The Frick family enjoyed purchasing art. At the Frick Art & Historical Center, visitors can peruse The Frick Collects: From Rubens to Monet, an exhibit that traces the acquisition of various objects that today comprise the museum’s holdings — from decorative household items purchased by Henry Clay Frick to his descendants’ efforts to build a fine-art collection. Through May 14. Point Breeze. 412-371-0600 or www.thefrickpittsburgh.org
Butterflies are among the most beautiful of insects, but how much do you know about their lives? The new interactive, maze-like Amazing Butterflies exhibition lets kids and adults explore what it’s like to be a butterfly, from climbing into pupa pods to crawling during the caterpillar stage. There’s even a butterfly zip line for “flying.” Jan. 21-April 23. Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Oakland. 412-622-3131 or www.carnegiemnh.org
The Silver Eye Center for Photography presents its annual competitive show. Fellowship 17 features the winning portfolios from Michigan’s Kris Sanford, whose series “Through the Lens of Desire” incorporates snapshots from the 1920s-1950s. Also featured: Pittsburgher Francis Crisafio’s series “HOLDUP in the HOOD,” documenting an after-school photography program. Feb. 3-April 15. Pittsburgh Filmmakers Galleries, Oakland. www.silvereye.org
Is it fashion or is it art? And must we even choose? Ponder as you take in Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion, which showcases the Dutch designer’s otherworldly creations. Van Herpen’s unique sculptural dresses have been worn by such fashion-forward celebrities as Bjork and Lady Gaga. Feb. 4-May 1. Carnegie Museum of Art, Oakland. 412-622-3131 or www.cmoa.org
Doubt isn’t necessarily a bad thing: A lack of certainty means questions are asked, and that process can be illuminating. Six artists — Lenka Clayton, Lori Hepner, Mindy McDaniels, Gina Occhiogrosso, Diane Samuels and Mary Temple — tackle this concept in a new exhibit at SPACE. Doubt is curated by Nadine Wasserman. Feb. 10-March 26. Downtown. 412-325-7723 or www.spacepittsburgh.org
Firelei Báez: Bloodlines, at The Andy Warhol Museum, showcases the Dominican artist, whose works are inspired by lineages of black resistance in the U.S. and Caribbean. The drawings and paintings frequently incorporate textiles and body and hair ornaments, elements believed to hold personal or even spiritual power. Feb. 17-May 21. North Side. 412-237-8300 or www.warhol.org
Drawn from the collection of Roy R. Neuberger, When Modern Was Contemporary provides an illuminating progression of 20th-century “modern” masters. Ranging across decades and genres — from Georgia O’Keeffe and Alexander Calder to Ralston Crawford and Jackson Pollock — these 52 works represent a fertile and influential time in American art. Feb. 25-May 21. Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg. 412-837-1500 or www.wmuseumaa.org
