art

Art listings are compiled by Sarah Han. Because of space limitations, new art shows are listed the week they open (thereafter, shows are listed on a rotating basis), and we cannot list café exhibits. For information on how to submit listings to this section, see 8 Days a Week. Reviews are by Lindsey Westbrook

museums

California Palace of the Legion of Honor Lincoln Park (near 34th Ave at Clement); 863-3330. Tues-Sun, 9:30am-5pm. $8, $6 seniors, $5 for 12 to 17, free for 11 and under (free Tues). "Marks of Creativity: Recent Acquisitions of Contemporary California Drawings." Works by various California artists. Through Feb 10.

Cartoon Art Museum 655 Mission; CAR-TOON. Tues-Sun, 11am-5pm. $2-5. You Say Tomato, I Say Bizarro: A Retrospective of the Works of Dan Piraro. Through Jan 27. Bone Fragments: Short Stories by Jeff Smith. Through Feb 10. Gorey at Bay: Part I - Gorey Style. Through March 31.

Chinese Historical Society of America and Chinese American National Museum 965 Clay; 391-1188. Tues-Fri, 11am-4pm. $3, $2 seniors, $1 for ages 6 to 17, free for 5 and under. "Dong Kingman in San Francisco." Twenty-five watercolor paintings. Through Feb 28.

Exploratorium 3601 Lyon; 563-7337. Tues-Sun, 10am-5pm (Wed until 9pm). $9, $7.50 students and seniors, $6 youths (free first Wed). "The Floating Machine." A part sculpture and part amusement park ride by Sven Newman and Kevin Fine. Sun/9 and Sun/20. "Ten Things I Can Count On." Machine installation by Bruce Cannon. "Three-Dimensional Zoetrope." Work by Stewart Dickson. Both exhibits through May 5.

Jewish Museum San Francisco 121 Steuart; 543-8880. Sun-Thurs, noon-5pm. $3-4, free for 12 and under and members. "Face(t)s of Memory: Found Photographs and Family Albums." Work by Christian Boltanski and Marcelo Bordsky, along with a selection of historic photographs from the Judah L. Magnes Museum. Through Jan 31.

Pacific Heritage Museum 608 Commercial; 399-1124. Tues-Sat, 10am-4pm. free. "Half a Century of Chinese Paintings by Au-Ho-Nien." A display of works by the Chinese calligrapher, poet, and painter. Through Feb 8.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art 151 Third St; 357-4000. Fri-Tues, 11am-6pm; Thurs, 11am-9pm. $10, $7 seniors, $6 students, free for 12 and under and members (free first Tues; half-price Thurs, 6-9pm). "Ansel Adams at 100." More than 100 photographs by the artist. Through Sun/13. "Judith Rothschild: An Artist's Search." Paintings by the artist. Through Feb 17. "Restaging the Everyday: Recent Work by Beat Streuli and Fischli/Weiss." Through March 17.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts 701 Mission; 978-ARTS. Tues-Wed and Sat-Sun, 11am-6pm; Thurs-Fri, 11am-8pm. $6, $3 seniors, students, and youths; free for members (free first Tues). "The Metal Party." A site-specific installation by Josiah McElheny. "Preserve." Installation by Ellen Gallagher. "Taxa." New works by Isabella Kirkland. All exhibits through Jan 27.

Bay Area

Oakland Museum of California 1000 Oak, Oakl; (510) 238-2200. Wed-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, noon-5pm. $6, $4 seniors and students. "Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente and African American History." Ghanaian kente cloth exhibit. Through Sun/13. "Grand Lyricist: The Art of Elmer Bischoff." Nearly 80 works by the artist. Through Sun/13. "Recent Works by Raymond Howell." An exhibition of 15 works by the Oakland painter and printmaker. Through March 31.

