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Datebook: Two centuries of African American women, painting California, art about ‘La Bestia’

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Work by African American women. Paintings that embody the tones and hues of California. And the unique partnership that explores the phenomenon of a Central American immigrant train. There’s a whole lot going on in El Lay. Here are nine openings and events to check out in the coming week:

“Power: Work by African American Women from the 19th Century to Now,” at Sprüth Magers. A survey exhibition organized by independent curator Todd Levin provides an overview of work by 37 African American women artists from over the last two centuries. The show, which is named for the 1970 gospel song by Sister Gertrude Morgan, runs the gamut of art-making traditions — including folk, painting, collage, assemblage and other forms — and touches on race, gender, class and the cultural and physical landscape. Opens Wednesday and runs through June 10. 5900 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, spruethmagers.com.

Joe Goode, “Old Ideas With New Solutions,” at Kohn Gallery. The California painter, whose work explores nature, urban landscape and the nature of color in often abstract ways, has new pieces now on view at Kohn, including work from various ongoing series. This includes new “Milk Bottle” paintings, which explore representation and abstraction using the humble milk bottle as starting point, “Ocean Blue,” with their plays on color and the boundlessness of nature, “California Summer,” employing a sunburned California palette, and “TV Blues,” which takes abstractions inspired by nature and displays them in the rectangular shape of a television screen. Opens Saturday and runs through May 13. 1227 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, kohngallery.com.

“California Summer,” 2016, by Joe Goode, at Kohn Gallery. (Joe Goode Studio / Kohn Gallery)

Lara Salmon, “Ivanka Loves Refugees,” at Pøst. The artist is taking an Ivanka Trump-brand scarf acquired by her mother five years ago — one which she no longer wears because of its freighted political significance — and is using it as a point of inspiration for a three-hour performance that addresses issues of vulnerability and power. The show asks the very good question of whether the scarf will continue to exist in its manufactured form when all is said and done. This Saturday at 7 p.m. 1206 Maple Ave., No. 515, downtown Los Angeles, postlosangeles.org and facebook.com.

Joan-Ole Schiemann, “Can You Show Me the Way to Paradise Road?” at Mier. The Germany-based artist uses the aesthetics of cartoon animations to explore his movements around Los Angeles — albeit in abstraction. The works aren’t about creating a neatly structured grid or some other sort of literal visual map but, rather, laying out elements of the environment as they shift over the course of the city’s landscape: noises, odors, structures, and other elements, all rendered as surreal forms. Through April 29. 1107 Greenacre Ave., West Hollywood, miergallery.com.

Gronk and Luis Roberto Vasquez Borja, “Home/Escape,” at FM Fine Art Gallery. This show explores the artistic relationship between artist and mentor. Borja once served as an assistant to the L.A. painter and muralist Gronk (born Glugio Nicandro), and he is now establishing himself in his own right. This collaborative exhibition pairs their works together. Opens today and runs through April 30. An artists’ talk will be held on Sunday at 2 p.m. 834 N. La Brea Ave., Hollywood, fmfineartgallery.com.

“Imprisonment,” 2017, by Gronk — part of the two-man show with Luis Roberto Vasquez Borja at FM Fine Art Gallery. (Gronk / FM Fine Art Gallery)

“MONTARlaBestia,” at the Fisher Museum of Art. This intriguing show brings together artists, activists, an arts nonprofit, a group of underserved L.A. students and the Fisher Museum for a unique collaboration that responds to the phenomenon of “La Bestia,” the train that carries millions of Central American immigrants on the route north to the United States. Artist Demián Flores, along with journalist and activist Mardonio Carballo and curator Marco Barrera Bassols teamed up with students from the nonprofit Art Division for the show — during which time the students got to explore the Fisher’s permanent collection and attend special workshops. Betto Arcos has a good story on KPCC. Through April 8. 823 W. Exposition Blvd., Exposition Park, Los Angeles, fisher.usc.edu.

A screening of Buster Keaton’s “The General” with the New West Symphony, at the Valley Performing Arts Center. Richard Kaufman is conducting, with Dennis James on organ, producing a live score for one of Keaton’s greatest comedies, about the adventures of a train engineer set in the Civil War. The show includes a live discussion with actor Jamie Farr. Saturday at 8 p.m. 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, valleyperformingartscenter.org.

