HALLIE FORD MUSEUM OF ART

Featuring works by Pacific Northwest and Native American artists, a diverse collection of traditional European, American, and Asian art, and antique artifacts. The galleries are closed on Sunday and Monday. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for seniors (55+). Children and students (0-17) and students (18+ with ID) are admitted for free, and Tuesday is a free day. 

Through May 9, 2026
Surface Tension — Each spring, the Hallie Ford Museum of Art features the work of senior studio art majors at Willamette University. Characterized by a wide variety of styles and approaches, the exhibition includes work in a range of media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, and installation art. This year’s exhibition includes the largest group of graduating seniors in recent memory.

Through June 20, 2026
Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts Biennial highlights a selection of contemporary prints created over the past two years at the renowned printmaking atelier on the Umatilla Reservation. Founded in 1992 by artist James Lavadour, Crow’s Shadow has grown into one of the nation’s premier print studios, fostering artistic opportunity and cultural exchange for Native and non-Native artists alike. 

SALEM ART ASSOCIATION

The Salem Art Association (SAA) aims to actively engage the community in the appreciation of the arts through contemporary art exhibits and events, and arts education for youth and adults. Bush Barn Art Center & Annex, 600 Mission St SE | 503-581‑2228, salemart.org

May 1 to June 28
Jew& is an exhibition featuring award-winning and contemporary Jewish artists in the Willamette Valley region. The theme of duality in Jewish identity invites artists to share work that informs and challenges understanding of the experience of Jewish artists and the identities experienced by Jewish artists, and features art from multiple genders and generations of Jewish artists in visual, written, and performance arts. Curated by Jessica Rehfield.

The exhibition will also feature a series of public programs expanding on its themes through talks, workshops, readings, and performances:

• May 17 – Jessica Rehfield, “Jew Oughta Know” Pt. II presentation (1–2 p.m.)
• June 7 – Leila Wice, Jewish Studio Project workshop (1–2 p.m.)
• June 14 – Art Conversation with ahuva s. zaslavsky and Shoshana Gugenheim Kedem (1–2 p.m.)
• June 18 – Poetry Reading and Book Talk: Tkhines by Eve Bernfeld and Naming Lake Esther by Nikki Schulak (6–7 p.m.)
• June 25 – Joseph Linahon, Jewish Irish musician, talk and performance (6–7 p.m.)
• June 28 – Jennifer Gwirtz, dance performance (2–3 p.m.)

Through June 13, 2026
Conjunto | Francisco Rangel and Stephanie Juanillo — This collaborative exhibition brings together the artistic practices of Francisco Rangel and Stephanie Juanillo, whose shared exploration of culture, identity, and heritage forms the foundation of Conjunto.
The act of preserving one’s culture, traditions, and language is a form of resilience and celebration. Past, present, future, displacement, belonging, and memory lived and experienced through an immigrant lens, are themes we hope to explore in this body of work. Art has served as a window and portal to stay connected to our roots, traditions, and family histories while navigating life across cultures and generations.

Through June 28, 2026
My Third Childhood — Limei Lai combines mixed media art, writing, and projection to reflect on her life between two cultures. She is curious about how history, memories and art inform one another. This body of work translates her findings in Asian American history research and Asian immigrant women interviews, focusing on women’s life experiences, intergenerational communications, and cultural conflicts.

Makeup Artistry: It’s Not Lipstick and Powder, You Know! | Scott Ramp — Makeup Artistry encompasses every aspect for the film actor, from basic powder and cosmetics to the most detailed special effects imaginable. Scott Ramp is a Salem native who worked in the industry in Los Angeles for 40 years and currently provides his products for large-scale Halloween events in amusement parks around the world. Come enjoy the Special Effects world and feel free to touch the displays of some of Scott’s work.

Free Related Event

• Opening Reception: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 1 (Welcome at 6:00 p.m.)

May 4–30, 2026
May Artists-in-Residence | Marjorie Ferry and Laura Mack — During the residency, both artists will focus on printmaking, exploring new techniques, while developing new work and exchanging ideas in a collaborative studio environment.

SALEM ON THE EDGE

From fine art by established and up-and-coming artists to graffiti artists, Salem on the Edge features work by PNW artists in a variety of media for purchase. Shows change each month. 156 Liberty St NE | salemontheedge.com

May
John Collins: Tantrum Series — Artist John Collins charts three of fate’s fanatic messengers in a series of 14 silkscreen/stencil drawings.

“It’s incredible how far people can go if they become uncritical followers of a set of beliefs. The danger conveyed in these artworks is in the fanatical and self-righteous behavior of the propagandists.”

As one of Oregon’s most imaginative and original artists working today, southern Oregon-based Collins continues to surprise, engage, and delight gallery visitors. His varied media artworks featured in numerous West Coast exhibitions often embrace found imagery as part of his art-making adventures in Oregon and worldwide.

