The week ahead at SoCal museums, July 1-8: ‘Common Ground’ at the Main Museum and more

Reviews by Leah Ollman (L.O.).

Openings

African Twilight: Vanishing Rituals & Ceremonies The cultural diversity of Africa is explored in photographs and films by Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher. Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana. Opens Sat.; ends Jan. 6. Closed Mon. $10-$15; children under 12, free. (714) 567-3600.

Milton Davis and Vickie Uyeda: Common Ground This joint exhibition pairs the drawings and paintings of the veteran L.A.-based artists. The Main Museum, 114 W 4th St., L.A. Opens next Sun.; ends Sept. 2. Closed Mon.-Tue. Free. (213) 986-8500.

Critics’ Choices

Shinique Smith: Refuge Smith works across media, typically in combinations of painting, sculpture, collage and installation. Fabric is the constant throughout, and much of the material she uses has already played a role in the world, sheltering or adorning a body. Here, the memory of its prior purpose merges with the promise, mostly metaphorical, of a new function, in support of this stirring show’s assertion that acts of nurture and nationhood, art and humanity are profoundly linked. (L.O.) California African American Museum, 600 State St., Exposition Park, L.A. California African American Museum, 600 State Dr., Exposition Park, L.A. Sept. 9. Closed Mon. Free. (213) 744-7432.