Southwest Florida’s museums regularly curate traveling art exhibitions as well as artworks from their permanent collections. During May, five exhibitions open, eight close and 25 others continue their runs. These are the exhibitions visitors will find on view this month in museums from Sarasota to Naples:
“Molly Hatch: Amalgam” [Sarasota Art Museum]: Commissioned as part of Sarasota Art Museum’s “Inside Out” Program, Molly Hatch’s site-specific installation, “Amalgam” (2023-24) spans two floors, visually linking the Jan Schmidt Loggia and Mark & Irene Kauffman Arcade. Consisting of more than 450 earthenware plates hand-painted in white, blue, and gold luster, “Amalgam” is one ensemble framed by the four arched windows. Hatch also incorporated the empty spaces, so that viewers perceive lines and patterns between plates adjacent to each other. The whole composition may also be experienced from multiple points of view, from near and far, inside and outside of the museum. Runs to April 26, 2027.
“Jillian Mayer: Slumpies” [Sarasota Art Museum]: Jillian Mayer explores our ever-increasing relationship with technological devices and the impact device usage has on our bodies through her interactive sculpture series, “Slumpies.” Blurring the line between fine art and functional objects, “Slumpies” invites viewers to sit, climb, slump, and curl up, using these sculptures much like furniture. In doing so, visitors explore how Mayer’s objects provide support for the various postures we assume while using technology. Runs to Aug. 19. See also, “Miami sculptor Jillian Mayer’s Slumpies a sardonic commentary on ubiquity of technology.”
“Something Borrowed, Something New” [Sarasota Art Museum]: From paintings, sculptures, and prints to photographs and video works, “Something Borrowed, Something New” showcases artworks produced by a diverse range of prominent modern and contemporary artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Chuck Close, David Hockney, Yoko Ono, Kara Walker and Ai Weiwei. The exhibition also offers a rare glimpse into private collections held throughout Southwest Florida. Complementing these borrowed selections, this show also features exciting new pieces and creates a dialogue between the works of late 20th-century trailblazers and today’s leading global artists. Together, this curation by Sarasota Art Museum senior curator Rangsook Yoon celebrates our region’s passion for the visual arts with extraordinary artworks never to be exhibited side-by-side again. Runs to Sept. 27.
“Maria A. Guzman Capron: Penumbra [Sarasota Art Museum]: In this solo exhibition, Maria A. Guzmán Capron explores the complexities of identity through her vibrant figurative textiles. Born in Milan to Peruvian and Colombian parents and later relocating to Texas as a teenager, the California-based artist understands first-hand the challenges of toggling between different cultures and geographies. Capron channels these personal experiences into her artwork, creating layered portraits of exuberant, multifaceted characters. In “Penumbra,” meaning almost- or half-shadow, Capron’s otherworldly figures exist in a realm of possibility and express the duality within us all. Through her use of hand-dyed, painted, and screen-printed fabrics, Capron asks viewers to consider the way our own identities have been stitched together over time—beautiful, ever-evolving collages of ancestry, culture, and life experiences. Runs to Sept. 27.
“Beautiful Ideas: The Prints of Sol LeWitt” [Sarasota Art Museum]: Sol LeWitt generated more than 350 print projects during his 40-year artistic career, including thousands of lithographs, silkscreens, etchings, aquatints, woodcuts, and linocuts. Printmaking proved to be the perfect medium for LeWitt’s brand of conceptual art, in which the “idea becomes a machine that makes the art.” This exhibition explores the artist’s extensive body of prints, beginning with his earliest works and extending through his mature expressions in abstraction. Organized in four thematic sections—”Lines, Arcs, Circles, and Grids,” “Bands and Colors,” “From Geometric Figures to Complex Forms,” and “Wavy, Curvy, Loopy Doopy, and in All Directions”—the exhibition reflects the bold geometric shapes and precise lines that defined LeWitt’s artistic style. Opens May 17. Runs to Oct. 25.
