Datebook: L.A. artist Steven Hull’s three-part show draws carnivals and seafaring

New shows around Los Angeles include one inspired by carnivals and exhibitions that draw from the African American experience. Here are six exhibitions and events to check out in the coming week:

Steven Hull, “Our Little Chapel by the Lake — The Transformation of Jesus Christ,” at Meliksetian Briggs. In his second solo installation at the gallery, Hull is presenting a three-part exhibition that includes a show of abstract paintings with a kinetic sculpture, figurative paintings and sculpture and a record release and performance (the latter of which will close out the show). The show continues to explore the themes — such as seafaring and the carnivalesque — for which Hull is well known. Through May 25. 313 N. Fairfax Ave., Beverly Grove, Los Angeles, MeliksetianBriggs.com.

“Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power 1963-83,” at the Broad museum. Originally organized by the Tate Modern in London, this group exhibition focus on art by African Americans features pieces by more than 60 influential artists who worked during a period of civil rights tumult and moments in which questions of identity were thrown into stark relief in the United States. The show includes a wide range of artistic categories — art photography, abstract expressionist painting, political posters — that explore facets of black history and black identity at a formative time. It contains work by key L.A. artists or influential figures who spent formative years in Los Angeles, including Betye Saar, Senga Nengudi, David Hammons, Noah Purifoy and Daniel LaRue Johnson. Not to be missed. Through Sept. 1. 221 S. Grand Ave., downtown Los Angeles, TheBroad.org.

Roy DeCarava, “The Work of Art,” at the Underground Museum. The Harlem photographer known for his artful chronicles of black life is the subject of a solo exhibition that pairs well with the Broad’s “Soul of a Nation,” which features a number of his works. Opens 4 p.m. March 30 and runs through June 30. 3508 W. Washington Blvd., Arlington Heights, TheUnderground-Museum.org.

“Aspects of Nude: Selections From the Permanent Collection,” at the California African American Museum. This exhibition, drawn from the museum’s permanent collection, explores how the nude has been employed in ways both sensual and political by a range of artists, including Romare Bearden, Charles Dickson, Alison Saar, John Outterbridge and many others. Through Sept. 8. 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, CAAmuseum.org.

“Indian Country: The Art of David Bradley,” at the Autry Museum of the American West. This survey exhibition examines the four-decade career of Bradley (Chippewa), who is known for producing vibrant, figurative paintings inspired by the Native experience — while also wryly poking at stereotype and Hollywood tropes. Opens Sunday and runs through Jan. 5. 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park, Los Angeles, TheAutry.org.

Vanessa German, “$lang: Short Language in Soul,” at Gavlak. Using found objects — in particular, vintage tennis rackets — that she largely harvests from her neighborhood in Pittsburgh, German creates “power figures” and other objects that dwell on the nature of black female strength and identity. Through May 18. 1034 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, GavlakGallery.com.

LAST CHANCE

Camille Rose García, “A Web of Stars,” at Corey Helford Gallery. A show of 14 paintings by an artist known for her depictions of fantastical creatures explores the interconnectedness of beings in the universe employing the spider as metaphor. Through Saturday. 571 S. Anderson St., Boyle Heights, CoreyHelfordGallery.com.

Nicolas Roggy, at Freedman Fitzpatrick. The gallery is showing works by the French artist whose abstract paintings are composed from layers of imagery, some inspired by aspects of the digital. Through Saturday. 6051 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, FreedmanFitzpatrick.com.

Merce Cunningham, “Clouds and Screens,” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This exhibition pairs well with LACMA’s show on Robert Rauschenberg since Cunningham, the famed choreographer, was a good pal and collaborator. This show delves into just that: Cunningham’s myriad collaborations with artists who helped him create costumes, film, music and sets. Through Sunday. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, LACMA.org.

Charles Atlas’ “MC⁹,” which pays tribute to Merce Cunningham.

(Gene Pittman/Walker Art Center, Minneapolis)

Gloria Galvez, “Going Bananas,” at the Women’s Center for Creative Work. In a solo exhibition, Galvez, an artist-in-residence at the WCCW, traces the colonial history of the banana — a fruit that has shaped trade and economies and for which republics have been labeled. Through Sunday. 2425 Glove Place, Elysian Valley, womenscenterforcreativework.com.

