At Kokoon Arts: Regional Visions
Landscape art is usually thought of as a romantic exercise in communing with nature. And, indeed, many of the painters and photographers whose work is featured in Kokoon Arts' new show, Regional Visions, are at home in the world. Melissa Harris' use of vivid colors and clear light present locales on the brightest days. Michael Prunty's watercolors capture cityscapes in a seamless continuum with the sky and atmosphere. (That's his "Eagle Street Bridge," at left.) However, darker images also appear: Randall Tiedman's imaginative paintings create sprawling industrial wastelands stretching across the horizon. And the photographs of Paul Jacklitch and Michael Nekic make the familiar seem strange, using jarring angles and digital effects to turn lifelike images into abstractions. An opening reception will be held Friday, October 21, from 5 to 9 p.m.; the show runs through December 30 at 1305 West 80th Street. For more information, call 216-832-8212 or go to wgsproductions.com. — Joseph Clark
1point618gallery.com: Theater. Artist Chuck Mintz draws on the performance arts for inspiration and subject matter. Through Nov. 12 at 6421 Detroit Ave. Call 216-281-1618 or go to 1point618gallery.com.
Akron Society of Artists: 80th Anniversary Member Show. A refuge for traditionalists, the Society's anniversary show does not preclude experimentation, impressionistic flair, and projective imagination. Through Nov. 6 at 140 E. Market St. For more info, visit akronsocietyofartists.com.
Arts Collinwood: Easel Pictures (Edge of the World). Local painter Timothy Callaghan spotlights the folks who make the Waterloo arts scene run in a series of portraits. Through Oct. 20 at 15605 Waterloo Rd. Also: Video Fall Out. A showcase of 22 video installations from artists including Clevelander Robert Banks and experimentalist Ronnie Cramer. Weekends through Oct. 22 at the Bank Building, 15619 Waterloo Rd. Call 216-692-9500 or go to artscollinwood.org.
Baldwin-Wallace College's Fawick Gallery: Between the Lines. Drew King's paintings depict abstract objects that abide by many recognizable laws of space ... when they feel like it. Through November 4 at 95 E. Bagley Rd., Berea. For more information, call 440-826-2152 or go to bw.edu/academics/art/news/.
Breakneck Gallery: Cinematic Redux 2 starts the Halloween season off early with locally and nationally recognized artists' reinterpretations of horror movie posters. Through Nov. 12 at 17020 Madison Ave., Lakewood. Go to breakneckgallery.com.
Bonfoey Gallery: Cleveland Inside Outside: A Thirty Year Journey. In conjunction with her book publication, photographer Jennie Jones exhibits three decades of Cleveland's visual history. Through Nov. 11 at 1710 Euclid Ave. Call 216-621-0178 or go to bonfoey.com.
Cleveland Artists Foundation: The Way of All Flesh. Painter Shirley Aley Campbell captures momentary emotions and abiding personalities in her examinations of the human form. Through Oct. 29 at 17801 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood. Call 216-227-9507 or go to clevelandartists.org.
Cleveland Museum of Art: Chinese Art in an Age of Revolution. Works from the modern Chinese master Fu Baoshi (1920 to 1965) trace a turbulent time in that nation's history, as placid landscape paintings give way to politicized pieces commissioned to express Maoist ideology. Ticketed exhibition. Through January 8 at 11150 East Blvd., University Circle. For more information, call 216-421-7350 or go to clevelandart.org.
Doubting Thomas Gallery: The Greatest Show on Earth. Artists from various media display work inspired by the circus. Through Oct. 28 at 856 Jefferson Ave., Tremont. Call 216-731-1813.
Forum Artspace: #pix#elate. Bring your smartphone to participate in this meditation on the dual life electronic communication allows us to participate in. Closing reception October 21 from 5 to 9 p.m. at 1300 W. 78th St. For more info, go to forumartspace.blogspot.com.
Galeria Quetzal: 10-Year Anniversary and Mexican Day of the Dead. Painter Hector Castellanos-Lara and sculptor Ana-Luisa Sanchez honor the Central American holiday. Through Nov. 5 at 12400 Mayfield Rd. Fiestas will be held 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Oct. 28 and 29. Call 216-421-8223 or go to galeriaquetzal.com.
