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

Asian Art Museum 200 Larkin; 581-3500, www.asianart.org. Tues-Sun, 10am-5pm (Thurs, 10am-9pm). $10, $7 seniors, $6 for ages 12 to 17, free for 11 and under. "AsiaAlive." "Gorgeous Textiles of Japan," artist demonstrations and hands-on art activities (daily, noon-4pm). Through Aug 24. "Warrior Kings and Divine Jesters: Indonesian Puppets from the Herbert Collection." More than 200 puppets from Indonesia. Through Aug 31.

California Palace of the Legion of Honor Lincoln Park (near 34th Ave and Clement); 863-3330. Tues-Sun, 9:30am-5pm. $8, $6 seniors, $5 for ages 12 to 17, free for 10 and under (free Tues). "Inside Out: Works by Museum Staff." Through Sun/10. "Treasures of a Lost Art." Italian manuscript paintings from the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Through Aug 31. "Black and White: Prints from the 1970s and 1980s." More than 20 prints by Richard Diebenkorn, Wayne Thiebaud, Chuck Close, Ellsworth Kelly, Brice Marden, Bryan Hunt, and Robert Arneson. Through Sept 28.

Cartoon Art Museum 655 Mission; CAR-TOON. Tues-Sun, 11am-5pm. $6, $4 students and seniors, $2 for ages 6 to 12, free for members and children five and under. "Alternative to What? Comic Art of the Free Weeklies" When the Village Voice launched the nation's first major alternative news weekly in 1955, it included a comic strip called Feiffer, which ended up running for 42 years and inspiring an entire genre of alt-weekly cartooning. This exhibition features Feiffer and 13 other respected strips. Weekly cartoonists have the freedom to be more political, more intellectual, and less concerned about offending their readers than their daily-paper counterparts; many of the strips on display are almost dauntingly text-heavy, with nary a cute animal or little kid to be seen. As with any Cartoon Art Museum show, it's exciting to get so close to the original drawings and examine the evidence of the artist's hand and working process. Through Oct 5. (Westbrook) "Great Comic Cats." An exhibition of original cartoon art featuring cat characters, including Garfield, Krazy Kats, Bill the Cat, Hobbes, Sylvester, and Mooch. Through Oct 26. "From off the Streets of Cleveland Comes American Splendor." Works by comic book writer Harvey Pekar illustrated by five underground comic book artists. Through Nov 23.

Chinese Historical Society of America and Chinese American National Museum 965 Clay; 391-1188. Tues-Fri, 11am-4pm. $3, $2 seniors, $1 for 6-17, free for 5 and under. "Cultural Fragments." An interactive installation by Amy Lam. Through Aug 31.

Exploratorium 3601 Lyon; 563-7337. Tues-Sun, 10am-5pm. $10, $7.50 students and seniors, $6 youths, free for three and under. "Seeing." Though the title of the show is "Seeing," you'll probably be most surprised at what you don't see in some of the installations. Change Blindness is a huge computer screen showing a quiet storefront-sidewalk scene. Every few seconds the screen goes black for a moment, then flashes back to what appears to be the same picture. It actually changes significantly each time, but the intervening black screens prevent your eyes from perceiving the differences. Dozens of other installations explore the social aspects of seeing. Paul Kaiser's Inkblot Perceptions analyzes the ways in which interpretations of Rorschach-like blots vary with age and cultural background. For more information go to www.exploratorium.edu. Through Sept 1. (Westbrook) "Animal Magnetism." An exhibit focusing on our relationship with animals through displays and artworks from the 19th century to the present. Through Sept 28.

Museo Italo Americano Fort Mason Center, Bldg C, Marina at Laguna; 673-2200. Wed-Sun, noon-5pm (first Wed, noon-7pm). $3, $2 students and seniors, free for 11 and under. "Time and Dreams on my Hands." Almost 40 mixed-media paintings by Anna Caser. Through Sun/10. "Chrystalis," sculptural works by Susan Marie Freda. Through Sun/10.

Museum of Craft and Folk Art Fort Mason Center, Bldg A, Marina at Laguna; 775-0991. Sat, 10am-5pm; Tues-Fri, Sun, 11am-5pm (first Wed, 11am-7pm). $4, $3 seniors, free for 18 and under (free first Wed and Sat, 10am-noon). "Valuables: Jewelry in the New Millennium." Work by 13 contemporary jewelers. War Toys Redux." Glass-and-steel sculptures by Bella Feldman. Both exhibits through Aug 17.

