From Microscope Gallery’s current show: “An Alchemic Amalgam” by Joel Schlemowitz (image courtesy of Microscope)

It’s that time of year when you’re trying extra hard to fit in an art exhibit between all the Christmas shopping, office parties and general holiday madness. After shopping through 265 artist works at the Lorimoto salon show a few weeks back, it seemed time for vacation mode to set in for the rest of the year. But we’re up for yet another art-filled weekend as everyone checks off their Christmas 2015 lists!

For this weekend we’ve counted over 180 artists who have an opening in the neighborhood, including two gallery invitationals, a “Family Album” show and a secret art exchange.

#1 “Holiday Hijinks” & “Tote Modern” @ Theodore:ART (FRI 6-9 PM)

56 Bogart Street

“Holiday Hijinks/Tote Modern” opens Friday at Theodore:ART (image courtesy of Theodore:ART)

Theodore:ART presents “Holiday Hijinks” with small works by gallery artists and friends, featuring new editions by Oliver Wasow and Michelle Vaughan, and including pieces by artists who showed throughout this year: Joyce Robbins, Scooter LaForge and Gary Petersen. “Tote Modern” co-organized by Stephanie Theodore and Josh Sperowill, joins this holiday round up as well.

#2 “The Flat Files: Year Three” @ TSA New York (FRI 6-9 PM)

1329 Willoughby Avenue

“The Flat Files: Year Three” opens Friday at TSA (image courtesy of TSA New York)

TSA is about to launch their 2015 Flat File program, featuring 33 artists chosen from an open call for works along a flat media. These artists’ drawings, collages, prints and photographs are what made the cut for year three of the “The Flat Files.”

#3“Force Multiplier +” @ Schema Projects (FRI 6-9 PM)

92 St. Nicholas Avenue

“Force Multiplier +” opens Friday (image courtesy Schema Projects)

The gridded notebook we used back in the school days is bringing an artful nostalgia to Schema Projects with Andrew Zarou’s “Force Multiplier +“.  After a surgery left him on bed rest two years back, Zarou had only a gridded notebook and gel pens to use while he recuperated. Far outside of his usual choice of materials, he took to the grid, navigating through frustrations and limitations to eventually create these energetic works on paper; they turned out to be more open and expansive, and even after healing he took these materials with him as he continued the series, his curiosity of the materials pushing him from drawing to drawing.

#4 “Two Artists Two Weeks” – 2015 OUTLET Annual Invitational (FRI 7-10 PM)

253 Wilson Avenue

Andrea Loefke in OUTLET’s annual invitational (image courtesy of OUTLET)

This year’s line up for OUTLET’s annual invitational features Jared Flaming, Charles Goldman, Noel Hennelly, Andrea Loefke, Andrew Prayzner and Hannah Lutz Winkler, with one work by each selected by OUTLET’s director/curator team Jason Andrew, John Silvis and Julian A. Jimarez Howard. The show is up for two weeks starting this Friday, December 11th.

 

#5 “Bushwick Basel” @ The Dress Shop (FRI 7-10 PM)

322 Troutman Street

“Bushwick Basel” opens Friday at The Dress Shop on Troutman Street

The Dress Shop is putting their version of Art Basel on this Friday night with a group show featuring the works of Adam Kim, Ama Iromuanya, Do Hyung Kim, Jacob Shore, Oscar Tiné, Shay Gallagher, Tom Mcfarland and Veronica Kim. Watch for autobiographical works by McFarland that explore the ideal of a pristine object or trophy, and products of intuition and impulse by Kom as part of “Bushwick Basel.”

 

#6 SHIM Invitational 1 @ ArtHelix (FRI 6-9 PM)

299 Meserole Street

norton’s detail of ‘Ghosts in the Machine 2 (Spring)’ (image courtesy of ArtHelix)

ArtHelix hosts the launch of SHIM, a new art exhibition company that matches artists, curators, galleries, universities and other organizations with exhibition spaces. SHIM Invitational 1 is their inaugural exhibition, featuring the first ten artists: Barry Carlsen, Katherine Evans, Shani Ha, Roberto Jamora, norton, Janet Passehl, Marcy Rosenblat, Malu Tan, Joan Zalenski and Alex Zenger.