UC Berkeley Art Museum 2625 Durant, Berk; (510) 642-0808. Wed and Fri-Sun, 11am-5pm; Thurs, 11am-9pm. $6, $4 seniors and youths, free for 12 and under, members, and UC Berkeley students and faculty. "Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s." Large-scale sculpture by the artist. Through Sun/13. "Matrix 195: Thomas Scheibitz, 1-geometrica B." New paintings by Thomas Scheibitz. Through Sun/13.

galleries

Opening

Alliance Française 1345 Bush; 775-7755. Mon-Thurs, 9am-9pm; Fri, 9am-7pm; Sat, 9am-1pm. "Paysans et Paysages," works by Michael O'Shea (reception Thurs/17, 6-8pm). Jan 15-Feb 9.

Atrium 600 Townsend; 864-8541. Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm. "Steamie Creme with No Theme," a juried exhibition of sculpture by various artists (reception Thurs/10, 5:30-7:30pm). Jan 10-March 1.

Rena Bransten Gallery 77 Geary; 982-3292. Tues-Thurs, 10:30am-5:30pm; Sat, 11am-5pm. "Dust to Dust," new color photographs; "Before and After," works by William T. Wiley (reception Thurs/10, 5:30-7:30pm). Jan 10-Feb 9.

Creativity Explored 3245 16th St; 863-2108. Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm; Sat, 11am-6pm. "The Power of Color," paintings, prints, and mixed media works by various artists (reception Thurs/10, 7-9pm). Jan 10-March 2.

Crown Point Press 20 Hawthorne; 974-6273. Tues-Sat, 10am-6pm. "Small Gems: Winter Group Show," small etchings by various artists. Through Sat/12. Etchings, photogravures, and sculptures by Markus Raetz (reception Tues/15, 6-8pm). Jan 15-March 7.

871 Fine Arts 49 Geary; 543-5155. Tues-Sat, 10:30am-5:30pm. Prints from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design Lithography Workshop, 1969-1976. Through March 30.

Embarcadero Center Four Embarcadero Center, Lobby level, Suite One; 772-0700. Daily, call for hours. "Sign Language: The Shape of Representation," works by Jordan Essoe. Jan 14-March 15.

Gallery Paule Anglim 14 Geary; 433-2710. Tues-Fri, 10am-5:30pm; Sat 10am-5pm. "Women Artists: Their Work and Influence, 1950's-70's," works by various women artists (reception Thurs/10, 5:30-7:30pm). Through Feb 2.

Hackett-Freedman 250 Sutter, Fourth fl; 362-7152. Tues-Fri, 10:30am-5:30pm; Sat, 11am-5pm. "Woman, Goddess and Idol, 19018-1935," sculptures by Gaston Lachaise (reception Thurs/10, 5:30-7:30pm). Jan 10-March 2. "New England Life," paintings by Ann Lofquist (reception Thurs/10, 5:30-7:30pm). Jan 10-Feb 2.

Istituto Italiano di Cultura 425 Washington; 788-7142. Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm. "Depero for Campari," drawings, marionettes, and books from the Campari Archives (reception Tues/15, 6:30pm). Jan 15-Feb 28.

Anthony Meier 3007 Jackson; 351-1400. Tues-Fri, 11am-5pm; Sat, by appt. New work by Glenn Ligon (reception Fri/11, 6-8pm). Jan 11-Feb 15.

Mission Cultural Center 2868 Mission; 821-1155. Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm. "Regeneration," work by artists who are currently a part of Clinica Esperanza, HIV Care and Services; "The Disability Mural," a mural by over 600 Bay Area art makers (both receptions Fri/11, 7-9pm). Jan 11-Feb 15.

Modernism 685 Market; 541-0461. Tues-Sat, 10am-5:30pm. New works on paper by Glen Baxter (reception Thurs/10, 5:30-8pm). Jan 10-March 9.

New Langton Arts 1246 Folsom; 626-5416. Wed-Sat, noon-5pm. "Parting Line," work by Nina Katchadourian and Yoram Wolberger; "Modern Convenience," work by Didi Dunphy (reception Thurs/10, 6-8pm). Through Feb 9.

