From Sarasota to Marco Island and Venice and Sanibel to Arcadia and LaBelle, Southwest Florida is home to more than a dozen art centers. Most host visual art exhibitions showcasing member, regional and nationally renowned artists that change every month. In May, there are 31 shows at these venues, underscoring the importance of the arts in our part of the country.
“North Sarasota County Schools Spring Art Show” [Art Center Sarasota]: This longstanding annual exhibition, organized by dedicated school coordinators Angela Hartvigsen and Debra Markley, showcases the incredible talent of more than 1,500 young artists from grades K–12. A vibrant testament to the creativity, imagination, and dedication of students across Sarasota’s northern region, this exhibition offers the students their first opportunity to show their work in a professional gallery setting - an empowering experience that draws hundreds of family members, educators, and community supporters. Closes May 9.
“Anja Palombo: Inspired by the Natural World” [Art Center Sarasota]: In this exhibition, Anja Palombo presents a new body of work inspired by the natural world and her love of art history. Palombo was born and raised in Hamburg, Germany. She studied art history at the Universities of Hamburg and Berlin and graduated with a BFA in Painting and Art History from WSU in Detroit. She received an master's in Applied Linguistics from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, and taught art in Asia for 20 years. She currently teaches ceramics in Sarasota. She has participated in many art exhibitions, including curated group and solo shows on three continents, venues including The American Center and The India International Center in New Delhi. Her art is represented in private collections around the world. Opens May 21. Runs to August.
“Architects Who Art: Designing the Cultural Coast” [Art Center Sarasota]: This exhibition highlights the creative breadth of individuals who blur the lines between architecture and visual art. Both disciplines demand a deep understanding of space, form, structure, and imagination—skills that manifest in strikingly different yet complementary ways. Whether through sculpture, drawing, painting, or design, these architect-artists translate their spatial thinking into expressive, multidisciplinary works. The exhibition draws from Sarasota’s unique cultural and visual landscape, particularly the Sarasota School of Architecture. Co-curated by Morris (Marty) Hylton III, this exhibition will feature both fine art and architectural renderings and models by a number of architect-artists including but not limited to Carl Abbott, Jerry Sparkman, Javier Suárez, and Javi Suárez. Together, these works reflect not only individual talent, but also the enduring role of architecture in shaping Sarasota’s sense of place, identity, and aesthetic experience. Opens May 21. Runs to August.
“Cat Tesla: Living by the Water” [Art Center Sarasota]: Cat Tesla shares new works from her "Exhale and Feeling Good" series resulting in a meditation on healing, presence, and the quiet power of beauty. She moved to Florida just weeks after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis in 2022. As she navigated both physical healing and a major life transition, the Florida landscape offered more than scenery—it became a sanctuary. Her work has been exhibited internationally including at the Knoxville Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art in Atlanta, and the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art north of Atlanta. Her paintings are held in corporate and private collections and nearly 1,000 hospitals and medical centers in the U.S. including in the Emory Winship Cancer Institute, Royal Caribbean, Capital One, and the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab. Tesla has degrees in Biology and Graphic Design, and an master's in Human Genetics. She worked as a genetic counselor at Emory University for 20 years before trading the clinic for the studio.
“Medium Mutiny Juried Show” [Art Center Sarasota]: This juried show exhibits work that defies expectation and reinvents tradition — pieces that experiment boldly with process, form, and concept. Whether through unexpected techniques, hybrid materials, or subversive approaches to craft, the work in “Medium Mutiny” resists easy categorization. “Medium Mutiny” is a celebration of fearless experimentation and work that turns convention on its head and redefines what art can be or how it communicates. Opens May 21. Runs to August.
“South Sarasota County School Show” [Venice Art Center]: May 5-13.
“Over the Top” [Venice Art Center]: May 22-June 18.
[DeSoto Arts Center]: No exhibitions reported to be opening this month.
“Let’s Get Digital” [Visual Arts Center, Punta Gorda]: Digital art is often lumped together, despite the complexity of the medium. This show seeks to highlight how incorporating technology enables artists to do amazing things, whether that be editing photographs or illustrating fantasies. Opens May 14. Runs to June 16. Reception Thursday, May 21 from 5 to 7 p.m.
“Under the Surface” [Visual Arts Center, Punta Gorda]: This exhibition focuses on layers, whether the literal ones crafted in the art process or the metaphysical ones that manifest in the subject. Opens May 14. Runs to June 16. Reception Thursday, May 21 from 5 to 7 p.m.
