Bad news for D.C. art lovers: the folks behind artDC -- the large art fair that premiered last year in the hopes of really launching our town into the international art scene -- announced the cancellation of their 2008 exhibition yesterday, which had been scheduled for May. Eric Smith, Vice President of Summit Business Media, the company that runs artDC, explained that the state of the economy is to blame, stating "current indicators show that the return on investment is not there for our exhibitors." Makes sense -- when folks can't afford to fill up their gas tanks, expenditures on things like art are always the first thing to go -- but we hope things look brighter for everyone a year from now so they can afford to make it back for 2009.

>> Civilian Art Projects, home of the next DCist Exposed (less than a month away!), opens a slew of interesting shows tomorrow. In the main space, students from the Corcoran College of Art + Design's Printmaking Department present their annual portfolio show with the theme You Won't Believe Your Eyes. See how the students interpret the "real world" through their wide-ranging work. In the gallery's project space, photographer Evie Lovett tells the story of despair and hope in Eyes of Rwanda: Portraits from the Hospital in Rwinkwavu. At the reception tomorrow, get a sneak peek of "The Shop." In line with Civilian's dedication to emerging and local artists, The Shop will feature crafts and clothing from some of our most talented printmakers and designers, all for sale, of course. Friday, 7 to 9 p.m.

>> Flashpoint opens a show by three artists who work in photography, installation and video to create interactions with nature. Amanda Sauer, Nellie Appleby and Vita Litvak revolve their work around the age-old, open-ended questions of "nature and being" by studying "controlled" natural environments and humanity's reactions to the vastness of it all. Reception is tonight, 6 to 8 p.m.

>> If you're desperate for the spring to begin, or just enjoy lots of pretty things, head over to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, which opens Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution tomorrow. Along with the historical and scientific part of the new permanent exhibit, over 300 live butterflies will be in the Pavilion area, with new species from all over the world being introduced each week, so you can watch them "co-evolve" with all kinds of interesting plants right in front of your eyes. The general exhibit is free; Butterfly Pavilion tickets are $6 for adults, free for everyone on Tuesdays.

>> Fans of video art and animation should make it a point to check out the Hirshhorn’s new two-part exhibit, The Cinema Effect: Illusion, Reality, and the Moving Image. Part I: Dreams opens tonight on the second level of the museum, and features art by both renowned and emerging international artists. Artwork focuses specifically on how film and technology blur the line between the real and the imaginary. Tonight at 7 p.m., enjoy a “Meet the Artist” talk with projector-based video artist Tony Oursler in the Ring Auditorium. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; advance ticketing starts at 6:15 p.m.. The event is free, and seats are available on a first-come basis.

>> Art Enables celebrates its 6th birthday this weekend with a new show, Six Degrees of Separation, which in turn celebrates diversity of all kinds -- race, gender, religion, political views, and, of course, disability. The exhibit should be a great place to buy some affordable art. Join them at the reception on Saturday, 4 to 6 p.m. Free parking behind the building.

>> The people who bring you X and Pulse every month are hosting Forward, a full two day mini-festival "celebrating electronic creative culture." As usual, X ($8) and Pulse ($5) will be held at BeBar on Saturday starting at 6 and 10 p.m., respectively. On Sunday over in Space 88 in Silver Spring, they'll hold Egg Beaters; $8 gets you a delicious breakfast with a side of electronica, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Once you've digested, get to Jimmy Valentine's Lonely Hearts Club for Dive and Lie Wrecked, a free performance of electronic music; doors open at 9 p.m.

>> Tonight is also a good night to see the recently-opened Degas to Diebenkorn exhibit at the Phillips Collection. The museum will be open until 8:30 p.m. for its weekly “Artful Evening” event, with gallery talks at both 6 and 7 p.m. Director Jay Gates will discuss how the museum’s recent acquisitions continue the Phillips’ tradition of collecting work that has both a respect for the past, and a commitment to the discourse of living artists. If you are busy tonight, head to the Phillips on Sunday at 4 p.m. for a concert by the Raphael Trio, who will play the violin, clarinet and piano.

>> On Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m., American University’s Katzen Arts Center holds a free artists’ reception for its six current exhibitions, including New Work by Elena Sisto and Site/Possession by William Christenberry. Christenberry, whose work often discusses social and political issues apparent during his Alabama upbringing, exhibits fifty of his rarely-exhibited drawings as well as his Klan Room Tableau, a work including over two hundred individual pieces, which he describes as a “visceral reaction to this wholly and abhorrently American phenomenon, which, although officially excised from the public, still exists and arouses intense feelings in all areas of the country.” Two gallery talks will be held on Saturday as well, with a 4 p.m. talk on artist Roger Brown with Curator Sidney Lawrence, and a 5 p.m. discussion with artist Carlos Luna, led by Curator Jack Rasmussen.

Art Notes:

• The National Museum of African Art will hold two performing arts events on Saturday, with the Medoune Yacine Gueye Drummers at 1:30pm, and young artists from D.C.’s Dance Place performing African-inspired stepping, dance and drumming at 2 p.m.
• The Washington Sculptors Group is holding a reception tonight for Sculpture Now! at Washington Square, 1050 Connecticut Ave NW from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
• Both the Arlington Arts Center and the Latin American Youth Center have ongoing classes folks can pick up.
• Target Gallery is holding a special preview reception for Kinetic Image at Second Thursday Art Night from 6 to 8 p.m., with a gallery talk at 7 p.m.
• Get to the National Building Museum to take part in Discover Engineering Family Day this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., including a repelling demonstration from the top of the Great Hall. Free.

Image of prints from the Corcoran students' new show courtesy Civilian Art Projects. Image of still from Anthony McCall's You and I Horizontal, 2005, courtesy the artist via Hirshhorn's web site.

Lynne Venart contributed to this post.