Art Beat

By Michael Benninger

7/11-8/1: Super-Heros, Graphic Novels, & Pop Culture
ArtHatch, 317 East Grand Ave., Escondido
distinctionart.com
Hot on the heels of Comic-Con, 30-some local artists will showcase their original paintings, photographs and mixed-media creations depicting some of the most recognizable characters from comic book, sci-fi and fantasy culture.

7/9-8/1: “Coming Home to Famiglia” by John Asaro
Meyer Fine Art
2400 Kettner Blvd., Ste. 104, Little Italy
meyerfineartinc.com
With proceeds benefiting the Little Italy Association’s Piazza Famiglia project, which aims to open a 10,000-square-foot space in the neighborhood by Spring 2017, first-generation Italian-American John Asaro presents his romantic paintings of San Diego-inspired scenes.

7/11-8/2: Ricardo Ales
Thumbprint Gallery
920 Kline St., La Jolla
thumbprintgallerysd.com
A UCSD undergrad and finalist in the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s 2014 “25 Under 25 Art Contest,” this rising talent displays his crosshatched pen and ink drawings, which he occasionally imbues with markers and watercolors.

7/11-8/12: “Gestures” by Donald Martiny
Madison Gallery
1020 Prospect St., Ste. 130, La Jolla
madisongalleries.com
This native New Yorker, who currently lives and works in North Carolina, has shown his work the world over and now brings his latest paintings and mixed-media masterpieces to America’s Finest.

7/11-8/29: “Mental Meteorites” by Constanza Piaggio and Romain Sein
jdc Fine Art
2400 Kettner Blvd., Little Italy
jdcfineart.com
Consisting of a series of photographs and a collaborative video entitled “Rock-Paper-Guillotine,” this Paris-based Argentinian artist’s new collection of interdisciplinary creations uses photographic flashes of everyday objects to weave a tale of tranquility and chaos.

7/11-9/13: Writing with Pictures
California Center for the Arts
340 North Escondido Blvd., Escondido
artcenter.org
Featuring original artwork and writing by local illustrators and authors, this exhibition focuses on the picture book, exploring the past, present and future of the medium while analyzing the role it plays in individual lives and society at large.

7/11-10/13: “Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland”
San Diego Museum of Art
1450 El Prado, Balboa Park
sdmart.org
This first-of-its-kind artistic celebration of Brooklyn’s famous beachside community showcases more than 100 paintings, posters, prints and artifacts inspired by or sourced from one of America’s most storied playgrounds.

7/11-1/3: “Altering Alters” by BB Bastidas
Oceanside Museum of Art
704 Pier View Way, Oceanside
oma-online.org
From acrylic to spray paint, and watercolor to graphic design, discover the art of this self-taught Oceanside native, who regularly works on projects for some of the biggest brands in the local skateboard industry.

7/11-1/3: “Some Assembly Required: A Re-Collection of Community” by David Fobes and Mark Siprut
Oceanside Museum of Art
704 Pier View Way, Oceanside
oma-online.org
Oceanside residents, businesses and organizations contribute images and memories to this multimedia installation, creating a revealing collage indicative of the community’s zeitgeist.

7/17-11/1: “John D. Spreckels and the Impossible Railroad” by Suzanne Hellmuth and Jock Reynolds
MCASD Downtown
1100 Kettner Blvd., Downtown
mcasd.org
To commemorate one of San Diego’s forefathers and the role he played in completing America’s southern transcontinental railroad, the artists behind this show present a multimedia installation that includes moving model trains, vintage luggage and a gallery of historic photos.

7/17-11/1: “Pond Lily Over Mushroom Cloud: Byron Kim Adapts the Black on Black Cosmology of Maria Martinez”
MCASD Downtown
1100 Kettner Blvd., Downtown
mcasd.org
A native La Jollan inspired by late ceramicist Maria Martinez revives the deceased artist’s signature style in this series of minimalist, black-on-black paintings depicting facets of modern society.

7/18-28: Frida Kahlo Group Art Show
La Bodega
2196 Logan Ave., Barrio Logan
facebook.com/Bodega619
More than three dozen local artists display their unique creations inspired by one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, who, 60 years after her death, continues to inspire creative minds worldwide.