“Inside Out” [Sarasota Art Museum]: The Sarasota Art Museums also invites guests to explore its campus, which is home to sculpture and installations on Klein Plaza and the Great Lawn, as well as in unexpected spaces like Bistro, McGuire Hall, Schmidt Loggia, McCague Arcade and the Surkis/Elona Lobby.
“Juana Romani: Forgotten No More” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art]: This small exhibition, drawn entirely from The Ringling’s permanent collections, highlights the newly acquired painting by Juana Romani, “Woman on a Red Background,” and situates it within a group of closely related works from the museum’s collection of late-19th-century French art. Romani (1867–1924) was one of the most fascinating and successful painters in late-19th-century Paris. Tragically, at the height of her fame, Romani experienced challenges with her mental health, causing her to spend her final 20 years confined to institutions. As a result, she was mostly forgotten, only to be rediscovered and reassessed in more recent times. Closes May 31.
“In the Flesh: The Nude in Japanese Art” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art; Charles and Robyn Citrin Gallery]: This exhibition explores the emergence of the nude as a provocative and transformative subject in Japanese art from the late 19th century through the postwar period. Long associated in Japan with erotic imagery rather than fine art, the unclothed body became a focal point for debates about morality, modernity, and artistic freedom as artists engaged with Western academic traditions. As Japanese artists encountered new ideas about anatomy, realism, and the expressive potential of the human form, the nude gradually entered the repertoire of modern painting, printmaking, and other media. Bathing, grooming, and moments of private introspection offered socially acceptable frameworks for depicting the unclothed figure, while later modernist artists pushed beyond idealized forms toward bold color, abstraction, and psychological intensity. Featuring works on paper and an arresting oil painting by Ishikawa Toraji—"In the Flesh” traces how artists reimagined the body in response to changing social norms and artistic priorities. Predominantly images of women, these works reflect both the conventions of the genre and the perspectives of the artists and audiences who shaped it. Together, they reveal how the nude became a site for negotiating gender, desire, and artistic identity in modern Japan. Runs through Aug. 23.
“Seventeenth-Century Dutch Paintings from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art]: This long-term installation in Gallery 10 of the Museum of Art showcases five outstanding examples of 17th-century Dutch painting on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Featuring a dramatic seascape, an expansive landscape, and captivating portraits set in detailed interiors, this exhibition offers a window into the vibrant artistic production of the Netherlands as the small nation rose to global prominence in the 17th century. The five exceptional paintings from the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, complement The Ringling’s holdings of Dutch art and provide additional perspective on the artistry, historical significance, and continuing appeal of Dutch painting from this period. Runs through Nov. 1.
“As Earth is to Sky” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art]: This exhibition presents the second installment from an ongoing celebration of a transformative gift of 22 works of abstract and minimalist art donated by Murray Bring and Kathleen (Kay) Delaney Bring. The Brings’ generous philanthropy and visionary commitment to the arts have left a lasting impact on The Ringling’s holdings of modern and contemporary art. This new iteration highlights abstract sculptures in wood, steel, copper, and bronze by acclaimed artists Mark di Suvero (b. 1933), Bryan Hunt (b. 1947), John Van Alstine (b. 1952), and Yuriko Yamaguchi (b. 1948). It also features works on paper and panel by notable artists Robin Rose (b. 1946) and Robert Stackhouse (b. 1942) who hold a connection to Florida. Together, these artists explore abstraction through diverse materials and forms, creating dynamic sculptures and works that engage with space, texture, and movement. Runs through Jan. 9, 2028.
“Ancient Art from Cyprus and the Mediterranean” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art]: This exhibition is the latest phase of The Ringling’s multi-year project to reinstall all 21 permanent collection galleries of the Museum of Art. This new installation in Gallery 12 highlights art from the island of Cyprus with a selection of 201 works from The Ringling’s permanent collection of ancient Mediterranean art—nearly all of which was purchased by John Ringling at auctions in 1928—including sculptures in limestone and terracotta as well as ceramic vessels, glass, and gold and silver jewelry. Now open.