Gonzalo Lebrija, “Veladuras Nocturnas,” at Kohn Gallery. The Mexican artist’s first solo exhibition at the gallery features painting (a series of abstract geometric forms inspired by veils), sculpture (which takes its form from a Bic lighter and nods to the concept of the eternal flame) and the social and political history of cigars (a video titled “Vía Láctea”). Through Sunday. 1227 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, kohngallery.com.

ONGOING

Candice Lin, “The Inscrutable Speech of Objects,” at Weingart Gallery. Lin is an artist interested in the material histories of colonialism, the stories of traded goods such as opium, tea, porcelain and sugar. For this work, she has created an installation that uses some of these materials (sugar cane and tobacco) to reflect on a 1980 essay that employed the Chinese language to contend with questions of sentience. Through April 5. Occidental College, 1600 Campus Rd., Eagle Rock, oxy.edu.

Maj Hasager, “Iterations,” at 18th Street Arts Center. Hasager is presenting a project inspired by her research on the Pico neighborhood of Santa Monica — building an alternative historical archive on the area. Through April 5. 1639 18th St., Santa Monica, 18thstreet.org.

“Stargazers: Intersections of Contemporary Art and Astronomy,” at the Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion. This group exhibition, inspired by the opening of a new planetarium at Orange Coast College, brings together works by artists such as Lita Albuquerque, Lia Halloran, Russell Crotty, Laura Gruenther and other figures whose works reflect on aspects of space and time. Through April 6. Orange Coast College, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, orangecoastcollege.edu.

“Color Out of Space,” at Lowell Ryan Projects. H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “Color Out of Space” is about a meteor that crashes into a rural area and brings with it indescribable colors from the remote reaches of the galaxy. The story’s themes — which channels notions of uncertainty and the unknowable — are explored by five artists in a new group show: Mark Flood, Nasim Hantehzadeh, Kysa Johnson, Laurie Nye and Galen Trezise. Through April 6. 4851 West Adams Blvd., West Adams, lowellreyanprojects.com.

“Artful Words,” at the Getty Museum. Words have never just been words. They have also been art — rendered with flamboyant lines, golden inks and other embellishments. This exhibition gathers various examples of the artful ways in which texts have been rendered on various surfaces, including illuminated manuscripts, a Koran and Italian ceramics. Through April 7. 1200 Getty Center Dr., Brentwood, Los Angeles, getty.edu.

Cristian Răduță, “The Diamond Hunters,” at Nicodim Gallery. The Romanian artist creates fantastical animal figures from various parts — a table leg, mannequin pieces, a piece of pipe and myriad other found objects. A menagerie of the bizarre and the surreal. Through April 13. 571 S. Andersen St., Los Angeles, nicodimgallery.com.

Takashi Murakami, “Gyatei2,” at Gagosian. The gallery is presenting a series of works by the prodigious Japanese artist inspired by his blend of sci-fi, anime, pop culture and traditional Japanese painting. The exhibition title comes from a popular sutra in Mahayana Buddhism that is chanted by zen groups. Its words are thought to indicate enlightenment or rebirth. Through April 13. 456 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills, gagosian.com.

Kim Dingle, “I Will Be Your Server (The Lost Supper Paintings),” at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects. The Los Angeles painter is known for her images of feral little girls engaged in acts of destruction. In her latest show at Vielmetter, she presents works on vellum from 14 years ago that had been filed away in a pizza box and subsequently misplaced. Through April 13. 6006 Washington Blvd., Culver City, vielmetter.com.

Brian Rea, “Islands,” at CMay Gallery. Rea, an L.A. artist, produces buoyant geometric patterns that are crafted from meticulous layers of words that also function as fragmented narratives. The show is the first in CMay Gallery’s new location in Mid-Wilshire. Through April 13. 5828 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, cmaygallery.com.

Annie Leibovitz, “The Early Years, 1970-1983,” at Hauser & Wirth. Originally presented by the LUMA Foundation in Arles, France, this exhibition brings together more than 4,000 images snapped by the prodigious rock photographer in the early years of her career. The show features personal images as well as the work from Rolling Stone that made her a national figure. Through April 14. 901 E. Third St., downtown Los Angeles, hauserwirth.com.