 

#7 “Corpo Reality” @ Amos Eno Gallery (FRI 7-9 PM)

 1087 Flushing Avenue, inside The Loom

“Corpo Reality” opens Friday (image courtesy Amos Eno Gallery)

It’s a mix of materials and aesthetics at Amos Eno Gallery, where four of the gallery members are putting on the group exhibition “Corpo Reality.” Taking it beyond the traditional painted surface, Charleen Kavleski synthesizes a family history of mason work and quilt making into her concepts. Erik Patton uses collage to both construct and destruct ideas on gender and sexual preference, making a statement about the openness of these topics. Photolithographs and layered video/sound installations create a multi-sensory circuit in the works of Meredith Starr, and Cynthia Laureen Vogt draws a correlation between letters and figures through photographic collage.

 

#8 “Jaye Gregory: Sculptures and Sketches” @ Anthony Philip Fine Art (FRI 6-9 PM)

56 Bogart Street

Jaye Gregory at Anthony Philip Fine Art

Jaye Gregory: Sculptures and Sketches” opens Friday at Anthony Philip Fine Art with works both immediate and timeless. Gregory’s classical understanding of the female figure shows quiet strength, thoughtful intelligence and inherent beauty in her sculptures and sketches. She illustrates the female form “… as she is, rather than idealized, and introspective.”

#9 “Family Album” Annual Member Show & Holiday Party (SAT 7-10 PM)

1109 Dekalb Avenue

“Family Album” member show and holiday party (image courtesy of Wayfarers)

The Wayfarers holiday party is this Saturday, celebrating its close-knit members with the opening of “Family Album.” Their works are displayed in a new context: the concept of pairing members and installing their works in sets of twos gives new light to their visual connections. The Wayfarers member show has become an annual tradition, and they’re about to celebrate their five year anniversary in January 2016; “Family Album” is their “affectionate portrait” in light of the holiday spirit.

#10 “KUNSTKAMMER II” @ The Bushwick Venue (THURS 6-10 PM)

881 Wyckoff Avenue

“Kunstkammer II” takes place through December 10th

KUNSTKAMMER II” is on at The Bushwick Venue December 9-10 with new media performances, live collaborative painting with hip hop/arts collective THEiLLUZiON, and a selection of works posted throughout. Translated from German into ‘Cabinet of curiosities,’ “KUNSTKAMMER” is a group exhibit established at ApostropheNYC, and brings together 10+ interdisciplinary, up and coming, visual and performance artists. Check out their link for details on the after party!

#11 “Never Twice” @ Microscope Gallery (Performance SUN 7 PM)

1329 Willoughby Avenue

“Never Twice” performances start Sunday (image courtesy of Microscope Gallery)

Microscope begins their exhibition of live expanded cinema performance now through January 10th with “Never Twice.” A reference to the quote from Heraclitus “one cannot step into the same river twice,” recognizing that even though a performance piece can be done again, it can never truly be replicated. On Sunday nights at 7 pm the moving image performances will take place, with gallery hours Friday through Monday, 1-6 pm, during which you might catch a rehearsal!

#12 “Befana’s Secret Booty” @ Orgy Park (SUN 6-9 PM)

237 Jefferson Street

(image courtesy of Orgy Park)

It’s a holiday art exchange over at Orgy Park where the second annual group art-trade show “Befana’s Secret Booty” happens on Sunday night. Curated by Katherine Aungier, Steve Mykietyn and Zuriel Waters, over 50 artists will have works up in prep for this “secret trading show” where the artists themselves will walk away with another’s work. Their works will be up through January 6th when the exchange between artists takes place.

More for your holiday shopping:

 “Open Call” holiday salon show @ Lorimoto (SAT-SUN 1-6 PM)

1623 Hancock Street

Lorimoto’s holiday salon show is up through December 20th (Image courtesy of Lorimoto)

Lorimoto’s holiday salon show opened on November 21st, showcasing all of your favorite artists and neighborhood friends. As this season’s biggest celebration of local art, “Open Call” is up through December 20th, and it’s packed with over 250 small-scale works each for $300 or less – something for the Christmas check list!

 

“Micro Macro Magnetic” @ Reservoir Art Space (SUN 11-15 PM)

659 Woodward Avenue, Ridgewood

Nathan Wasserbauer “Red Dwarf” (Image courtesy of Reservoir Art Space)

Reservoir Art Space over on Woodward Avenue in Ridgewood has a current show on display: Check out Nathan Wasserbauer’s “Micro Macro Magnetic” through January 15th at the exhibition space. Reservoir Holiday Open Studios is also happening this Sunday 11am – 5pm, along with the open shops at Ridgewood Market inside of Gottscheer Hall.