At the Museum of Contemporary Art: Set in WoodK
For the final exhibition in its Carnegie Avenue location, MOCA offers Ursula von Rydingsvard: Sculpture 1991-2009. Von Rydingsvard's trademark construction of deceptively rough-edged, monumental-scale works in cedar displays a high degree of continuity throughout the two represented decades — something the artist is slightly self-conscious about. "I keep thinking, 'You have to stop, go on to something else.'" However, von Rydingsvard has hardly exhausted the possibilities of her materials and method. The shapes she renders are abstract: ambiguous, organic figures with characters of their own. But they also serve as commentary on the relationship between natural materials and the changes they undergo in the artist's hands. Von Rydingsvard begins with the most formalized wooden shape: the two-by-four, which she painstakingly stacks and glues into piles. The piles are then carved, chiseled, and sawed into shapes both fluid and unpredictable. One particularly striking piece, "Droga" (Polish for "Dear One," left) resembles, under varying light, either a stone in a tidepool or a prostrate animal, mourning the spilling of her own organs. Von Rydingsvard supplied the latter interpretation, but is generous toward her viewer's contributions. "I don't like to make things too literal; it becomes too poignant to bear." An artist's talk and reception will be held September 23 at 6 p.m. The exhibition continues through March 13 at 8501 Carnegie Ave. Also on display from September 23 to December 21 is The Cuba Project. To learn more, call 216-421-8671 or go to mocacleveland.org. — Joseph Clark
Akron Art Museum: Kaleidoscope Quilts. Fiber artist Paula Nadelstern's quilts capture the symmetry, luminosity, and intricacy of kaleidoscopes. Through Oct. 2. Also: The Vogel Collection: 50 Works for Ohio. Featuring works by 26 artists, the pieces in this exhibition are part of a far-sighted private collection amassed over 40 years. Through Oct. 16 at 1 South High St.; call 330-376-9185 or go to akronartmuseum.org.
Artists Archives of the Western Reserve: Seeing Green: Recycled. In this juried exhibition, local artists use ecologically friendly and recyclable materials to produce works in various media. An opening reception will be held Sept. 23 from 5 to 8 p.m.; the show will run through Oct. 28 at 1834 E. 123rd St. in University Circle. Call 216-721-9020 or go to artistsarchives.org.
Arts Collinwood: WOW: Women on Waterloo. Three female CIA grads reflect on contemporary life in America's rusty northeast quadrant. Through Oct. 2 at 15605 Waterloo Rd. Call 216-692-9500 or go to artscollinwood.org.
Baldwin-Wallace College's Fawick Gallery: Creators, Innovators, and Dreamers: The 2011 Creative Workforce Fellows. This annual exhibition showcases the winners of Community Partnership for Arts and Culture's annual grants. Through Sept. 30 at 95 E. Bagley Rd., Berea. Call 440-826-2152 or go to bw.edu/academics/art/gallery/.
Bonfoey Gallery: Consumer Landscapes. Nationally acclaimed Cleveland painter Michelle Muldrow renders both the attraction and repugnance of American economic life. Through Oct. 7 at 1710 Euclid Ave. Call 216-621-0178 or go to www.bonfoey.com.
Cleveland Artists Foundation: The Way of All Flesh. Painter Shirley Aley Campbell captures momentary emotions and abiding personalities in her examinations of the human form. Through Oct. 29 at 17801 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood. Call 216-227-9507 or go to clevelandartists.org.
Cleveland Museum of Art: Copia: Retail, Thrift, and Dark Stores, 2001-11. Photographer Brian Ulrich hauntingly explores the psyche of the American consumer in a three-part exhibition that attempts to diagnose our national malaise. Through Jan. 16 at 11150 East Blvd. in University Circle; call 216-421-7350 or visit clevelandart.org.
Cleveland Institute of Art: Annual Faculty Show. The instructors at Northeast Ohio's foremost institution of higher artistic learning exhibit their personal works in Reinberger Gallery. Through Oct. 8 at 11141 East Blvd. Call 216-421-7000 or go to cia.edu/facultyshow.
Cleveland State University Art Gallery: Spirit of Spontanaiety. New works by painter Hector Castellanos-Lara inspired by the artist's homeland of Guatemala. An opening reception and talk will be held Sept. 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. Through Oct. 15. Also: Material and Metaphor. Contemporary, often experimental sculpture from acclaimed artists. Through Oct. 15 at 2307 Chester Ave. For more information, call 216-687-2103 or go to csuohio.edu/artgallery.
