Sharon Butler blogs a round-up of abstract shows in Connecticut including: This One’s Optimistic: Pincushion, a group show featuring 40 artists curated by Cary Smith, at the New Britain Museum of American Art (through September 14); The Wave by artists Susan Hoffman Fishman and Elena Kalman at the Wadsworth Atheneum (on view July 12); Olu Oguibe: iPad Prints at Real Art Ways, Hartford (through July 6); and Jack Whitten: Evolver at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum (through July 6).

Butler notes that This One’s Optimistic: Pincushion features "hard edge geometric, non-objective, painterly gestural, metaphorical, and more. According to the press release, [curator Cary Smith] conceived the show like an old-school mixed tape." The exhibition includes works by: John Phillip Abbott, Joshua Abelow, Lisa Beck, Trudy Benson, Timothy Bergstrom, Michael Berryhill, Ross Bleckner, Todd Chilton, Steve DiBenedetto, Amy Feldman, Michelle Grabner, Joanne Greenbaum, Clare Grill, Adam Henry, Daniel Hesidence, Xylor Jane, Bill Komoski, Joshua Marsh, Chris Martin, Andrew Masullo, Keith Mayerson, Douglas Melini, Tom Nozkowski, Carl Ostendarp, Ann Pibal, Josh Podoll, Lisa Sanditz, James Siena, Jennifer Wynne Reeves, Alexander Ross, Julie Ryan, Jackie Saccoccio, Russell Tyler, Dan Walsh, Chuck Webster, Garth Weiser, Stanley Whitney, Michael Williams, B. Wurtz, and Tamara Zahaykevich.