DARREN WATERSTON: UNCERTAIN BEAUTY The centerpiece of this dazzling show is “Filthy Lucre,” a re-creation of James Whistler’s “Harmony in Blue and Gold: Peacock Room,” but reduced to a state of abject disrepair. Includes drawings, watercolors, and paintings. Through January. Massachusetts Museum of Contemporay Art, North Adams. 413-662-2111, www.massmoca.org
RICHARD ESTES’S REALISM A large survey of the pioneering painter, often associated with photorealism, organized by the Portland Museum of Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Through Sept. 7. Portland Museum of Art, Portland, Maine. 207-775-6148, www.portlandmuseum.org
PERMISSION TO BE GLOBAL/PRACTICAS GLOBALES: LATIN AMERICAN ART FROM THE ELLA FONTANALS-CISNEROS COLLECTION The first survey of contemporary Latin American art hosted by the MFA. Featuring work by 46 artists from Central and South America and the Caribbean. The show was first seen at Art Basel Miami Beach last year. Through July 13.
Museum of Fine Arts. 617-267-9300, www.mfa.org
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IAN HAMILTON FINLAY: ARCADIAN REVOLUTIONARY AND AVANT-GARDENER More than 200 works are included in this ambitious survey of the career of the great Scottish artist, poet, and garden designer. Through Oct. 13. DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln. 781-259-8355, www
.decordova.org
Sebastian Smee can be reached at ssmee@globe.com.