John Pence 750 Post; 441-1138. Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm; Sat, 10am-5pm. Works by Daniel E. Greene (reception Thurs/10, 6-8pm). Jan 10-Feb 9.

San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery 401 Van Ness; 554-6080. Wed-Sat, 11am-5:30pm. "Dear ___," works by Rachel Sher (reception Fri/11, 5:30-8pm). Through Feb 16.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Artists Gallery Fort Mason, Bldg A, Marina at Laguna; 441-4777. Tues-Sat, 11:30am-5:30pm. Paintings by Judith Foosaner, Paulette Long, and Bonney Meyer (reception Wed/9, 5:30-7:30pm). Through Feb 1.

Sanitary Fill Company 401 Tunnel; 330-1415. Call for hours. "Art at the Dump," Tyrome Tripoli. Sat/12, 1-5pm.

Southern Exposure 401 Alabama; 863-2141. Tues-Sat, 11am-5pm. "Avian," sound and sculpture installation by Rueben Lorch-Miller; "Sayonara," installation by Sheri Simons. Through Feb 16. "Address," letter-writing projects by six artists. Jan 11-April 13.

Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens Golden Gate Park, Ninth Ave at Lincoln Way; 661-1316, ext 303. Call for hours. "Plants, Pests, and Pollinators," a group exhibit featuring works by the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, Northern California Chapter (reception Thurs/10, 5-7pm). Jan 2-March 31.

Patricia Sweetow Gallery 49 Geary; 788-5126. Tues-Fri, 11am-5:30pm; Sat, 11am-5pm. Works by Laurenz Berges and Richard Lodwig (reception Feb 7, call for time). Jan 15-Feb 23.

Walter and McBean Galleries San Francisco Art Institute, 800 Chestnut; 749-4564. Mon-Sat, 11am-6pm. "Sight Unseen: The 120th Annual Exhibition," work by Victor Cartagena, Michael Damm, Oliver DiCicco, Vincent Fecteau, Larnie Reid Fox, and others; work by Michal Helfman (reception Wed/9, 5:30-7:30pm). Jan 10-Feb 2.

Bay Area

Albany Community Center 1249 Marin, Albany; (510) 524-9283. Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm. "Domestic Bliss," mixed media paintings by Amy St. George (reception Sun/13, 4-6pm). Jan 13-April 4.

Heritage Square Building 62nd St at Hollis, Emeryville; (510) 653-1655. Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm. "Sight Specific," works by 10 Bay Area artists (reception Sun/20, noon-4pm). Jan 14-March 1.

Hollis Street Project 5900 Hollis, Emeryville; (510) 653-1655. Daily, 8am-6pm. "Fresh Paint," a group show featuring works by Bay Area painters; "Chemistry," a group show featuring works by Bay Area photographers; "Ton of Joy," a group show featuring paintings and sculptures (all receptions Sun/20, noon-4pm). All exhibits run Jan 14-March 1.

Osher Marin Jewish Community Center 200 N. San Pedro, San Rafael; (415) 444-8000. Call for hours. "A House Is a Home? From Nomadic Tradition to Modern Permanence: Bedouin and Roma (Gypsy) Cultures Confront Modernity," works by Melitta Tchaicovsky and Rana Halprin. Through Tues/15. "From the Edge of Destruction: The Paintings of Joseph Bau (reception Jan 31, 7:30pm)" Jan 15-April 15.

Sticks 1579 B Solano, Berk; (510) 526-6603. Call for hours. "Earthly Pleasures," assemblage and photographs by Susan Danis (reception Fri/11, 7-9pm). Jan 11-March 30.

Ongoing

Art Hut 626 Clayton, Apt D; 437-0949. Call for appt. "IN plein air," site-specific installation and other works of Christopher Ballantyne. Through Jan 26.

Artisans 78 East Blithedale, Mill Valley; (415) 388-2044. Tues-Sat, 11am-6pm; Sun, 11am-5pm. "Small-Scale-Art," miniature works by Sharon Kelly. Through Feb 1.

