704 Terry Ave, 622-9250
* MARK RYDEN
In a giant and welcome leap, the Frye exhibits one of pop surrealism's finest painters. With Wondertoonel, Ryden goes well beyond easy kitsch, drawing on a tradition of underground art that nods to everything from Bosch and Dali to Little Golden Books. Through Feb 13.
HENRY ART GALLERY
15th Ave NE and NE 41st St, 543-2280.
* W.O.W. (THE WORK OF THE WORK)
Chief curator Elizabeth Brown organized this spectacular new show, which features the work of Kimsooja, Steve McQueen, Catherine Yass, James Turrell, Hannah Villiger, and Gary Hill. The connective tissue between all the disparate strands of the exhibit is the viewer's response, which can move from meditative to agitated and back again, and Brown's unerring eye for the way art works us. Through Feb 6.
SEATTLE ART MUSEUM GALLERY OPENINGS CONTINUING EXHIBITIONS
100 University Way, 654-3255.
JOURNEYS IN LANDSCAPE: MODERN ART FROM JAPAN
Modern-era landscape paintings, including screens and hanging scrolls by artists Mochizuki Gyokusen, Takeuchi Seiho, and Tsuji Kako. Opens Fri Nov 26.
TOM HARRIS
The Shadow Box photographs combine Harris' photography with his printmaking and painting. His drawings are turned into sets and objects, which he then photographs. Opens Tues Nov 30. Benham Gallery, 1216 First Ave, 622-2480. Through Jan 15.
* PAPERWORK
See Stranger Suggests, page 27. Opening reception Fri Nov 26, 6-8 pm. Platform Gallery, 114 Third Ave S, 323-2808. Through Dec 31.
POTTERY NORTHWEST ANNUAL HOLIDAY SHOW AND SALE
Recent works by resident artists as well as an eclectic mix of traditional and experimental studio and alumni artists. Opening reception Fri Nov 26, 5-8 pm. Pottery Northwest, 226 First Ave N, 285-4421. Through Dec 30.
HB WEINER
Photographs inspired by the colors and textures of Southeast Asia. Opens Mon Nov 29. Two Downtown, Ltd. , 2211 Elliott Ave, 441-9461. Through Feb 4.
* CHRIS ENGMAN, NICHOLAS NYLAND
Final week. See review, page 34. Nicholas Nyland's abstract paintings use engravings, curlicues, doodles, and wallpaper designs along with organic-seeming clusters to sublime effect. SOIL, 112 Third Ave S, 264-8061. Through Nov 27.
JOHN GRADE, DION ZWIRNER
Sculptor John Grade's drawings and a selection of small sculptures, and abstract landscapes by Dion Zwirner Davidson Galleries, 313 Occidental Ave S, 624-7684. Through Dec 24.
* THE PIN UP SHOW
This exhibition features bodacious and challenging looks at women. It includes work by Kirsten Easthope, Lisa Petrucci, Miles Thompson, Lynne Naylor, the Pop Tarts, Michiko, Joshua Petker, Joe Chiodo, and Erin Norlin. Roq la Rue, 2316 Second Ave, 374-8977. Through Dec 4.
* ALEX SCHWEDER, ROBERT YODER
Two great Seattle artists in one gallery. Schweder has taken over the back of Howard House with an enormous installation that uses sugar, ceramic, scratch and sniff wallpaper, latex and projected video for an environment that is tactile and mesmerizing. Yoder presents new works on paper and collage that are sure to be as breathtaking and inventive as his previous shows. Howard House, 604 Second Ave, 256-6399. Through Dec 11.
. * STATE IN TIME
Organized by longtime Seattle curator and local treasure Larry Reid this exhibition examines Eastern European avant-garde from the perspective of the visual artists in the experimental arts collective NSK (Neu Slowenishe Kunst), alongside woks by their longtime American collaborator Charles Krafft. Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, 329-1966. Through Dec 18.
* CHAD STATES
Final week. See review, page 34. Gallery 4Culture, 506 Second Ave, Suite 200, 296-7580. Through Nov 26.