“Why We Listen: A Conversation and Listening Event With Nayland Blake,” presented by the ICA LA at the Cooper Design Space. In advance of its September opening the Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (formerly the Santa Monica Museum of Art) is hosting a series of public programs. For this event, the ICA LA is teaming up with Volume, an L.A.-based collective that presents sound art, for a live presentation with New York-based artist Blake — who once built a positively sensuous life-size gingerbread house inside the Hammer Museum. Today at 6:30 p.m.; RSVP is required. Cooper Design Space, Penthouse, 860 S. Los Angeles St., downtown Los Angeles, theicala.org and eventbrite.com.

“The Wooster Group: The Town Hall Affair,” at Redcat. This play, staged by the award-winning experimental New York theater company, takes as a point of departure D.A. Pennebaker’s 1970s documentary, “Town Bloody Hall,” which documented an infamous panel that featured feminist theorist Germaine Greer, lesbian separatist Jill Johnston and literary critic Diana Trilling — in an event that was moderated (and mansplained) by the relentlessly macho novelist and essayist Norman Mailer. (Oh, to have been a fly in that greenroom.) The performance takes on this surreal intersection of feminist thinking, performance art, politics and, um, Mailer. Do! Not! Miss! Through April 1. 631 W. 2nd St., downtown Los Angeles, redcat.org.

Kate Valk as Jill Johnston in “The Town Hall Affair” at REDCAT. (Paula Court / Redcat)

Last chance

Chambliss Giobi, “Arcadia,” at 101/Exhibit. Inspired by the Greek region, an icon of the pastoral ideal, this show features a series of works that explore the nostalgic and the idealized in nature — including a large Möbius strip sculpture made from some of these very elements. Through Saturday. 668 N. La Peer Drive, Beverly Grove, Los Angeles, 101exhibit.com.

“Ursula Schulz-Dornburg: Bricks and Mortals,” at Gallery Luisotti. The German photographer has long been intrigued by transitory pieces of architecture — from her studies of brutalist, Soviet-era bus stops in Armenia to her images of ruins in Syria. Her first exhibition at the gallery gathers the early bus stop pictures, as well as later series that document a nuclear test site in Kazakhstan, the abandoned Hejaz Railroad in Saudi Arabia and an 8th century chapel in Spain. Through Saturday. Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica, galleryluisotti.com.

“Edgar Arceneaux: Library of Black Lies,” at the Main Museum. First exhibited in Paris, this installation by the Los Angeles artist explores themes of African American progress through the selection and modification of books in a library of Arceneaux’s creation. At a time when questions about the fake and the real occupy the media, the piece looks at the complex, in-between stories that shape our current moment. Through Sunday. 114 W. 4th St., downtown Los Angeles, themainmuseum.org.

Edgar Arceneaux’s “Library of Black Lies” at the Main Museum in downtown Los Angeles. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

Jenn Berger, “The Blob,” at Elephant. A 12-foot sculpture riffs, in leathery ways, on a blob-like human form — an installation that promises to be viscerally, wonderfully weird. Through Wednesday. 3325 Division St., downtown Los Angeles, elephantartspace.com.

Ongoing Exhibitions

Rachel Lacowicz, “Lay Back and Enjoy It,” at Shoshana Wayne Gallery. The Los Angeles-based artist has created a large-scale installation modeled after structures from Clint Eastwood’s 1973 western “High Plains Drifter” — two of which she has covered in red lipstick. It’s a look at the ways in which male power imbues our society’s governing institutions — not to mention the architecture that represents them. Through April 1. Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., B1, Santa Monica, shoshanawayne.com.

An installation view of Rachel Lacowicz’s lipstick-covered sculptures at Shoshana Wayne in Santa Monica. (Rachel Lacowicz / Shoshana Wayne Gallery)

“Hexon/Hexoff,” at Noysky Projects. A group exhibition has magic — and the elements of ritual, iconography and faith that accompany it — as its unifying theme. The show includes a film set in a mythical Haiti by Ilona Berger and Jamson Silgnena, animated GIF pieces by Theo Eliezer and the sculptural, bewitched-looking hair masks created by the artist Ciriza. Through April 1. 6727 7/8 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, noyskyprojects.com.

