Needles + Pens : Nikki McClure - New Work.

Comment: Accomplished paper-cut artist Nikki McClure displays a diminutive selection of her work along with a couple of larger pieces. I ask her whether her techniques are based in Chinese paper cutting , and she says that if she had to call it, she'd lean more Japanese. Then I reference these vintage Chinese paper-cutting albums that occasionally come onto the market, then she references equivalent Japanese antecedents, then we both agree that it makes no difference, then I take her picture. I'll tell you one thing-- her work is exceptionally delicate, precise, and gratifying.

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Root Division : Systems and Transmutations - 2nd Saturday Group Show.

Artists: Anna Bogatin, Vanessa Blaikie, Cheryl Coon, Dan Cox, Jeff Eisenberg, Leo Estevez, Theresa Ganz, Amy Hicks, Rachael Jablo, David O' Johnson, Keira Kotler, Katie Lewis, Michelle Mansour, Lisa McCutcheon, Moira Murdock, Toban Nichols, Jenna North, Bernardo Poggi-Leigh, Mel Prest, Mark Ruxin, Laura Shipp, Ray Souder, Lisa Stoneman, Amber Stucke, Maria Vasconcelos, Sarah Walker, Liz Walsh.

Comment: Ordered structure-based painting, drawing, collage, sculpture, installation, video, and mixed media that appears more or less mathematical in essence. Decent effort overall.

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Live Worms Gallery : Tina & Terry Tarnoff - Art Exhibit & CD Release Party.

Comment: It's a bounty of Bohemianism featuring walls of bright naive-esque art by Tina Tarnoff, a tandem reading by Tina & Terry from Terry's book "The Bone Man of Benares," and a CD release party for Terry's down home tunery recorded "live" in India, Nepal, and San Francisco. Paintings generally priced mid to upper hundreds $$$, drawings under $200.

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The Shooting Gallery : Paul Chatem & Mike Maxwell - 33 Knots.

Comment: Mike Maxwell's allegoric portrait and genre paintings (plus a couple of portrait busts) often incorporate historical figures and undertake to connect the dots between yesterday and today. Paul Chatem generally wends narrative, this time recounting a high seas adventure. Good value on both counts with under $500 netting you pick of pretty much anything in the show.

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White Walls Gallery : My Favorite Color.

Artists: Kim Cogan, Eric Bailey, Damon Soule, Akira, Regino Gonzalez, Bigfoot, Tim McKormick, Sub, Albert Reyes, Adam 5100, Ian Johnson, Coro, Ben Frost.

Comment: All kinds of art that's all about money. It's that simple and no more complicated.

Wanna help caption artists for this or any other show? Please email me .

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Gray Area Gallery : Fast Forward / Rewind.

Artists: Jill Beale, Brian Caraway, Eve Venus Ekman, Jana Lorelei Flynn, Hilary Pecis, Chris Pew, Roam Weir.

Comment: Energized installation-style event features a hanging curtain of conjoined postcard art (purportedly previously mailed, however some oddly lack postmarks), a live psychedelicized video transmission of deejay & dance proceedings unfolding in a gallery back room, a real nice Chris Pew painting, a pillar of stacked cassettes, and more. But the surprise for me is a smallish room off the main floor filled with enigmatic abstracted blue gray gradation rainscape paintings by an artist named Peter Petrochko who isn't even on the docket. I manage to locate an announcement for a Petrochko solo show in Edinburgh, Scotland from 2005, but the rest remains a mystery. Like the work, though. Come out, come out wherever you are.

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Arspace Gallery : Trevor Ito & Rene Fressola - Change.

Comment: Rene Fressola and Trevor Ito say, "Bye-bye Ess Eff / Hello Apple," which translates to, "Let's all have a party and buy/sell art." I think Rene tells me the ship sails around March 10, so you better hurry if you like their art, now's a prime time to augment your collections.

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