The North Can Do More Than Design

Der Norden kann mehr als Design

During Stockholm Art Week, the Swedish capital showcases itself as a leading Nordic art destination. Highlights include textile sculptures by Diana Orving at Millesgården Museum, two concurrent art fairs—the independent Supermarket and the 20th edition of Market Art Fair—and numerous gallery exhibitions, artist talks, and studio visits. The Market Art Fair features 54 booths and over 150 artists, with a focus on Nordic positions, including works by Ólafur Elíasson and the duo Inka & Niclas. The city's art scene is growing, with many new galleries opening and strong private institutions like Bonniers Konsthall and Fotografiska participating.

The Parrish Art Museum Presents ‘Sanford Biggers: Drift,’ The Artist’s First Major East End Solo Show

The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York, will present 'Sanford Biggers: Drift,' the artist's first major solo exhibition on the East End of Long Island, opening in summer 2026. The show features new works, site-responsive installations, and signature sculptures and textiles, including the monumental cloud installation 'Unsui (Cloud Forest)' (2025). The exhibition is part of the museum's 'PARRISH USA250: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness' series, which marks America's semi-quincentennial by exploring the ideals of the Declaration of Independence through the lens of Long Island's artistic heritage.

Jill Bedgood: Vestiges of Existence

Andrew Durham Gallery in Houston announces "Vestiges of Existence," a solo exhibition of multi-media works by artist Jill Bedgood, running from June 6 to August 1, 2026. The show explores how physical remnants—such as worn jewelry, handwritten letters, and natural anomalies—carry memory and document human presence, functioning as contemporary memento mori. An opening reception on June 6 and an artist talk on July 11 accompany the exhibition.

Campbell River Art Gallery presents Sacred in All Forms

The Campbell River Art Gallery (CRAG) is presenting a new group exhibition titled "Sacred in All Forms: Artists Reclaim the Divine Feminine Across Bodies, Lands, and Worlds," curated by Jenelle Pasiechnik. The show features four contemporary artists—Sandeep Johal, Xiaojing Yan, Kourtney Jackson, and Aaron McIntosh—whose works in textiles, video, sculpture, installation, and mixed media explore the sacred in everyday life, the body, relationships, and nature. The exhibition runs from May 7 to August 8, 2026, with an opening reception on May 9. Public programs including artist talks, workshops, and community conversations will accompany the show.

Talk | FRESH PAINT: Tschabalala Self

The Parrish Art Museum and The FLAG Art Foundation are hosting a talk on May 23, 2026, featuring artist Tschabalala Self and writer Camille Okhio to celebrate the exhibition "FRESH PAINT: Tschabalala Self." The event includes a conversation about Self’s painting "Adam and Eve" (2025), which is being shown for the first time in the U.S. as part of the FRESH PAINT series, a rotating single-artwork exhibition program that highlights new or rarely seen works.

UES Galleries Open Their Doors For Free Event This Weekend

45 galleries along Madison Avenue on Manhattan's Upper East Side will open their doors for the free Madison Avenue Spring Art Walk on Saturday, May 13, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participating spaces include the newly opened Gagosian gallery, which is showing a Marcel Duchamp exhibition, as well as Di Donna (featuring Salvador Dalí works) and Acquavella Galleries (featuring Henri Matisse works). Several galleries will host artist talks, including Luxembourg + Co. on motorized technologies in 20th-century art and D Lan Galleries on Australian First Nations art. The event is co-hosted by the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District and ARTnews, and has been held every May and October since 2008.

Discover the David Geffen Galleries, Jazz at LACMA, and More This Weekend

LACMA is hosting its monthly Third Weekends event from May 15-17, 2025, featuring free workshops, screenings, concerts, and performances across its newly transformed campus, including the David Geffen Galleries. Highlights include guided architectural walks, figure drawing workshops, a concert by the Julius Rodriguez Trio at Jazz at LACMA, a screening of Tenzin Phuntsog’s film *Next Life*, a roving dance performance by Lula Washington Dance Theatre, and artist talks with Todd Gray. The weekend also includes outdoor activities, chess sessions, and a screening of the 1986 World Cup match.