Jennifer Dalton, “Participation Trophy,” at Charlie James Gallery. A new exhibition by the New York-based artist gathers video, sculpture and drawings that are inspired by the act of overcoming a fear — all brought together by a title that nods to the idea of the unearned accolade. In some of the works, she addresses her own fears — including public speaking and learning how to do a backflip — while in others, she presents her own design for odd unbalanced trophies, inspired by the “Successories” office tchotchkes. Through April 1. 969 Chung King Road, Chinatown, Los Angeles, cjamesgallery.com.d

Frank Uwe Laysiepen, “Ulay the Animist,” at the Depart Foundation. It’s the first West Coast presentation of the performance artist known as Ulay — former collaborator of Marina Abramovic. The show includes works from his early Polaroid works from the ’70s to his large-scale experimental photographic projects from the 1990s, as well as documentation of his various performances. The exhibition’s title refers to the artist’s 1995 film, “The Animist,” which incorporated ritual and other elements, to determine the boundaries of reality. Through April 1. 9105 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, departfoundation.com.

An image from the triptych, “S’He,” 1973, by Ulay, on view at the Depart Foundation. (Ulay / Gnyp Gallery and MB Art Agency)

“For Your Information We The People Are All Immigrants,” at Gavlak Gallery. A group show brings together works by women, feminists and artists that identify as LGBTQ in an effort to promote human rights and issues of equality. This includes work by Lisa Anne Auerbach, Betty Tompkins, Marnie Weber, Judie Bamber and others. Through April 1. 1034 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, gavlakgallery.com.

“Escape Attempts: Curated by Kathy Battista,” at Shulamit Nazarian. The gallery is debuting its new Hollywood location with a group show that features artists who are tangling with the legacy of minimalism. This includes figures such as Carmen Argote, Virginia Overton, and Naama Tsabar engaging the clean lines and formal qualities of minimalism, but grounding it in the cultural references of our era. Through April 1. 616 N. La Brea, Hollywood, shulamitnazarian.com.

“Environmental Communications: Contact High,” at LAXArt. In the 1960s, a group of architects, photographers and psychologists began to create extensive slide libraries that they sold to academic and cultural institutions as a way of infiltrating student consciousness. These often contained hundreds of images that recorded the design and other forces that shape the vernacular city, from gas stations to fast-food outlets to the facades of commercial buildings. The show captures the group’s process through images, videotapes and other ephemera. Through April 1. 7000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, laxart.org.

A 1973 slide by Roger Mona Webster, part of the group Environmental Communications, whose projects are on view at LAXArt. (Environmental Communications)

“L.A. Exuberance: New Gifts by Artists,” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This exhibition brings together more than 60 works of art donated by artists to the museum, including pieces by photographer Catherine Opie, light and space master Larry Bell, multimedia artist Analia Saban, photographer James Welling and conceptualist Mario Ybarra Jr. Through April 2. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, lacma.org.

“Between Words and Silence: The Work of Translation,” at the Armory Center for the Arts. A group exhibition — featuring the works of artists such as Gala Porras-Kim, Sid M. Dueñas and Naotaka Hiro — explores the ideas of communication and understanding. This includes works that reference Zapotec whistle codes, the transactions between Chinese and Mexican businessmen and the parallel realities occupied by Brazilian and American children. Through April 2. 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, armoryarts.org.

“Forms of Identity: Women Artists in the ’90s,” at the Orange County Museum of Art. A show drawn entirely from OCMA’s permanent collection focuses on works by 16 women whose art in the 1990s underwent a transformation, from overtly political to something more poetic and personal. This includes works by photographer Laura Aguilar, sculptor Jacci Den Hartog, light and space artist Helen Pashgian and installationist Polly Apfelbaum, among others. Through April 2. 850 San Clemente Dr., Newport Beach, ocma.net.

April Bey, “Comply,” at Coagula Curatorial. An installation of art, paintings and multimedia works explore the demands of womanhood — in particular that of black women. Among the objects on view is a series of portraits produced by the artist that features celebrities as well as everyday women she met during a residency in Ghana. Through April 2. 974 Chung King Rd., Chinatown, Los Angeles, coagulacuratorial.com.

