The top art shows in Toronto this fall might find themselves a little overshadowed by the spectre of mega-fest Nuit Blanche, but for some they come as a welcome respite from its grip. As the weather gets colder, art fans tend to long for shows with a more serious edge, be it political or just thought provoking - though fairs like Art Toronto mean that pomp and overwhelming numbers are by no means over. Also don't miss TIFF's Stanley Kubrick exhibit opening on Halloween, and Charles Bierk at Nicholas Metvier.

Here are the top 10 art shows in Toronto this fall.

Jonathan Scott - The Policy Makers / Oct 10 - Nov 9 / Katharine Mulherin
Scottish, Toronto-based artist Jonathan Scott will speculate on the future at Katharine Mulherin starting this weekend with sculpture and prints - not your personal future, but Big Future.

Tom Ryaboi: Cities of the Future / Canary Park Presentation Center 393 Front Street East at Cherry / Opening Oct 18
You're going to have to keep an eye out for more details, but for now all you need to know is that this is the show Toronto's rooftop photographers have been lying (climbing?) in wait for. Update: learn more here.

Michelangelo: Quest for Genius / Oct 18 - Jan 11 / AGO
From October 18-January 11, the AGO is showing a sizable collection of Michelangelo drawings. Big deal, right? Some dead guy who didn't even bother to erase the guide lines he made under his sketches. I kid - while the works in this exhibit will be small, the weight of Michelangelo's skill be something you never forget. Committing the human form to paper with sensitivity of this magnitude has been often mimicked, but perhaps never matched. Well, maybe Rembrandt.

Feature Art Fair / Oct 23-26 / Joey & Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre
Autumn's Art Toronto (see below) is the city's biggest arts fair by a long shot, but newbie Feature: Contemporary Art Fair doesn't seem interested in competing. Rather the lovingly curated fair of a modest 23 galleries and 60 artists at the Opera Centre will compliment the bigger, glitzier, ordeal at the Metro - where surely more money will change hands, yet perhaps a fair less driven by opening galas than charted by challenging work is long due.

Bev Koski and Christian Chapman - Recast / Oct 24 - Nov 22 / Gallery44
Gallery44 is partnering with imagineNATIVE to show Bev Koski and Christian Chapman's provocative sculptures later this month, where the familiar will become uncanny as it's recast by the artist's nimble skills - I'm especially looking forward to Koski's bead enshrined dolls, pictured above. The opening is October 24, 6-8pm.

Art Toronto / Oct 24-27 / Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Autumn's TIAF (Oct 24-27, 2014) is the city's biggest arts fair by a long shot. The international art fair is a great chance to immerse yourself in some of the best contemporary and even traditional artwork Toronto has to offer via both established and young galleries, plus be exposed to art from around the world. It's also one of the year's best events for people watching (and Instagram). Brush shoulders with the art world October 24-27 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Exposing Energy East: People and Places at Risk by TransCanada's Energy East Pipeline Proposal / Oct 31- Nov 5 / The Richmond
Our most politicized pick for fall is this exhibition of the photographs of Garth Lenz (landscapes) and Robert van Waarden (portraits). The documentary photos explore the people and places threatened by the massive Energy East pipeline. There will be an artist talk Saturday November 1 at 2pm.

Introducing Suzy Lake / Nov 5 - March 22 / AGO
I'd normally squish two good exhibits at the same gallery into one appearance on a list, but this is the AGO, and Toronto's Suzy Lake doesn't have much in common with Michelangelo (or does she? Draw your own conclusions). Lake's photography, video work and more on body, gender and identity will be on display, with a catalogue to accompany the show penned by Allyson Mitchell, Robert Longo, Elizabeth Smith, Michelle Jacques, Sara Angel, and Tavi Gevinson.

Karine Giboulo / Nov 15 - Dec 20 / Angell Gallery
Angell on Ossington's Karine Giboulo installations should be pretty mind blowing. The Montreal artists' childlike miniatures take kitsch and turn it on its head, depicting disturbing visions from technicolour sheep hooked up to IV machines to first world tourism in third world locales. The opening is Saturday, November 15th 6-9pm. Don't miss their current exhibition either, Kim Dorland's I Hate Poetry but I Love TV, on until November 8.

Jen Mann - Q&A / Nov 20 - Dec 20 / Neubacher Shor Contemporary
Late this fall at Neubacher Shor in Parkdale see Jen Mann's enormous works (with titles like "garbage selfie") on canvas. If you're frustrated with painting as a medium, these ultra saturated contemporary visions might cheer you up.

Photos: Jonathan Scott, On becoming Dawn via his website, Garth Lenz via his website; Michelangelo, Studies for the head of Leda via the AGO; Bev Koski, Toronto #1, 2013 via Gallery44, Suzy Lake, Pucker via her website; Karine Giboulo City of Dreams (2013) via her website, photo by Guy L'Heureux; Jen Mann in studio via her website,