Bonanza ‘Frontiers’ and Willie Cole in Worcester; plus Joan Snyder and Morgan Schwartz BY RANDI HOPKINS

For almost a century now, the Worcester Art Museum has been downright audacious in its collection of new art by living artists — back in 1910, for example, it went out on a limb to purchase two paintings by avant-garde Frenchman Claude Monet. A selection of the diverse results of WAM’s mandate to be here now comes to the Worcester walls in "Frontiers: Collecting the Art of Our Time," which opens November 13 with work by more than 40 artists.

In the exhibition brochure, WAM curator of contemporary art Susan Stoops writes, " ‘Frontiers’ alludes to new territories in which to operate, expanded sensibilities, and conceptual gaps in pre-existing practices in which innovation can happen." The far reaches of artistic vision in this case include the perplexing topography of Alexander Ross’s paintings, the searing historical and geographical identity issues explored by María Magdalena Campos-Pons’s large-format Polaroids, their cool biological counterparts in the color photographs Inigo Manglano-Ovalle converts from DNA samples, and the new take on found materials evident in the sculptures Tony Feher makes of plastic bottles, caps, and water.

There’s also a powerful juxtaposition: WAM’s "AFTERBURN — Willie Cole: Selected Works, 1997-2004" features works by an African-American artist who uses iconic objects including irons and ironing boards, lawn jockeys, and African headdresses to make an art rich with multi-layered references to Africa and the experience of Africans in the Americas.

Over the past three decades, painter Joan Snyder has used her loaded brush and distinctive drips to put a feminist spin on Abstract Expressionism. An overview of her œuvre, "Joan Snyder: A Review," opens at the Danforth Museum on November 10, coinciding with an exhibition of new work, "Joan Snyder: Two Rivers," at Nielsen Gallery through December 3.

Currently making fine use of his residency at Dudley Square’s Berwick Research Institute, artist Morgan Schwarz has been developing prototypes for helium-powered biodegradable balloons with LED blinkers to be dispersed into the weather system, to drift, and eventually to carry information, stories, and memories throughout the land. Join the artist on November 12 for a "Whether/Weather Workshop and Launch" — your chance to see whether these babies will fly.

"Frontiers: Collecting the Art of Our Time" and "AFTERBURN — Willie Cole: Selected Works, 1997-2004" @ Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury Street, Worcester | Nov 13–Feb 12 and Nov 13–Jan 7 | 508.799.4406 or www.worcesterart.org | "Joan Snyder: A Review" @ Danforth Museum of Art, 123 Union Avenue, Framingham | Nov 10–Feb 5 | 508.620.0050 or www.danforthmuseum.org | "Joan Snyder: Two Rivers" @ Nielsen Gallery, 179 Newbury Street, Boston | through Dec 3 | 617.266.4835 or http://www.nielsengallery.com/ | "Whether/Weather Workshop and Launch" @ Art Interactive, 130 Bishop Allen Drive, Central Square | Nov 12: 2–4 pm | 617.442.4200 or http://www.berwickinstitute.org/.