This critic's choice of the top visual arts events for the fall season is as follows:

Artscapes installations, through Nov. 17

Five new Artscapes installations are on display in the old Woolworth storefront and on the adjacent landmark Tollbooth Gallery. Artists selected for this round include Lauren Boilini, Eva Funderburgh, Nola Avienne, Isaac Olsen, and Tacoma's Wayzgoose linocut steamroller prints. Avienne's "Ashflow" depicts a pyroclastic eruption in a composition of rocks, iron filings, wool, spray foam, fabric and sand. The large corner Woolworth window includes Boilini's large painting directly on the wall. The pair of northernmost Woolworth windows on Broadway includes two wire, animal sculptures by Funderburgh. The Tollbooth Gallery features "Machine Loop," video installation by Olson. These works are on display 24-7.

Shaw Osha at Salon Refu, Sept. 17-Oct. 1

Osha teaches drawing and painting at The Evergreen State College and has shown her art at various venues around the South Sound for many years. Salon Refu is a small, independent art gallery that has built a well-deserved reputation as one of the riskiest, most avant garde in the area. She has shown her work at Smack Mellon and Pocket Utopia in New York, and Soil and the Henry in Seattle.

"14th Annual Juried Local Art Exhibition" at Tacoma Community College, Sept. 19-Oct. 28

The annual juried show at TCC traditionally showcases much of the best works by South Sound artists, and this year should be no exception. Artists include Lois Beck, Fumiko Kimura, Becky Knold, Jason Sobottka, Jeffree Stewart, C.J. Swanson and William Turner, just to name a few.

"30 Americans" at Tacoma Art Museum, Sept. 24 to Jan. 15, 2017

This traveling show makes its West Coast debut at TAM. On view will be paintings, photographs, installations, videos and sculpture by prominent African-American artists, including works by such luminaries as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Nick Cave and Robert Colescott - 45 works in all from the prestigious Rubell family collection in Miami.

"The Beauty of a Shared Passion: Highlights from the Rebecca and Jack Benaroya Collection", Oct. 9-April 23, 2017

This exhibition features a selection of major works from the recently promised gift of the famed Rebecca and Jack Benaroya Collection in Seattle. It will include approximately 60 works with paintings, sculpture and studio art glass. The Benaroya Collection includes works by Northwestern and world-renowned glass artists Dale Chihuly, Ginny Ruffner, Lino Tagliapietra and Cappy Thompson.