Kent State's Downtown Gallery
Painting in the Dark. Class of 1982 Kent State graduate Patricia Zinsmeister Parker presents work in paint and print. Her canvas and paper works depict still lifes and domestic scenes stripped down to simple shapes and vivid colors. Her prints invoke minimal abstract Modernism, but in a freer hand. The exhibit continues through July 14 at 141 East Main St., Kent. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays through Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 330-676-1549 or go to galleries.kent.edu.
1point618 Gallery: Recent Works. Painter of simulacra Royden Watson painstakingly reproduces surfaces like wallpaper and plywood that are indistinguishable from the real thing at all but the closest inspection. His recreation of the materials we take for granted all around us are meant to make us newly aware of our place in the economy and environment. Through July 22 at 6421 Detroit Ave. Call 216-281-1618 or go to 1point618gallery.com.
The Artseen: A Cast of Thousands. Sherry Bradshaw transforms an old movie theater into a faux educational exhibit, drawing on her experience working in the casting lab at the Cleveland Natural History Museum. Objects found along Lake Erie and donated cabinets become objects of display. Through September 3 at 5591 Liberty Ave., Vermilion. Call 440-963-0611 or go to theartseengallery.com.
Breakneck Gallery: Art Deck-O Show. Eric Kaplan, CHOD, Sean Burns, Rich Cihlar, Jeff Hulligan and other luminaries of Cleveland's pop-pirate culture turn skateboards into canvases in a tribute to the boarding lifestyle. Through July 6 at 17020 Madison Ave. Lakewood. Call 216-767-5610 or go to breakneckgallery.com.
Cleveland Museum of Art: Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties. Opening July 1, this comprehensive exhibition examines American art from the end of the Great War to the Great Depression. Adult admission is $15. The exhibit is open through September 16 at 11150 East Blvd. Call 216-421-7350 or go to clevelandart.org.
Harris Stanton Gallery: 25th Anniversary Exhibition. In honor their quarter century of business, the gallery features works by 25 top artists encompassing a variety of media. The lineup includes painter of flora and cubistic forms P.J. Rogers, and Barbara Gillette, who infuses figurative scenes, abstracts, and silk with sensual energy. The exhibition continues through July 7 at 2301 West Market St., Akron. For more information, call 330-867-7600 or go to harrisstantongallery.com.
Log Cabin Gallery: Nature's Way. Over 20 artists in media as diverse as painting, pottery, rug-weaving, printmaking, and origami contribute to this celebration of summertime. An artists' reception is set for July 6; it features a performance by area country musician Greg Workman from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Through July 29 at 1671 Main St., Peninsula. Learn more by calling 330-657-2670 or go to thelogcabingallery.com.
Survival Kit: Character Split. Local artist Tyler Zeleny uses images of human-animal hybrids (left) to craft a modern myth dramatizing and condemning consumer culture. Austin, Texas-based Clark Curtis' elaborately detailed prints look like illustrations from unpublishable children's books. The exhibition continues through August 17 at 1305 West 80th St., Suite 303. Call 216-533-4885 or go to survivalkitgallery.com
Tregoning and Company: Red Hot. Works by the first generation abstract expressionist James Johnson (1925-1963) divide themselves into blocks of stark color, creating ambiguous but perturbed images. This exhibit marks the 30th year of Tregoning's operation. Through August 31 at 1300 West 78 St. Call 216-281-8626 or go to tregoningandco.com.
William Busta Gallery: Superposition. Barbara Polster's sculpture and video installations abstractly represent a moment of motion frozen in time, challenging the viewer to wonder where the depicted subject is going, from whence it came, and what the driving force may be. Through July 31 at 2731 Prospect Ave. Call 216-298-9071 or go to williambustagallery.com for more information.