Lisa Adams, “Petrichor,” at CB1 Gallery. The L.A. artist has a new show of small paintings inspired by petrichor, the smell of dry earth as it is pelted with rain. The works — all diminutive in scale, and integrating elements of the urban and the abstract — were begun during California’s period of drought and completed after the season’s first rains. Through April 9. 1923 S. Santa Fe Ave., downtown Los Angeles, cb1gallery.com.

Nancy Baker Cahill, “Manifestos,” at Ochi Projects. A new series of small drawings by the Los Angeles-based artist shows puzzling objects in motion. Are they body parts? Are they organ-like appendages? Are they bits of organic matter? Whatever they are, they are mysterious and intriguing. Through April 9. 3301 W. Washington Blvd., Arlington Heights, Los Angeles, ochiprojects.com.

“Manifesto No. 52,” by Nancy Baker Cahill, part of the artist’s exhibition at Ochi Projects. (Nancy Baker Cahill)

“The Birth of Motion Pictures: An Illustrated History of Silent Cinema, 1910–1929,” at the City of Brea Art Gallery. This exhibition is devoted to silent film — specifically, 60 original silent movie posters and a very rare “Silent Oscar” (one of only 15 ever awarded) from the private collection of Dwight Manley. Included in the show will be original posters for the Charlie Chaplin films “A Dog’s Life” (1918) and “The Kid” (1921), as well as a Spanish-language poster from the lost mystery flick “London After Midnight” (1927), which starred Lon Chaney as a vampiric inspector. Through April 14. One Civic Center Circle, Brea, breagallery.com.

“What I Loved: Selected Works From the ‘90s,” at Regen Projects. An economic recession. A war in the Middle East. And the L.A. Riots. The 1990s were a formative period for artists addressing issues of race, sexuality, gender, identity, the AIDS epidemic and globalization. This group exhibition — inspired by the title of Siri Hustvedt’s 2003 novel, “What I Loved” — brings together works by figures such as Matthew Barney, Glenn Ligon, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Catherine Opie, Cindy Sherman, Kara Walker and others in ways that capture the zeitgeist of that tumultuous, transformative period. Through April 14. 6750 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, regenprojects.com.

Joshua Abarbanel, “It’s Only Natural,” at TAJ Art. A series of wall-mounted wood sculptures employ organic forms to create bright patterns — some inspired by the artist’s recent trip to the Seed Bank in Svalbard in the Arctic Circle. Through April 14. 1492 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, tajartinc.com.

“Hull 02,” by Joshua Abarbanel, on view at TAJ Art. (Joshua Abarbanel)

Arne Quinze, “Jungle Cities,” at Denk Gallery. This is the debut show for the new Los Angeles gallery, which has kicked off its program with an exhibition by the Belgian sculptor known for his wild architectural installations. Quinze has created a new series of metal sculptures and wall hangings that play with the idea of disappearing nature. This includes a standing sculpture that evokes a wild creature and a work that resembles a log — full of growths and other bits of wild nature — but is actually a piece of cast bronze. Through April 15. 749 E. Temple St., downtown Los Angeles, denkgallery.com.

“John McLaughlin Paintings: Total Abstraction,” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. One of the most important artists of SoCal’s postwar period, McLaughlin is known for quiet, minimalist works that explore total abstraction: geometries and lines that explore ideas of shape and space, but not representation. This exhibition gathers 52 paintings and a selection of collages and drawings — representing the first major museum retrospective of the artist’s work. Times critic Christopher Knight says this is the show he has been waiting 40 years to see. Do not miss. Through April 16. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, lacma.org.

“Breaking News: Turning the Lens on Mass Media,” at the Getty Center. An exhibition that couldn’t be timelier: Curator Arpad Kovcs has put together a show that looks at the ways in which artists have turned bucolic magazine images and fragments of news programming into sharp political statements against events such as the Vietnam War and the so-called war on terror. The show features work by Martha Rosler, Alfredo Jaar, Catherine Opie and Robert Heinecken. Through April 20. 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood, Los Angeles, getty.edu.

