Strokes of Genius: Master Works From The New Britain Museum of American Art

Main Event: Picture Perfect
If painting by great American artists is your thing, then the Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM) is where you'll want to be, starting Saturday. STROKES OF GENIUS: MASTERWORKS FROM THE NEW BRITAIN MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, which is taking up residence at CAM through June 19, is like a one-stop shopping trip with 120 paintings from Connecticut's New Britain Museum of American Art. The show includes works by some of our nation's most venerated and beloved artists, including Winslow Homer, Georgia O'Keeffe and Norman Rockwell, whose "Weighing In" (1958) is pictured above.

This is the only Midwestern stop for Strokes of Genius, and the works on display have seldom been seen outside of New England. CAM's curator of American painting and sculpture, Julie Aronson, says, "Encompassing all forms of expression, from portraits, landscapes, city views and still lifes to abstract art, this diverse exhibition offers something for everyone in the family to enjoy."

The works are exhibited chronologically, better to demonstrate the changes in American art since our nation began. Beginning with its origins in the Colonial period and early Republic, the story of American art includes the development of landscape painting and images of women and their shifting roles in society. It also shows the impact of European styles, notably impressionism. The exhibition also ventures into the 20th century with important work by artists in the styles of realism including Andrew Wyeth and Grant Wood, modernism and abstract expressionism.

Ben Lee

Gilbert Stuart, who painted a familiar image of George Washington, is represented, and there are beautiful landscapes by Hudson River School painters such as Thomas Cole, Frederic Church and Albert Bierstadt. Of special interest to Cincinnatians are works by John Henry Twachtman, who grew up in Over-the-Rhine during the late 19th century, and Elizabeth Nourse, who trained at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.

The exhibition is happening at the same time that CAM is reopening its renovated galleries for American painting, sculpture and decorative arts. Aronson says, "The connections between New Britain's collection and Cincinnati's are fascinating. To experience both at once is a rare treat." Information: mastersofamericanart.com. (See Art.) -- RICK PENDER

THURSDAY 07
Find your way to the UC CLERMONT COLLEGE ART GALLERY in Batavia for an eclectic exhibition of Cincinnati-based artist Wolfgang Ritschel. Roads of America, a collection of 36 acrylic paintings, depicts his vision of the U.S. "in all its diverse and multi-faceted natural and cultural manifestations." Vibrant and slightly sardonic in nature, his pieces seem likeable and interesting, after a quick peak at his Web site. In addition, the exhibition will feature a small collection of his mixed-media sculptures spanning a 30-year period. Sounds like a visually stimulating Thursday evening. Opening reception 6-8 p.m. 513-732-5281 (See Art.) -- JULIE BERNZOTT

Fever Pitch

FRIDAY 08
Drew Barrymore is a natural comedienne and the loving heart beating within Peter and Bobby Farrelly's uplifting baseball romance, FEVER PITCH. Based on Nick Hornby's best-selling novel about London soccer, the Farrelly brothers and writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel flip the story to Boston and to Major League Baseball, specifically Red Sox nation. Fever Pitch charts the romance of modest math teacher Ben Wrightman (Jimmy Fallon) and a successful business consultant (Barrymore) who decide not to let the gap in their incomes prevent a chance at personal happiness. The brothers typically infuse Fever Pitch with numerous slapstick gags, but its romance is true and heartfelt. Something About Mary remains the brothers' standout comedy, but it's impressive to watch them shift from riotous gross-out to a story that's touching and romantic. (See Film.) -- STEVE RAMOS

FRIDAY 08
Australian singer/songwriter BEN LEE still looks like he could be 15 years old, about the age he was when he began his career. Now at it for 12 years, the underrated craftsman of unassuming but inexorable Pop tunes recently re-emerged with one of his most pleasurable and effective full-lengths to date, Awake Is the New Sleep. Though his skill has always belied his age, Sleep is remarkably mature in both sound and execution, managing a smart, engaging depth from start to finish. With the current depravity of the radio airplay system, Lee might never achieve the "star" status he deserves, and apparently he has come to terms with that, as indicated on the album's most entertaining track, "Catch My Disease," where he sings, "I hear Beyonce on the radio/And that's the way I like it ... They don't play me on the radio/But that's the way I like it." They don't know what they're missing. Lee's stop at Top Cat's Friday features some ace support acts -- Har Mar Superstar, a cult hero who is essentially a one-man boy band trapped in Ron Jeremy's body (you just have to see it to understand), and Maria Taylor, half of the mesmerizing duo Azure Ray. 513-562-4949. (See Music.) -- MIKE BREEN

SATURDAY 09
You might think that LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS has been around forever. And you'd be right: The story about true love derailed by a hungry plant debuted back in 1982. But guess what? It was an Off Broadway hit, running for the better part of the '80s at a 350-seat theater on Second Avenue. Not until 2004 did it make it to Broadway, and that well-received production is what's touring this season, including a two-week stop at Downtown's Aronoff Center. The show has a wacky Doo-Wop score and some truly comic characters (a nitrous oxide-addicted dentist, among others), plus Audrey II, the obstreperous, oversized plant with an unquenchable appetite for human blood. It's a campy two hours in the theater. Don't look for anything profound, but I suspect everyone in the audience will have a great time. (Look for an online review at citybeat.com later this week.) 513-241-7469. (See Onstage.) -- RICK PENDER

Little Shop of Horrors

SUNDAY 10
The Mercantile Library is one of our great and often overlooked literary treasures, bringing in the likes of novelists Don DeLillo, Richard Powers and Jeffrey Eugenides (see interview, page 45) as well as hosting the annual MERCANTILE LIBRARY SHORT STORY COMPETITION. The contest, sponsored by CityBeat a fourth consecutive year, has been a springboard for more than one writing career. Proof? Former winner and Northern Kentucky native Jack Kerley parlayed his grand-prize trip to the esteemed Santa Barbara Writers' Conference into a $500,000 book contract, which resulted in his recently published debut, The Hundredth Man. In addition to tuition and transportation to the conference, the winning piece is published in the glorious publication you're currently reading. Interested? Get your submission to the Mercantile by April 14 -- it might make you the next local literary success story. For complete contest details, call 513-621-0717. (See Get Involved.) -- JASON GARGANO

TUESDAY 12
They had us at "Nature Nerds, Recite." Celebrate National Poetry Month in the great outdoors at the Caldwell Nature Center's POETRY SQUARES, two chances this spring to get back to nature and bust out in verse by your favorite earth-friendly poet (the other session is May 17). And with the lovely weather we've seen lately, nature-themed poetry shouldn't be too painful to dig up. "Living intentionally" is key here, so expect to hear plenty of musings on Walden Pond. They want to know what you're reading, so call ahead. 7-8:30 p.m. 513-357-2602. (See Literary.) -- JESSICA TURNER