“Peripheral Dialogues” [Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center Grand Atrium]: “Peripheral Dialogues” is a collection of work by Kathleen Kinkopf that explores imagined conversations that exist in a slipstream of altered states between the conscious and unconscious mind. This place of blurred edges offers a stratum of higher truths and possibilities and is where the sense of self, memory, curiosity, and emotions coalesce. While not at the center of it all, these fringe conversations are far from obscure or inert. They are organic, palpable, and woven into the human condition, connecting to self-identity, past lives, nature, mysterious places, or untapped spirituality. With nature and the female figure at the center of the work, this collection of imaginative visual narratives expresses harmony, strength, and possibilities. Works explore dialogues that exist in the outer landscapes of our minds, connecting divinity with humanity through emotion and unconscious thought. An unspoken, visual language is conveyed through metaphors, symbolism, juxtapositions, and magical thinking. To read the artist’s bio, visit https://www.sbdac.com/peripheral-dialogues/. Runs through May 28.
“Sketchy — Live Lines & Loyal Paws” [Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center Capital Gallery]: “Sketchy” features up to eight expressive, quick-draw sketches per participating artist that capture the spontaneity of live human and pet models. Runs through May 28.
“Back Lot Rave, Rap & Rock Circus” [Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center]: “Back Lot” is a one-of-a-kind outdoor experience that transforms the Davis Art Center’s back parking lot into a vibrant festival-style venue featuring local flow artists, live original music, live art, art vendors, immersive performances, unique artwork, and a full 21+ bar to keep the good vibes flowing. It’s local, loud and lit. Friday, May 15 beginning at 7 p.m.
“Biennial Artist Grant Recipient Exhibition” [Alliance for the Arts Main Gallery]: Features work by visual artists Cesar Aguilera,Linda Benson, Danielle Branchaud, Stacey Brown, Patricia Collins, Christar Damiano, Whitney Hackett, Roland Ruocco and Brian Weaver along with filmmakers Cory Patterson and Juliana Versari. Representing Arts for Act: Claudia Goode, Shah Hadjebi, Tracy Owen Cullimore, Donna Chase, Jan Butler, and Terry Lynn Spry. Runs to May 30. For more, read/hear, "Meet the artists featured in Fort Myers' 2026 Arts & Culture grants recipient show."
“Dreamscape Series” [Foulds Theatre Gallery at the Alliance for the Arts]: Heidi Lewis Coleman is an abstract artist whose Dreamscape Series explores the intricate relationship between nature and artistic expression. The artist creates collaged pieces using Thai Kozo paper: a delicate, translucent tissue that is made from Kozo fiber. This paper incorporates embedded bits of bark, leaves, petals, and seeds – natural elements which create texture and movement as they float across the surface of her abstract assemblage pieces. She applies thin washes of acrylic paint and pastels, building up layer after layer of artwork that embodies an atmospheric, ephemeral quality. The viewer experiences a portal into something magical and otherworldly. Each piece has its own narrative, suggesting a story of something that is vaguely nearby or just out of reach. Coleman studied art at Parsons and the New York School of Design in New York City, where she graduated with highest honors. Her artwork has been included in several private collections. Coleman is an award-winning artist who has exhibited widely in galleries and museums across the country. Runs to May 30.
“Dreamscapes” [The Member Gallery at the Alliance for the Arts]: Curated exhibition exploring the theme of dreamscapes. Whether surreal, abstract, or non-objective, the exhibition highlights work that blurs the boundaries between reality and dreams, inviting viewers into imaginative and introspective visual experiences. Runs to May 30.
“Emphasis: A Mural Project” [Alliance for the Arts 10-acre campus]: This round of the Alliance’s outdoor mural project features artworks by 13 artists from all over the country (Florida, New Mexico, California, Texas, and Washington). Featured artists include: David Neeld, Lawrence Phillips, Bruce MacKenchie, Andrea Facusse, Denise Chasin, Gwendalin Aranya, Jenny Pearl, Julio Julio, Alisa Sozonyk, Peter Harrington, Carolyn Steele, Sandi Ludescher, and Nancy Cunningham. For more, visit “Alliance’s latest zig zag mural project places ‘Emphasis’ on 13 area artists.”
