Though the shows at Inman Park's ARTSPOT are at times spotty, you never know quite what you'll find. The venue has a lively openness and has been steadily improving, often featuring local artists not in the current heavy rotation in galleries around town. The 2,500-square-foot airy bi-level space shares quarters with the video production office, Tube, and is the brainchild of Georgia State MFA candidate Ann-Marie Manker, who embraces a variety of curatorial approaches. Memorable group shows this year included "Detour" curated by Jill Larson and the intriguing solo work of Bo Zhang. "704 McGruder St., Studio N, 404-659-0088. www.tubeartspot.com" less...

Despite some staff musical chairs and a heated, often nasty, debate about its artistic direction, the ATLANTA CONTEMPORARY ART CENTER, is a vital home to both national and local artists and remains one of the city's most intelligently curated spaces and a haven for new ideas in contemporary art.

"The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. 535 Means St. 404-688-1970. thecontemporary.org."

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290 MLK Drive 404-422-6517 www.eyedrum.org. Eyedrum still gets our attention as the most consistent, high-energy, volunteer-run alternative art space. The organizers of experimental music and art events have kept the rough synergy going for more than three years now. Robert Cheatham's "Panoptic Mind", an intense video art exhibition, and Robin Starbuck's group show "Beneath the Skin" were among the best conceptual projects this year. Patrons are curious as to whether the collective will retain its edge, since the gallery has recently relocated from its slummy digs on Trinity Avenue downtown to a white-walled warehouse in Cabbagetown. less...

Eyedrum continues to revel in sound and sight, staging some of the most interesting performances and exhibitions in town, including Woody Cornwell's solo show and last August's Layers Into Light and An August Situation. The storefront art space deep in downtown Atlanta keeps a steady beat that encourages young artists to experiment. less...