Proximity
Passed Lives. Linda Ayala fuses animal and human elements together in fine-grained detail to create semi-comic but emotionally involved portraits. Andy Dreaming wolf uses the techniques of traditional portraiture to depict impossible eccentrics. An opening reception will be held March 8 from 6 to 10 p.m. Through April 26 at 1667 East 40th St., Suite 1A. Call 216-262-8903 or go to proximitycleveland.com.
The Sculpture Center
Rondle West: MozART and Sarah Hahn: New Work. A self-taught artist living between Cincinnati and Palm Springs, West uses multi-media assemblage pieces to both celebrate the Mozart classic and critiques the over-seriousness of the world of Wagner's "total art." Hahn critiques contemporary priorities by juxtaposing heroic Renaissance statuary with celebrity culture.
An opening with artists' talks will be held March 8 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Through April 13 at 1834 E. 123rd St. Call 216-229-6527 or go to sculpturecenter.org.
78th Street Studios
Shelter. Irish artist Gráinne Bird decorated a toolshed-sized house with over 300 pounds of human hair to challenge viewers to reexamine things and materials they would otherwise discard.
Through the weekend of March 9 at 1300 West 78th Street. For more information, call 216-650-4201 or go to or gbird.net.
Cleveland Artists Foundation
Evolutionary Excerpts. Oberlin-based artist Audra Skuodas displays works from her five-decade spanning career, encompassing painting, handmade books, drawings, and mixed media compositions. All works seek to limn the psychological or spiritual depth of the human. Through May 27 at 17801 Detroit Ave. Call 216-227-9507 or go to clevelandartists.org.
Cleveland Museum of Art
Three hundred years of art inspired by the doomed city at the base of Mt. Vesuvius offers a day's worth of images and food for thought. Through July 7 at 11150 East Blvd. For more information, call 216-421-7350 or go to clevelandart.org.
Gallery West at Cuyahoga Community College Seven regional artists construct images of nature that emphasize both its beauty, and the violent extremes it is capable of, as displayed in hauntingly remembered disasters like Superstorm Sandy and global climate change. Through April 5 at 11000 Pleasant Valley Rd., Parma. Call 216-987-5322 for more information.