Missoula Art Museum opens new exhibit with acclaimed artist

The Missoula Art Museum has opened a new exhibition featuring acclaimed artist Sara Siestreem. Her latest body of work includes large, multi-panel paintings, basket weaving, ceramics, and sculpture, all unified by geometric designs inspired by traditional weaving patterns. A reception was held on opening night, with a second artist talk scheduled for Saturday morning.

Sidle House Gallery Presents: “Anne Hebebrand: A World That Is”

Sidle House Gallery in Freeport, Maine, opens its 2026 season with a solo exhibition titled “Anne Hebebrand: A World That Is,” on view from May 1 through June 13. The show features cold-wax and oil paintings created over the past seven years, described by the artist as intuitive maps of memory. Related events include an opening reception, an artist talk, a cold wax and oil workshop, and a violin performance by Katherine Liccardo.

Branchport Galleries presents "The New Botanical"

Branchport Galleries in Long Branch, New Jersey, presents "The New Botanical," an exhibition curated by Ellen Martin that reimagines traditional botanical art through contemporary works by Suzan Globus, Kevin Hinkle/Ellen Martin, Daniel Sroka, and Gao Yuan. The show, on view from May 14 to June 30, 2026, features techniques such as flower-pounding, extreme close-up photography, and photo-based wall sculptures, moving away from classical precision toward essence and abstraction. An opening reception and artist talk are scheduled.

Art House Productions presents "Playing Favorites"

Art House Productions in Jersey City, NJ, presents "Playing Favorites," a solo exhibition by artist Bryant Small, curated by Andrea McKenna. The show runs from May 2 to May 31, 2026, at the Art House Gallery, featuring a selection of Small's most cherished works, many never publicly exhibited before. The exhibition includes an opening reception on May 2 and an artist talk on April 17, with all artwork available for purchase in person and online.

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.”

Barrie artist bringing Louvre-inspired realism to Aurora gallery

Micak Gallery in Aurora is presenting "Gilded Gold," a solo exhibition by Barrie-based artist JR Newton, featuring new oil paintings on view from May 16 through June 13, 2026. The show includes a live painting event on May 16 and an artist talk and reception on June 4. Newton's highly technical realist works, inspired by a recent trip to the Louvre, reimagine Renaissance portraiture, femininity, and historical grandeur through a contemporary lens, incorporating drapery and jewelry as central motifs.

Pitt Meadows artist goes ‘Full Circle’ with new exhibit

An exhibition titled “Full Circle” opens May 2 at the Pitt Meadows Art Gallery, showcasing the work of local artist Liz Boulton. The show features her paintings in watercolour, acrylic, and mixed media, as well as hand-built art dolls, reflecting her decades-long artistic journey and her use of texture mediums, gels, and repurposed materials.

Expo 86-themed events and ‘A Little Art Buzz’ at Surrey Art Gallery in May

Surrey Art Gallery in British Columbia is hosting a series of events throughout May 2026, centered on the exhibition "In the Shadow of the Pavilions: Expo 86 and Contemporary Art." Highlights include a Family Art Jam on May 3, an artist talk with Leah Murray on May 7, a symposium titled "Expo Lines: Expo 86 and Contemporary Art" on May 9, and a curator’s tour with Jordan Strom on May 28. The events explore the artistic legacy of Vancouver’s 1986 world’s fair, which drew 22 million visitors, and feature works by over 50 artists including Bill Reid, Robert Davidson, Debra Sparrow, and Paul Wong.

Summer at the Pearl Fincher Museum: Fun for the whole family starts June 13

The Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts announces its 2026 summer programming, including Summer Art Camps for ages 5 to 13 running June 16 through July 31, with weekly themes such as "Color World" and "Kinetic Canvas." The museum will also open two exhibitions on June 13: "Chromatica: A World in Color" in the Main Gallery, organized like a color wheel with works from Texas and beyond, and "Fragments, Remnants, and Remains" by artist Curtis Gannon in the Cole Gallery. Additional activities include a Maker Space, Wild Art Wednesdays, and a free artist talk by children's author and illustrator Steven Weinberg on June 19.

