The difficulty of seeing art-especially contemporary art-in Boston has less to do with a simple lack than with inefficient distribution. Other cities put art in centralized depositories and then put these depositories in proximity to each other, creating zones of very high art-object per square-foot ratios, such as New York's supremely logical Museum Mile.

Boston follows such a plan for art created before 1900: It's an easy walk from the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. But the MFA's frustrating lack of commitment to contemporary art leaves a diffuse network of university galleries and miscellaneous non-profits picking up the slack. Fantastic exhibitions are hidden away in odd corners, most reliably at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), the List Visual Arts Center and the Rose Art Museum. A new sculpture park is in the works at the Univeristy of Massachusetts at Boston, under the very ambitious direction of art historian Paul Tucker. Pieces by Richard Serra, Nancy Holt and Ursula von Rydingsvard should be coming in within the next year or so, and Tucker has had encouraging conversations with Jenny Holzer, Maya Lin and Judy Chicago. In the meantime, if you go a little out of your way, there's plenty of good stuff already here.

Part I: Museums and University galleries

BOSTON UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY

855 Commonwealth Ave., Boston (T: B.U. West)

Tue-Fri: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat-Sun: 1-5 p.m.

Admission FREE.

Like most every university gallery in the area, the Boston University Art Gallery divides its exhibition program between internationally known artists and B.U.'s own, less famous, students and faculty. The Gallery emphasizes 20th-century figurative painting, in keeping with the B.U. School of the Arts curriculum. The exhibition opening tonight promises much identity-politics-installation excitement. There will be a talk with Ellen Rothenberg from 5-6 and an opening reception from 6-8.

Oct. 29-Dec. 12: "Telling Histories: Installations by Ellen Rothenberg and Carrie Mae Weems."

Jan. 14-Feb. 27, 2000: "Orbits: NASA Astronauts Photograph the Earth," "Celestial Images: Astronomical Maps, 1500-1900."

617.353.3329

INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART

955 Boylston St., Boston (T: Hynes/ICA)

Wed-Sun: 12-5 p.m. Thurs: 12-9 p.m. Fri: 12-7 p.m.

Admission $6, $4 with student ID. Thurs: 5-9 p.m. FREE.

Lacking a permanent collection, the ICA has an excellent exhibition program. At the ICA, balancing international art-stars and local artists never seems the awkward zero-sum ga.m.e that most Boston museums play. The ICA is the most likely place in Boston to see the artists most fussed over in ArtForum, like Mariko Mori and Rirkrit Tiravanija, while shows like last year's "Transience and Sentimentality: Boston and Beyond" keep attention focused on the local scene.

Through Oct. 31: "Jim Hodges: every way" (go for The End From Where You Are, a most tender deconstruction of silk flowers), "Home: Photographs by Shellburne Thurber" (documenting the decay of abandoned houses). Nov. 17-Jan. 16, 2000: "Sights Unseen: Shimon Attie, Photographs and Public Projects, 1992-1998."

617.266.5152

GROSSMAN GALLERY (SCHOOL OF THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS)

230 The Fenway, Boston (T: Museum of Fine Arts)

Mon-Fri: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed, Thurs: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat, Sun: 12-5 p.m.

Admission FREE.

This small gallery mostly shows Museum School student and faculty work, with occasional exhibitions by international contemporary artists.

Through Nov. 14: Second Year MFA Candidates Exhibition.

617.369.3656

THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON

465 Huntington Ave. (T: Art Museum/MFA)

Mon-Tues: 10 a.m.-4:45 p.m., Wed-Fri: 10 a.m.-9:45p.m.

Admission $12, with valid ID, FREE

Lots of changes are underway at the MFA. The museum's new director, Malcolm Rogers recently opened an outpost in Japan and fired several senior curators, among other things. Despite all this, the MFA undoubtedly remains one of the most important and steadily revered museums in the country. Departments are strong all-around, especially the Asian, Impressionist and Egyptian (touted as the best outside Cairo.) Notably weak, however, is the spare 20th century collection. Nov. 14-Feb. 6, 2000: "Pharaohs of the Sun: Akhenaten, Nefertiti, Tutankhamen," Nov. 18-Jan. 17, 2000: "Susan Rothenberg: Paintings from the Nineties," Nov. 24-April. 30: "View From Above: The Photographs of Bradford Washburn," through Nov. 27: "Drawn to Design," through Nov 28: "Joel Shapiro," through Jan. 13: "Secret Gardens: 'Paisley' Motifs from Kashmir to Europe," through Jan. 17, 2000: "Martin Johnson Heade" through Feb. 2, 2000: "Contemporary Photographs: Other Dimensions" through April 12, 2000; "Ebru: Contemporary Marbling by Feridyn Ozgoren."

