SFist First Thursday

That time of month again, and this time we'll suggest the following shows for a little art therapy:

Start your night by dropping by the Lisa Dent gallery from six to eight in Soma for Flo McGarrell's refined post-industrial sculpture. With womb-like spaces that explore curvature and symmetry, and the use of fabrics in a structural composition, she creates light sculpture that appears to have great weight and substance. SFist likes Lisa Dent because they don't skimp on the booze and vittles.

Starting at eight, SFist friend and photographer Bayete Ross-Smith is having a show at Cafe Royale for those of you who need yet more booze (we sure do). Bayete uses a very sedate, commerical perspective in the vein of Errol Morris to do series work that play on the role of perceived personality. Similar to a lineup of mug-shots, the repetition of pose and facial expression contrasted against the variation in dress create a Kuleshov effect and question our conflation of race, class and masculinity.

SFist Mary-Lynn recommends the opening at 111 Minna Gallery tonight, featuring artist Alison Pebworth:

Alison's work is narrative but also highly iconic, often using singular images with fanciful settings or secondary characters. The colours are bright and sharp, evoking an almost early 1930s with the dust bowl blown off feel. In addition to her solo work, Minna will be exhibiting a series of works by Creativity Explored Artists. Creativity Explored is a non-profit organization that helps the developmentally disabled create art. In You Are Here, a two-year collaborative project, these artists have created maps exploring their communities and themselves.