Vânia Quintão | Cold Afternoon (2023) | For Sale

Brazilian artist Vânia Quintão is offering her 2023 painting "Cold Afternoon" for sale through Inn Gallery. The acrylic-on-canvas work, sized 70 × 100 cm, depicts a suspended, cool-toned landscape under a diffuse blue sky. Quintão, a self-described cultural producer and fundraiser based in Belo Horizonte, has exhibited internationally including at the Louvre Museum in Paris and won prizes at The Holly Art Exhibition (London) and Art Connects Women (Dubai). The work is hand-signed, includes a certificate of authenticity, and is priced at US$1,500.

❤️ Atlanta, with love

This article from Rough Draft's Sketchbook newsletter highlights two Atlanta-focused art stories. Painter Carlos Solis, who left Venezuela for Kennesaw nearly two decades ago, curates "In the Beginning," a group exhibition opening May 9 at the Hudgens Center's Fowler Gallery in Duluth, featuring 15 artists from around the world who now call Georgia home. Separately, designer and illustrator George F. Baker III, originally from Nebraska and shaped by Detroit, was commissioned by the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs to create the key art for the 49th annual Atlanta Jazz Festival, and he discusses how the musical souls of both Detroit and Atlanta influenced his design.

Art exhibits open in Earlville

The Earlville Opera House Art Galleries in Earlville, New York, will open the second round of 2026 visual artist exhibitions on Saturday, May 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. The series features three artists: Bruce E. Webster with his retrospective "A Legacy in Wood" showcasing over 40 years of fine wood furniture; Linda Kays-Biviano with "From Clay to Character: Featuring Woodland Spirits," hand-sculpted fantasy figures in polymer clay and resin; and Lawrence Kinney. The exhibits run through July 2, with free admission and an Artist Talk at 1:45 p.m. on opening day.

Art and Light Gallery spotlights artist Eric Benjamin at The Anchorage

Art & Light Gallery has partnered with The Anchorage restaurant in Greenville to host an exhibition of works by local artist Eric Benjamin. The show, available virtually on the gallery's website and on view through July 7 at the restaurant, features Benjamin's landscape paintings characterized by bold color and abstract energy created with hand-mixed oil paints. A ticketed artist talk is scheduled for June 18.

This upcoming art exhibition at Joo Chiat celebrates the joy of doing absolutely nothing

Irish comic artist and illustrator Niall Breen is debuting his Dog & Frog comic series in Singapore with a solo exhibition titled "Lazy Days with Dog & Frog" at Heartware Store & Gallery in Joo Chiat. Running from May 29 to July 26, 2026, the show features original artworks, merchandise such as blankets and picnic mats, and a special artist talk on May 30 where Breen will discuss his creative process and the global following his tender, everyday-life comics have attracted since 2018.

On Being American: Contemporary Artworks, Echoes of the Past

From May 13 to June 20, 2026, Lippitt House Museum in Providence, Rhode Island, will host an exhibition titled "On Being American: Contemporary Artworks, Echoes of the Past." The show features new works by five local contemporary artists—Susan Hardy, Steven Easton, Amalia Galdona Broche, Lynne Harlow, and McDonald Wright—who draw on the museum's architecture, period, and stories to explore themes of American identity. A special opening reception and artist talk will take place on May 13, with additional open house hours throughout the run.

14th Kibria Printmaking Fair: Celebrating a distinct artistic tradition

The 14th Kibria Printmaking Fair concluded on May 9 at Kala Kendra in Lalmatia, Bangladesh, as part of a month-long printmaking festival running from May 1 to May 23. The fair brought together printmaking studios and institutions from across the country, alongside works by pioneering late artists Safiuddin Ahmed and Mohammad Kibria. It was inaugurated by artists Rafiqun Nabi and Monirul Islam, with a special exhibition titled "Pioneers of Printmaking" showcasing early works by key figures who established printmaking as a distinct artistic language in Bangladesh. The festival also includes workshops, artist talks, and a forthcoming "Contemporary Printmaking Exhibition" from May 12 to May 23.