“All the Buzz! Works by Art Quilters Unlimited” [The Shell Point Gallery at Tribby Arts Center]: The Shell Point Gallery transforms into a vivid microcosm where exotic insects emerge from fabric and thread. This exhibit invites viewers to reconsider fragility, resilience, and beauty through meticulously crafted interpretations of beetles, butterflies, and other bugs that are often overlooked — yet vital to the world’s ecological balance. At its heart, “All the Buzz!” is a call to preserve life’s smallest wonders and a tapestry that reminds viewers that nature’s survival and our own are intimately entwined. Runs to July 16.
“All the Buzz!!” [The Legacy and Overlook Galleries at Tribby Arts Center]: While insects of all types factor most prominently in this exhibition, some resident artists and writers explored the theme in its most figurative sense- having to do with the news and gossip of the day. It includes a tribute to Don Adams, who died on December 5, 2025, and who, with his wife Jane, is the sponsor of the All the Buzz! exhibition. Runs to July 16.
“Paint Strokes of Ascension: Love, Life and Spirituality” [Main Gallery at Cape Coral Art Center]: In this solo exhibition, Tina Senicola is devoted to exploring the emotional connections between family, love, faith, death, spirituality, and the afterlife. Runs to June 25.
“Bloom & Thrive” [Side Gallery at Cape Coral Art Center]: Artists responding to this open call exhibition focus on the themes of renewal, growth, and transformation, drawing from the vibrant energy of May. Runs to May 28.
“Florida Life” [Studio 1 at Cape Coral Art League]: Artwork in this exhibition reflects each artist’s personal perspective of life in Florida, whether coastal or inland, urban environments or the natural world. Opens May 7 with 5-6:30 p.m. reception. Runs to May 20.
“Annual Artists Collective” [BIG ARTS Mezzanine Gallery]: This annual exhibit highlights the work of artist-instructors who lead BIG ARTS workshops and classes. Through a diverse mix of mediums, it reflects the creativity, skill, and passion they share with students throughout the season. Runs to May 31.
“Art as Therapy” [Dunham Family Gallery at BIG ARTS]: This collaboration between Hope Healthcare’s Art Therapy Program and Lee Health’s Arts in Healthcare Program highlights the healing power of creative expression. This meaningful exhibit reveals personal journeys through grief, illness, and recovery, offering insight into the strength that emerges through art. Runs to June 5.
“I Am My Home” [West Gallery at BIG ARTS]: Cape Coral artist Mariapia Malerba describes her BIG ARTS exhibit with a poem: “Without the corals, the octopus has no sanctuary/Without the reef, a thousand species lose their story/Without care, we lose our home/To hold life, we must protect what sustains it/To feel at home in this world, we must remember we are not alone in it. Runs through June 30.
“Arts Bonita Atelier Student Exhibition” [Hinman Gallery-in-the- Round, Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center]: This is a ‘pop-up’ exhibit of the current and past work of students participating in the Atelier Core Program that demonstrates the nature of the studio process from beginning to end in the form of preliminary drawings, tonal studies, master copies, and finished work inspired by the study of the human form. Artwork of varying degrees of completion is on display as an insight into the methods of modern atelier practice. This exhibit celebrates Arts Bonita's growing development in education that revitalizes the great traditions of artmaking whose principal objective is to find deep, connective engagement with ourselves and the natural world through direct observation of life. Moreover, this exhibit serves to introduce the sensibilities of classical realism to a community empathetic to the deeply held passions of artists pursuing beauty through the truthful depiction of nature. Closes May 15.
“Mandala Meditations – On the Fabric of Life, Agnes Story” [Arts Bonita Center for Visual Arts, Tranovich Gallery]: During the pandemic, Agnes Story returned to sustained studio practice while recovering from surgery. With a background as a lifelong maker and a 25-year career as an elementary art educator, the work she created draws on a bachelor's degree in fine art from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (1979) and later creative study through "The Artist’s Way," by Julia Cameron. The earliest pieces began with the calming, meditative structure of mandalas and the geometry of traditional quilt motifs. Using specialty papers and hand-painted papers, quilt-inspired patterns were cut, arranged, and layered into circular compositions that emphasize balance, rhythm, and color. Recent work has shifted fully to drawing and painting, replacing collage with hand-rendered interpretations inspired by 19th- and early 20th-century textile patterns, including research drawn from Susan Meller’s textile designs and Russian textiles. Developed through sketchbook studies and digital refinement, final works are created on Arches paper with acrylic, ink, markers, and watercolor, with newer pieces introducing landscapes and symbols as the work continues to evolve. Opens May 28 with opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Runs to June 27.
