"Canyon de Chelly," Ansel Adams, Polk Museum Credit: Courtesy Of George Eastman House

Natura Morta: Still-Life Painting and the Medici Collections & Untamed Beauty/ Prints by Jean Dubuffet. Like a little art brut with your baroque? Head to the MFA to see over 40 ooh-and-ahh-worthy Italian still lifes from the 17th and 18th centuries, then top it off with a dollop of Dubuffet's purposely primitive figuration in a small collection of prints. The Contemporaries, the MFA's young professional membership group, will screen classic Italian films The Bicycle Thief and Roberto Rossellini's The Age of Medici trilogy on Sundays in February. Jan. 19-March 18 (Jan. 13-April 22 for Dubuffet), Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, 727-896-2667.

Thomas J. Abercrombie: National Geographic Magazine Photographer. On the heels of an erudite photogravure show, FMoPA offers something with a bit more mass appeal: images by Thomas Abercrombie, a National Geographic writer and photographer who died last year. In 1957, Abercrombie won a lottery to become the first journalist to visit the South Pole; the exhibit includes images from his many travels to the Middle East. Feb. 1-April 15, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Tampa, 813-221-2222.

Dalí & the Spanish Baroque. More baroque! And this time it's in Spanish! The Dalí museum showcases the painter's work in the context of his life-long fascination with and adaptation of 17th-century themes and compositions; look for favorite Dalí canvases in the company of Velásquez and Ribera. Dalí Fest 2007, a free outdoor event celebrating the museum's 25th anniversary, happens March 24. Feb. 2-June 24, Salvador Dalí Museum of Art, St. Petersburg, 727-823-3767.

Ansel Adams: Celebration of Genius. If last year's Clyde Butcher show at the Gulf Coast Museum of Art left you slack-jawed, check out a sampling of awe-inspiring vistas by the father of all landscape photographers, Ansel Adams. Absolutely do not miss a talk at the exhibit's reception on Fri., Feb. 2, by John Szarkowski, director emeritus of photography at New York's Museum of Modern Art and (as such) shaper of the canon of contemporary photography. Feb. 3-April 1, Polk Museum of Art, Lakeland, 863-688-7743.

Reluctant Sitters. An exhibit of 50 vintage mug shots from the 1940s and 50s puts a real face on this year's film noir fest at Studio@620. Local Tim Welsh stumbled upon the striking documents, some of which are as large as 10-by-15 inches, at an auction and became an avid collector. This year's film screening series, dubbed "Shadow Over the Sunshine City," features classics like Sunset Boulevard and The Naked City as well as newer offerings like Blade Runner. Feb. 9-17, Studio@620, St. Petersburg, 727-895-6620.

Focus on Five: Five Years of Collecting & The Lehnen Family Art Collection. The Leepa celebrates its fifth anniversary year with two exhibits showcasing the museum's growing permanent collection. In one gallery, a sampling of greatest hits donated since 2002 features work by Robert Indiana, Miriam Schapiro, Ben Shahn and Mark Tobey. In another, artworks donated exclusively by the Lehnen family include glass artist Dale Chihuly, Alexander Calder and Victor Vasarely. Feb. 18-April 15, Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, Tarpon Springs, 727-712-5210.

Introducing: Claudia Ryan, Kate Norris & Kathy Wright. Clayton Galleries presents work by the three newest members of its stable of artists. Watch out for two in particular: Claudia Ryan, a recent USF MFA grad who was drafted to design sets for the student performance of Set and Reset, Reset (see story on p. 31), and Kate Norris. Both abstract painters have unique styles; Ryan's large-scale scribble forms are the polar opposite of Norris' small, geometric works. Kathy Wright's gently blurred landscapes convey a sense of mystery. Feb. 23-March 31, Clayton Galleries, Tampa, 813-831-3753.

Gasparilla Festival of the Arts & Booty Art Expo. After the booze and beads, snag some booty in the form of fine art and craft. Comb through an eclectic mix of painting, sculpture, jewelry, pottery and more, fueled by delicious snacks in a busy street-fair environment that brings a rare flicker of weekend life to downtown Tampa. Booty Art Expo, an edgier, contemporary offshoot arranged last year in PODS along Franklin Street, will make its second annual appearance in a to-be-determined form. March 3-4, downtown Tampa; event hotline: 813-876-1747.

At Home With Craft. Curator Grace-Anne Alfiero, artist and executive director of Creative Clay, turns Florida Craftsmen Gallery into a mock home space where handmade objects, from the functional to the decorative, are integrated into everyday living areas. From linens to light fixtures to objects that simply defy categorization, learn how to create a lasting domestic relationship with a true love: craft. March 16-May 18, Florida Craftsmen Gallery, 727-821-7391.

The Wild Bunch: Contemporary Cowboys & Cracker Country —Florida's Cowboy Culture. Buried under the theme parks and palm trees, Florida boasts a long cowboy history; Spanish explorers brought America's first cattle here in the 1500s. Cracker Country takes a look at that heritage through the photography of Carlton Ward, an eighth-generation Floridian. Wild Bunch rustles up contemporary artists with a fetish for cowboy kitsch. March 23-May 27, The Arts Center, St. Petersburg, 727-822-7872.

Mix it up: Spring arts

What to watch for

This article appears in Jan 31 – Feb 6, 2007.