San Francisco Design Museum Metreon, 101 Fourth St; www.meandra.org. Thurs-Mon, 10am-10pm. $5-10. "Inspiration Perspiration." An exhibition of sports-related design. Through Aug 17.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art 151 Third St; 357-4000. Fri-Tues, 10am-6pm (Fri, 10am-9pm); Thurs, 10am-9pm. $10, $7 seniors, $6 students, free for 12 and under and members (free first Tues; half price Thurs, 6-9pm). "ROY/design series 1." Works by architect Lindy Roy. Through Sept 7. "Philip Guston Retrospective." More than 100 paintings and drawings by the artist. Through Sept 28. "Marc Chagall." Paintings and works on paper by the artist. Through Nov 4.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts 701 Mission; 978-ARTS. Tues-Sun, 11am-6pm (first Thurs, 11am-8pm). $6, $3 seniors, students, and youths, free for members (free first Tues). "To Protect and Serve: The LAPD Archives." Black-and-white crime scene photographs taken between the 1920s and 1970s, artifacts, logbooks, and paraphernalia. "out of bounds (from near and afar)." Site-specific projects by Yunhee Min. "Pocket Atlas." Works by Nick Ackerman, Dean Byington, and Clare E. Rojas. All exhibits through Oct 5.

Bay Area

Oakland Museum of California 1000 Oak, Oakl; (510) 238-2200. Wed-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, noon-5pm (first Fri, 10am-9pm). $6, $4 seniors and students. "Reflections in Black: Smithsonian African American Photography." An examination of the history of African American photographers from 1840 to the present. Through Aug 31. "Iconic to Ironic: Fashioning California Identity." More than 100 articles of clothing and accessories. Through Sept 21. "Marvin Lipofsky: A Glass Odyssey." Almost 60 works by the founder of the California studio glass movement. Through Oct 12. "The Art of Fred Martin: A Retrospective, 1948-2003." Works by the painter, teacher, and writer. Through Dec 28.

UC Berkeley Art Museum 2626 Bancroft Way, Berk; (510) 642-0808. Wed-Sun, 11am-7pm. $8, $5 seniors and youths, $4 members and UC Berkeley students and faculty (free Thurs). "Matrix 207: Anna Von Mertens Suggested North Points." Handmade quilts by Anna Von Mertens. Through Sept 7. "Turning Corners." Innovative masterworks from the UC Berkeley Art Museum collections. Through summer 2004.

galleries

Opening

Bonnafont Gallery 946A Greenwich; 431-7546. Sat-Sun, 2-5pm, and by appt. Recent photographs by Arthur Bacon. Aug 7-24.

Hang 556 Sutter; 434-4264. Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm; Sun, noon-5pm. "Standard Pack," painting by Marianne Kolb (reception Thurs/7, 6-8pm). Aug 7-31.

Hang Annex 567 Sutter; 544-0610. Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm. "Four in the Foreground," painting and mixed-media work by Rosie O'Gorman, Beth Howe, Gregg Cassin, and Diane Rollins Feissel (reception Thurs/7, 6-8pm). Aug 7-31.

Octavia's Haze 498 Hayes; 255-6818. Wed-Sat, noon-6pm; Sun, 11am-5pm. "New Digital Works on Canvas," work by Rena Buchgraber. Through Sept 21.

Photoworks 2077A Market; 626-6800. Mon-Fri, 9am-8pm; Sat, 10am-8pm; Sun, 10am-6pm. Photographs by Craig Stokle (reception Fri/8, 6-8pm). Aug 8-Oct 3.

Pond 214 Valencia; 437-9151. "Hickee: An Exhibition of Comics, Art, and Zines," work by Scott Campbell, Joe White, Graham Annable, Dave Bogan, Paul Brown, Nathan Stapley, Raz, and others; also at Needles and Pens. Thurs/7, 6-10pm.

Southern Exposure 401 Alabama; 863-2141. Tues-Sat, 11am-5pm. "Mission:Control," an interactive installation featuring works by youth artists (reception Thurs/7, 6-8pm). Aug 7-16.

Bay Area

Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut, Berk; (510) 644-6893. Wed-Sun, noon-5pm. "BACA 20th Annual National Juried Exhibition," works by 49 artists (reception Sun/10, 2-4pm). Through Sept 13.

