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: Glass Masks Lynda Benglis is an artist perhaps best known for her confrontational advertisement in the November 1974 issue of Artforum that depicted her naked, wearing sunglasses and holding a giant, realistic dildo at her crotch. Some critics felt it was a powerful, provocative image attacking a male-dominated art establishment; others called it over-the-top and exploitative. In the years since, Benglis has let her sculpture speak for itself, and these new glass works definitely impress. Seemingly inspired by tribal masks, they must be seen up close and in person to grasp the detail and embedded layers of color and luster. In shape, they resemble giant bottles or vases that have been stretched and augmented with shards of colored glass and copper wire. Each "mask" has a short bottle neck at the top, along with facial features rendered by either shaping the glass surface or twisting wire to create an abstract face. Interestingly, all the pieces are named after towns in Louisiana: "Goldonna," "Simsboro," "Tickfaw." (Benglis is originally from .) In the gallery, audio of chirping birds is played, giving the show a solemn vibe — like an exhibit of Mardi Gras relics washed up after the storm surge. Through July 30. Texas Gallery, 2012 Peden, 713-524-1593. — TS

": New Work" If you've ever felt the eerie calm before a funnel cloud ravages a row of houses just a block away, or braced yourself while the offshore hurricane creeps toward landfall, you'll appreciate the new batch of spectacular photographs by Mitch Dobrowner currently on display at John Cleary Gallery. Dobrowner's hero is , and he photographs a lot of mountain scenes in the Southwest and California. It's pretty stuff — placid, contemplative. But Dobrowner's storm photography is even better for its sense of action and impending violence. He captures mythological cloud formations in , some resembling the special-effects storms caused by the mother ships in alien-invasion movies. Dobrowner's low horizon line in a photo like Arm of God, Galacia, Kansas characterizes the storm as a supernatural entity. It isn't a new idea. The hokey movie Twister used that "finger of God" language too, but Dobrowner's distance from his storm subjects suggests a more stark and sober mood than the adrenaline-fueled hysteria of a storm chaser. For Dobrowner, the swirling wind and danger is far away. For now, we're safe. But for how long? One photo, Monsoon, , captures a storm in the shape of a mushroom cloud, as if nature is mimicking human destruction, building up enough strength to blow us away. Through August 31. 2635 Colquitt, 713-524-5070. — TS

"Musicians Who Make Art" When speaking of crossover in art forms, perhaps musicians and visual artists are most successful at achieving success in each other's fields of expertise. Through their manual manipulations of instruments and materials, musicians and visual artists seem naturally inclined to swing between the visual image and the sonic composition. The is proving it with its current exhibit "Musicians Who Make Art." Largely a Texas-based conglomeration of art, the show includes works by well-known musicians like of the Flatlanders, whose otherworldly prints evoke sci-fi fantasy, and , who contributes a photo montage/collage of funny, prison-themed infographics. Austin's 's contribution is most surprising, with his outlandish and meticulously detailed etchings and aquatints. (We actually like his artwork more than his music.) Ken Little and are better known as visual artists first (who also play in bands), and their works on display are among the most visually arresting in the exhibit. Wheeler's takes cues from in its striking amalgamation of pop and abstract imagery, while Little's Black Jacket Moose amuses as a taxidermied moose head impressively outfitted in black leather and a selection of sporting-good footgear. On the local end, standouts include work by local concept-rock legend , Two Star Symphony's and the Sideshow Tramps' . Our favorite is a piece that addresses the quintessential meeting of art and music: the album cover. of San Antonio's Hyperbubble deconstructs the covers of 's Parallel Lines, 's Business as Usual and the ' Tattoo You into a cool, abstract grid. Through August 7. 140 Heights, 713-861-5526. – TS