creativity as a tool for personal growth and mental wellness.
The University of West Florida College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities is hosting "After Hours with the Artist: Sunken Series," a collaborative event between the Florida Public Archaeology Network and The Art Gallery at UWF. The event features artist Jenna Zydlo, whose ceramic exhibit reimagines a fictional 17th-18th century Spanish shipwreck, blending art and archaeology. It takes place on August 1, 2025, at the Destination Archaeology Resource Center in downtown Pensacola, offering the community a free opportunity to meet the artist and view her work.
Red Calliope Gallery on Evers, a new art gallery and champagne bar in Plant City, Florida, is hosting an exhibit featuring local artists. The gallery, owned by self-taught artist Rachel and woodcraftsman Mark Dummeldinger, opened in March and recently held a juried competition called Dog Days of Summer, judged by local artist Liza Compass. Winners will be announced on August 2 at a public event with cash prizes, hors d'oeuvres, and entertainment.
State legislatures across the US have continued to fund their arts and humanities agencies for fiscal year 2026, with aggregate spending totaling $649.2 million across 50 states and four territories—a 7.4% decrease from 2025 levels. While 29 states increased their arts funding, others saw significant cuts, including New Hampshire (90% reduction), Hawaii (74.9% drop), and Missouri (59.7% decline). The data comes from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA), which notes an uncertain fiscal environment but highlights that overall state investment in the arts is being sustained despite federal pressures.
The Village Art Gallery has opened at 200 Brevard Avenue in historic Cocoa Village, owned by local artists Bruce Reigle and Teri Roper. The gallery represents 37 artists across multiple media including painting, photography, pottery, sculpture, and jewelry, and features a dedicated music/art room with ukuleles and hand-painted guitars, as well as a workshop for building and repairing picture frames and furniture. Reigle co-founded the Ukulele Lending Program with the Brevard County Library System, and the gallery is seeking donations to expand the program to all 17 libraries. The space also offers fine-art and drawing classes, and a Crystal Bowl Meditation event is scheduled for May 29.
Bonu Deji's painting "Bloom Beyond Sight" (2026) is being offered for sale through Art R us gallery in Naples, Florida. The acrylic and oil on canvas work, sized 25 × 31 inches, is priced at US$1,400 and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Deji, a Nigerian artist born in 2003 and based in Lagos, creates figurative works exploring poverty, labor, resilience, and human dignity. The piece was exhibited in 2026 at Art R us's breakout exhibition of the artist and previously in the 2025 group show "Faces of Us" at The Zebra Gallery.
Bonu Deji's painting "The Watchful Savior" (2026) is being offered for sale through Art R us gallery in Naples, Florida. The acrylic and oil on canvas work, measuring 25 × 31 inches, is priced at US$1,400 and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Deji, a Nigerian contemporary visual artist born in 2003 and based in Lagos, creates figurative works exploring poverty, labor, resilience, and human dignity. The piece was previously exhibited in the gallery's 2026 solo presentation of the artist and in the 2025 group show "Faces of Us" at The Zebra Gallery.
Art R us gallery in Naples, Florida, is offering "Crowned by Resilience" (2026), a painting by Nigerian contemporary artist Bonu Deji. The acrylic and oil on canvas work explores themes of strength, endurance, and identity, and is priced at US$1,400. Deji, born in 2003 and based in Lagos, creates figurative works addressing poverty, labor, and human dignity, and has exhibited at Art R us and The Zebra Gallery.