John F. Kennedy University Arts and Consciousness Gallery Berkeley Business Center, 2956 San Pablo, Berk; (510) 649-0499. Mon-Fri, 11am-5pm. "Earth: Installations and Objects," work by Hannah Alex-Glasser, Glo Lamson, and Min-Yi Lin (reception Sat/9, 5-8pm). Aug 9-Sept 12.

Ongoing

Andrea Schwartz Gallery 525 Second St; 495-2090. Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm; Sat, 11am-5pm. "Silver Gelatin Prints," work by Nick Czap; "Chromogenic Prints," work by Belinda Gray; "Mixed Media and Resin on Panel," work by Jon Gregory. Through Aug 29.

Aquarius Records 1055 Valencia; 647-2272. Mon-Wed, 10am-9pm; Thurs-Sun, 10am-10pm. "We're Desperate: The Punk Rock Photography of Jim Jocoy," photographs of the San Francisco and Los Angeles punk scenes from 1978-1980. Through Aug 19.

Aurobora Press 147 Natoma; 546-7880. Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm. "Summer Suites," work by various artists. Through Aug 16.

Build 483 Guerrero; 863-3041. Call for hours. "Condensation and Displacement," works by Rita DiLorenzo (reception Wed/6, 8-11pm). Through Mon/11.

Canvas Gallery 1200 Ninth Ave; 504-0060. Sun-Thurs, 8am-midnight; Fri-Sat, 8am-2am. "Freedom Book: A Deeper Look," new works by the Freedom Book Artists. Through Aug 14.

Capobianco Gallery 1841 Powell; 296-9110. Call for hours. "Painting ... Interrupted," works by Jennifer Foxley. Through Aug 31.

Dolby Chadwick 266 Sutter, fourth fl; 956-3560. Tues-Fri, 10am-6pm; Sat, 11am-5pm. New works by Doug Glovaski. Through Sat/9.

Elastic Creative 500 Bryant; 860-0264. Call for hours. "Turbulence," paintings and objects by Australian Mark Titmarsh. Through Aug 15.

FiftyCrows Gallery 1074 Folsom; 551-0091. Wed-Fri, noon-6pm. "The Spirit of Tibet," 54 color photographs documenting Tibetan life. Through Aug 15.

Focus Gallery 2423 Polk; 567-9067. Wed and Fri-Sun, noon-6pm; Tues and Thurs, noon-9pm. Recent metal sculptures by John Cowan (reception Thurs/7, 6-9pm). Through Aug 31.

Galería de la Raza 2857 24th St; 826-8009. Tues-Sat, noon-6pm. "Border Xicanographies," multimedia work by Armando Rascon. Through Sat/9.

Gallery Lux 521 Seventh St; 864-2222. Wed-Fri, 1-5pm, and by appt. "In This Instant." Many of the photographs in "In This Instant" have appealing-sounding titles referencing food, home, and family. And a few of the images actually deliver on their moniker's, like Kirsten Nordine's Sprite and Cookies, an affectionate look at the colorful clutter of her teenage sister's bulletin board. But this wholesome and clean-looking slice of life is the exception among Nordine's photos, the rest of which look closely at household dirt: a pillowcase yellowed with years of use, for instance, or the remnants of a home haircut on a linoleum floor. David Black and Kathryn Miller also focus on bits and pieces of the everyday – Black through informal portraits of his family members, and Miller through her unconventional views of a house. Rebecca Veit's Prim and Pink series comes at the end of the show. She focuses on a woman's body – her face as she eats a spoonful of grapefruit, her knees balancing a teacup, her hands folding a blanket. The woman is obviously coiffed and pretty, but it's impossible to miss the tiny flaws that the rest of the show has conditioned us to look for. Arm hair, leg hair, and little cuts and moles all loom large in a way that is simultaneously fascinating and icky. Sept 12. (Westbrook)

Gregory Lind Gallery 49 Geary, fifth floor; 296-9661. Tues-Sat, 10:30am-5:30pm (first Thurs, 10:30am-7:30pm). "Trace," photographs by Stacy Renee Morrison, Sarah Philbrick, Gerry Sevenau, and Jonathan Thurston. Through Aug 16.

Haines 49 Geary, fifth flr; 397-8114. Tues-Fri, 10:30am-5:30pm (first Thurs 10:30am-7:30pm); Sat, 10:30am-5pm. "Works on Paper," a group exhibition by various emerging and established artists; "Still Wet," new paintings by Mike Henderson. Through Aug 16.