“The Evocative Lens” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art]: Drawn from The Ringling’s permanent collection, this exhibition examines the emergence and evolution of art photography. To distinguish their work from commercial photography and the growing snapshot culture fueled by Kodak’s newly accessible cameras, Pictorialist photographers deliberately emulated the formal qualities of painters and graphic artists, and their subject matter often reflected themes found in Impressionist and Symbolist art. By the 1910s and 1920s, however, many of these artists—shaped by emerging modernist theories—began developing distinct visual languages unique to photography, using the medium to express themselves in new and innovative ways. Key figures featured in this exhibition include Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946), Clarence H. White (1871–1925), and Edward Steichen (1879–1973), alongside Gertrude Käsebier (1852–1934), Eva Watson-Schütze (1867–1935), and Anne Brigman (1869–1950). The inclusion of these pioneering women underscores their significant contributions to camera clubs and photographic societies of the time, highlighting their impact on the evolution of art photography. Opens May 16. Runs to Sept. 20, 2026.
“Andrea Carlson: A Constant Sky” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art]: "A Constant Sky" is the first museum survey of mixed-media visual artist Andrea Carlson (descended from Grand Portage Ojibwe and European settlers, b. 1979). Carlson creates works that challenge the colonial narratives presented by modern artists, museum collections, and cannibal genre horror films. Utilizing a combination of text and complex visual references to animals, art objects, and cultural belongings, Carlson creates prismatic landscapes that foil American landscape genre painting. Opens May 30. Runs to Nov. 15, 2026.
“The Greatest Show on Earth” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art]: This latest addition to the museum celebrates the era of modern circus that began with Irvin Feld’s purchase of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey in 1967. The Greatest Show On Earth Gallery modernizes the museum’s expansive history of the circus by exploring the first 50 years of the Feld family’s stewardship during which the spectacle of the show brought the circus experience to new heights. This exhibit continues the story, found throughout the Circus Museum, of how Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey grew to become one of the most well-recognized brands in the world. The gallery space is designed to evoke the excitement of seeing a live show, while also representing the full spectrum of the production experience from both front- and back-of-house perspectives. Visitors can explore artifacts, costumes, and media footage in an engaging and multisensory experience throughout the exhibition area. This is a permanent exhibition that is periodically updated with new artifacts from the museum’s permanent collection. Ongoing exhibition.
Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy: Founder, owner and curator Marietta Lee says that “There’s a story associated with every single artwork inside the museum and on its grounds." The museum is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Closes for summer May 23. For more, visit “Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy happiest place in Sarasota.”
“Crumbs: Izzy Baquerizo and Chloe Lewis” [FGCU Arts Complex Lobby Windows]: “Crumbs” is a window installation that offers a glimpse into “Girl Feast” (Wasmer Art Gallery, October 17 – November 20, 2025), serving as both a hint to the exhibition and as part of the Window Strike Prevention Project. Inspired by the idea of leaving small crumbs of something larger, Chloe Lewis ('18 Art) and Isabella Baquerizo (‘19 Art) honor native bird species while taking a vital step in protecting them from window collisions. Through vinyl prints applied to the glass, this installation not only prevents birds from flying into the windows but also transforms the windows into a visual extension of the exhibition’s themes—abundance, connection, and care. A testament to the power of collaboration, "Crumbs" reflects the beauty of shared efforts in creating a safer, more mindful environment for both the campus community and the birds that inhabit it. “Crumbs” is part of an ongoing exploration of creative solutions for bird-safe windows on FGCU’s campus. Runs to July 2026.
“The Trees Know” [Cohen Student Union & Sugden Hall Walkway]: The FGCU Art Galleries has partnered with the Art and Language and Literature Programs to create a hybrid visual art and creative writing site-specific outdoor public exhibition. This exhibition features the coursework of FGCU students from Introduction to Nature Writing and Art and Community Engagement. As the arts become increasingly integrated throughout campus, these cross-curricular efforts promote increased collaboration between students. The result of the project is a large-scale multi-panel mural on display in the highly visible walkway between the Cohen Student Union & Sugden Hall leading the way to Parking Garage 1. Runs through Oct. 31.