EJ Hill, “The Necessary Reconditioning of the Highly Deserving,” at Commonwealth & Council. A new series of sculptures and paintings represent the black body in places of elevation — an attempt to tell a story of blackness “with light and affirmation.” Also on view will be exhibitions by Neha Choksi and Kang Seung Lee. Through April 29. 306 W. 7th St., downtown Los Angeles, commonwealthandcouncil.com.

Jake Kean Mayman, “The Earth Dies Screaming,” at Night Gallery. The Los Angeles painter, whose slightly dystopic color palette of acid-sherbet shades are often employed in pieces that take on aspects of landscape and the figure, as well as the nature of painting itself, has a show of new works that take on issues of fear in the American psyche and the ways in which information is manipulated and distorted. The title of the show? That was inspired by a 1964 sci-fi horror film about apocalypse. Timely. Through April 29. 227 E. 16th St., Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, nightgallery.ca.

“Live Free Die Hard,” by Jake Kean Mayman, on view at Night Gallery. (Jake Kean Mayman)

“Desert X,” in locations around the Coachella Valley. This biennial crash features a variety of installations and land art pieces installed along the length of the Coachella Valley. (Expect some driving … or Lyfting or cycling.) On the rundown is a high-profile assortment of SoCal and international figures, including Doug Aitken, Tavares Strachan, Gabriel Kuri, Richard Prince, Lita Albuquerque and Claudia Comte — creating site-specific pieces that take advantage of their scenic desert environs. Through April 30. The exhibition is free and takes place in locations around the Coachella Valley, desertx.org.

Mary Weatherford, “like the land loves the sea,” at David Kordanksy Gallery. The Los Angeles painter creates hypnotic abstract canvases that she often punctuates with slashes of curved and crooked neon that operate as a brilliant surface brush stroke. A stop-you-in-your-tracks exhibition that is also deeply atmospheric. Through May 6. 5130 Edgewood Place, Los Angeles, davidkordanskygallery.com.

Jimmie Durham, “At the Center of the World,” at the Hammer Museum. For the last 20 years, Durham, who was born in Arkansas, and who came of age as an artist in New York’s downtown scene in the 1980s, has chosen to show primarily outside the United States. (He is of Cherokee descent.) This makes his first North American retrospective all the more special. Gathering his works from the 1970s to the present, the show features wry assemblages and wall sculptures that combine natural and discarded elements, riffing on classical architecture, the nature of portraiture and colonization. While you’re there, don’t miss the exhibition featuring drawings by French artist Jean Dubuffet, a figure who turned the graffiti-like gesture into high art. Through May 7. 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood, Los Angeles, hammer.ucla.edu.

“Picasso and Rivera: Conversations Across Time,” at the L.A. County Museum of Art. This exhibition compares the artistic trajectories of two of the 20th century’s most towering Modernists: Pablo Picasso and Diego Rivera. This covers the period from the 1920s to the ’50s as they explored Cubism, classical forms and ancient cultures in innovative ways. The shows features 150 paintings, etchings and watercolors. Through May 7. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, lacma.org.

“Masculine — Feminine,” at the Beall Center for Art + Technology. A group show that gathers the works of 12 artists, including Cassils, Micol Hebron, Julie Heffernan and Danial Nord, explores issues of gender and sexuality — sometimes playing with the malleability of these identifiers, at other times eliminating them completely. Through May 13. UC Irvine, 712 Arts Plaza, Irvine, beallcenter.uci.edu.

Jason Rhoades, “Installations, 1994-2006,” at Hauser Wirth & Schimmel. The Los Angeles artist — known for sprawling, ribald installations made with everything from neon to cardboard to peas — often touched on issues of religion, sex and commerce in his work. This show, his first comprehensive survey in Los Angeles, brings together six of his most significant installations, including a tribute to sculptor Constantin Brancusi and a massive, sexually charged piece that features 240 neon words that describe female genitalia — a temple-like set-up where the viewer is invited to be wildly seduced. Through May 21. 901 E. Third St., downtown Los Angeles, hauserwirthschimmel.com.

