Fall Arts Preview: Galleries

Yes, a handful of young galleries closed up shop this year - Extra Extra, Jolie Laide, and Possible Projects - and Philadelphia also lost fledgling Philagrafika, the international print festival that seemed destined for longevity when it made its undeniably spectacular debut in 2010. There is good news, though: Commercial galleries and collectives continue to open; the city's established venues are doing business as usual; most area colleges have galleries dedicated to regular exhibition programming beyond student and faculty shows; and public art has more visibility than ever.

The art scene here, always a study in diversity, has wisely made that reputation its signature style. Where else this fall, for example, would you be able to find a site-specific light project by the internationally known Rafael Lozano-Hemmer; a retrospective of the quintessentially downtown New York artist and Franklin Furnace founder Martha Wilson (at Arcadia University Art Gallery); and a print retrospective and a survey of drawings by Philadelphia's only op-art pioneer, Edna Andrade (at the Print Center and Locks Gallery, respectively)? And in between, you can take in the Live Arts Festival/Philly Fringe and the 2012 DesignPhiladelphia Festival (we've become a city of festivals, too, in case you hadn't noticed).

The Long Now (Moore College of Art & Design, through Oct. 3) Kaytie Johnson's first major exhibition for Moore College since becoming director and curator of its galleries is a monthlong screening of films and videos from the 1960s to the present (by Andy Warhol, Bruce Nauman, Michael Snow, Gillian Wearing, and others). The pieces were conceived with the intent of subverting the quick, easy look at art afforded by the era's technology, and demanding a thoughtful appraisal (i.e. serious commitment of time) from their audiences. Check the schedule for screenings on the galleries' website. (215-965-4027 or www.galleries@moore.edu). 

Rose Wylie (Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery, Oct. 2 to Nov. 20) The first Philadelphia exhibition of paintings by the British septuagenarian whose expressionistic paintings have recently gained critical acclaim. Wylie, who represented the United Kingdom at the National Museum of Women in the Arts' exhibition "Women to Watch 2010," and is now making her debut here at the Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery, borrows images from recent films and art history and counts Jean-Michel Basquiat and Philip Guston among her artistic forebears. I see a connection to Donald Baechler, too. (215-717-6480 or www.uarts.edu/about/rosenwald-wolf-gallery).

Color Motion: Edna Andrade Prints (Locks Gallery, through Oct. 30, Print Center through Nov. 17) The first retrospective dedicated to the prints of the Virginia-born, Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts graduate (1917-2008), who was included in three major exhibitions dedicated to op art spanning the 1960s to the 1980s. A concurrent exhibition of a selection of her works on paper made between 1959 and 1962 can be seen at Locks Gallery, which represents Andrade's estate. (215-629-1000 or www.locksgallery.com; 215-735-6090 or www.printcenter.org).

More Photos About Buildings and Food (Gallery 339, Friday to Dec. 22) The similarly titled 1978 Talking Heads album inspired this group show at Gallery 339 - images of buildings and food by 30 photographers, among them Tom Baril, William Christenberry, David Graham, Martin Parr, Zoe Strauss, Neil Winokur, and others. What preoccupations could be more of the moment? (215-731-1530 or www.gallery339.com).

Martha Wilson: Staging the Self (Arcadia University Art Gallery, through Nov. 4) Arcadia is hosting this ICI (Independent Curators International) exhibition organized by Peter Dykhuis. It examines the New York artist's 40-year career as a creator of conceptually based performances, videos, and photographs since the early 1970s; as the founder and director of the nonprofit space Franklin Furnace, and as a collaborator with like-minded feminist artists. (215-572-2969 or www.arcadia.edu).

Katrina Ohstrom (Temple Contemporary, through Oct. 6) Photographic portraits of students at three recently closed public schools that were part of the Philadelphia public school system, at, and commissioned by, Temple Contemporary (formerly Temple Gallery) in partnership with Hidden City Philadelphia. (215-777-9144 or www.temple.edu/tyler/exhibitions).

Bernard Chaet: Seascapes (List Gallery at Swarthmore College, through Oct. 24) These expressive realist paintings in the tradition of Frederick Waugh and Arthur Dove capture the color and drama when roiling ocean meets sand and rocks. They're by a Boston-born artist who taught painting at Yale University for almost four decades. (610-328-8488 or www.swarthmore.edu/Humanities/art/Gallery).

Photographic Time From the 19th Century to the Present (Magill Library Alcove Gallery and Atrium Gallery, Marshall Fine Arts Center, Haverford College, through Sept. 30) A selection of 42 photographs and related materials from more than 200 recent acquisitions made by Haverford between 2009 and 2012 and representing all genres of photography. (610-896-1267 or www.haverford.edu/finearts).

(Locks Gallery, through Oct. 6) Agee's latest porcelain sculptures that suggest a conversation about feminism, craft, labor, and contemporary family life. (215-629-1000 or www.locksgallery.com)

Felipe Jesus Consalvos (Fleisher/Ollman Gallery, Oct. 4 to Dec. 1) Fleisher/Ollman's third solo show of the eye-popping collages of the Cuban American artist, this one curated by Jasmin Tsou, owner and director of the New York gallery JTT, who will attempt to decode Consalvos' mysterious intentions through such likely influences as vintage advertisements and photographs. (215-545-7562 or www.fleisher-ollmangallery.com)

Paul Oberst (Bridgette Mayer Gallery, through Sept. 29) Eighteen new sculptures and an installation by Oberst. (215-413-8893 or www.bridgettemayergallery.com)

Alex Paik (Gallery Joe, Oct. 5 to Nov. 10) Paik's first solo show at Gallery Joe takes over its Vault Gallery with his latest whimsical paper constructions. (215-592-7752 or www.galleryjoe.com)

It's Your Funeral (Pterodactyl, through Oct. 13) A group show on the subject of mortality and funerals, organized for Pterodactyl by Jonathan Allen and K. Malcolm Richards, with works by Justin Duerr, Billy Dufala, Nancy Grimes, Ashley Wick, others. (215-501-7158 or pterodactylphiladelphia.org)