“Knowledge in Motion” [1st Floor, Wilson G. Bradshaw Library at Florida Gulf Coast University]: “Knowledge in Motion” is a new mural commissioned by the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library from fifth-year dual major (art and biology) FGCU student Macy Noll. The mural depicts a boat from the Vester Marine and Environmental Field Station skimming the surface while the sun’s rays illuminate divers collecting samples for FGCU research scientists to identify and catalog. For more, visit “Fifth-year FGCU student Macy Noll installing ‘Knowledge in Motion’ mural in campus library.”
“Diamonds in the Light: Farrah Alkhadra” [North End of Arts Complex at Florida Gulf Coast University]: Farrah Alkhadra (‘21 Art) has created two mixed media murals for display at the end of the Arts Complex Courtyard. The murals include bright, saturated colors and geometric components projecting from the surface. The pieces are a continuation of senior project investigations that were inspired by forms, materials, and color theory. Working primarily as a 3D sculptor, Alkhadra combines her signature steel forms with mixed media installation for this project. Runs through Sept. 30.
“sonia louise davis: to reverberate tenderly” [Baker Museum of Art]: Visual artist, writer and performer sonia louise davis works within a lineage of Black feminist abstraction and avant-garde music. Her latest multisensory exhibition, “to reverberate tenderly,” is a living environment for creative activity that reflects the artist’s deep engagement with improvisation. The exhibition includes textile-based soft paintings, a wall mural composed of painted gestures and neon elements, and custom steel instruments, or “sounders,” that can be activated by performers. The artist creates her soft paintings using an industrial tufting machine, running yarns through the surface of each work to create voluminous forms with high relief and texture. davis has invented a personal vocabulary of lines, curves, dots, rings and dashes that she considers akin to musical notation. These marks are interwoven, layered and repeated throughout the gallery, creating a musical score in three dimensions. Her exhibition, to reverberate tenderly, explores the possibilities of a new kind of sonic space, one that is attuned to vulnerability and generosity while offering a soft landing for ideas to resonate. Closes May 24.
“Florida Contemporary 2025-26” [Baker Museum of Art in Hayes Hall galleries and Artis-Naples cultural campus]: This annual exhibition presents a select group of notable visual artists practicing in Florida. Highlighting the diversity of artistic approaches to personal, local and global themes, "Florida Contemporary" invites visitors to celebrate the state’s vibrant art scene. Featured artists include:
Mally Khorasantchi's colorful, large-scale collage-based paintings reflect on the dichotomies found in humankind and in nature: beauty and discord, reality and falsehood, or representational and abstract. (For more, read/hear “Mally Khorasantchi collage in Florida Contemporary exhibition inspired by 100th anniversary of Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue.'”);
Boy Kong, whose work is inspired by a mixture of Ukiyo-e, surrealism, graffiti art and animal folklore;
Jillian Mayer, whose varied practice includes film, performance, sculpture, drawing and installation, with many of her works focused on concerns around the ubiquity of technology in contemporary life (For more, read/hear, “Miami sculptor Jillian Mayer’s Slumpies a sardonic commentary on ubiquity of technology”) ; and
Reginald O’Neal, whose richly painted canvases expand the art historical traditions of portraiture with work that is simultaneously sentimental and sinister (For more, read/hear “Reginald O'Neal's 'Jazz Figurines' series in Florida Contemporary originated in random stop in New Orleans souvenir shop”).
Runs through June 28.
“Discovering Ansel Adams” [Third Floor, Baker Museum of Art]: This exhibition offers insight into how Ansel Adams arrived at the powerful, mature visual language he used from the 1940s onward. It begins with Adams’ first photographs of Yosemite National Park, which he took in 1916 as a 14-year-old tourist from San Francisco. Visitors follow his progression from early experimentation to mastery, witnessing the pivotal moments that shaped his approach to photography. His photographs, technical innovations, and artistic choices offer a compelling look at how he transformed his passion into a lifelong mission to capture and protect the natural world. Drawn from the extensive Ansel Adams Archive at the University of Arizona’s Center for Creative Photography, this exhibition presents a rich collection of photographs, documents, and personal artifacts, offering a rare window into the formative years of Adams’ career. Runs to Aug. 2.