Dreamland: A Frank Romero Retrospective, at the Museum of Latin American Art. The first museum retrospective of the storied Los Angeles painter brings together more than 200 works from throughout his career — pieces that frequently contend with various aspects of the urban experience, in particular that of L.A. The show covers all periods of his more than five-decade-long career, including his early works, pieces from his time with the collective Los Four in the 1970s and ’80s, his large-scale paintings and murals, as well as his more recent work in neon and ceramics. Through May 21. 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach, molaa.org.

“The Arrest of the Paleteros,” 1996, by Frank Romero at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach. (Cheech Marin)

“Aaron G. Green and California Organic Architecture,” at the Palos Verdes Art Center. Green was an architect inspired by the complex patterns and rugged textures found in nature, and this exhibition, curated by architectural historian Alan Hess, gathers rare photographs, along with original architectural renderings and other materials, to show a school of modernism that turned away from the glass box in favor of more organic forms. Through May 28. 5504 West Crestridge Road, Palos Verdes, aarongreen.org and pvartcenter.org.

“Women of Abstract Expressionism” at the Palm Springs Museum of Art. The Abstract Expressionist movement has been widely regarded as a boys club, one bursting with the macho antics of painters such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. But the movement included a healthy number of women, and this groundbreaking exhibition gathers works by some of the key female artists of the era, including Helen Frankenthaler, Jay DeFeo, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Lee Krasner and Joan Mitchell. In other words, it’s a fresh look at a history we think we know so well. Through May 28. 72-567 Highway 111, Palm Desert, psmuseum.org.

“Non Fiction,” at the Underground Museum. An emotionally charged exhibition curated by the late Noah Davis in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles brings together works that explore issues of race and violence. This includes important works from MOCA’s permanent collection by artists such as Robert Gober, Kara Walker, Henry Taylor and David Hammons. Through May. 3508 W. Washington Blvd., Arlington Heights, Los Angeles, theunderground-museum.org.

Shagha Ariannia, “Who Sings the Nation-State?” at the Vincent Price Art Museum. The artist, who was born in Tehran, looks at issues of citizenship, national identity and immigration through the lens of her own childhood in a video piece that also features related drawings and paintings. Through June 10. 1301 Cesar Chavez Ave., East Los Angeles, vincentpriceartmuseum.org.

“Paperworks: Selections from the Permanent Collection, at the California African American Museum. Drawing from the museum’s collection of works on paper, which covers a period that dates two centuries — from 1800 to 2000, this group exhibition gathers collages, drawings, paintings and other works by important figures such as Romare Bearden, Betye Saar, John Biggers, Marion Sampler and Sam Francis. Through June 11. 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, caamuseum.org.

“Chair,” 1966, by Marion Sampler, at the California African American Museum. (California African American Museum)

“Moholy-Nagy: Future Present,” at the L.A. County Museum of Art. This sprawling exhibition examines the career of the influential Bauhaus artist and teacher, known for stripping art down to fundamentals of color and shape. Moholy-Nagy was a polymath who worked in painting, printmaking, photography and industrial design and the show gathers more than 250 works of his in all formats. Moreover, it will also feature his installation “Room of the Present,” a concept for an exhibition space that was never realized in his lifetime. Through June 18. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, lacma.org.

“In Focus: Jane and Louise Wilson’s Sealander,” at the Getty Museum. For roughly three decades, twin sisters Jane and Louise Wilson have created large-scale photographs inspired by important events in European history — in the process, capturing the nuclear site at Chernobyl and the former headquarters of the East German secret police. In this series, they turn their attention to the brutal concrete bunkers deposited by Adolf Hitler along the French coast during World War II. Through July 2. 1200 Getty Center Dr., Brentwood, Los Angeles, getty.edu.

Kerry James Marshall, “Mastry,” at the Museum of Contemporary Art. A 35-year retrospective, featuring nearly 80 works, examines the career of a painter who is known for depicting the black figure in ways that are mordant, lordly and defiant — as well as painterly in the most sublime ways. Born in Birmingham, Ala., but raised in L.A. during the civil rights and black power movements, Marshall paints historical events, the city (including bits of Los Angeles), domestic scenes and portraits in ways that counter the invisibility of the black figure in Western art. His people — rendered in the inkiest shades of black — command notice and authority. Consider this show a must-see. Through July 3. MOCA Grand Avenue, 250 S. Grand Ave., downtown Los Angeles, moca.org.

