ArtReview's editors have curated a list of 11 must-see exhibitions worldwide for May 2026, excluding Venice. Highlights include Audie Murray's solo show at april april in Pittsburgh, featuring works made with her own hair and breast milk; Delcy Morelos's monumental earthwork 'origo' at the Barbican Sculpture Court in London; and Bold Tendencies' 20th anniversary season in Peckham, titled 'Euphoria', with new commissions across multiple disciplines.
A group of artists including Mickalene Thomas, Tammy Nguyen, and Richard Prince are donating works to a Sotheby’s contemporary art day sale next month, with proceeds expected to exceed $1 million. All funds will go toward making Yale University’s MFA art program tuition-free. The sale features works by Yale alumni both historical—Walker Evans, Josef Albers—and contemporary, such as Dominic Chambers and Do Ho Suh, whose $200,000–$300,000 piece is among the lots. The highest-estimated work is a Richard Prince photograph from his “Spiritual America” series, valued at $500,000–$700,000.
Raphael Fonseca, a prominent curator specializing in Latin American art, has been appointed as the new visual arts programmer at Culturgest in Lisbon. He will relocate to Portugal in June, succeeding Bruno Marchand, while maintaining a curator-at-large position with the Denver Art Museum, where he has served since 2021.
Swiss painter Renée Levi will create a large-scale two-panel painting for the façade of London’s Hayward Gallery this fall, co-commissioned by the gallery and Audemars Piguet Contemporary. The installation, on view from September 23 to November 15, marks the watch brand’s art programme’s first painting commission and Levi’s first major public commission in the U.K.
L.A. Metro opened the first phase of its D Line extension on Friday, May 1, 2026, adding three new underground stations connecting downtown Los Angeles to Beverly Hills: Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega. The stations feature nine site-specific public artworks by artists including Mariana Castillo Deball, Eamon Ore-Giron, Ken Gonzales-Day, Todd Gray, Karl Haendel, Soo Kim, Fran Siegel, Susan Silton, and Mark Dean Veca. The competitive selection process began a decade ago, drawing over 1,200 applicants, with finalists judged by a panel of art professionals including curators from Miracle Mile museums. Metro deputy executive officer Zipporah Yamamoto leads the agency's public art program, which is funded by a 0.5% construction budget set-aside.
Vietnamese sculptor and visual artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen has unveiled a 27-foot-tall sandstone Buddha sculpture titled *The Light That Shines Through the Universe* (2026) on New York's High Line Plinth, at the intersection of 10th Avenue and 30th Street. The monumental work is the newest commission for the elevated park's public art program and will remain on view for the next 18 months.
Museums across Central Texas are opening a slate of summer exhibitions, including the Blanton Museum of Art's "Art in Every Corner: The Works Progress Administration (1935-1943)," featuring prints and paintings by Thomas Hart Benton, Grant Wood, and Dorothea Lange. The San Antonio Museum of Art will present "Microhistories of the Andes" with Andean artifacts, while the McNay Art Museum hosts "Garden Party: Nature on Paper" with works by René Magritte and Winslow Homer. Women & Their Work in Austin will showcase "MARK," a group drawing exhibition by 25 Texas women artists.
MIT's List Visual Arts Center celebrated its 40th anniversary on April 10, 2026, with performances, receptions, and the opening of a new exhibition titled "Performing Conditions," which explores work, debt, and labor. Housed in the Wiesner Building designed by I. M. Pei, the museum manages public art across MIT's campus, including works by Olafur Eliasson and Sanford Biggers, and runs a Student Lending Art Program that loans about 700 works annually. An anonymous donor has launched a $1 million matching challenge grant for conservation of the public art collection.
The 2026 BFA Exhibition at the Krannert Art Museum, featuring work from University of Illinois School of Art & Design students, emphasizes interactivity, inviting visitors to physically engage with the displays. Highlights include Dhanvi Puttur's "The Third Showing," which explores film communities through an interactive prompt, and Venya Naidu's "The Last Maharaja of Mysore," a vibrant piece blending history and vintage advertising aesthetics. The exhibition runs through May 16, 2026, and is free to the public.
Los Angeles Metro unveiled a major public art installation on May 8 with the opening of the 3.92-mile D Line extension, connecting downtown to Beverly Hills. Nine artists were selected from over 1,400 applicants to create works across three stations—Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega. Notable pieces include Karl Haendel's "Hands and Things" at the Wilshire/Fairfax station, featuring photorealist pencil drawings of hands holding objects sourced from nearby cultural institutions, and Susan Silton's "WE, OUR, US." The artworks are mounted using durable porcelain enameling that resists corrosion, scratching, fading, and graffiti.