Juma Gallery: Reveal/conceal. In this one-night exhibition, Erica Weiss presents a series of encaustic paintings, resembling at once both vast nebulae and bodily tissues, cosmos and microcosm. Oct. 21 from 6 to 9:30 p.m., across from the Juma Gallery in the old schoolhouse, 2026 Murray Hill Rd. Call 216-721-3773 or go to jumagallery.com.
Kenneth Paul Lesko Gallery: Cinema 02. Eighteen artists from four different countries working in media as diverse as painting, photography, and even video give tribute to the culture and imagery of movies. Through Nov. 4 at 1305 W. 80th St. Call 216-631-6719 or go to kennethpaullesko.com.
Kollective Gallery: Incandescent Effervescence. Fascinated by the impact of color, brighness, and shade, Dana Depew creates large sculptural light works out of mainly recycled materials. Through Oct. 31 at 1908 S. Taylor Rd., Cleveland Hts. Call 216-862-0799 or visit kollectivegallery.com.
Mastroianni Photography and Arts: How Did I Get Here? Sculptor Ron Knight renders patriotic imagery, military hardware, and staple creature comforts in found materials to comment on the decline of our collective livelihoods. Through Dec. 9 at 2688 W. 14th St. Call 216-235-6936 or go to mastroianniarts.com.
MOCA: Sculpture. Nationally recognized artist Ursula von Rydingsvard exhibits monumental-scale wooden sculpture emulating organic forms. Through March 31. Also: The Cuba Project. Hanging art, sculpture, and found-art installations by four Cuban artists speak to a proud heritage. Through Dec. 21 at 8501 Carnegie Ave. Call 216-421-8671 or go to mocacleveland.org.
Peninsula Art Academy: Plein Aire. Local artists celebrate the beauty of the Cuyahoga Valley. Through Nov. 19. An artists' reception is set for 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 19 at 1600 W. Mill St., Peninsula. Call 330-657-2248 or visit peninsulaartacademy.com.
Proximity: Extra Lives. Five area artists draw on the imagery, energy, and manic absurdity of video games to pay tribute to the medium in toys, prints, and paintings. Through Oct. 28 at 1667 E. 40th St. Call 216-262-8903 or go to proximitycleveland.com.
River Gallery: Lynn O'Brien & Tina Elkins. Painters Elkins and O'Brien layer images and materials, challenging viewers to look deeper into their works and discover the hidden imagery and intent. Opening reception Saturday, Oct. 22, from 3 to 7 p.m. Through Dec. 4 at 19046 Old Detroit Rd, Rocky River. Call 440-331-8406 or go to rivergalleryarts.com.
Shaheen Gallery: Works on Paper. In the first exhibition dedicated entirely to his drawings, multimedia artist William J. O'Brien uses intense attention to detail to create dense images. Through Nov. 4 at 740 W. Superior Ave., Suite 101. Call 216-830-8888 or go to shaheengallery.com.
SPACES: Portability & Network. An international array of artists exhibit works dealing with the concept of formal reduction. Also: Steve Lambert's interactive installation "Capitalism Works for Me!" allows visitors to vote on whether or not the titular statement applies to them. Also: Royden Watson's "Usnews" is a map of the United States whose colors will evolve over the course of the exhibition, representing the country's shifting demographics. Through Oct. 21 at 2220 Superior Viaduct. Call 216-621-2314 or go to spacesgallery.org.
Survival Kit Gallery: Mimesis. Rebecca Cross and Jonah Jacobs create postmodern fairylands in a series of surreal sculptures drawing on organic forms. Through Nov. 18 at 1305 W. 80th St. Survivalkitgallery.com.
Tregoning & Co.: Spiritus. Elisabeth Sunday uses mirrored photography to explore mythic archetypes. Through Oct. 31 at 1300 W. 78th St. Call 216-281-8626 or go to tregoningandco.com for more information.
University of Akron's Emily Davis Gallery: Photo Fictions. From the sublime to the kitsch, and from the abstract to the gut-wrenchingly real, locally and nationally recognized photographers of every inclination are on exhibition. Through Oct. 22 at 150 E. Exchange St. Call 330-972-6030 or visit uakron.edu/art.
