Kent State
University School of Art Gallery
Japanese Prints & Japonisme. In the West, Japanese prints are best known for piquing the interest of Impressionist artists like Van Gogh and Monet. Kent State University's School of Art Gallery's exhibition of more than a dozen prints and two sword guards relates these works to French art history, but also allows viewers to appreciate the works on their own terms. The vitality of the stylized but detailed images of living things is enhanced by the austere surroundings in which they are situated. An opening reception is set for Thursday, August 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibit continues through October 5 at 400 Janik Dr. on the University's main campus. Call 330-672-7853 or go to dept.kent.edu/art/galleries to learn more.
Arts Collinwood: Nomads. Chicago-based William M. Newhouse, a 1999 CIA grad, crafts playful scenes of male-male romantic affection. He draws upon both contemporary and classical Renaissance techniques to lend softness to his subjects and subvert technical expectations. Through September 2 at 15605 Waterloo Rd. Call 216-692-9500 or go to artscollinwood.org.
Bonfoey Gallery: Living City. Newly minted Cleveland Arts Prize laureate Garie Waltzer displays crystal-clear, black-and-white photos of international cities taken to investigate the state of contemporary urban life. Extended through September 8 at 1710 Euclid Ave. Call 216-621-0178 or go to bonfoey.com for more information.
Breakneck Gallery: Where's My Jet Pack? 2. Breakneck's reliable roster of pop-addled artists — including Josh Usami, Eric Kaplan, and CHOD — memorialize what tomorrow looked like yesterday. This retro-futurist show reimagines technologies from classical science fiction that failed to pan out and reflects on how the unimagined digital age changed so much and so little. The exhibit continues through October 6 at 17020 Madison Ave., Lakewood. Call 216-767-5610 or go to breakneckgallery.com for more information.
BuckBuck: Hai-ku (noun). Andy Curlowe and Janet Bruhn examine humanity's relationship with nature. Bruhn uses an unflinching realism to demonstrate how the world goes on without our attention or consent. Curlowe meshes together natural landscapes and geometric figures meant to invoke schematics, contrasting nature's aimless patterns with human systemization. Through September 9 at 3910 Lorain Ave. Call 216-407-9558 or go to buckbuckcle.com.
Cleveland Museum of Art: DIY: Photographers & Books. This free exhibition chronicles the emerging subculture of print-on-demand books, which allow photographers and other creators to create inexpensive volumes quickly and without having to wrangle with publishers. More than 100 photographs and 150 DIY books are on display. Through December 30 at 11150 East Bld. Call 216-421-7350 or go to clevelandart.org.
Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage: Precious Objects. Chronicler of the lives of Clevelanders Chuck Mintz presents a series of photographs featuring local folks posing with objects they deem their most prized possessions. The images are accompanied by short statements from the subject, explaining their personal meanings. Through September 30 at 2929 Richmond Rd., Beachwood. Call 216-593-0575 or go to maltzmuseum.org.
Mastroianni Arts: A Wink and a Nod. In Jackie Romanak Zubal's funny and startling colllages, chipmunks hang laundry out to dry, and hands offer up fistfuls of yellow chicks to altars draped in prayer flags. A closing reception is set for 6 to 10 p.m. September 14 at 2688 West 14th St. Call 216-235-6936 or visit mastroianniarts.com.
Negative Space: Out of the Shadows and Into the Light. Painter Jesse Burke splashes paintings with an almost elemental simplicity, creating an unnamable air of profundity. Simple abstracted human figures are set in open spaces rendered in simple shapes, suggesting encounters with something beyond thought's normal scope. Through September 25 at 3820 Superior Ave. East. Call 216-470-6092 or go to thinknegativespace.com.
Spaces: An Inventory of Absence. Milwaukee-based Shana McCaw and Brent Budsberg deconstruct the very idea of a gallery with mixed-media installations that emphasize its white nothingness. Also: The Euclid Square Mall Project. Jef Scharf documents the mall's dramatic evolution from "housing the cathedrals of capitalism to actual cathedrals." Through October 19 at 2220 Superior Viaduct. Call 216-621-2314 or go to spacesgalleryorg.
