The art world comes alive again in September, as galleries reopen and collectors return from far flung locations. We reviewed upcoming September exhibitions at more than 400 galleries around the country, and there will be a lot of painting on view.

As is typical, many galleries are bringing out the big guns for the new season - from Agnes Martin at The Pace Gallery in New York to a well structured survey of Bay Area figurative painter, Nathan Oliveira, at John Berggruen Gallery in San Francisco. Among the shows opening by emerging artists, it is hard to ignore the trend towards abstract painting that has swept over the art world.

Kimberly Brooks | Punk History, oil on linen, 40 x 36 inches. Courtesy of Taylor De Cordoba, Los Angeles.

NEW AMERICAN PAINTINGS ARTISTS ON VIEW

New York

Molly Zuckerman-Hartung (NAP #95) - EDITOR'S PICK
September 8 – October 22, 2011
Ann Kustera

Devin Troy Strother (NAP #85) - EDITOR'S PICK
September 8 – November 6, 2011
Monya Rowe Gallery

Devin Troy Strother | Collection Noire Sculpture Africaine (Contemporary Sculpture Collection Black Africa). Courtesy of Monya Rowe Gallery, New York.

Amy Cutler (NAP #32)
September 15 – November 5, 2011
Leslie Tonkonow Artworks + Projects

Eric Aho (NAP #7)
September 8 – October 8, 2011
DC Moore Gallery

Los Angeles

Patrick Wilson (NAP #73)
September – November, 2011
Susanne Vielmetter

Patrick Wilson | Romeo, acrylic on canvas, 17 x 17 inches. Courtesy of Suzanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Art Projects, Los Angeles.

Kimberly Brooks  (NAP #79) - EDITOR'S PICK
September 10 – October 22 2011
Taylor DeCordoba

David Jien (NAP #91)
September 10 – October 22, 2011
Richard Heller Gallery

San Francisco

Ruth Pastine (NAP #67)
September 8 – October 29, 2011
Brian Gross Fine Art

Jake Longstreth (NAP #79, MFA Annual 2004)
September 8 – October 15, 2011
Gregory Lind Gallery

Jake Longstreth | Tecumesh, oil on canvas, 20 x 28 inches. Courtesy of Gregory Lind Gallery, San Francisco.

Yoon Lee (NAP #92, MFA Annual 2002)
September 8 – October 22, 2011
Marx & Zavattero

Gale Antokal (NAP #91)
September 8 – October 15, 2011
Patricia Sweetow Gallery

Alex Lukas (NAP #92) - EDITOR'S PICK
September 10 – October 8, 2011
Guerrero Gallery

Alex Lukas. Untitled, ink, acrylic, watercolor, gouache and silkscreen on paper, 25 x 72 inches. Courtesy of Guerrero Gallery, San Francisco.

St. Louis

Phyllis Bramson (NAP #4, #17)
September 16 – October 29, 2011
Philip Slein Gallery

Chicago

Ed Valentine (NAP #89)
September 9 – October 22, 2011
Linda Warren Gallery

Lorraine Peltz (NAP #11, #35, #53, #89)
September 9 – October 22, 2011
Packer Schopf Gallery

Seattle

Susanna Bluhm (NAP #53, #67)
August 31 - October 1, 2011
Prole Drift

Michael Brophy (NAP #31, #61)
September 1 – October 8, 2011
G. Gibson Gallery

Sarah Awad (NAP #93) - EDITOR'S PICK
September 2 – October 8, 2011
James Harris Gallery

Sarah Awad | Power of Aphrodesia, oil on canvas, 60 x 67 inches. Courtesy of James Harris Gallery, Seattle.

Portland

Kristen Miller (NAP #67)
August 30 – October 1, 2011
PDX Contemporary

Houston

Bernard Mattox (NAP #58)
September 11 – October 16, 2011
Hooks Epstein Galleries

Howard Sherman (NAP #60, #72, #90)
September 17 – October 15, 2011
McMurtrey Gallery

Dallas

Kirk Hayes (NAP #24, #42, #60) - EDITOR'S PICK
September 10 – October 8, 2011
Conduit Gallery

Kirk Hayes. Dead Acrobat, oil and spray enamel on signboard, 34.5 x 40 inches. Courtesy of Conduit Gallery, Dallas.

Boston

Jered Sprecher (NAP #64, MFA Annual 2000) - EDITOR'S PICK
September 8 – October 15, 2011
Steven Zevitas Gallery

Jered Sprecher | Affinity, oil on linen, 68 x 52 inches. Courtesy of Steven Zevitas Gallery, Boston, MA.

Sante Fe

Dirk De Bruycker (NAP #5)
September 2 – October 1, 2011
Gerbert Contemporary
Santa Fe, NM

Atlanta

William Cordova (NAP MFA Annual 2003)
September 16 – October 29, 2011
Saltworks

OTHER NOTEABLE SHOWS

NEW YORK

Marti Cormand - EDITOR'S PICK
September 8 – October 22, 2011
Josee Bienvenu Gallery

Marti Cormand | The New Deal, oil on canvas, 22 x 28 inches. Courtesy of Josee Bienvenu Gallery, New York.

