June is typically the busiest month for Art Murmur. With all the excitement about Oakland’s visual art renaissance, and the strong, unified showing Art Murmur had at the recent art fairs in San Francisco, this First Friday will likely be crazy. Plan to come early and expect massive crowds — especially if the weather is nice. And now that Art Murmur has matured into a citywide event, it’s important to acknowledge the galleries that lie outside the 23rd and Telegraph epicenter. It’s probably unrealistic to try and see all of them in one evening, so spread out your visits throughout the month. Here are our top five picks:
5. Sheila Ghidini, Halftones, and Esther Traugot, Outside In, at Chandra Cerrito Contemporary (480 23rd St., Oakland). Master sculptor Ghidini exhibits exquisitely rendered drawings, juxtaposed by objects protected by Traugot’s meticulously crocheted works. Graphite drawings and wrapped objects from nature come together to evoke simple themes of beauty, protection, and stillness. Through July 27. 510-260-749 or ChandraCerritoContemporary.com,
4. Group Show, Charting the Waters, at Vessel Gallery (471 25th St., Oakland). Nineteen artists convene to present an epically poetic landscape of oceanic metaphor. You can count on the exhibits at Vessel to be heroic, exciting, and expertly curated. Through June 30. 510-893-8800 or Vessel-Gallery.com,
3. Kevin Nierman, New Ceramic Work, at Roscoe Ceramic Gallery (473 25th St., Ste. 5, Oakland). Nierman demonstrates his mastery over the material in a portfolio of work that balances color, form, and concept with deftness. Nierman is careful to never let go of the playful element in his work, which surely comes from years of teaching children in West Oakland how to channel creativity into clay. Through June 30. 415-515-3174 or RoscoeCeramicGallery.com
2. Judi Pettite, Pock Marks and Poppies, at The Hive (301 Jefferson St., Oakland). Abstract paintings work to actively distract the viewer from any one object or subject, leading to a confidently portrayed, color-field paradise. Pettite uses vaguely architectural motifs to depict crystalline structures that exist without scale, happy in their loneliness, transcendent in their beauty. Through June 30. HiveStudios.org
1. East Bay Open Studios Preview at Pro Arts (150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland). Potentially as exciting as the San Francisco art fairs, the Annual Pro Arts East Bay Open Studios (400 artists participating, June 2-3 and June 9-10) will dominate the East Bay art scene this month. Catch a sneak peek of the art and schedule your route across that epic event. Through June 10. 510-763-4361 or ProArtsGallery.org
