George Krevsky Gallery : Lisa Esherick - Casino Paintings.

Comment by AB: Lisa Esherick's gambling scene paintings are based on "close observations of actual casinos in the United States and Europe." They're pretty convincing too-- rife with denizens and suspense-- kinda like those dogs playing poker paintings, but less woofy.

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Linearis Institute : Patter Hellstrom - Chance Wind.

Comment by AB: The Linearis Institute, formerly the Masterworks Institute for Works on Paper relocates to tony Maiden Lane, and celebrates the incarnation with a show of direct confident unequivocal Zen-like abstracts on yupo (plastic) paper by Patter Hellstrom. Between you, me and the lamppost, referring to an art gallery as an "institute" could conceivably be construed as a wee bit pretentious.

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Chinese Culture Center : Icons of Presence - Asian American Activist Art.

Artists: Jim Dong, Nancy Hom, Leland Wong, others. Curated by Margo Machida

Comment by AB: Extensive cull of Asian American Activist art focuses on the Bay Area social and political scene of the the 1970s and 80s with special attention on more contemporary works by Jim Dong, Nancy Hom, and Leland Wong. To place this art in context, Curator Margon Machida also includes historical antecedents-- Asian art with activist agendas, some of it dating back as far as the early 1900s. Plenty to glean from here, and definitely a show worth seeing.

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Propeller : Alex Garcia - Still/Move.

Comment by AB: Clean precision straight line color field compositions by Alex Garcia finely crafted with materials like wood, metal, paint, and rich high-gloss finishes. Perfect complement to today's modern interiors-- and no better venue for featuring the work than Propeller.

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Space Gallery : Dr. Sketchy's.

Comment by AB: According to the proclamation, " Dr. Sketchy's is the workshop that brings cabaret and the art world together." Founded by Molly Crabapple in New York City, Randy Johnson and Bombshell Betty head up the San Francisco Chapter. The basic dealie bob is that it's a once-a-month opportunity for artists of all skill levels to draw or sketch a classic burlesque model in a classic burlesque setting with classic tunes playing in the background. This month's model is the distinguished Bombshell Betty. And that, as they say, is that.

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