Nicola Tyson
September 8 – November 5, 2011
Friedrich Petzel Gallery

Jenny Saville
September 15 – October 22, 2011
Gagosian Gallery

Johannes Kahrs - EDITOR'S PICK
September 10 – October 22, 2011
Luhring Augustine

Lari Pittman
September 23 – October 22, 2011
Gladstone Gallery

Agnes Martin
September 16 – October 29, 2011
Ad Reinhardt
September 15 – October 15, 2011
The Pace Gallery

Kris Chatterson
September 7 – October 8, 2011
Jeff Bailey Gallery

Milton Resnick
September 22 – October 29, 2011
Cheim & Read

Richard Aldrich
September 15 -
Bortolami

Raoul De Keyser - EDITOR'S PICK
September 20 – October 29, 2011
David Zwirner

Raoul De Keyser | Passage, oil on canvas, 13 3/8 x 17 3/8 inches. Courtesy of David Zwirner, New York.

Paul Winstanley - EDITOR'S PICK
September 15 – October 22, 2011
Mitchell-Innes & Nash

Greg Drasler
September 8 – October 15, 2011
Betty Cunningham Gallery

Susan Rothenberg - EDITOR'S PICK
September 8 – October 29, 2011
Sperone Westwater

Alex Katz
September  10, 2011 – October 8, 2011
Gavin Brown’s Enterprise

Serban Savu
September 9 – October 22, 2011
David Nolan Gallery

John Beerman
September 8 – October 15, 2011
Tibor De Nagy Gallery

Karl Haendel
September 2011
Harris Lieberman
New York, NY

Self-Referral Non Objective
September 1 – October 1, 2011
Feature Inc.

Ann Pibal | RNKT, acrylic paint on aluminum panel, 11.75 x 16.25 inches. Courtesy of Feature, Inc, New York.

Mickalene Thomas
September 15 – October 29, 2011
Lehman Maupin

Sarah Crowner
September 2 – October 23, 2011
Nicelle Beauchene Gallery

Liu Xiaodong
September 11 – October 23, 2011
Mary Boone Gallery

Andrew Gbur, Keltie Ferris, Jackie Saccaccio - EDITOR'S PICK
September 7 – October 16, 2011
Eleven Rivington

Keltie Ferris | [[[///]]], oil, acrylic, oil pastel & spray paint on canvas, 80 x 80 inches. Courtesy of Eleven Rivington, New York.

Science and Exploration
September 16 – October 22, 2011
Horton Gallery

Carrie Moyer - EDITOR'S PICK
September 14 – October16, 2011
Canada

LOS ANGELES

John M. Miller
September 17 – October 29, 2011
Margo Leavin Gallery

Lecia Dole-Recio
September 10 – October 15, 2011
Richard Telles Fine Art

Markus Amm
September 24 – November 12, 2011
David Kordansky Gallery

Chad Robertson
September 10  - October 8, 2011
Western Project

SAN FRANCISCO

Pamela Jorden
September 16 – October 15, 2011
Romer Young Gallery

Rob Reynolds
September 8 – October 14, 2011
Anthony Meier Fine Arts

Nathan Oliveira - EDITOR'S PICK
September 8 – October 22, 2011
John Berggruen Gallery

Guy Diehl
September 1 – October 1, 2011
Dolby Chadwick Gallery

Julie Hefferman - EDITOR'S PICK
September 3 – Ocotber29, 2011
Catherine Clark Gallery

Julie Hefferman | Self-Portrait Holding Up, oil on canvas, 68 x 66 inches. Courtesy of Catharine Clark Gallery, San Francisco.

CHICAGO

Joe Zucker
September 17 – October 22, 201
Corbett vs. Dempsey

bodybraingame - EDITOR'S PICK
September 16 – October 22, 2011
Rhona Hoffman Gallery

Cary Smith | Courtesy of Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago.

Andrew Holmquist
September 9 – October 15, 2011
Carrie Secrist Gallery

Angel Otero - EDITOR'S PICK
September 9 – November 12, 2011
Kavi Gupta Gallery

Bret Slater
September 9 – October 15, 2011
Thomas Robertello Gallery

Zak Prekop - EDITOR'S PICK
September 16 – October 23, 2011
Shane Campbell Gallery

Zak Prekop | Untitled, oil on canvas, 14 x 12 inches. Courtesy of Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago.

SEATTLE

Storm Tharp - EDITOR'S PICK
September 2 – October 8, 2011
James Harris Gallery

BOSTON

Alexis Stamatiou
September
Lamontagne Gallery

PHILADELPHIA/DC

Sam Gilliam
September 17 – October 29, 2011
Marsha Mateyka Gallery

Is Realism Relevant?
September 10 – October 22, 2011
Conner Contemporary Art

SANTA FE

Ed Moses
September 9 – October 8, 2011
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art

MIAMI

Udo Noger
September 10 – October 29, 2011
Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts

Behind the curtain, a lock of hair falling
September 1 – October 1, 2011
Gallery Diet

Jose Parla
September 9 – October 22, 2011
OHWOW