Braunstein/Quay 430 Clementina; 278-9850. Tues-Sat, 11am-5:30pm.

New work by Cork Marcheschi (reception Sat/12, 3:30-5:30pm). Through Feb 2.

Chinatown Community Arts Program Gallery 750 Kearny, Third fl; 957-1146. Tues-Sat, 10am-4pm. "Year of the Dragon: Four Seasons in the Life of Chinatown, San Francisco," photographs by Hiromi Oda and Kieran Ridge. Through Sat/12.

Catharine Clark 49 Geary; 399-1439. Tues-Fri, 10:30am-5:30pm; Sat, 11am-5:30pm. "Incarcerated: Visions of California in the 21st Century," paintings and prints by Sandow Birk. Through Sat/12.

Door.7.Gallery 2316 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 763-6494. Call for hours. Paintings by Alex Kopps and Christopher A. Ruess (reception Fri/11, 6-10pm). Through Jan 31.

Durka Chang Gallery Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason; 474-4532. Call for hours. "Horizons and Recent Works," series of works on paper by Daniel Goldstein (reception Wed/16, call for time). Through Feb 4.

Ebert Gallery 49 Geary, Fourth fl; 296-8405. Tues-Sat, 11am-5pm. Installation by Jan Bythe. Through Feb 2. Recent paintings by Ying Yin. Through Feb 2. Recent paintings by Raul Soruco (reception Sat/19, 2-4pm). Through Feb 2.

Gallery Lux 521 Seventh St; 864-2222. Wed-Fri, 1-5pm, and by appt. "Ordinary Language," works by Rudy Lemcke. Through Sun/13.

Hosfelt Gallery 430 Clementina; 495-5454. Tues-Sat, 11am-5:30pm. "Drawings," pen and ink drawings by Jacob El Hanani; "Hunt-the-Slipper," two films by Orit Raff. Through Sat/19.

Pasquale Iannetti 531 Sutter; 433-2771. Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm. "Marco Sassone: Pastels and Paintings," urban landscapes by the artists. Through Sat/12.

Intersection for the Arts 446 Valencia; 626-2787. Wed-Sat, noon-5pm. "Frankenstein's Heart," biographical portraits by Kim Abeles. Through Sat/19.

Linc Real Art 1 Otis; 503-1981. Wed-Sat, noon-5pm (or by appt). "And Others," a group show by Colin Stinson, Penelope Krebs, Jason Grove, and others. Through Sat/12.

Max Furniture 1633 Fillmore; 440-9002. Tues-Sat, 11am-7pm; Sun noon-5. New work by Alex Marshall, Mary Grace Douglas, Christopher J. Vetrone, and Ross Martin-Fink. Through Fri/11.

New Conservatory Theater 25 Van Ness; 777-8242. Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm. "Belches and Blossoms," works by Leroy Morvant (reception Jan 22, 5-7pm). Through Jan 29.

Scott Nichols 49 Geary, Fourth fl; 788-4641. Tues-Sat, 11am-5pm and by appt. Work by Wynn Bullock (reception Thurs/3, 5:30-7:30pm). Through March 2.

Oxman College 375 Third Ave; 751-6461. Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm. "Spirit and Soul," paintings by Russian artists. Through Jan 24.

Presidio Officer's Club Exhibition Hall 50 Moraga; (800) 965-4827 or www.atthepresidio.org. Mon, Thurs-Sun, 10am-5pm; Wed, 10am-8pm. "Japan at the Dawn of the Modern Age; Woodblock Prints from the Meiji Era, 1868-1912," 70 woodblock prints. Through Mon/21.

SF Photography Center 50 Scott; 554-9522. Tues-Thurs, 3-9pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-4pm. "Pure Plastic," a group show of photographs made with the plastic lens (closing reception Jan 24, 6:30-8:30pm). Through Jan 26.

Select Gallery 1111 Eighth St; 292-9200. Call for hours. "Split: An Exploration of the Demise of a Relationship Through the Objects It Left Behind," work by Chris McNally. Through Mon/14.

