Making Faces: Photographic Portraits of Actors and Artists
Two newly acquired portfolios by Berenice Abbott and Robert Doisneau, filled with portraits of famous artists and actors of the mid-20th century, prompted this look at the art of photographic portraiture. Drawn from the Museum’s growing collection of celebrity portraits, the exhibition of 35 works will examine the way in which appearance, poses, and props help to define the public perception of an artist’s work, whether it be on the stage or in a museum.
WHERE: Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square, Portland, ME; portlandmuseum.org
WHEN: January 14 through April 8

38th Annual Stowe Winter Carnival
Two weeks filled with a variety of wintery events, from snowbolleyball tournaments to a professional ice carving competition.
WHERE: Stowe, VT; stowewintercarnival.com
WHEN: January 16 to 29

The 2012 deCordova Biennial
The exhibition features 23 artists and collaboratives and will occupy almost the entirety of the museum and beyond — reaching into the Sculpture Park, the city of Boston, and nearby communities through a series of public, off-site projects.
WHERE: DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Road, Lincoln, MA; decordova.org
WHEN: January 22 through April 22

Figuring Color exhibit at the ICA
This exhibit explores the use of color and form to convey ideas about the body. Using vibrant hues and a touch of humor, McMakin’s fleshy chairs mimic the human form, Butterly’s intricate ceramics are rich with bodily humor and desire, Gonzalez-Torres’s installations of candy and plastic beads abstractly evoke physical absence and presence, and Williams’s electrifying canvases convey the viscera of war and politics.
WHERE: The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
WHEN: February 17 though May 20

School Vacation Week at the RISD Museum of Art
A myriad of programs, workshops and events for families and kids of all ages throughout school vacation week
WHERE: RISD Museum of Art, 224 Benefit Street, Providence, RI; risdmuseum.org
WHEN: February 18 to 26

AD20/21
This unique collection of exhibits showcases modern art at its finest. Whatever you fancy, you can find it here, with work for local acts like Center Street Studio to national like Egenolf Gallery Japanese Prints.
WHERE: The Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St, Boston; ad2021.com
WHEN: March 15 to 18, 2012

Paradise City
Don't miss the last show of the season, filled with a vast array of fine arts, furniture, accessories, and much more from 175 American craft designers and artists.
WHERE: Royal Plaza Trade Center, 181 Boston Post Road West, Marlborough, MA; paradisecityarts.com
WHEN: March 16 to 18