“The Geometry of Emotion” [Hinman Gallery-in-the-Round at Arts Bonita Center for Performing Arts]: This exhibit is a bold exploration into the invisible architecture of human feeling. This exhibit presents a collection of artworks that represent complex emotions and translate complex emotional states into shape, structure, and spatial composition. Each artwork communicates the intricacies of joy, grief, anxiety, love, and everything in between. Through the “Geometry of Emotion,” the artworks invite the viewer to see emotion not as fleeting or formless, but as something with design—built, balanced, and sometimes fractured. This exhibition challenges us to reconsider how emotions live within us and around us: not just as sensations, but as structures we carry and sometimes construct. Opens May 21. Runs to June 25.
“Sonnenberg & Shapiro Show of Opposites” [Main Gallery, Arts Bonita Center for Visual Arts]: Joan Sonnenberg is a Naples-based contemporary artist whose prolific career spans more than eight decades, marked by an unwavering commitment to experimentation and creative evolution. Her work is distinguished by its fusion of abstraction and realism—an approach she describes as the “harmonious coexistence” of both. Large-scale and richly textured, her compositions frequently incorporate overlapping imagery, geometric structures, and expressive mark-making that invite multiple interpretations. Throughout her career, she has earned numerous awards and exhibited widely, with her works held in corporate and private collections internationally.
A nuclear physicist by training and profession, Alexander A. Shapiro, Ph.D., has pursued photography with equal rigor, curiosity, and devotion throughout his life. While science shaped his formal career, photography became a parallel calling, offering another way to observe the world with precision, wonder, and emotional depth. As a young scientist in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, he moonlighted as a tour guide at the Hermitage, where he developed a lasting appreciation for art, history, and visual storytelling. Over the years, Shapiro has traveled to over 60 countries, using his camera to capture not only the beauty and vitality of the natural world but also the essence of the cultures he encountered. His photographs reflect a keen sensitivity to movement, atmosphere, and human connection, whether he is documenting birds and animals in action or moments of daily life and tradition around the world. Shapiro turns that same sensitivity toward performance photography, capturing musicians in moments of striking intensity, vulnerability, and soul. His images go beyond documentation, revealing the emotional force behind live performance and the humanity of artists in the act of creation. Across nature, culture, and music, his photography is united by a deep attentiveness to fleeting moments and a lifelong practice of truly seeing. Opens May 28 with 6-8 p.m. reception. Runs to June 27.
“Forged & Found: A Celebration of Metal in Art” [Main Gallery, Arts Bonita Center for Visual Arts]: Metal is often seen as unyielding and industrial, yet in the hands of artists it can transform into surfaces of striking depth, luster, and complexity. “Forged & Found” celebrates the presence of metal within two-dimensional art, highlighting how this enduring material adds strength, texture, and unexpected beauty to the picture plane. This exhibition brings together paintings, drawings, collages, and mixed-media works that incorporate metallic elements—whether through leafing, pigments, found materials, or surface treatments. Each piece demonstrates the versatility of metal when translated into two dimensions: it can shimmer with delicacy, suggest weight and permanence, or create luminous contrast that shifts with the viewer’s gaze. The title “Forged & Found” reflects both the traditional techniques of working metal and the creative discoveries artists make when exploring its potential as a visual language. In this way, the exhibition honors the dialogue between material and imagination, and the ways artists reveal new dimensions of beauty through the unexpected presence of metal. Opens May 28 with 6-8 p.m. reception. Runs to June 27.
“Snap Crackle and POP ART!” [Marco Island Center for the Arts]: Featuring work by Abel Garcia, Gil Sanchez, Holly Manneck, David Horton and Lee Horton, the show highlights fresh takes on the iconic Pop Art style—blending vivid color, cultural references, and contemporary flair. “Snap, Crackle, and POP ART!” is also featured as part of Collier County’s ¡ARTE VIVA!, celebrating the artistic contributions of the Hispanic community. Opens May 4. Runs to June 23. Gallery reception is May 12 at 5:30 p.m.
“Nature’s Radiance” [La Petite Galerie at Marco Island Center for the Arts]: Through layered acrylics and mixed media, Gaby Swedan explores the quiet beauty and shifting moods of the natural world. Her work emphasizes color, light, and texture to evoke a sense of calm and connection, inviting viewers to pause and form their own personal relationship with the landscape. Inspired by years of painting in both Europe and Southwest Florida, her impressionistic and realistic style reflects a deep appreciation for nature’s serenity and energy. Opens May 4. Closes May 26. Gallery reception is May 12 at 5:30 p.m.
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.
