Chelsea Rising

All across the US, artists look questioningly to New York City to find out what’s ‘really happening’ in art. The Contemporary Arts Center has taken the step of turning its art galleries into Manhattan on the Bayou with a wide-ranging show that provides a core sample of work being made and shown in the art-intensive Chelsea district. In an odd way, the show is very reassuring, showing that more than a little of the cutting edge work is deadly dull. Highlights include photography by Simen Johan and John Schabel, Susanne Kuhn’s paintings and Karen Guisti’s paper cut-out constructions.