May is traditionally the last month of the art world “season.” As summer looms, rhythms change and many galleries choose to mount group exhibitions instead of solo shows. It makes sense, after all, why try to promote an individual’s work when your clients are scattered to various vacation spots around the world? Fortunately, many galleries are ending the season with a bang and presenting A-level solo shows by artists of all career points.

On the higher end of the scale are the exhibitions of established painters like Brice Marden, Bill Jensen and Carroll Dunham. All three are on view this month with shows that demonstrate the continued vitality of their respective projects. Dunham’s show and Blum & Poe in Los Angeles, which is effectively a retrospective of his works on paper, is not to be missed. Many feel that he treads too much on the territory carved out by Philip Guston, but this exhibition demonstrates a bewildering range of work and a pictorial language that is all his own.

New York is always filled with painting shows, but there is truly a lot to see this month. Lower East Side galleries have a number of shows with emerging artists who are pushing painting in all sorts of directions, Michael DeLucia, Noam Rappaport and Ned Vena, among them. At the artist run Canada gallery, Xylor Jane is just about to open an exhibition of new work; Jane is a fascinating painter whose compositional strategies spring from mathematics. Just over the bridge in Brooklyn, past New American Paintings’ cover artist, Ryan Mrozowski has opened a show at Pierogi that is well worth leaving “the island” for.

Chelsea boasts a number of great shows. Don’t miss the work of our old friend Chuck Webster at Zieher Smith; his latest paintings are an extraordinary integration of his painting and drawing practice.  Dana Schutz, the artist who many credit as having rejuvenated the activity of figure painting in the early 2000s, opens her first solo exhibition at Friedrich Petzel this month after migrating from her long time dealer Zach Feuer. There is no way to overstate Schutz’s importance. From our perspective at New American Paintings, she is one of the most important artists to emerge in the past decade, not only because of the quality of her work, but due to her almost instantaneous influence over a younger generation of painters. - Steven Zevitas, NAP Publisher

Dana Schutz | Flasher, oil on canvas, 75 x 88 inches.

NEW AMERICAN PAINTINGS ARTISTS ON VIEW

Why Paint Now? (Featuring Shara Hughes, NAP #58, Ben Steele, NAP #100, Katherine Taylor, NAP #58, #70)
April/May 2012
Kiang Gallery

Jiha Moon (NAP #63, #70, #82)
April 14 – May 25, 2012
Saltworks

Paul Shakespear (NAP #7, #38)
April 20 – May 22, 2012
Howard Yezerski Gallery

Alex Lukas (NAP #92)
April 26 – June 2, 2012
Steven Zevitas Gallery

Alex Lukas | Untitled, Ink, acrylic, gouache, watercolor and silk-screen on paper, 25 x 72 inches.

Steve Locke (NAP #86)
May – June, 2012
Samson

Scott Reeder (NAP #95)
May 12 – August 24, 2012
Kavi Gupta

Scott Reeder | Untitled, acrylic and enamel on canvas, 54 x 38 inches.

Paul Lamantia (NAP #47, #83)
April 13 – May 26, 2012
Packer Schopf Gallery

Richard Hull (NAP #101)
April 20 – May 19, 2012
Western Exhibitions

Richard Hull | The Comedian, oil on wax ground on linen, 36 x 30 inches.

CTRL group two (Featuring David Dupuis, NAP #62)
April 13 – May 19, 2012
Bryan Miller Gallery

Ted Larsen (NAP #5, #90)
April 28 – May 25, 2012
McMurtrey Gallery

Christopher Baird, Todd Bura, Ruth Laskey (NAP MFA Annual, 2004)
April 28 – May 26, 2012
Jancar Jones Gallery

Allison Schulnik (NAP #55, #79)
May 26 – July 7, 2012
Mark Moore Gallery

Ted Vasin (NAP #31, #73, #91)
April 14 – June 6, 2012
101 Exhibit

Ted Vasin | Plugin, acrylic on canvas, 58 x 83 inches.

Ryan Mrozowski (NAP #80)
April 27 – May 27, 2012
Pierogi

Ryan Mrozowski | Bbiirrdd, acrylic on canvas over panel.

