Art beat: October gallery and exhibit openings

Gallery and exhibit openings in San Diego during the month of October include “Wendy Maruyama: The Wildlife Project” at the Oceanside Museum of Art, “Annual Open Studios San Diego” at The Studio Door and “7 Steps Forward, 7 Steps Back” at Fallbrook Art Center.

10.1-31: “San Diego Watercolor Society International Exhibition”

Hundreds of watercolor artists vie for a spot in this annual exhibition, which has been one of the organization’s highlights for the past 30 years. Expect thousands to visit and take a look at the work of internationally known creators.

San Diego Watercolor Society: 2825 Dewey Rd., #105, Liberty Station, 619.876.4550, sdws.org

10.6-12.29: “Celebrating the Art in Archaeology”

From traditional basket weaving and pottery to photography, sculpture and sketched maps, this annual art contest and show highlights the artistic elements found in archaeology.

California State Parks Office at NTC Liberty Station: 2797 Truxtun Rd., Barracks 26, Liberty Station, 858.538.0935, sandiegoarchaeologicalsociety.com

10.6-29: “Annual Open Studios San Diego”

Studio artists from across the region, working in various media, are featured in the gallery as part of this month’s self-guided art tours.

The Studio Door: 3750 30th St., North Park, 619.255.4920, thestudiodoor.com

10.7-2.18.18: “Wendy Maruyama: The Wildlife Project”

This furniture maker and artist - who has a reputation for merging her art with her activism - takes on the poaching of endangered wildlife in Africa with her 8- to 12-foot installation pieces in wood, glass and metal.

Oceanside Museum of Art: 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside, 760.435.3720, oma-online.org

10.12-11.2: “7 Steps Forward, 7 Steps Back”

Artist V. Kim Martinez uses paintings and an animated film to explore the indigenous North American ritual of paying homage to the dead by walking forward seven steps, then backward, to assure their safe entry to the afterlife.

San Diego Mesa College Art Gallery, 7250 Mesa College Dr., D104, Clairemont Mesa, 619.388.2829, sdmesa.edu

10.14-11.1: “Michael Desroches”

Working as an art therapist to help people with mental and emotional illnesses led to the artist’s desire to convey intense, naked emotion.

Monarch|Arredon Contemporary: 862 Prospect St., Ste. A, La Jolla
858.454.1231, monarchfineart.com

10.14-11.4: “Gabe Leonard: Grit”

Artist Gabe Leonard has been referred to as “Johnny Cash meets Quentin Tarantino” because of the cinematic nature of his work, and this solo show includes outlaws and a nostalgic look at the people who shaped American history.

Distinction Gallery: 317 E. Grand Ave., Escondido, 760.707.2770, distinctionart.com

10.21-3.11.18: “Modern Masters from Latin America: The Pérez Simón Collection”

This exhibition celebrates the history of Latin American modernism and explores colonial history, landscape painting, symbolism, depictions of indigenous peoples and customs - as interpreted by renowned artists from the 1800s to the early 2000s.

The San Diego Museum of Art: 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park , 619.232.7931, sdmart.org

10.28-3.25.18: “Kantha: Recycled and Embroidered Textiles of Bengal”

Across the Indian sub-continent, “kantha” describes decorative quilting - often given on wedding days or in celebration of the birth of a child - and typically made from the material of old saris or dhotis.

Mingei International Museum: 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park, 619.239.0003, mingei.org

Through 11.12: “Photography Expanded: Distinct Approaches”

From chromogenic photograms and distorted images to photojournalism and digital collages, this exhibition celebrates California artists and photographers and the ways they use photography to express their creativity.

California Center for the Arts: 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido, 760.839.4138, artcenter.org

Through 12.3: “Alexandra Hart: symbiosis / A Solo Show”

Heavily influenced by biology, this original collection uses abstract ideas of sculpture, traditional forms of jewelry and the human body to create pieces intended to function as separate organisms living with their human hosts.

Sparks Gallery: 530 Sixth Ave., downtown, 619.696.1416, sparksgallery.com