Heather Marx Gallery 77 Geary, second fl; 627-9111. Tues-Fri, 10:30am-5:30pm; Sat, 11am-5pm. "Sunday." With his brushwork, David Lyle manages to create pictures that are simultaneously realistic and hazy, like childhood memories often are; he is extremely skilled at making a few broad, sketchy strokes resolve, at just a short distance away, into lifelike material surfaces. Supermarket Cowboy, for instance, includes incredibly convincing representations of plastic, metal, denim, paper, tape, skin, and brick, all executed with great economy. The paintings are closely based on photographs taken during the 1960s, and Lyle calls the series "Sunday" to evoke a leisurely, summery atmosphere. But he is not simply a painter of nostalgia. His selection of photos strongly recalls the work of Diane Arbus; they have that same strangeness and a similar fascination with the way kids look when caught in a moment of triumph, or contemplation, or fear. Through Sat/9. (Westbrook)

Hosfelt Gallery 430 Clementina; 495-5454. Tues-Sat, 11am-5:30pm. "Paper," work by Kirsten Bahrs Janssen, Jacob El Hanani, Nicole Fein, Lukas Felzmann, Ron Griffin, Jill Lear, Michael Light, Marco Maggi, Wes Mills, John O'Reilly, and Mark Sheinkman. Through Aug 16.

Lo-Fi Customs Gallery 1776 Mission; 503-1655. Wed and Sun, 2-6pm; Thurs-Sat, 1-7pm. "Rock Art Rumble," work by Dirty Donny, Chris Shaw, Lucky Mile, and Firehouse Kustom Rock Art Co. Through Aug 15.

Lucky Tackle 6608 San Pablo, Oakl; (510) 484-4373. Fri-Sun, 1-5pm, and by appt. "Chances Aren't," works by Christian Maychack. Through Aug 16.

Mission Cultural Center 2868 Mission; 821-1155. Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm. "Twenty-five Years of Heart and Struggle," work by Latino artists who got their start and/or worked at the Mission Cultural Center. Through Aug 15.

Modernism 685 Market; 541-0461. Tues-Sat, 10am-5:30pm. "Valley of the Dolls," works by Hans Bellmer, Elena Dorfman, and David Levinthal; recent paintings by Gus Heinze. Through Aug 16.

National Product 1845 Market; 255-1920. Wed-Sat, 11am-7pm; Sun, noon-5pm. "Patio Masters," new work by Ruben Rude and Marc Sanchez. Through Aug 23.

Rena Bransten Gallery 77 Geary; 982-3292. Tues-Fri, 10:30am-5:30pm; Sat, 11am-5pm. "Scenary," a group exhibition. Through Aug 16.

Shooting Gallery 839 Larkin; 931-8035. Call for hours. "The Gun Show," works by David Perry, Anthony Augang, the Pizz, Marco Almera, and others (reception Thurs/7, 7-11pm). Through Sept 6.

Space 743 743 Harrison; 777-9080. Wed-Sat, noon-5pm, and by appt. "Adventures in Geometric Repressionism," new sculptures by Mitchell Durkee. Through Aug 23.

Bay Area

African American Museum and Library 659 14th St, Oakl; (510) 637-0200. Tues-Sat, noon-5:30pm. "Belonging: Photographs and Words from Gang Members," works by inmates of the Challenger Memorial Youth Center rehabilitation facility. Through Aug 30.

Black Box 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 451-1932. Wed-Sat, 1-6pm. "Islands in the Stream," new paintings by Jennifer Delilah. Through Fri/8.

East Bay Municipal Utility District Administration Building 375 11th St, second fl lobby, Oakl; (510) 287-0143. Mon-Fri, 8am-4:30pm. Landscapes by Treve Johnson (reception Aug 22, 5-7pm). Through Sept 12.

Gallery 555 555 12th St, Oakl; (510) 238-2200. Mon-Fri, 7am-6pm (third Thurs until 8pm). "Thither," works by Julia Latané. Through Oct 1. See Critic's Choice.

Mills College Art Museum 5000 MacArthur Blvd, Oakl; (510) 430-2164. Tues and Thurs-Sat, 11am-4pm; Wed, 11am-7:30pm; Sun, 1-4pm. "Reflections in Black: Smithsonian African American Photography," an examination of the history of African American photographers from 1840 to the present. Through Sat/10.

Pro Arts 461 Ninth St, Oakl; (510) 763-4361. Wed-Sat, 11am-5pm. "New Visions: Introductions 03," a juried exhibition featuring work by emerging California artists. Through Sat/9.