The Insider's Guide to Out-of-the-Box Art

Read more: the most interesting gallerist in town.

Catharine Clark Gallery
Specializes in: Experimental video and digital media.
What to see now: Macabre collages and video installations by Stacey Steers combining images of silent film star Lillian Gish with 18th- and 19th-century illustrations, viewed through the windows of victorian-era dollhouses (“Night Hunter,“ through December 14).
248 Utah St. (at 16th St.), 415-399-1439, cclarkgallery.com

4x5 Gallery
Specializes in: Photography by Bay Area artists.
What to see now: Pictures of San Francisco taken by unknown amateur photographers from the ’40s to the ’60s (“San Francisco Found,“ through January 12, 2014).
442 Haight St. (near Webster St.), 415-683-0730, 4x5gallerysf.com

Jack Fischer Gallery
Specializes in: Self-taught and so-called outsider artists working at centers for adults with disabilities.
What to see now: Hyperrealistic black-and-white pencil drawings by Christina Empedocles and intricate cityscape drawings by Kevin Chen (“Two Pencils,“ through December 31).
311 Potrero Ave. (near 16th St.), 415- 522-1178, jackfischergallery.com

Brian Gross Fine Art
Specializes in: Abstract and reductive painting.
What to see now: Geometric powder-coated steel sculptures by Linda Fleming, including Crackle, a 81⁄2-by-141⁄2-by-12-foot freestanding sculpture that viewers can walk into (“Evanescent,” through December 21).
248 Utah St. (at 16th St.), 415-788-1050, briangrossfineart.com

Fused Space
Specializes in: The overlap between art and design
What to see now: A group exhibit of sculptures and paintings inspired by building elements and furnishings—anti-slip guards, carpeting, cinder blocks, window blinds, and more—lending the effect of an imploded house (“Architecture Undigested,“ through January 18, 2014).
1401 16th St. (near Carolina St.), fusedspace.com

Exhibit S
Specializes in: Interactive and wearable art.
What to see now: Maren Conrad’s glinting paintings—acrylic mixed with resin and metal leaf—meet Danny Scheible’s masking tape sculptures (“Confluential,” through December 31).
1200 K St. (near 5th St.), Sacramento, 203-500-8679, exhibitsstudios.com

George Lawson Gallery
Specializes in: Contemporary painting.
What to see now: Colored-linen grid paintings by Stephen Beal, president of California College of the Arts (“Colored Linens,” through December 21).
315 Potrero Ave. (near 16th St.), 415-703-4400, georgelawsongallery.com

Rêverie Arts
Specializes in: Art that addresses social change and works by emerging local artists
What to see now: Iridescent paintings by artist-in-residence Lin Evola, made from the repurposed steel of decommissioned nuclear weapons (“1962,” through March 1, 2014).
357 Tehama St. (near Gallagher St.), 415-590-2960, reverie-arts.com

Originally published in the December 2013 issue of San Francisco

Have feedback? Email us at letterssf@modernluxury.com
Email Lauren Murrow at lmurrow@sanfranmag
Follow us on Twitter @sanfranmag
Follow Lauren Murrow on Twitter @laurenmurrow