Missoula artist Julia LaTray presents a solo exhibition titled "Animal Pleasures" at Bob's Your Uncle gallery in May, featuring paintings of animals on glitchy, digitized backgrounds alongside lighting and other works. The gallery is only open to the public on dedicated nights, so the exhibition is paired with performances, comedy, and readings on May 1, 8, 15, and 29. Separately, Hanis Coos artist Sara Siestreem brings her major exhibition "Acts of Love, Refusal and Resistance" to the Missoula Art Museum, filling the museum's main galleries with large-scale mixed-media paintings and sculpture, including handmade baskets and ceramic molded versions with gilded flourishes. The museum hosts a First Friday reception on May 1 and a "Coffee and Conversation" with the artist on May 2.
Sacramento City College's Kondos Gallery has opened its spring faculty exhibition, “The Other Half; SCC Art Faculty,” featuring works by five full-time art professors in painting, printmaking, mixed media, ceramics, and sculpture. A reception was held on April 30, 2026, attended by librarian Antonio López and others. The gallery, originally opened in the 1930s, was renamed after noted California artist Gregory Kondos, who served as its director in the mid-1970s until his retirement in 1982.
The Brea Gallery in Brea, California, is currently hosting its 41st annual "Made in California" exhibition, featuring nearly 100 artists from across the state. The juried show, which runs through June 28, 2026, includes works in multiple media created within the last three years, with submissions reaching 5,000 this year. The gallery, a 6,500-square-foot space opened in 1980, focuses on contemporary art by living artists and mounts four exhibitions annually. Upcoming shows include "America 350" (opening July 31) and "What Fearful Shadows" (opening October 10), which reimagines early American horror themes.
Hong Kong artists Kingsley Ng and Angel Hui are showcasing their works at the 61st Venice Biennale in a collateral exhibition titled 'Fermata: Hong Kong in Venice', curated by the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) in collaboration with the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC). The exhibition, which opened on May 8, 2026, features five installations across a courtyard and four gallery rooms, including Ng's multimedia pieces inspired by hanging laundry and Hui's works blending traditional Chinese embroidery and handcrafted iron window grilles. This marks HKMoA's first curation at the Biennale.
Art Spectrum, a new exhibition in Balboa Park’s Village to Gallery 21, showcases the work of twelve professional San Diego LGBTQ+ artists throughout May. Curated by painter RD Riccoboni and produced by gallerist Patric Stillman, the show was initiated by the Village Arts and Education Foundation, which lacked community connections to organize an LGBTQ+ exhibition. The selected artists, including Carole Kuck, Miguel Camacho-Padilla, and Stefan Talian, are mature professionals whose practices span painting, pottery, and stained glass.
The Sovereign Art Foundation and Gibraltar Cultural Services announced the winners of the 2026 Sovereign Young Artist Competition at an awards ceremony on April 16. The exhibition showcases finalists in two age categories, with winners including Aimee Linares (SAF Judges’ Prize), Amelie Romero (SAF Public Vote Prize), Sebastian Andlaw (Alwani Foundation Award), Shelli Abudarham (Ministry of Culture Award), and Tyrone Vera (AquaGib Second Prize). The top student winner received £800, with £2,000 awarded to their school's art department.
The Guntersville Museum hosted a recognition ceremony for the 18th annual ARTS Works All-County Student Art Exhibit, organized by the nonprofit Artists Responding to Students (ARTS). The exhibit featured around 100 artworks from K-12 students across Marshall County, including Boaz, Grant, Guntersville, and Albertville. For the second year, the show included special needs artists, with the Kamryn HeART Award presented in memory of a young artist. Additionally, the Lakeview Community Civic Organization displayed posters from its Black History Month contest. Winners were announced across multiple grade categories, judged by two National Board Certified Teachers from Decatur.
In Toscana una nuova rassegna porta l’arte contemporanea nelle aziende agricole con mostre e residenze d’artista
The first edition of CARMI.CO 2026 – Carmignano Contemporanea will take place from May 15 to 24, 2026, in the Carmignano area near Prato, Tuscany. The festival features five exhibitions and five artist residencies hosted by local wineries and agricultural estates, alongside talks, workshops, and studio visits. Exhibitions are staged at venues including the Rocca di Carmignano, Museo Archeologico di Artimino, and Museo delle Maioliche di Bacchereto, with works by artists such as Marco Bagnoli, Qiu Yi, Gola Hundun, Rachel Morellet, Fargo, Marco Ulivieri, Serena Fineschi, and others. Residencies take place at Tenuta di Capezzana, Colline San Biagio, Tenuta Le Furre, Tenuta di Artimino, and Fattoria Il Grumolo, involving artists Max Magaldi, Ronaldo Fiesoli, Vittorio Cavallini, Graziano Riccelli, and Gola Hundun.
Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D), in collaboration with the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at MECA&D, presents the 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition, showcasing the culminating work of nine graduate candidates in the Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art program. The exhibition features artists Abigail G. Cloutier, Harley Ngai Grieco, Molly Knobloch, Stephen Medeiros, Darby Miller, Dylan Ouellette, Caitlin Perrigo, Jonathan Spath, and Isaac L. Stern, working across ceramics, drawings, photography, prints, sculpture, sound, and video installations. The show runs from May 7–16, 2026, at the ICA in Portland, Maine.
Anaheim's $4 billion OCVIBE entertainment district, a 100-acre development around the Honda Center, has partnered with art and design studio FUTUREFORMS to create a public art program featuring over 70 original artworks. The program includes permanent and rotating installations such as sculptural landmarks, murals, and interactive pieces, with early works already taking shape in the food hall and concert hall. Notable artworks include 'Stretto' by Nataly Gattegno and Jason Kelly Johnson, 'Rhythm, Flavor, Motion' by Brian Peterson, 'Gratitude' by Carla Roque, and 'Sunrise – Sunset' by Marina Zumi. The first phase will be accessible to the public in early 2027.
The Santa Monica College (SMC) Emeritus Art Gallery will host the SMC Emeritus Annual Student Art Exhibition 2026 – Part 1 from May 14 to June 19, with a free opening reception on May 14 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The exhibition features works by 47 student artists from SMC's noncredit Emeritus program for older adults, which was founded in 1975 and serves over 3,000 students annually. Due to high participation, the exhibition is split into two parts, with Part 1 displayed in the gallery and Part 2 opening online on June 11.
Cerritos College opened its 2026 annual Student Art Exhibition on April 23 at the Cerritos College Art Gallery, featuring over 150 student artworks selected by faculty from the college's art, design, and photography programs. The opening night included an award ceremony introduced by Gallery Director James Mac Devitt and a speech by Dr. Jose Fierro. Juror Kim Abeles, an established L.A. artist, presented five awards across seven categories including Ceramics/3D Design, Painting/Life Drawing, Freehand Drawing, Printmaking/2D Design, Graphic Design/Digital Illustration, Photography, and 3D Modeling/Motion Picture Editing. Faculty also gave honorable mentions in each category. Approximately $7,000 in awards was distributed, supported by the Associated Students of Cerritos College, the Cerritos Foundation, and donors including former student John DeMott.
Penn State Wilkes-Barre's Friedman Art Gallery will open a new exhibit titled "Artistic Gems from the Past" on May 1, featuring artwork by current and former students, including pieces created over 25 years ago. The exhibit includes works from two courses taught by Jonathan Pineno—Art History 112 and Integrative Arts 001—where students created art using recycled materials and techniques inspired by Bob Ross. Unattributed works from the 1990s are also on display, and the gallery is asking the public to help identify the original student artists.
New Mexico State University's University Art Museum will host its annual BFA and MFA thesis exhibitions, opening May 1. The MFA exhibition, 'Where We Ended Up,' features interdisciplinary artists Arch Jones and Ezekiel Martey, while the BFA show, 'Raw Perception,' showcases works by nine graduating students across diverse media including painting, sculpture, photography, and ceramics.
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.
Nearly 70 student artists are featured in SUNY Oneonta’s 2026 Juried Student Show, now on display at the Martin-Mullen Art Gallery through May 2. The exhibition includes over 90 works in media such as painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, digital art, and mixed media, selected by faculty from more than 100 submissions. A public reception with 17 awards will be held on April 30.
Graduating students at Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) showcased their artwork in a final exhibition held on May 1, 2026, at Crisp Museum. The show featured a wide range of media including 3D works, prints, paper mache, paintings, cloth, video, quilts, and sculptures. Among the participants were painting BFA major Zachary Ross Mayfield, who presented symbolist works centered on nature and a large self-portrait that took over 200 hours to complete, and senior studio art BFA major Kaylee Shelby, whose sculptures question the ethics and aesthetics of taxidermy and human manipulation of animals.
The article highlights two spring-themed art events in the region. In Fitchburg, the 2026 Hidden Treasures Festival of Nature, Culture & History offers free public events throughout May, including a Henry David Thoreau reading, a community vigil, and a drumming workshop at the Fitchburg Art Museum. In Lowell, the Loading Dock Gallery presents "Full Bloom 8," a members' exhibition celebrating flowers, birds, insects, and gardens, running through May 31 with a reception on May 2.
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.
The Howard Whittemore Memorial Library in Naugatuck, Connecticut, will host a new exhibition titled 'Mandalas and More' throughout May 2026, featuring artwork created by students of local artist and retired public school art teacher Rose-Ann Chrzanowski. The pieces were produced in Chrzanowski's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) course, which uses mandala-making and mixed-media techniques to encourage personal reflection and relaxation. The exhibit includes works using jewelry, torn handmade paper, feathers, paint, and sand, and will be displayed on the Whittemore Gallery Wall and in the library display case through June 1.