"RAW"

Classical drawing, while lovely, can seem a little dull, mainly because it's often so darn literal. But with "RAW" at the O'Kane Gallery at the University of Houston-Downtown, you get all the style of the genre with a heavy dose of fantasy and quirk, thanks to local artists Doug Cason, Mark Greenwalt and Lisa Qualls. Cason, who recently earned a painting degree from the university, revels in falsifying historical documents and information through painting. Greenwalt creates half-creepy, half-humorous people and animals, altered in strange medical ways to become old-fashioned "curiosities." And Qualls uses materials like vellum and Mylar in images that combine the old and the new to address persistent social problems like racism and financial inequality. Pick the artists' brains and admire their work at an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Regular viewing hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Runs through September 25. One Main. For information, call 713-221-8042 or visit www.uhd.edu. Free.
Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Starts: Aug. 27. Continues through Sept. 25, 2009