Marcel Sitcoske 251 Post; 434-4804. Tues-Sat, 10am-6pm; Mon, by appt. "Flug (Flight)," work by Sharon Harper. Through Jan 26.

Thacher Gallery University of San Francisco, 2130 Fulton; 422-2660. Mon-Fri, noon-5:30pm. "Bringing the Dark Madonna to Light: Contemporary Interpretations," historical material and new works by 20 artists. Through Sun/13.

Paul Thiebaud Gallery 718 Columbus; 434-3055. Tues-Sat, 10am-6pm. Works on paper and selected paintings by Willem de Kooning (reception Wed/9, 5-7pm). Through March 2.

39th Exposure Gallery and Studio San Francisco Film Centre, Bldg 39, 39 Mesa, Studio 4; 561-3123. Tues-Sat, 1-6pm and by appt. "Afghanistan: A Silent Majority," photographs by Jason Florio. Through Fri/18.

Upper Playground 228 Fillmore; 252-0144. Wed-Sun, 1-7pm. "Playerhaters," works by Dalek, Ron English, Richard Coleman, and Shepard Fairey. Through Thurs/10.

Vorpal 393 Grove; 397-9200. Tues-Sat, 11am-6pm. "African Art," ancient sculpture and jewelry (reception Thurs/10, 5:30-8pm). Through Feb 2.

Stephen Wirtz Gallery 49 Geary; 433-6879. Tues-Fri, 10am-5:30pm; Sat, 10:30am-5:30pm. "Absorption of Light," work by Mike and Doug Starn. Through Feb 2. See Critic's Choice.

Bay Area

Ames 2661 Cedar, Berk; (510) 845-4949. Call for hours. "Carvings, Canvas, Color," works by Julio Garcia and Wilbert Griffith. Through Sat/12.

Ardency Gallery 709 Broadway, Oakl; (510) 836-0831. Tues-Sat, 11am-5pm. "Analogous Biology: Balance and Use," work by Mark J. Leavitt. Through Sat/19.

Babilonia 1808 1808 Fifth St, Berk; (510) 549-1808. Wed-Sat, 11am-6pm. "Free Aesthetic Pleasure Now!" Manuel Ocampo is still best known for the paintings that he made in the early 1990s: controversial images of swastikas, crosses, and other highly charged religious and cultural icons. But this gallery show – his first in the Bay Area since 1994 – features his newest paintings and mixed-media works, and it shows him moving in a totally different, kitschy, cartoonish direction. His new agenda is railing against the art establishment. His primary targets are critics and scholars and all of their complicated jargon and highfalutin theories. It seems that Ocampo is trying to undermine critics' attempts to dissect his work by deliberately making it mean as little as possible, as in his canvas that contains nothing but the words: "A Painting Making a Blank Statement Leaving Nothing to Be Explained." For an artist of his stature, of course, there's no avoiding the critics, but Ocampo is practically belligerent in his warning against reading too much into what he's doing these days. Old fans might be disappointed in his new work, or else they'll love it for what it is on its own terms. Through Sat/19. (Westbrook)

Olive Hyde 123 Washington, Fremont; (510) 791-4357. Call for hours. "Artists and Dolls," works by Dianne Dlugosh and Circle of Transforming Dolls. Through Sun/13.

Pacific Art League of Palo Alto 668 Ramona, Palo Alto; (650) 321-3891. Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm; Sat, 10am-4pm. "Women of the Printroom," work by Ewa Gavrielov, Claudia Marshall, Martha Kimball-Putnam, and Marianne Schlumberger (reception Fri/18, 6-8pm). Through Jan 30. "Inside Out," juried exhibition (reception Sat/12, 2-5pm). Through Jan 31.

Photolab 2235 Fifth St, Berk; (510) 644-1400. Mon-Fri, 8:30am-6:30pm; Sat, 9am-3pm. "The Other 364 Days: A Day in the Life od the Queer Community," black and white silver gelatin prints (reception Sat/12, 6-8pm). Through Feb 16.