By Marie-Elena Schembri

With vibrant new exhibitions and engaging cultural events to awaken our senses, May invites art lovers to celebrate diverse roots and imagine better futures for beloved natural spaces. A bouquet of creative experiences await.

Whether or not you celebrate Cinco de Mayo — the Mexican holiday celebrating victory over the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 — May offers plenty of opportunities to explore cultural celebrations. Crocker Art Museum’s ¡Descubra! Family Festival celebrates Latino culture and marks the closing of the “Collidoscope: de la Torre Brothers Retro-Perspective” exhibition. Exhibition tours and mini art talks will offer deeper insight into the vibrant, intricate world created by Guadalajara-born brothers Einar and Jamex de la Torre. Attendees can watch a community mural take shape, enjoy live Latin American music featuring traditional, modern and alternative styles, and enjoy performances from Lucha Libre professional wrestlers alongside a lowrider show by the Sacramento Lowrider Commission. Learn more about the de la Torre brothers’ distinct, cross-culturally influenced art style during the free festival on Sunday, May 4 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Prepare for the festival by checking out a new exhibit at the Warehouse Artist Lofts (WAL) Public Market Gallery during First Friday. “Fragmentos de Nosotros,” (or “Fragments of Us”) brings two first-generation Latin-American artists — and spouses — together through art: Mexican American photographer Cristina Romero;  and Nicaraguan American illustrator and printmaker Mark Romero. The exhibit features colorful screenprinted film photographs that the married couple captured traveling in Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru, mediating on shared connections across cultures, identity and memory. 

“This exhibition is not only a reflection of our individual identities, but also what happens when two people create side by side,” Mark Romero shared. “It’s about honoring where we come from, where we’ve been, and the many fragments — of culture, love and experience — that make us who we are.” An opening reception will be held during First Friday, May 2, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the WAL building on R Street.

The Mómti Market, hosted by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians in partnership with the Sacramento History Museum, is a free family-friendly pop-up market celebrating Nisenan and Miwok culture. Bringing 20 vendors to the museum in Old Sacramento, the market will feature handmade jewelry and baskets as well as visual art created by Native American artists. Along with opportunities to view and buy Native art, there will be interactive demonstrations including basketry, acorn processing and cordage.

Spring is also the perfect time to reflect on the natural spaces we inhabit, idealize and ultimately impact. “State of Change: Visions of California,” a solo exhibition featuring Sacramento artist Jennifer Peart’s California landscape art provides an opportunity to contemplate these realities while reflecting on the impermanent and fragile nature of the ecological landmarks we know and love.

Running from May 3 to May 31 at janeGallery, this collection of 20 works explores California’s diverse ecosystems and natural landmarks with a futuristic approach. Drawing on inspiration from her El Dorado County upbringing, appreciation of mid-century modern design and science fiction, Peart re-envisions familiar landscapes with unconventional palettes of muted earth tones paired with bright pink, pastel orange or teal blue over handmade wood panels with exposed grain. The art invites viewers to consider alternate realities where nature and humans coexist symbiotically, prioritizing conservation over exploitation.

Peart said her paintings are not just “beautiful pictures of California’s diversity and vast biomes or our most scenic places,” the work is “about these physical places and the dynamic spaces of possibility for them.” An opening reception will be held on Saturday, May 10 from 5 to 8 p.m., and an artist talk is scheduled for Saturday, May 24 at 2 p.m. at 1000 Alhambra St.

JaneGallery, which opened in October 2024 and is owned by Sacramento artist Jane Mikacich, will also show a collection of local art in its rear gallery space — called the Secret Gallery — featuring Mikacich’s paint and encaustic works, Caiti Chan’s vivid abstract paintings and longtime artist Jerald Silva’s highly detailed watercolors.

Over at Verge Center for the Arts, an ongoing exhibit highlights the work of artists in the Verge residency program, currently in its 15th year. With work from seven resident artists from near and far, including installation artist Amy Vidra, painter Jupiter Lockett and photographer and filmmaker Orlando Tirado, the exhibit showcases a diverse collection of works by established and emerging artists. “New Edition: Work by Recent Verge Studio Artists” opened in April, and is on view through May 11.

If you’re looking for a child-free outing, this last event is for you! “The Art Social: Supporting the Art Scene of Carmichael,” hosted by Carmichael Chamber of Commerce at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, is an adults-only night of art, community and spirits on Wednesday, May 28 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. This 21+ event is a benefit for the arts center, and will include opportunities to view local art, shop hand crafted gifts and participate in interactive and collaborative art activities. There will be wine, music and a chance to bring home exclusive poster art. Tickets are $20. 

Whatever your artistic preference, Sacramento has a full palette of opportunities this May inviting you to participate, experience and celebrate a rich and diverse art scene.

This story is part of the Solving Sacramento journalism collaborative. This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics, the city had no editorial influence over this story. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review, Sacramento Observer and Univision 19. Sign up for our “Sac Art Pulse” newsletter here.