Gallery Siano/Esther M. Klein Art Gallery

Vincent Romaniello says he was out to "zero in on the color palette of Philadelphia in particular" when he approached his recent series of artworks based on urban landscapes. "Lots of blues and browns started coming out. Maybe it has to do with SEPTA, I don't know," he says, laughing. "Concrete, wood, brick was the secondary palette — not just color but age was important."

At Gallery Siano, Romaniello is showing mixed-media assemblages and paintings: abstractions — but not obfuscations — of urban life. It's all about textures, wood grains and coats of paint, much like the patched-together, mismatched-wood doors and layers of graffiti around the city. "It has a beauty of its own," he says.

What started as a solo project for Romaniello soon ballooned. In this quest to represent the urban environment, he thought he ought to see what other artists were up to. "A lot of artists I interviewed said, 'I'm inspired by the city and things I find in the street, sides of old buildings,'" says Romaniello. "And everybody's work comes out differently even though we seem to be inspired by the same things."

So he took a digital camera and started to film artists at work.

"Truthfully I'm frustrated by the lack of media for artists in general, especially broadcast," he says. "I don't understand why broadcast media can't take a camera crew out to First Friday every once in a while." He says instead of complaining, he decided to "do my bit."

His bit allows us to see Tim McFarlane walking up the steps to his Old City studio and getting down to work on his colorful canvases. We see Douglas Witmer talking about growing up in rural Mennonite Lancaster County, nailing work to his walls, playing with his dog. We see Tremain Smith driving through her Cobbs Creek neighborhood to show us a community mural she completed with local kids. The other artists — Susan Hagen, Anthony DeMelas, David Foss, Giuseppe Riviera, Kathryn Pannepacker, Chris Vecchio and Charlotte Yudis — are equally open and articulate about their projects. It's a rare and wonderful thing to see artists talking about their life's work, an opportunity to see them at their craft and hear, in their own words, what their work means to them and what they want it to mean for us. The videos are available for viewing online: www.inliquid.com/features/urban_canvas/index.html. In person, though, audiences can see not only the videos projected on the walls, but some of the work represented there. Truly, this is an exhibition and project not worth missing.

Esther M. Klein Gallery's current show, "Urban Life," offers another look at life in the big city. Whether it's Shannon Bowser's whimsical instructions, Albo Jeavons' politically charged clothing-constructions or Ron Tarver's photographs, the city lies just below the surface, waiting to be (re)discovered. Also showing: Paul Fabozzi, Jessica Demcsak, Richard Ryan, Sarah Steinwachs and Amy Walsh.

"Urban Canvas," opening reception, Fri., Oct. 7, 6-9 p.m., through Oct. 29, 309 Arch St., 215-629-2940. "Urban Life," through Oct. 30, 3600 Market St., 215-966-6188.

Recent California transplant Liz Kinder will open a shop bearing her name where Old City's Metropolitan Bakery used to be. Here, she'll sell her gorgeous lines of ceramic tableware in patterns with names like "frilly white" and "urban chic" and truly original lamp designs. Opening reception Fri., Oct. 7, 6-9 p.m., 126 Market St., 267-235-5820. … It's time for POST, Philadelphia Open Studio Tours, where you can get up close and personal with your favorite local artists as they throw open their studio doors to the public. The tours are divvied up into two weekends, 12-6 p.m. each day: Oct. 8-9 for studios west of Broad Street and Oct. 15-16 for studios east of Broad. Visit post.cfeva.org for more information, studio locations and even neighborhood dining suggestions. … Finally, don't miss recent Macarthur Genius fellow Teresita Fernandez's lecture and opening reception for her new installation at Fabric Workshop, Fire — made of fiery red, orange and yellow thread strung up in concentric, dizzying layers. Fri., Oct 7, 6-8 p.m., 1315 Cherry St., fifth floor, 215-568-1111.