This month, the art scene is brimming with opportunities for discovery, from a dynamic national juried painting competition to a thoughtful pairing of photographic perspectives.
First up, the Emerald Art Center proudly presents its 19th Annual Emerald Spring Exhibition 2025, a national painting juried competition that runs through May 30th.
Two pieces, in particular, captured my attention. Innana McGraw’s “The Wild Men” pulses with the energy of a late-night jazz club. The canvas vibrates with bright yellows that seem to sing like a trumpet solo, contrasted against deep violets that create a smoky, intimate atmosphere.
Then there’s Tara Esperanza’s intriguing work, “A Family Portrait.” What at first glance appears to be a richly colored abstract is, in fact, a portrait of a ghost plant. Esperanza manages to capture a sense of familial connection and individual character within the plant’s form and the deep, almost otherworldly hues of its foliage. It makes you reconsider what a “portrait” can truly be…