Yevgeniya Mikhailik, “A Slow Conflict,” at Grand Central Art Center. Paintings explore the evolution of the world at scales both geological and minute, calling for a deeper, more personal engagement with the natural landscape. Through April 14. 125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, grandcentralartcenter.com.

David Alekhuogie, “Gravity,” and Mariah Garnett, “Trouble,” at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery. The gallery is featuring a pair of solo shows. This includes work by Alekhuogie, whose paintings and collaged images touch on tropes of urban hip hop culture and male sexuality. Garnett, in her first institutional exhibition in the meantime, presents various experimental documentaries, including one devoted to Belfast, Ireland and another about military veterans turned Hollywood stunt men. Through April 14. 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, lamag.org.

Rafael Cardenas, “Landscape and Land Dwellers: Photography of Place,” at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes. Cardenas is widely known for his street photography. In this new exhibition he brings together a series of portraits and landscape images that find the connection between people and place in Los Angeles. Through April 15. 501 N. Main St., downtown Los Angeles, lapca.org.

Lisa Solomon, “Hinan / Evacuation,” at Walter Maciel Gallery. In her fourth solo exhibition at the gallery, Solomon focuses on the stories of Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II. Some of her work manipulates the signage of the era (such as the infamous relocation poster that began, “Instructions to all persons of Japanese ancestry”), while other pieces focus on the cultural rituals that made life in the camps tolerable on a day-to-day basis. Through April 20. 2642 S. La Cienega Blvd., Culver City, waltermacielgallery.com.

Graciela Iturbide, “Hay Tiempo,” at Rosegallery. The Mexican photographer is known for turning a sensitive and poetic lens on myriad subjects, whether it’s indigenous groups in southern Mexico or Chicano youth in East L.A. This show gathers work by the artist in honor of her solo exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the first major East Coast presentation of her work. Through April 20. Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., D4, Santa Monica, rosegallery.net.

Tarrah Krajnak, “1979: Contact Negatives,” at as-is. The artist is transforming the gallery into an operative photo studio and darkroom of sorts that she will employ to metaphorically send herself to Lima, Peru, the city where she was adopted from an orphanage in 1979. Through April 20. 1133 Venice Blvd., Pico-Union, Los Angeles, as-is.la.

“West of Modernism: California Graphic Design, 1975-1995,” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. A show drawn from LACMA’s growing collection of design objects looks at a transformative moment in graphic design, when individual designers were becoming more high-profile, the home computer was shaking up the ways in which design could be produced and images were becoming increasingly fragmented and layered. Through April 21. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, lacma.org.

“MONUMENTality” at the Getty Research Institute. An exhibition about monuments and monumentality looks at the role that these structures play as symbols of power. The show includes a wide array of works from across cultures and time, including depictions of the pre-Columbian Nazca lines in the Peruvian desert, a grandiose reconstruction of ancient Rome as depicted by 18th century printmaker Piranesi, rare 19th century photographs that show a citizens uprising during the days of the Paris Commune in 1871 and documentation of contemporary earthworks. Through April 21. 1200 Getty Center Dr., Brentwood, getty.edu.

Desert X, in locations around the Coachella Valley. The desert biennial is back with a series of installations by artists such as Mary Kelly, Cara Romero, Julian Hoeber, Nancy Baker Cahill and and others, all reflecting on the state of our fragile environment. Through April 21. See the website for programming and locations, desertx.org.

Sheree Hovsepian and Paul Mpagi Sepuya, at Team Bungalow. A show of work by two photographers features two very different approaches to the medium: Hovsepian explores the art of the craft, combining photography with photograms and the creative possibilities of the darkroom, while Sepuya takes on homoerotic portraiture. Through April 21. 306 Windward Ave., Venice, teamgal.com.

Sam Gilliam, “Starting: Works on Paper, 1967-1970,” and Chris Martin, “The Eighties,” at David Kordansky Gallery. Kordansky is pulling together a series of never-before-seen works on paper by Gilliam, the Washington, D.C.-based abstract artist known for making painting sculptural: draping canvas in galleries, or mounting his canvases onto beveled frames. This includes some of his earliest experiments, from the 1960s: folded pieces, expressionist pieces and works with calligraphic inks and light washes. Also on view is a show of paintings by New York artist Chris Martin, reflecting a moment of transition for the artist during the 1980s. Through April 27. 5130 W. Edgewood Place, Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, davidkordanskygallery.com.

