Flickr user yonas1 stumbled across this Art-o-mat, pictured to your right, hidden away on the second floor of the Tenleytown Whole Foods. The converted cigarette machines give you an original piece of art for just five bucks, which is a pretty sweet idea if we've ever heard one. This is the only one in D.C., but you can find a list of other locations across the country, as well as participating artists at their web site. Have any of you ever used the Art-o-mat? We'd love to hear what you got.

>> Fans of political and narrative art will want to stop by Warehouse this Friday for their annual PEACE exhibit. The show is held through March to observe the anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, and also in conjunction with the March 19 "March for Peace" in Washington. Forty well-known local artists bring their work in all types of media to express their opinions of the war, including a full-room "checkpoint installation" by Sondra N. Arkin. Since Warehouse's art gallery will be closing at the end of the season, this will be their final PEACE show -- no doubt the participants hope it will be the last for more reasons than that. Friday, 6 to 9 p.m.

>> We missed the opening of Reuben Breslar's show Black/White at The Atheneaum, but we recommend stopping by this Saturday to hear the artist, along with Corcoran professors Mark Cameron Boyd and Dorothea Dietrich, give a gallery talk about Breslar's paintings, collages and installation work, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

>> Although we lamented the cancellation of this year's artDC, some art shows are still trying to think big and encompass an international flavor. Tonight Glass3 opens at The Shops in Georgetown with an Artomatic collaboration featuring talented glass artists far and wide. To be fair: "international" here means D.C. + Toledo + England, but that doesn't mean there won't be some great work in the exhibit. Artomatic's efforts here are encouraging both in bringing their "art for everyone" spirit to a bigger audience, and also in helping to continue changing the view of glass work from "craft" to "fine art." Visit the opening reception tonight, 6 to 8 p.m., Wisconsin and M Streets NW, Lower Level.

>> Over at Irvine Contemporary, Akemi Maegawa opens her first solo show with Invisible, Inc. Her work explores the very nature of art and objects, and includes a few activities in which viewers can participate, with some humorous Japanese pop culture references for good measure. Opening reception Friday, 6 to 8 p.m.

>> Free art party in random locales? Heck yeah. New York's event-loving Raandesk Gallery will be holding a two-day art party featuring work from their collection, including work by some D.C. locals, in Emergence 2, their second event in the District. Check it out at The Flats at Union Row, the new gigantor condo building at 14th and V Streets NW. Tonight, 6 to 8 p.m.; Friday, 6 to 9 p.m.

>> Art Whino, that enormous gallery in Alexandria, celebrates the addition of 13 more artists' work to their permanent collection (bringing the total to 113 artist and 400 pieces of art). They will also be featuring a solo show by JoKa, who uses toothpicks to create paintings in pointillism (pictured left), which seems both kind of awesome and...kind of makes us tired just thinking about it. Check it out up close at the reception on Friday, 6 p.m. to midnight.

>> It's been all winter and you must be thinking, when can I get some serious jamboree time in? Thank goodness: Hillyer Art Space will be holding a closing party this Friday with an Appalachian Blue Grass ho-down. OK, you don't have to dance, but there will be live music, and you can tap your toes while checking out the last day of two shows, Way, Shape, and Form: Small Abstract Paintings by Bill Schmidt, and Tools As Art, Two: Selections from the Hechinger Collection. 6 to 8 p.m.

>> Curator's Office is opening what looks to be a fascinating show with Charles Cohen's Airfield. His work "draws upon the common thread that unites all global travelers," including his takes on security and surveillance, all in almost hieroglyphic-type images of international symbols and markers. The reception isn't until March, so check it out during their regular hours. Cohen also has work at the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Silver Spring, which will hold a reception for Tectonic tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. with catering from local restaurant El Aguila.

>> See the work of Erin Antognoli, 2007 DCist Exposed winner, in Photo 08, an exhibition juried by David Griffin, Director of Photography & Senior Editor for National Geographic and held at the Ellipse Arts Center in Arlington. If the rest of the work is anything like Antognoli's fascinating multiple exposure Holga prints, it's not to be missed. Opening reception tonight, 6 to 9 p.m.

Art Notes:

• Hemphill Fine Arts will hold a gallery talk with artist Joseph Mills, along with George Hemphill, Saturday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Free but limited seating, so call 202-234-5601 to RSVP.
• The Art League School holds its annual fundraiser for their ceramics department on Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. At the 2008 Soup Bowl Benefit Bonanza, $15 gets you a handcrafted soup bowl, filled with actual soup, live music, and lots of yummy snacks from local establishments.
• Gallery Plan B opens an exhibit with the geometric paintings of Rod Glover in Taking Sides. Reception Saturday, 6 to 8 p.m.
• The Torpedo Factory Art Center will have an artist lecture tonight featuring printmaker Jenny Freestone at 7 p.m.

Image of artwork by JoKa courtesy Art Whino