"Shared Spaces" Opens Season at Haley Art Gallery

Haley Art Gallery in Kittery, Maine, has opened its 21st season with the group exhibition "Shared Spaces," featuring works by Paul Burke, Sheridan Cudworth, Barbara D’Antonio, Jozimar Matimano, Bill Oakes, and Carlos Vega. The show runs through August, with gallery artist talks scheduled for June 13 and June 27. The gallery also offers special purchasing incentives for local business owners and designers, as well as a Victorian Tea-Time Art experience for groups.

Homecoming for local artist in new West Lothian exhibition

Artist Leo du Feu is returning to his hometown of Linlithgow, Scotland, for his largest solo exhibition to date, titled 'Homecoming,' at the Gallery at Linlithgow Burgh Halls. Running from 22 May to 17 September 2026, the show traces the evolution of his work across nature, landscape, wildlife, and storytelling, and includes new pieces inspired by fatherhood and emotional well-being. The exhibition also marks the 15th anniversary of the gallery's opening in 2011, and a free artist talk is scheduled for 17 June.

Minnesota gallery celebrates American Indian Month with Native art exhibit

All My Relations Art gallery in Minneapolis has opened a new solo exhibition titled "Uŋči Said So" by artist Danielle SeeWalker, celebrating matriarchs in Native culture. The show, which runs until June 6, 2026, features works that highlight the role of grandmothers and the generational knowledge they pass down. The gallery will also host an Artist Talk and Parfleche Workshop on June 6 where attendees can learn to create earrings from deer hide.

Guild Hall Presents Exhibition Walkthrough & Artist Talk With Artist Claire Watson

Guild Hall in East Hampton will host an exhibition walkthrough and artist talk with artist Claire Watson on Thursday, May 21, from 7:30 to 8:30 PM. The event accompanies her exhibition “Claire Watson: Re-Paired,” which runs through July 19 and features sculptures and mixed-media assemblages made from salvaged leather garments, deconstructed and reconfigured using traditional sewing and pattern-making techniques. The exhibition includes over fifteen works spanning from 2012 to the present, and the talk will be led by Melanie Crader, museum director and curator of visual arts at Guild Hall.

Art: UOB Painting of the Year set to elevate artistic excellence in its 45th edition with a festival and more

The UOB Painting of the Year competition, now in its 45th edition, is expanding beyond its traditional awards format to launch its first-ever arts festival in Singapore. Running from late August to early September, the festival will feature exhibitions, workshops, and artist talks, showcasing semi-finalists from the Emerging Artist category alongside veteran winners. The competition, established in 1982, has grown into one of Southeast Asia's most recognized art awards, with editions in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, and has launched over 1,000 artists' careers. This year also introduces stricter criteria for the Established Artist category, requiring a stronger professional track record.

Labour, connection on display at Sarnia gallery exhibitions

Two exhibitions have opened at the Judith and Norman Alix Art Gallery in Sarnia, Ontario. Mark Stebbins's solo show 'The Lingering Instant' features 27 meticulously hand-crafted paintings, each requiring at least 100 hours of labor using syringe-extruded paint, dip pens, and tiny brushes on burlap and wood panels. The companion exhibition 'Together Apart | Under One Roof' presents works by Winnipeg studio neighbours Aganetha Dyck, Diana Thorneycroft, and Reva Stone, exploring feminist art practice, collaboration, and human-nature connections. Both exhibitions opened April 17 and run until August 30, with Stebbins also hosting a free artist talk on June 6 and a paid workshop on June 7.

Pelham Art Center presents ‘Relics: Ancient to Modern,’ a teen-curated exhibition, from May 7 through May 31

Pelham Art Center will host 'Relics: Ancient to Modern,' a teen-curated exhibition organized by its Teen Artist Council, from May 7 through May 31. The show opens with a public artist talk on May 7 and a reception on May 9, featuring works by over 50 artists from the United States and abroad, including Pakistan. The council, composed of high school students, developed the theme, issued an open call, and curated the final selection under the guidance of Gallery and Teen Programming Coordinator Fiona Agababian.