“Remembering Robin Utterback”

It came as a shock on March 30, 2007, when well-known Houston artist Robin Utterback was pronounced dead after being pulled from a fire at his Montrose home. Even more shocking was the news that came later: Utterback had actually died from multiple stab wounds inflicted by his partner, who committed suicide that same day. The scenario, while awful, feels operatic — the classic tale of an artist’s rise to stardom and his violent fall.

Utterback, a local and international star, whose work has shown at The Menil Collection — Walter Hopps was a fan — and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, as well as museums and galleries around the world, is receiving a tribute with “Remembering Robin Utterback,” an exhibition of the abstract artist’s work from both public and private collections. Often called a “painter’s painter,” Utterback was known for his stylistic shifts within abstraction and his risk-taking. Head to Galveston for a look at a Houston legend. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Galveston Arts Center, 2127 Strand. Through January 6, 2008. For information, call 409-763-2403. Free
Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: Nov. 24. Continues through Jan. 6, 2007