Jason Yarmosky (NAP #98)
May 3 – June 2, 2012
Lyons Wier Gallery

Carlos Vega (NAP #62)
April 26 – May 26, 2012
Jack Shainman Gallery

Leslie Wayne (NAP #56)
May 2 – May 26, 2012
Bridgette Mayer Gallery

Marc Katano (NAP #25)
April 26 – June 2, 2012
Stephen Wirtz Gallery

Libby Black (NAP #67, #85)
April 13 – May 26, 2012
Marx & Zavattero

Libby Black | Axl (November Rain), pencil on paper, 6.5 x 8.5 inches

Topography of Painting (Featuring Bill Thompson, NAP #7, #44)
April 5 – May 12, 2012
Patricia Sweetow Gallery

Luke Butler (NAP #79)
March 23 – May 5, 2012
Silverman

Taravat Talepasand (NAP #43, MFA Annual 2006, #79)
May 12 – June 2, 2012
Guerrero Gallery

Taravat Talepasand | Mohammad meets Jesus, egg tempera on linen, 44 x 30 inches.

Brion Nuda Rosch (NAP #97)
April 5 – May 12, 2012
Greg Kucera Gallery, Inc.

Adam Sorensen (NAP #49)
May 3 – June 2, 2012
James Harris Gallery

Adam Sorensen | Heaps, oil on linen, 67 x 79 inches

OTHER NOTEABLE SHOWS

BOSTON:

It’s Hard to Leave When You Can’t Find the Door
March 3 – April 11, 2012
LaMontagne Gallery

CHICAGO:

Carmen McLeod
May 10 – June 22, 2012
Rhona Hoffman Gallery

Laura Fayer
May 4 – June 2, 2012
Thomas Robertello Gallery

Matthew Metzger      PUBLISHER'S PICK
April 20 – May 25, 2012
Tony Wight Gallery

Arturo Herrera
May 10 – June 23, 2012
Corbett vs. Dempsey

Jon Pestoni
April 29 – June 10, 2012
Shane Campbell Gallery

Jon Pestoni | Untitled, gouache on paper, 14 x 11.5 inches.

DALLAS/HOUSTON:

Jason Yates
May, 2012
Barbara Davis Gallery

Bo Joseph
May 12 – June 23, 2012
McClain Gallery

Al Souza
April 28 – May 26, 2012
Moody Gallery

KANSAS CITY:

David Ford
April 27 - June 23, 2012
Dolphin Gallery

David Ford | Love Us, acrylic on paper, 24 x 32 inches.

LOS ANGELES:

Architectural Dispositions      PUBLISHER'S PICK
April 28 – June 9, 2012
Thomas Solomon Gallery

Bill Jensen      PUBLISHER'S PICK
April 28 – June 2, 2012
ACME

Robert Overby
April 28 – June 16, 2012
Marc Selwyn Fine Art

Dennis Hollingsworth
March 23 – May 24, 2012
Michael Kohn Gallery

Carroll Dunham      PUBLISHER'S PICK
April 21 – May 26, 2012
Blum and Poe

Carroll Dunham | Untitled, watercolor crayon and pencil on paper, 16 x 11.25 inches.

Jonas Wood      PUBLISHER'S PICK
March 31 – May 12, 2012
David Kordansky Gallery

Dasha Shiskin
Elizabeth Neel
April 7 – May 12, 2012
Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects

Charlene Liu
April 14 – May 19, 2012
Taylor De Cordoba

Dean Monogenis
April 14 – May 26, 2012
Walter Maciel Gallery

Dean Monogenis | The Nearest Faraway Place, acrylic on wood panel. 60 x 72 inches.

Brian Porray
May 19 – June 23, 2012
Western Project

Frederick Hammersley      PUBLISHER'S PICK
March 22 – May 12, 2012
LA Louver

David O’Brien
May 12 – June 16, 2012
Richard Heller Gallery

NEW YORK:

Justin Adian
April 29 – June 8, 2012
Blackston

Mary Griffiths
March 31 – May 12, 2012
Bureau Gallery

Xylor Jane      PUBLISHER'S PICK
May 6 – June 3, 2012
Canada

Michael Delucia
April 29 – June 2, 2012
Eleven Rivington

Michael DeLucia

Sam Gordon
April 26 – May 26, 2012
Feature Inc.

