Art Galleries

Photographers Jay Spooner and Allyson Seconds wrap up their joint "Retrospectives" show with a fun-for-all closing night shindig Saturday at midtown's Little Relics Galleria.

Abstraction was a staple of art in the 20th century until it was rudely displaced by Pop Art in the 1960s. While abstraction took a secondary role for a time, it is once again popular with artists in the 21st century.

Though they are worlds apart, two shows at midtown galleries share a common thread.

Water, wood and earth are the three elements the Zhang sisters explore in their joint show at CSU Sacramento's Library Gallery. The sisters – Ling, Bo and Hong – were born and raised in the northeast China in the city of Shenyang, often referred to as the Detroit of China. Each has found a new home: Ling in Atlanta, Bo in Beijing and Hong in Lawrence, Kan.

Alex Bult Gallery- "Waterworks" is a show of transcendent images of water, seen up close so that the image becomes abstract on first viewing

TONIGHT- Capitol Pops Concert Band gives a free performance at the California Automobile Museum. A mix of automotive-themed arrangements, 1950s-'70s hits and traditional favorites will be offered against a backdrop of the exhibit "1968."

Like ancient Greek sculptures of gods and goddesses, China's terra-cotta warriors, on view at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, would have been brightly painted.

Museums – much like libraries – are places where voices are hushed and noise minimal.

On the surface, the works of Irving Marcus and Peter Stegall would seem to have little in common.

Strong, emotive color and dreamlike imagery come together in the works of prominent Sacramento artist Irving Marcus, whose paintings are up at b. sakata garo, 923 20th St., Sacramento.

"Pacemakers" at Beatnik Studios is a show of works by Sacramento gallerists and curators. A gallerist is a person who owns or directs a gallery; not to be confused with a "gallerina," one of those beautiful young women who assist gallery directors. 

"Face Yourself" at the Elliott Fouts Gallery is a show of self-portraits by artists who are not, for the most part, known for their figurative work. The result is a show that ranges from a straightforward, traditional self- portrait by Bryan Mark Taylor to a psychologically fraught painting by John Tarahteeff, who depicts himself as a sailor in a beached boat with a broken mast.

Second Saturday gallery picks by Victoria Dalkey

The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission is offering grants of up to $1,500 to schools and community organizations that would like to hire artists for educational programs.

Jan Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring" and a half-century of paintings by Sacramento's Gregory Kondos are among the highlights of art exhibitions opening in 2013.

The saga of Ruby Bridges, a brave 6-year-old who became the first African American student to integrate Louisiana schools in 1960, came to life Friday at the Crocker Art Museum's Family Kwanzaa Concert.

Thieves made off with an unusual haul earlier this month in east Sacramento: five unfinished sculptures created by a prominent local artist.

They have gathered in a modest room on a brisk Thursday night to assemble a makeshift stage, run lines and finalize light cues. Their mood is light but purposeful as "curtain time" nears.

Judith Lowry's vibrant paintings tell the story of her California Indian roots. Ranging from images based on her family history to oral legends inspired by her Pit River, Maidu and Washoe heritage, they represent her reflections on Native California.

The building that is home to Woodland's daily newspaper is being sold, and plans call for turning much of the historic downtown space into a center for the arts.

Highlights among Sacramento Second Saturday gallery offerings.

When the Sacramento International Airport's new billion-dollar terminal opened in late 2011, its cultural pièce de résistance was the 56-foot-long aluminum red hare that appears to leap into the building from the outside.

A surreal insectlike creature, which won the Best of Show award in this year's Crocker-Kingsley juried competition, rises up menacingly at the entry to the exhibition.

A gilt copper cup made out of a real human skull is one of the rare and arcane objects included in "Celestial Realms: The Art of Nepal" at the Crocker Art Museum.

David Wetzl and Kim Squaglia make an ideal pairing in their joint exhibit at Jay Jay. Wetzl's hyperactive compositions with references to cubism, surrealism, pop art, animation and technical drawing fit nicely with Squaglia's less-congested but equally compelling mixtures of pop and abstraction.

The viewers of the "American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell" exhibit at the Crocker Art Museum on Saturday were as multigenerational as the characters in the 50 paintings and 323 Saturday Evening Post covers on display.

"The Art of Noises" is a unique show that traces the development of electronic instruments. The exhibition features more than two dozen vintage and contemporary synthesizers and one-of-a-kind instruments.

Norman Rockwell thought of himself as a reporter on the events and the character of American life. A household name, he has been called "the people's painter" and "the Dickens of the paintbrush."

Three Sacramento-area artists, including former Bee features designer Susan Ballenger, will debut a collection of "yummy delights" (their description) for an art exhibition titled "Just Desserts" at the Gallery at 48 Natoma in Folsom.

Larry Welden, a prominent Sacramento artist and teacher who painted Northern California landscapes in ethereal watercolors, died Oct. 25 after a recent series of strokes, his family said. He was 90.

Northern California has been rich in husband-and-wife artist pairings.

If you show a kindergarten student an ornate wooden mask from Africa, you're bound to get some interesting thoughts on what it was used for.

Roger Vail continues to be one of the most exciting photographers working today.

Lions and tigers and bears – oh my! The animals are overrunning the Gallery at 48 Natoma in Folsom through Nov. 1.

Eccentric artist/mad scientist Clayton Bailey shows new copper sculptures along with Betty Bailey's charming narrative drawings at b. sakata garo