“Past Times,” by Kerry James Marshall, part of the artist’s 35-year retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. (Nathan Keay / MCA Chicago)

“Inner Eye: Vision and Transcendence in African Arts,” at LACMA. A display of African art gathers objects that touch on important life transitions: initiation pieces, iconic masks and the reliquary guardians that guide people into the afterlife. The works on view, which include metalwork, sculpture and textiles, date from the 13th to 19th centuries, and cover various African regions, including Mali, Nigeria, Liberia and Congo, among others. Through July 9. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, lacma.org.

Hammer Projects: Andrea Bowers, at the Hammer Museum. Bowers, an artist known for her activism, regularly broaches the subject in her work. This new installation was inspired by the artist’s involvement in the protests at Standing Rock — charting the connections between the international banking system and the construction of oil pipelines. She ties these to food and water issues at the Los Angeles level. Through July 16. 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood, Los Angeles, hammer.ucla.edu.

“Chinese Ceramics from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art,” at the Vincent Price Art Museum.” Part of a new series of partnerships that will take LACMA works to other organizations around L.A., this show represents an overview of Chinese ceramics from the museum’s permanent collection that take the viewer from c. 2500 BC to the 19th century — as well as the museum’s own long history as a collector of Chinese ceramics. Through July 22. East Los Angeles College, 1301 Cesar Chavez Ave., Monterey Park, vincentpriceartmuseum.org and lacma.org.

“Instructions to All Persons: Reflections on Executive Order 9066,” at the Japanese American National Museum. At a time when executive orders are transforming U.S. society, it’s a good moment in which to study one of the most notorious ones: President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Order 9066, which allowed for the incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans living along the West Coast during World War II. This exhibition brings together historical ephemera from this dark period in U.S. history, as well as works of art and performance that reflect on the issue of internment. Beginning on March 24, the museum will present “Moving Day,” a nightly public art piece in which exclusion orders will be projected on the side of the building at night. Through Aug. 13. 100 N. Central Ave., downtown Los Angeles, janm.org.

“No More Japanese Wanted Here,” a sign in Livingston, Calif., circa 1920, part of a historical exhibition at the Japanese American National Museum. (Japanese American National Museum)
(Japanese American National Museum)

“No Justice, No Peace: LA 1992,” at the California African American Museum. A historical exhibition looks at the myriad social and political forces that led to the 1992 riots in the wake of the Rodney King verdict — including a troubled history of police relations in minority communities, a history of housing segregation and the drug war, among other factors. Included in the show are hundreds of images and historic documents, as well as a zoot suit and a ’90s era police cruiser. Through Aug. 27. 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, caamuseum.org.

“Los Angeles to New York: Dwan Gallery, 1959-1971,” at the L.A. County Museum of Art. Previously on view at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., this exhibition tracks the legacy of one of the most important postwar galleries in the United States — a space that, for a time, operated in Los Angeles. Its proprietor, Virginia Dwan wasn’t simply a run-of-the-mill gallerist, she was a patron, supporting artists with stipends and studios. She staged one of the earliest pop art exhibitions and she was an important supporter of minimalism. Plus, she was key in helping artists execute the most outrageous works — including important land art pieces such as Robert Smithson’s “Spiral Jetty.” Talk about thinking big. Through Sept. 10. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, www.lacma.org.

“Islamic Art Now: Part 2” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Contemporary works from LACMA’s permanent collection by 20 artists who live in or have roots in the Middle East look at questions of society, gender and identity. Runs indefinitely. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, lacma.org.

“Becoming America: Highlights from the Jonathan and Karin Fielding Collection,” at the Huntington Library. The Huntington has just redone its American art galleries and now features a new expansion by architects at Frederick Fisher and Partners that adds eight rooms for display. Up first is an exhibition devoted to the Fielding Collection, featuring more than 200 works of 18th and early 19th century American art, including paintings, furnishings and decorative art. Runs indefinitely. 151 Oxford Rd., San Marino, huntington.org.

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carolina.miranda@latimes.com

Twitter: @cmonstah

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