617.267.9300

ROSE ART MUSEUM (BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY)

415 South St., Waltha.m. (Commuter Rail, Fitchburg line, to Brandeis/Roberts)

Tue-Sun: 12-5 p.m. Thu: 12-9 p.m.

Admission FREE.

The permanent collection includes major works by Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Roy Lichtenstein, Kenneth Noland and so on. Somehow, the best modern and contemporary art museum in New England is something of a secret. Besides a collection that includes work by just about all of anyone's favorite artists of the latter 20th century, the Rose boasts a remarkable exhibition progra.m. of contemporary art.

Through Dec. 19: "David Reed: Paintings, Motion Pictures," "Contemporary Abstract Painting."

Jan. 20-March 19, 2000: "Twenty-five Years of Greater Boston Art: The Lois Foster Exhibition of Boston Area Artists," "Stephen Antonakos: Time Boxes 2000, with Richard Artschwager, Daniel Buren, Sol LeWitt and Robert Ryman."

March 30-May 28, 2000: "Jonathan Lasker: Selective Identity, Paintings from the 1990s," "Lasker Curates Selections from the Brandeis University Art Collections."

781.736.3434

HUNTINGTON AND BAKALAR GALLERIES (MASS COLLEGE OF ART)

621 Huntington Ave., Boston (T: Longwood/Hospitals)

Mon-Fri: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Admission FREE.

The changing exhibitions here offer well-selected eccentricity.

Nov. 9-Dec. 23: "somewhen" ("contemporary multi-disciplinary work that deals with the hybridization of times, forms and systems," including work by Stephen Hendee, Calvin Seibert and Jovi Schnell), "Makato Saito: The Art of Poster Reception" (recent commercial work by a Japanese graphic designer).

617.232.1555

LIST VISUAL ARTS CENTER (MIT)

Wiesner Building, 20 Ames St., Ca.m.bridge (T: Kendall)

Tue-Sun: 12-6 p.m. Fri: 12-8 p.m.

Admission FREE.

"Just as MIT pushes at the frontiers of scientific and intellectual inquiry, it is the mission of the List Visual Arts Center to explore the most contemporary art making in all media," or so say their brochures. Despite the silly analogy, the List Center is impressively cutting-edge, showing artists like Kiki Smith, Ann Hamilton and Matthew Barney. The new director, Jane Farver, was selected as one of the six curators for the next Whitney Biennial: the exhibition program here has credibility to spare.

Through Jan. 2, 2000: "Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons: Meanwhile, the Girls Were Playing" (a lyrical video-installation), "A Unique American Vision: Paintings by Gregory Gillespie."

Jan. 28-Apr. 9, 2000: "Jane & Louise Wilson: Stasi City," "Lilla LoCurto & Bill Outcault: Self Portrait as World Map."

Apr. 27-Jul. 2, 2000: Luca Buvoli.

617.253.4680

THE ISABELLA STUART GARDNER MUSEUM

280 The Fenway, Boston (T: Art Museum/MFA)

Tues-Sun: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Admission $10 ($11 on weekends), $5 with valid college ID, $3 with ID on Wednesdays.

Within walking distance of the Museum of Fine Arts is the eclectic and wildly idiosyncratic Gardner museum, the private collection of Boston's late madcap socialite, Isabella Stuart Gardner. Thanks to lax conservation regulations and import laws, Gardner was able to amass a rather impressive, if jumbled, collection of paintings, decorative arts, and artifacts from around the world. Only here can one find opulent Byzantine windows (taken from actual Venetian palazzos), Boticelli paintings, and second century Roman bathhouse mosaics all melded into a unified whole. Gardner stipulated in her will that the collection remain exactly as it was originally curated; however, there are occasional rotating exhibitions of contemporary artwork. Currently on display: "Threads of Dissent" The museum also offers concerts on Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30. Not to be missed: Titian's deservedly famous "Rape of Europa."

617.566.1401

DECORDOVA MUSEUM AND SCULPTURE PARK

51 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln

Tue-Sun: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Admission $6, $4 with student ID.

Set in a bucolic sculpture park, where modern form becomes the temptation of a jungle gym. Sadly, while "interaction" is encouraged, climbing is forbidden. The museum itself exhibits modern and contemporary American art, mostly by New England artists. The aim and presentation of the DeCordova is didactic, which results in an irritating excess of wall-text. Recent figurative painting is the perennial favorite here.