Diedrick Brackens, “Unholy Ghosts,” and Anna Sew Hoy, “The Wettest Letter,” at Various Small Fires. The gallery is opening a pair of solo shows. The first features work by Brackens, who creates textile works that address cultural histories that frequently touch on African American identity, and a second showcases Hoy, who creates potent forms out of materials such as ceramics and textiles. Through April 27. 812 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, vsf.la.

“Behind Face” and Betye Saar, “Spirit Catcher,” at Roberts Projects. The gallery is presenting a pair of shows: the first is a group exhibition featuring work by a range of artists — Noah Davis, Forrest Kirk, Celeste Rapone, Betye Saar and others — exploring notions of identity and self. Separately, the gallery is screening the documentary “Spirit Catcher: The Art of Betye Saar,” about the L.A. assemblage artist.Through April 27. 5801 Washington Ave., Culver City, robertsprojectsla.com.

Klaus Frahm, “The Fourth Wall,” at Galerie XII. The German photographer employs a large-format camera to capture the stages of theaters and opera houses as seen from the stage. These reveal details of the architecture, but also the mechanics of what makes a stage a stage. Through April 27. 6150 Wilshire Blvd., Carthay, Los Angeles, galeriexii.com.

Tschabalala Self, “Bodega Run,” at the Hammer Museum. For her Hammer Project, Self is presenting the final iteration of a project inspired by the corner convenience store, or bodega. Drawings and neon signs evoke the shelves of these urban commercial centers that also function as impromptu gathering spaces. Through April 28. 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood, hammer.ucla.edu.

Pontormo, “Miraculous Encounters,” at the Getty Museum. In the 1520s, Florentine painter Pontormo created a luminous larger-than-life painting of the Virgin Mary’s meeting with her cousin St. Elizabeth. The painting remained virtually unknown until it appeared in a small church in Carmignano in the early 20th century. It is now on view in Los Angeles for the very first time, along with related drawings and two portraits. The show was organized by the Getty in collaboration with the Gallerie degli Uffizi in Florence and the Morgan & Library Museum in New York. Through April 28. 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood, Los Angeles, getty.edu.

“Unsettled,” at the Palm Springs Art Museum. A group show features work by more than 75 artists living or working in the “Greater West,” encompassing a region from Alaska to Central America, as well as a diverse range of media, including painting, sculpture, photography and performance. There will even be Twitter poems. Through April 30. 101 Museum Drive, Palm Springs, psmuseum.org.

Sandra de la Loza, “Mi Casa Es Su Casa,” and Sara Kathryn Arledge, “Serene for the Moment,” at the Armory Center for the Arts. The Armory has a pair of shows on view. The first, by De la Loza, is an immersive installation constructed from collaged images that dwell on the nature of identity and community. Also on view are a series of paintings by the late Arledge, an artist known for her bright landscapes and experimental filmmaking. Through May 12. 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, armoryarts.org.

Beatriz Cortez, “Trinidad / Joy Station,” at the Craft Contemporary. At a moment of political dystopia, the L.A. artist imagines a bit of utopia: a futuristic space station that suggests a communal, indigenous space apart from capitalism and Western civilization. She also recycles symbols of the military-industrial complex — say, a form that evokes the container where the first atomic bomb was detonated, turned into a seed repository. The show wrestles with our difficult present, too: one series is inspired by the beds inhabited by children in border detention centers. Through May 12. 5814 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, cafam.org.

“Focus Iran 3: Contemporary Photography and Video,” at the Craft & Folk Art Museum. The third iteration of this biennial devoted to Iranian art and culture turns its lens to youth culture. The show is organized in collaboration with the Farhang Foundation and features 42 works from Iranian artists from around the world. Through May 12. 5814 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, cafam.org.

Allen Ruppersberg, “Intellectual Property 1968-2018,” at the Hammer Museum. Over the course of his career, the U.S.-based conceptual artist has employed elements of popular culture — newspapers, magazines, band posters and more — to create curious juxtapositions of image and text. This is the first comprehensive survey devoted to his work in more than 30 years and will feature some of his groundbreaking early environmental installations, including “Al’s Cafe” from 1969 and “Al’s Grand Hotel” from 1971. Through May 12. 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood, Los Angeles, hammer.ucla.edu.