Heights Arts: Found Contacts. This photography exhibit displays the fruits of tireless eBay searches for old-fashioned contact sheets, those disappearing relics of analog photography. Through Oct. 22 at 2175 Lee Rd., Cleveland Hts. Call 216-371-3457 or go to heightsarts.org.
Kenneth Paul Lesko Gallery: Cinema 02. Eighteen artists from four different countries working in media as diverse as painting, photography, and even video give tribute to the culture and imagery of movies. Through Nov. 4 at 1305 W. 80th St. For more information, call 216-631-6719 or go to kennethpaullesko.com.
Legation: Artwork From Spaces Board/Staff. Through Sep. 23 at 1300 D West 78th St. Call 216-650-4201 or visit legationagallery.com for more info.
Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage: Hardship to Hope. In collaboration with CSU, the Maltz Museum highlights the contributions of African American painters and sketch artists in Cleveland during the Great Depression. Through Jan. 1, 2012 at 2929 Richmond Rd. in Beachwood. Call 216-593-0575 or go to maltzmuseum.org.
O Gallery: From the Earth Up. Lisa Eastman paints landscapes in vivid, glassy-smooth oils. Sculptor Hy Snell transforms bits of scrap bronze and copper into intricate vegetable shapes. Through Oct. 9 at 2101 Richmond Rd., Beachwood. Call 330-921-1234 or see the gallery's page on Facebook.
River Gallery Arts: Cleveland Institute of Art board members display works ranging from classical jewelry to paintings of architectural landscapes. Through Oct. 15 at 19046 Old Detroit Rd., Rocky River. Call 440-331-8406 or go to rivergalleryarts.com.
The Sculpture Center: After the Pedestal. Smaller pieces from the last three years of MFA grads are framed by the looming prospect of depletion of natural resources; the works' diminutive scale reaffirms the possibility of creating beauty while living within our means. On exhibition through Oct. 22 at 1834 E. 123rd St. Call 216-229-6527 or go to sculpturecenter.org.
Shaker Historic Society: Viktor Schreckengost. The legacy of the prolific artist, industrial designer, engineer, and CIA professor is honored with a sampling of his work. Through Oct. 2 at 16740 South Park Blvd., Shaker Heights. Call 216-921-1201 or go to shakerhistory.org.
SPACES: Portability & Network. An international array of artists exhibit works dealing with the concept of formal reduction. Also: Steve Lambert's interactive installation "Capitalism Works for Me!" allows visitors to vote on whether or not the titular statement applies to them. Also: Royden Watson's "Usnews" is a map of the United States whose colors will evolve over the course of the exhibition, representing the country's shifting demographics. Through Oct. 21 at 2220 Superior Viaduct. Call 216-621-2314 or go to spacesgallery.org.
Survival Kit Gallery: Mimesis. Rebecca Cross and Jonah Jacobs create postmodern fairylands in a series of surreal sculptures drawing on organic forms. Through Nov. 18 at 1305 W. 80th St. For more information, visit survivalkitgallery.com
Tregoning & Co.: Spiritus. Elisabeth Sunday uses mirrored photography of African subjects to replicate and explore mythic archetypes. Through Oct. 31 at 1300 W. 78th St. Call 216-281-8626 or go to tregoningandco.com.
Wall Eye Gallery: Playing House. On the bittersweet occasion of Wall Eye's final exhibition, area artists create visions refracted through the lenses of childhood, commenting on family life, toys, and imagination. An opening reception will be held Sept. 23 from 6 to 11 p.m.; open houses are set for Saturday, Sept. 24, from noon to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 25, from noon to 4 p.m. Open by appointment through Oct. 14 at 5304 Detroit Ave. Call 216-640-7769 or go to walleyegallery.com.
William Busta Gallery: Interruptions. In her first solo exhibition at WBg, Amy Krusinski Sinbondit's geometrically informed ceramics translate line compositions into three dimensions of striking colors. Also: Heart Land. Douglas Max Utter's paintings and monoprints combine symbolic representation and abstract swaths of color to create dreamlike environs. Both through Oct. 8 at 2731 Prospect Ave. Call 216-298-9071 or go to williambustagallery.com.
Zygote Press: Give Us a Fence and Some Room to Run. Painter Dana Oldfather explores printmaking and silkscreening as part of her artist-in-residence role at Zygote. Through Oct. 23 at 1410 East 30th St. Call 216-621-2900 or go to zygotepress.com.
Solon Center for the Arts: La Bella Vita, the Beautiful Life. Painter Diane Arthurs exhibits works inspired by the Mediterranean. Through July 29 at 6315 SOM Center Rd. in Solon. Call 440-337-1400.