Through Nov. 28: "Images of Europe: Photographs from the Permanent Collection," "Recoil: A Video Installation by Denise Marika," "Light on the Familiar: The Paintings of Scott Prior," "Get Real: Representational Paintings from the Permanent Collection."

Through June 4, 2000: "Robert Arneson: Bronze Self-Portraits and Drawings."

Dec. 18, 1999-March 12, 2000: "Witness and Legacy: Contemporary Art about the Holocaust."

781.259.8355

THE FOGG ART MUSEUM

32 Quincy St. (T: Harvard Square)

Mon-Sat: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun: 1-5 p.m.

Admission: $5, $3 for students, FREE for students with valid Harvard ID.

Founded in 1891 by Elizabeth Fogg in memory of her husband, the Fogg is the oldest museum on campus. (The original museum was located on the current site of Canaday Hall.) Most notable is the museum's eloquent collection of Ingres paintings, its post-Impressionist holdings (including a gorgeous Gaugin and a Van Gogh self-portrait), and its well-rounded representation of seventeenth century Dutch and Flemish painting (including a Rembrandt.) Other exhibitions worth noting: "The Art of Identity: African Sculpture from the Teel Collection," (a stunning collection of masks from Western and Central Africa), "Sublimation: Art and Sensuality I the 19th century" (most importantly two Gustave Moreau canvases), "America: Art After 1950" (including a Frank Stella and Jackson Pollock), and "Timeless Beauty: Representing the Ideal in Neoclassical Drawing." Upcoming exhibitions include: Oct. 30-Jan. 23, 2000: "Lifeworld: Portrait and Landscape in Netherlandish Prints, 1550-1650," and Nov. 27-March 26: "The Shape of Content: The Stephen Lee Taller Ben Shahn Archive at Harvard." In addition to the collections on display, the Agnes Morgan Center, located on the first floor of the museum, has an astounding collection of prints, drawings, and photographs available for private viewing.

617.495.9400

THE BUSCH-REISINGER MUSEUM

32 Quincy St,. located in the Fogg Art Museum (T: Harvard Square)

Mon-Sat: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun: 1-5 p.m.

Admission: $5, $3 for students, FREE for students with valid Harvard ID

Originally the Museum of Germanic Art, the Busch-Reisinger has accumulated over the past century an impressive holding of post-1880 German art with a particular emphasis on German Expressionism. The stark curation and sparing use of didactic wall texts are appropriately austere, boldly offsetting the colorful effusiveness of Gerhard Richter and the restrained hysteria of Max Beckmann. Also notable is a series of Bauhaus paintings (including works by Malevich and El Lissitsky), a pair of Jawlensky portraits, and an unusual Klimt. Currently on display is a collection of works by Hannah Darboven, touted by the curatorial staff as "one of the most important active German artists today." While Darboven's cutting-edge exploration of calendrical counting systems is mildly thought provoking, it is nonetheless another disappointing exa.m.ple of the diminishing importance of aesthetic value in contemporary art. Upstairs from the works on display is the pleasant and modern Busch-Reisinger study room, containing an extensive collection of prints and drawings (everything from Kandinsky to Klee) for private viewing.

617.495.9400

THE ARTHUR M. SACKLER MUSEUM

485 Broadway (T: Harvard Square)

Mon-Sat: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun: 1-5 p.m.

Founded in 1985 to hold Harvard's collection of Asian, Ancient, Islamic, and Indian art, the Sackler is the newest addition to the Harvard University Museums. The holdings contain one of the best jade collections in the country, as well an extensive representation of early Chinese bronzes (most notably a series of three ritual bells from the late Chou dynasty). Also particularly strong are the ancient Greek vases, with exquisite exa.m.ples of both red-figure and black-figure techniques. Not to be missed: the beautifully preserved and delicately painted Japanese hand-scroll depicting "The Tale of the Rat." Currently on display: "Letters in Gold: Ottoman Calligraphy from the Sakip Sabanci Museum, Istanbul," a richly presented selection from the most highly esteemed of all Islamic artforms. A must-see.

617.495.9400

THE CARPENTER CENTER FOR THE VISUAL ARTS

24 Quincy St. (T: Harvard Square)

The illustrious Carpenter Center, home of the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies, holds the honor of being the only Le Corbusier building in North America. Against this starkly beautiful backdrop of geometric form, primary colors, and elemental textures, are held a constant string of rotating exhibitions. As a display space, the Carpenter Center functions as the typical university art gallery: Alternating between senior thesis displays, faculty shows, and periodic travelling exhibitions. In the past, these exhibits have included the work of such internationally-renown artists as Elizabeth Peyton and Kara Walker.

617.495.3251