“Brognon-Rollin: Maybe Some Of Us Will Change This,” at the ICA LA. Artists David Brognon and Stéphanie Rollin, otherwise known as Brognon-Rollin, worked with students at Metropolitan High School on a project about political tensions, immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border — which included a trip, with the students, to the border. Collectively, they have produced a multi-site sound installation that contends with these issues in the Oaxacan whistled language of Mazatec, a work created in collaboration with linguist and educator Eloy Garcia. The sound piece will be presented at the ICA, as well as Metropolitan High School and ice cream trucks that ply the streets around the school and the museum. Through May 12. 1717 East 7th St., downtown Los Angeles, theicala.org.

“Dirty Protest: Selections from the Contemporary Collection, at the Hammer Museums. An exhibition drawn from recent acquisitions to the museum’s permanent collection brings together contemporary works by more than 30 international artists. The show takes its title from a 2015 painting by Tala Madani included in the show. Through May 19. 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood, Los Angeles, hammer.ucla.edu.

“Once Upon a Tapestry: Woven Tales of Helen and Dido,” at the Norton Simon Museum. Helen of Troy was the beautiful ancient heroine whose kidnapping launched the Trojan War. Dido was the first queen of Carthage, who famously killed herself on a funeral pyre. This exhibition looks at the ways in which these women and their stories have been depicted in a series of five 16th and 17th centuries tapestries. Through May 27. 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, nortonsimon.org.

Michael Rakowitz, “Dispute Between the Tamarisk and the Date Palm,” at REDCAT. Rakowitz recently made headlines for declining to participate in the Whitney Biennial in protest of a trustee whose company produces tear gas that was deployed on immigrants at the border. Now he is having his first exhibition in Los Angeles, a politically minded installation that explores the history of Iraq. The show takes its title from a Sumerian tale in which a king plants a tamarisk and a date palm in his courtyard and the two trees argue their merits with each other. Through June 2. 631 W. 2nd St., downtown Los Angeles, redcat.org.

Rauschenberg: The 1/4 Mile, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The print maker Robert Rauschenberg was known for making obsessive works, including a monumental 190-panel installation that when assembled reaches approximately a quarter-mile in length. The show includes ambient sound and other additional elements. Through June 9. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, lacma.org.

“Charles White: A Retrospective,” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Over the course of a more than four-decade career, this influential artist, teacher and activist produced work that celebrated African American history and black pride and condemned institutional racism. The show, organized by LACMA in collaboration with the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, brings together more than 100 paintings, drawings, prints and photographs from throughout the span of White’s life as he moved between Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. The presentation will include 13 additional works from LACMA’s permanent collection. Through June 9. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, lacma.org.

“Encore: Reenactment Photography,” at the Getty Center. A group show brings together works by a range of contemporary photographers who explore the idea of the reenactment: the restaging of historical or other events for the camera. This includes works by Christina Fernandez, in which she stages scenes from her family’s history; Yasumasa Morimora, who employs himself to re-create famous works of art; and Gillian Wearing, who takes on the guise of historical and quotidian figures. Through June 9. 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood, Los Angeles, getty.edu.

“1950, San Diego, California, 1995,” by Christina Fernandez in “Encore.”

(Christina Fernandez / J. Paul Getty Museum)

“The Jeweled Isle: Art from Sri Lanka,” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The first comprehensive survey of historic Sri Lankan art organized by a U.S. museum is featuring 240 works of art drawn from nearly 2,000 years of the country’s history. This includes decorative objects crafted in gold, silver and ivory, furnishings, historic photographs and relics from sacred Buddhist sites. Through June 23. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, lacma.org.

“Auto-Didact: The Juxtapoz School,” at the Petersen Automotive Museum. Custom car culture has had a far-reaching influence on American culture in general, including art, where representation, design and finishes have all had an influence. The show features works by Von Dutch, Sandow Birk, Gary Panter, Mister Cartoon, Robert Williams, Suzanne Williams and many others. Through June. 6060 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, petersen.org.

