FIRST LIGHT: A DECADE OF COLLECTING AT THE ICA A stimulating show that presents highlights from the ICA’s 10-year-old permanent collection. Includes gifts of work by Kara Walker, Marisol, and Eve Hesse, among others. (Pictured: Cornelia Parker’s “Hanging Fire (Suspected Arson),’’) Through Jan. 4. Institute of Contemporary Art, 25 Harbor Shore Dr. 617-478-3100, www.icaboston.org

PAPERING THE TOWN: CIRCUS POSTERS IN AMERICA A rare opportunity to see 18 historic circus posters from the late-19th and early-20th centuries, including some of the largest posters in the Shelburne Museum’s renowned collection. Through Jan. 22. Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vt. 802-985-3346 www.shelburnemuseum.org

O’KEEFFE, STETTHEIMER, TORR, ZORACH: WOMAN MODERNISTS IN NEW YORK Organized by the Norton Museum of Art in Florida, this excellent show examines the parallel careers of Georgia O’Keeffe, Marguerite Thompson Zorach, Florine Stettheimer, and Helen Torr in New York in the early-20th century. Through Sept. 18. Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square. 207-775-6148, www.portlandmuseum.org

THE THRILL OF THE CHASE: THE WAGSTAFF COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS AT THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM A selection from what was once one of the world’s finest private photography collections, which later became a cornerstone of the Getty’s celebrated photographic holdings. Wagstaff (1921-87) was a former curator at the Wadsworth Atheneum, a friend and lover of Robert Mapplethorpe, and a champion of photography as an art form. Through Dec. 11. Wadsworth Atheneum, 600 Main St., Hartford 860-278-2670, www.thewadsworth.org

SEBASTIAN SMEE