JUXTAPOSITION
The last time Christopher Kaspar showed his work at Brandt Gallery, it was a collection of black-and-white photos altered with paint. Kaspar is back to collaborate with painter Justin Brennan for this month's Tremont Art Walk. Gallery owner Jean Brandt says the two artists are riffing off each other's work, taking turns modifying photos in different ways: Brennan with acrylic paint, marker, and pen; Kaspar with inks, dyes, pens, and bleach. Juxtaposition opens with a reception from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday and continues by appointment through December 4 at Brandt Gallery (1028 Kenilworth Ave.). Call 216-621-1610 or go to brandtgallery.org — Michael Gill
Akron Art Museum: Who Shot Rock & Roll: The Brooklyn Museum of Art's groundbreaking show is a dizzying tour of the images that helped shape how we hear the music. Its 174 photos capture everyone from Chuck Berry to Amy Winehouse — artists whose self-presentation is as iconic as their sound. Through January 23 at 1 South High St. in Akron. Museum admission is $7; go to akronartmuseum.org for more information.
ArtsCollinwood: Dan Tranberg: The prolific artist's recent abstract work in acrylic on paper seems to have taken a turn that's part origami, part M.C. Escher. Through November 19 at 15601 Waterloo Rd. Learn more at artscollinwood.org.
Asterisk Gallery: Dana Depew's long exodus from Tremont continues with a garage sale offering "tons and tons of my artwork, large-scale paintings, sculptures, found objects, assemblages, collages, etc., plus a turn-of-the-century medical examination table [complete with medical instruments], furniture, memorabilia, and other weird stuff I have collected over the years." Asterisk is at 2393 Professor Ave. Call 330-304-8528 or visit asteriskgallery.com. Tremont Art Walk hours are 6-10 p.m. Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday,
or by appointment through November 30.
The Blonde: Sleight of Heart: Artist Edward Bacho explores affairs of the heart with a series of photos and mixed-media works. Opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday; the show hangs through November 30 at The Blonde (6901 Rockside, Independence). Call 216-328-8780 or go to gototheblonde.com.
Bonfoey Gallery: The Long Road: A couple of early 20th-century modernists from Cleveland inevitably have a lot in common, but August F. Biehle Jr. and Carl Gaertner came from different backgrounds and saw their city from different perspectives. Through November 13 at 1710 Euclid Ave. Call 216-621-0178 or go to bonfoey.com to learn more.
Cleveland Artists Foundation:
Abel Warshawsky: The Pennsylvania native spent his childhood in Cleveland, eventually studying at the Cleveland School of Art. He would later spend twenty years in France, painting impressionistic scenes of Paris, Normandy, and Brittany, and making regular return trips to Cleveland. The Cleveland Artists Foundation presents a selection of his work from that time. Through November 13 at the Cleveland Artists Foundation at Beck Center for the Arts (17801 Detroit Ave., Lakewood). Call 216-227-9507 or go to clevelandartists.org.
Cleveland Museum of Art: Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics, and Devotion in Medieval Europe: In the medieval era, dazzling illuminated manuscripts, paintings, sculptures, relics, and reliquaries were seen as mediators between heaven and earth. This collection of artifacts from churches and monasteries was organized in cooperation with the Walters Museum in Baltimore and the British Museum in London, Through January 17 at 11150 East Blvd. in University Circle; call 216-421-7340 or visit clevelandart.org. Museum admission is free; tickets for the special exhibit are $6 to $12, free for kids age 5 and under.
Cleveland State University Art Gallery: People's Art Show: The 19th-annual installment features some 450 pieces. Through December 9 at the CSU Art Building (2307 Chester Ave.). Call 216-687-2103 or go to csuohio.edu for more information.
Doubting Thomas Gallery: The Three Rs: Robert Ritchie Retrospective: Ritchie, aka "Dick Head," is one of Tremont's best-known characters. Look back at his work through the neighborhood's rise as an art enclave. Opens from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and hangs through December 4 by appointment at 856 Jefferson Ave. Call 216-673-7094.
Forum ArtSpace: Wilderness of Childhood: John Martin juxtaposes childhood in Detroit with his current Cleveland Heights environs. The paintings are not cityscapes at all; they allude only to fragments of the landscape in an attempt to evoke memories of the past. Through November 19 in the 78th Street Studios (1300 West 78th St. Open by appointment and for a closing reception at 5 p.m. November 19. For more information write [email protected].
Legation: A Gallery: From There to Here: Scott Goss captures the city's distinctive streetscapes with all their grit in photographic images made of acrylic and copper laminated with glass. Open by appointment through November 19 at 1300 West 78th St. Call 216-334-7080 or go to legationagallery.com.
Morgan Art of Papermaking Conservatory: Abecedaria Project: "Abecedaria" is a fancy word for ABC book. The group Art Books Cleveland takes the ancient form back to school — old school — with this annual members show, in which artists submit completely handmade ABC books. Through November 26 at the Morgan Art of Papermaking Conservatory (1754 East 47th St.). Call 216-361-9255 or go to morganconservatory.org for more information.
Museum of Contemporary Art: An Invitation to Lubber-Land: Duke Riley brings his interest in people living in the margins of society to Cleveland's famed "Torso Murders." This installation incorporates video, mosaic, drawing, found objects, and sculpture to reenvision Elliot Ness' historic purge of the so-called hobo jungle. Through January 9 at 8501 Carnegie Ave. Call 216-421-8671 or visit mocacleveland.org.
River Gallery: Three artists working in three different media have one thing in common: layering that gives the surfaces depth and complexity. The show opens with a reception from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday. Through November 20 at 19046 Old Detroit Rd. in Rocky River. Call 440-331-8406 or go to rivergalleryarts.com.
Shaheen Gallery: Etant Donnes: T.R. Ericsson's graphite-powder silkscreen creations involve a labor-intensive process that yields photographic images with an ethereal, dream-like quality. This new series of eight drawings takes its name from Marcel Duchamp's final major work — a female figure visible through peep holes in a door. Through November 12 at 740 W. Superior; call 216-830-8888 or visit shaheengallery.com.
William Busta Gallery: Timothy Callaghan paints his surroundings — from the intimacy of a room to the grandeur of nature. But lately he's emphasizing everyday street scenes in Cleveland: typical buildings along Lorain or Madison Ave., their signs, and even their graffiti. Through November 13 at 2731 Prospect Ave. Call 216-298-9071 or visit williambustagallery.com.