“Tsuruya Kōkei: Modern Kabuki Prints Revised & Revisited,” at the USC Pacific Asia Museum. Kōkei, a key postwar artist, is known for his 20th century take on the Kabuki print, rendering historic leading actors and important stage works in ways that employ intense color and motion. This exhibition gathers 77 prints from the ’80s and ’90s and also explores how Kabuki imagery has inspired Pop and other forms of contemporary art. Through July 14. 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu.

Kudzanai Chiurai, Zina Saro-Wiwa and Mikhael Subotzky, “Inheritance: Recent Video from Africa,” at the Fowler Museum. A group show features recent video work by three contemporary African artists who address issues of environment, social issues and historical realities in their work. Through July 28. UCLA, 308 Charles E. Young Dr., Westwood, fowler.ucla.edu.

Adia Millett, “Breaking Patterns,” at the California African American Museum. Millett creates work inspired by the nature of quilts — pieces in which disparate pieces come together to form a cohesive, sheltering whole. Through Aug. 25. 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, caamuseum.org.

“Plumb Line: Charles White and the Contemporary,” at the California African American Museum. A show of work by contemporary artists reflects on the ongoing influence of painter and teacher Charles White, known for his depiction of the black figure, frequently rendered in mystical ways. The show includes works by Sadie Barnette, Diedrick Brackens, Kenturah Davis, Toyin Ojih Odutula, among many others. Through Aug. 26. 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, caamuseum.org.

“Gráfica América,” at the Museum of Latin American Art. An exhibition looks at printmaking in its various manifestations, featuring work by more than 100 artists and master printers, including Mexico’s Taller de Gráfica Popular and L.A.’s own Mixografía, known for the prints that extend into three dimensions. Participating artists include Pepe Coronado, Sandra C. Fernández and Fernando De León. Through Sept. 1. 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach, molaa.or

“Life Model: Charles White and his Students,” at Charles White Elementary School. In conjunction with the Charles White retrospective at LACMA, the museum is organizing this exhibition that looks at the late artist’s impact on the art world as a teacher. The exhibition features work by many of his students, including David Hammons, Judithe Hernández, Kerry James Marshall and Kent Twitchell. Through Sept. 15. 2401 Wilshire Blvd., Westlake, Los Angeles, lacma.org.

Jennifer Levonian, “Lost Islands of Philadelphia,” and Jon Haddock, “The Things (that do not spark joy),” at Grand Central Art Center. Grand Central Art Center is marking two decades with several shows, including paintings by Levonian (inspired by some long-gone riverine islands in Philadelphia) and a wall mural by Haddock. Other works — including paintings by Yevgeniya Mikhailik and an installation by Angel Nevarez and Valerie Tevere exploring development and gentrification — are also on view. Through Sept. 15. 125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, grandcentralartcenter.com.

“The Archival Impulse: 40 Years at LACE,” at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions. LACE, the historic Los Angeles art spot that gave key shows to Mike Kelley and groups such as Survival Research Laboratories in the ’80s, is turning 40 — and to mark the occasion, the organization has been poking around its metaphorical attic (aka its archive) to see what it might turn up. This show gathers elements from that archive as well as video works by a range of Los Angeles artists, including Jim Shaw, Susan Mogul and Reza Abdoh. Through December 31. 6522 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, welcometolace.org.

“L.A. Communities Through the Eyes of Artists,” in the Passageway Gallery at Union Station. For 15 years, L.A.’s principal train station has been showcasing work that reveals the city through the eyes of its artists. This year, it is showing a series of newly commissioned pieces — including Shizu Saldamando’s depiction of Little Tokyo, Sam Pace on Leimert Park and Artemio Rodriguez on East L.A. On long-term view; no closing date set. Union Station, 800 N. Alameda St., downtown Los Angeles, metro.net.

Daniel Hawkins, “Desert Lighthouse.” The Los Angeles-based artist is obsessed with producing works that toy with ideas of grandiosity, failure and gestures that border on the Sisyphean. (One of his goals as an artist is to ultimately build a scale replica of the Hoover Dam.) Now, Hawkins has installed a 50-foot tall, fully functioning lighthouse in the Mojave Desert in the vicinity of Barstow. The piece even features a light to guide travelers through this rugged landscape. Directions and coordinates can be found on the website. On long-term view, Hinkley, Calif., desertlighthouse.org.

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Twitter: @cmonstah