Hilary Pecis presents a new series of acrylic paintings in her solo exhibition "Love Letters" at David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles, running from May 16 to June 20. The works capture everyday scenes—a backyard pool, a studio corner, a picnic with strawberry cake—using her signature saturated palette and meticulous attention to texture and pattern, working from photographs onto linen.
Three artists—Veronika Georgieva, Stephen j Shanabrook, and Shura Skaya—have transformed an industrial venue at the Brooklyn Navy Yard into a pop-up exhibition titled “Drifting Until Caught.” The show, accessible only by appointment, features works that range from pressed plastic sculptures and chocolate casts to wax crayon drawings and acrylic paintings, all exploring the boundary between figuration and abstraction. Each artist employs mechanical or chance-based methods, such as Shanabrook’s hydraulic press or Georgieva’s video projections, to create images that embrace distortion and materiality.
Artist Sarah Soward and ceramist Hillary Klem will be featured in a joint show at the Redlands Art Association starting May 16, with an open house on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. Soward presents multiple series including "Starry Nights" acrylic paintings inspired by constellations, surrealist works imagining origin stories for animals, and laser-cut bee designs aimed at raising awareness of endangered species. Her artwork was previously selected for the Lunar Codex's "Legends of the Moon" capsule sent to the moon in 2022, and she has won "Best of Show" at the National Orange Show.
The Ardsley Art Commission is presenting a unique exhibition featuring the works of mother-and-son artists Valda Hancock Wagner and Rich Wagner, spanning 75 years of artistic creation. The show includes oil and acrylic paintings, watercolors, drawings, etchings, and wood block prints, ranging from traditional realism to abstraction. Valda studied with notable artists such as Reginald Marsh, Robert Rauschenberg, and Robert Beverly Hale, and later taught art in inner-city New York. Rich studied at the Art Students League, the Royal Academy of Arts, and the Royal Drawing School, and has participated in over 80 exhibitions. The exhibition is on view at Ardsley Village Hall through October 1.
Jake Messing, a Northern California-based artist, creates hyperrealistic acrylic paintings that depict dense, maximalist clusters of flora and fauna, often combining creatures and plants in surreal arrangements. His works, such as "Coccinellidaes Hideaway 2" and "Bubbles and Blooms," draw on the tradition of Dutch Golden Age still-life painting while incorporating contemporary elements like color gradients and shiny fabrics.
Two Selves Gallery in Troy, New York, opened a new exhibition titled "Coming Out of Darkness: Landscapes of Presence" by artist Patricia Wood during the April Troy Night Out event. The show, on display through May, is divided into three sections: a series of acrylic paintings on black velvet depicting forest scenes from the Adirondacks, a middle section featuring reference photos, miniatures, encaustic works, and mental health resources, and a front section with oil paintings of Winnie the Pooh characters and Wood's jewelry. Wood describes the exhibition as a personal journey through depression, using light and dark to convey her struggle and recovery.
Young Cham artist Kaeu Sreypeou has opened her first solo exhibition, titled "Remembering," at SNA Arts Management in Phnom Penh, running from May 21 to August 8. The show features 18 acrylic paintings that depict traditional Cham Muslim ceremonies, such as the Mawlid Festival and the Tolak bala cleansing ritual, which are now practiced by only a few communities in Cambodia. Sreypeou, a 2023 graduate of the Royal University of Fine Arts, draws on her own memories and participation in these rituals to document and preserve Cham cultural identity.
Reston Art Gallery and Studios (RAGS) in Reston, Virginia, is presenting its May exhibition titled “Down the Shore,” featuring acrylic paintings by gallery director and artist Pat Macintyre. The show depicts coastal scenes from the Eastern Shore, Isle of Wight Bay, and Ocean City, including images of rural villages and large shells on pale canvases. A reception will be held on May 10 from 2-4pm, and the exhibit runs through May 31.
Vasilisa Romanenko’s solo exhibition, *Flora & Flight*, is on view at Arch Enemy Arts in Philadelphia through May 31. The show features her detailed acrylic paintings, ranging from six to 28 inches tall, depicting birds like white doves, dark-eyed juncos, and lesser goldfinches amid vibrant blossoms such as peonies, poppies, and hollyhocks. The gallery notes that each bird carries a strong sense of form and character, and each leaf and flower feels varied and alive.
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.
Jasper Arts presents a solo exhibition titled 'Talitha Cumi' by Marion, Indiana artist Tashema Davis at the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center, running May through July 2026. The show features original oil and acrylic paintings, with an opening reception and gallery talk on May 7, followed by additional receptions on June 4 and July 2. Davis, who teaches art at Marion High School, creates vibrant portraits focused on brown faces, drawing from her childhood in Gary, Indiana, and her graduate training at Ball State University.
California State University hosted a five-day solo exhibition titled 'Lost Symbiosis' by Bangladeshi artist and graphic design professor Md Harun-ar-Rashid Tutul at its Media Art Gallery from April 27 to May 1. The exhibition featured 24 oil and acrylic paintings on recycled paper mesh and canvas, exploring the fragile relationship between humanity and the natural world. Tutul also delivered a lecture on visual communication to students at California State University, Bakersfield, and a separate showing of the exhibition was organized by the Los Angeles Acting Academy and the local Bangladeshi community at the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles on May 3.
The North Fork Arts Center is opening a new exhibition titled "Small Works" on May 23, 2026, featuring five local artists: Virginia Cava, Delia Reiss, Debra Riva, Hilary North, and Gerard Lehner. The show includes small framed works in various media such as collage, linoleum cut prints, etchings, monoprints, and acrylic paintings, and will run through June 8th.
Creative 360 in Midland, Michigan, will host the opening reception for “Convergence,” a solo exhibition by artist Steven Parkhurst, on May 22 at 7 p.m. The show features Parkhurst's work across multiple mediums, including graphite drawings, oil and acrylic paintings, and iPhoneography. Parkhurst describes himself as a 'maker' who lets the medium and his imagination guide each piece, rather than following a predetermined design. The exhibition runs through June 21, with free admission and a chance to meet the artist.