Free Related Event

• Opening Reception: 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 1

STEFANI ART GALLERY

Showcasing modern, contemporary, and abstract art from local and internationally recognized artists. We offer original artworks, fine art photographs, and limited-edition prints for collectors at every level. Art should be accessible to all, and we’re here to help you find the perfect pieces for your space. 305 Court St NE | stefaniartgallery.com

May
Confluence: where forms coverage is a joint exhibition of woodwork by renowned artist Monica Seitzol and her collective, alongside new work by popular painter Jude Morales. This pairing promises a dynamic and memorable show. Jude’s work explores the relationships between people and place, from Oregon’s coastal landscapes to the Willamette Valley, through layered color fields, translucent acrylics, patterns, and metallic elements that create atmospheric, almost three-dimensional experiences.

This show places layered color and hand-carved wood in direct conversation. Morales builds atmospheric landscapes through color and structure, while Setziol-Phillips, continuing the legacy of Leroy Setziol, and the Carvers Collective carve form directly into wood, emphasizing texture, depth, and rhythm.

Seen together, the works share a quiet yet striking common ground: balance, repetition, and the shaping of space. It’s a show that really rewards time and attention.

Free Related Event

• Receptions: 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2

Gallery 444

Framing shop and art gallery featuring a variety of art, including work by members of Artists in Action. 444 Ferry St SE | elsinoregallery.com

May
2026 Invitational Photography Show is an annual event featuring local and Northwest Artists. Though not a themed show, subjects include landscapes, wildlife, floral, and digital manipulation. This exhibit has been selected and juried by Gallery staff and features 30 images by 11 artists.

Free Related Event

• Reception and Awards Presentation: 6 p.m. Friday, May 1

Cultural Exhibits

OREGON STATE CAPITOL

View curated exhibits, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 900 Court St NE. oregoncapitol.com

May 5 to June 4, 2026
The Hellenic-American Cultural Center and Museum (HECCM) presents Master Penworks of Tom Stefopoulos: The Hellenic Artist of the Lovejoy Columns.

Athanasios (Tom) Efthimiou Stefopoulos was a factory worker, railroad man, commercial artist, and a champion penman. Art was his first love, but pursuing this was difficult for a young immigrant in an adopted country where he did not even speak the language. In 1945, he was employed by the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railroad as a crossing watchman at the Lovejoy Ramp of the Broadway Bridge in Portland, Oregon. It was here that the artist created the iconic “Lovejoy Columns.” This exhibition considers the range of Stefopoulos’ art, from pen drawings to the murals that graced the Lovejoy Columns. His style is a unique blend of calligraphic lines and Art Nouveau, and his themes span from Ancient Greek philosophy to contemporary world events. In style and theme, Stefopoulos blended myriad influences, a result of a life lived in multiple places and among many people. Despite a life characterized by movement and synthesis, the Lovejoy Columns represent a sense of belonging to a specific place—in this case, Oregon. Stefopoulos’ art gives insight into how the artist envisioned himself in this new home.

WILLAMETTE HERITAGE CENTER

14 historic structures house permanent and changing exhibits, a research library and archive, a textile learning center, and rentable event spaces over a five-acre campus, which also has retail shops, art galleries, artist studios, and offices. 1313 Mill St SE | 503-585-7012, willametteheritage.org

Through August 1, 2026
Echoes of ‘76: An Exhibit — In 2026, the United States marks its 250th birthday with the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence. What did the events of 1776 mean to the people living in the Mid-Willamette Valley? This multi-part, multidisciplinary exhibit will explore how echoes from 1776 continue to be heard in our community.

Explore how we can understand more about who was living in the Mid-Willamette Valley in 1776 through the languages spoken in this area at the time and the place names we continue to use today. Although the revolutionary events of 1776 didn’t happen here, explore the way they have been observed in this community the past 200 years. Make your voice heard and participate in the Wish Wall – sharing your hopes for how words written in the Declaration of Independence in 1776 might ring forward into the future.

WORLD BEAT GALLERY

The World Beat Gallery gives local cultural communities a space to share their heritage. 390 Liberty St SE | 503-581-2004, salemmulticultural.org

Through June

Pacific Islanders: Navigators of the Sea — Learn about the Pacific Islands through their art, dance, music, and settlement as explained by people from this enchanting area of the world.

Free Related Event

• Reception: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 1

We run on coffee, curiosity, and community. Fuel our next story (and our next cup) by supporting Press Play Salem.  buymeacoffee.com/pressplaysalem

Author: Carlee Wright

Carlee Wright is a community instigator with a grand love for Salem and notably fashionable shoes (Hello, John Fluevog!) who turns waste into wearable art in her "spare" time.