Curated by John Smith

Patti Smith once said “art plus electricity equals rock ’n’ roll.” Turn down the wattage and you’ve got the art of a woman reluctant to assume the mantle of Godmother of Punk but clearly comfortable in every other cloak: poet, playwright, Bowery-fabulous beatnik, Detroit housewife, political essayist, and visual artist. In this survey, organized by John Smith of the Warhol Museum, she unveils films, videos, and drawings, some portentously called illuminated manuscripts. “The illuminated manuscripts,” she writes on one, “allow me the freedom to create . . . until ready to totally commit myself to exploration of the image.” This show may signal total commitment, but she’s hedging her bets with an opening-night concert.

— Andrew Hultkrans