Noam Rappaport
May 2 – June 10, 2012
James Fuentes

Ned Vena      PUBLISHER'S PICK
April 28 – June 16, 2012
Clifton Benevento

Robert Moskowitz
April 14 – May 20, 2012
Kerry Schuss

Larry Rivers
April 26 – June 15, 2012
Tibor de Nagy

Tauba Auerbach      PUBLISHER'S PICK
May 5 – June 9, 2012
Paul Cooper Gallery

Lucian Freud
May 1 – June 9, 2012
Acquavella Galleries

Neil Gall
May 2 – June 2, 2012
David Nolan Gallery

Neil Gall | On the Beach, oil on linen, 76 1/8 x 97 ¾ inches.

Gabriel Hartley      PUBLISHER'S PICK
April 12 – May 26, 2012
Foxy Production

Gabriel Hartley

Shay Kun
April 26 – June 9, 2012
Benrimon Contemporary

Billy Sullivan      PUBLISHER'S PICK
May 8 – June 16, 2012
Nicole Klagsbrun

William Bailey      PUBLISHER'S PICK
March 29 - May 12, 2012
Betty Cunningham Gallery

David Rathman      PUBLISHER'S PICK
April 6 – May 12, 2012
Larissa Goldston Gallery

Chantal Joffe
May 4 – June 22, 2012
Cheim & Read

Jill Moser      PUBLISHER'S PICK
April 19 – June 9, 2012
Lennon, Weinberg, Inc.

Jill Moser | Ghosting, ail, acrylic on canvas, 47 x 63 inches.

Nigel Cooke      PUBLISHER'S PICK
March 31 – May 12, 2012
Andrea Rosen Gallery

Nigel Cooke | Nature Love You, oil on linen, backed with sailcloth, 90 4/7 x 126 inches.

John Wesley
May 2012
Fredericks & Freiser

Brice Marden      PUBLISHER'S PICK
April 21 – June 23, 2012
Matthew Marks

Tom McGrath      PUBLISHER'S PICK
April 29 – June 10, 2012
Sue Scott Gallery

Tom McGrath | Untitled, oil on canvas over panel, 20 x 30 inches

Dana Schutz      PUBLISHER'S PICK
May 2 – June 16, 2012
Friedrich Petzel Gallery

Lasrissa Bates
April 28 – June 16, 2012
Monya Rowe Gallery

Florian Schmidt
May 4 – June 16, 2012
Zach Feuer

Dan Walsh      PUBLISHER'S PICK
March 17 – April 21, 2012
Paula Cooper Gallery

Jutta Koether
May 2012
Bortolami

Chuck Webster      PUBLISHER'S PICK
April 26 – May 25, 2012
Zieher Smith

Chuck Webster | Untitled, oil on panel, 76 x 108 inches.

Yan Pei-Ming
May 4 – June 23, 2012
David Zwirner

PHILADELPHIA/DC:

Gene Davis
May 5 – June 23, 2012
Marsha Mateyka Gallery

Jill O’Bryan
April 28 – June 2, 2012
Gallery Joe

Marcia Hafif
May 2012
Larry Becker Contemporary Art

Jennifer Bartlett
April 20 – May 25, 2012
Locks Gallery
SAN FRANCISCO:

Alex Zecca
April 27 – June 9, 2012
Gallery 16

Kate Shepherd      PUBLISHER'S PICK
March 30 – May 4, 2012
Anthony Meier Fine Arts

Barbara Takenaga
May 3 – June 23, 2012
Gregory Lind Gallery

Barbara Takenaga | Minus Red, acrylic on wood panel, 24 x 20 inches.

Heiko Muller
May 10 – June 16, 2012
Jack Fisher Gallery

SEATTLE/PORTLAND:

Jen Erickson
May 3– June 2, 2012
Punch Gallery

Ryan Pierce
May 3 – June 23, 2012
Elizabeth Leach Gallery