Halo has been cutting (ha) a swath through the Orlando art scene since opening almost exactly a year ago, steadily exhibiting show after show by established and respected local artists including Karen Russell, Cake Marques and now Brandon McLean. Much credit is due to salon manager and curator Hannah Braden, an artist herself. Yes, it’s an “alternative space” (read: not a traditional gallery), but in this town, sometimes we takes what we gets – if the art is hanging in a sandwich shop, a hair salon or a bar, then that’s where you have to go to see it. (It doesn’t hurt that Halo is housed in a nifty midcentury modern building smack in one of our favorite neighborhoods.) If we have any quibble, it’s that as yet, Halo has shown work by artists that, let’s say, aren’t exactly lacking for exposure. But we’re fully confident that with time, Halo will jump that hurdle as well, and we look forward to watching them develop. – Jessica Bryce Young