“There & Here: New Perspectives of the Permanent Collection” [Baker Museum of Art]: In celebration of The Baker Museum’s 25th anniversary, this exhibition stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of artistic exploration and cultural preservation. Co-curated with a dedicated community advisory committee, There & Here: New Perspectives of the Permanent Collection showcases an exceptional selection of highlights and rare treasures from the museum’s permanent collection. Through this thoughtfully curated display, the exhibition examines the profound ways individuals preserve their identities and sustain meaningful connections to their cultural heritage, even amidst the challenges of geographical dislocation. By combining artistic expression with engaging community programs, "There & Here" strives to illuminate the diverse narratives of heritage and resilience. Visitors are invited to explore this compelling intersection of art and identity, gaining fresh perspectives on the museum’s enduring role in fostering connection and cultural dialogue. Ongoing (multi-year exhibition); located on second floor.
“The Passion of Collecting: Stories in Glass and Ceramics from the Sibrack Collection” [Baker Museum of Art]: This exhibition celebrates a major gift to the permanent collection of The Baker Museum from longtime supporters Dr. Laurence and Rita Sibrack of Naples, avid art collectors for more than 30 years. The Dr. Laurence and Rita Sibrack Collection of Contemporary Glass and Ceramics comprises 74 works by 60 artists. Together, these works represent every major process of studio glass, from flame-worked to blown to cast. Ceramics are represented by striking figurative and abstract works. The collection includes some of the best-known figures associated with the studio glass movement, including Lucio Bubacco, Dale Chihuly, Amber Cowan, Dan Dailey, Michael Glancy, Judith Schaechter, Preston Singletary, Matthew Szösz, Loretta Yang, Toots Zynsky and more. Originating in the 1960s, the studio glass movement saw artists around the United States innovating methods of utilizing glass as a medium for original artistic expression. Before this time, glass was used for functional objects and was manufactured in large factories through industrial processes. The artists of the studio glass movement created techniques that could be accomplished on a more intimate scale in their studios, where they were free to experiment and create. Runs to Nov. 1. For more, visit “Baker Museum receives transformational gift of glass and ceramic art.”
“Seventeenth Annual Student Exhibition [The Blair Foundation Gallery, Third Floor, Baker Museum of Art]: The "17th Annual Student Exhibition" includes more than 250 works by local public, private and home-schooled students, grades pre-kindergarten through 12. A broad array of media, including painting, drawing, collage, sculpture, ceramics and photography are represented in this showcase of outstanding artwork created by talented student artists. Runs to July 5.
“Louise Nevelson: Dawn’s Forest” [The Baker Museum and Hayes Hall]: The monumental sculpture “Dawn’s Forest,” by preeminent American artist Louise Nevelson (1899-1988), is one of the most iconic works in The Baker Museum’s permanent collection. The work is made of various white-painted abstract wood elements, some as tall as 25 feet, created by Nevelson in her signature assemblage style over a period of more than a year. This is a permanent exhibit located in the Drackett Gallery and throughout Hayes Hall. Ongoing exhibition.
Sculpture Trail [throughout the Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus and Sculpture Trail at Pelican Bay]: The Baker Museum Sculpture Trail offers a distinctive way to experience art in harmony with nature. This dynamic outdoor exhibition features sculptures from The Baker Museum’s collection and select loans, including works by George Rickey and Albert Paley. Visitors can enjoy self-guided tours anytime. Ongoing exhibition. For more, hear/read, “Baker Museum collaborates with Pelican Bay Foundation on outdoor sculpture trail.”
Chihuly Collection [The Baker Museum]: Dale Chihuly is a multimedia artist known for pushing the boundaries of glass and revolutionizing the American studio glass movement. The Baker Museum is the permanent home to four of his dynamic large-scale installations: “Blue Icicle Chandelier,” “Red Chandelier,” “Red Reeds” and “Persian Seaform Ceiling.” On view to museum visitors during normal operating hours.
“New Ways of Seeing: American Modernism from a Private Collection” [Naples Art Museum]: Featuring paintings, drawings, and printmaking, this exhibition highlights artists who broke from traditional Realism to explore bold forms, expressive color, and new approaches to composition. Together, the works reveal how American artists gained confidence and innovation during this pivotal period, helping establish the United States as a major force in the international art world. The exhibition explores the transformation of American art between 1915 and 1960, a period when artists began moving beyond European influence to develop a distinctly American modern style. Drawn from a distinguished private collection, the exhibition traces the evolution from early modernist experimentation through mid-century abstraction, reflecting the changing realities of modern life in the United States. Runs to July 12.
“Connect and Protect” [Collier Museum at Government Center]: This Wildpath photography exhibit features properties secured through the Florida Forever and Rural and Family Lands protection programs. Wildpath tells the stories of wide-ranging wildlife and the habitats they connect, to help protect a planet in balance. The Wildpath team of storytellers, explorers, and conservationists leads viewers on an extraordinary photographic journey of discovery through the Florida Wildlife Corridor in the exhibition "Connect & Protect." This exhibit celebrates the first 40 corridor landscapes approved for protection since the signing of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act, with photographs by noted conservation photographers and a satellite map of Florida that marks the corridor and identifies property locations around the state. This traveling exhibit was made possible by the Jacarlene Foundation. Closes May 9.
“The Battle of the Paddle: The Great Dock Canoe Race” [Naples Depot Museum]: What started as a celebration of the “end of season” transformed into an almost fifty-year-old tradition to pay homage to the locals of Naples. Explore the many themes and awards that captivated participants and onlookers of the Great Dock Canoe Races. Also learn how and where the races operate today. Opens May 9. Runs to Aug. 29.
“Immokalee Restaurants: The Best Tasting Business Around” [Immokalee Pioneer Museum] From Raynor's Seafood to Lozano's Mexican Restaurant, Immokalee has been serving up local flavor for decades. Join the museum for this tasty survey of Immokalee's oldest restaurants as well as the modern offerings that serve our community and tastes. Runs through July 11.
“Growing Obsession – The Enchanting Story of Orchids in the Everglades” [Museum of the Everglades]: The Sunshine State is home to over 100 species of orchids. More than half of these are found in South Florida, with many of the rarest and most obscure specimens found only deep in the wild landscape of the Everglades. This exhibit explores the exotic beauty of these often-otherworldly flora as well as their role in some of the more significant and occasionally notorious chapters of our region’s history. The passion these unique plants inspire—sometimes bordering on mania—has been compared to the “gold fever” experienced by treasure hunters. Botanical researchers and horticultural enthusiasts from around the world make obligatory pilgrimages to the nearby Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park—known as the Orchid Capital of North America due to its rich concentration of almost 50 different flowering plants in the Orchidaceae family, including the ever-elusive ghost orchid. Combining breathtaking imagery, historical accounts, and the engaging stories of local personalities inextricably linked to these blossoming beauties and the madness they occasionally inspire, “Growing Obsession” gives each visitor a glimpse of the haunting beauty and elemental magic that can sometimes be found in the Everglades and its extraordinary flora. Runs through June 20.
“America the Beautiful by Clyde Butcher” [Marco Island Historical Museum]: As part of the America250 celebration, the museum is exhibiting Clyde Butcher’s “America the Beautiful.” Known for his powerful black-and-white, large-scale photography, Butcher captures the awe-inspiring landscapes of America’s National Parks—some of our nation’s greatest natural treasures. His work invites viewers to experience the majesty, serenity, and enduring significance of these iconic places. Also read/hear, “Marco Island Historical Society commemorating America250 with Clyde Butcher photography exhibition.” Runs through July 11.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
For full disclosure, FGCU holds the broadcast license for WGCU. WGCU is a member-supported service of FGCU.
