This weekend, you shouldn't even need to leave your own neighborhood to find some new art just waiting to be admired. Fourteenth Street NW has the big coordinated openings, but a number of places from H Street to Alexandria will be having gallery openings and festivals (which, hopefully, won't be rained on).

14th Street NW: Saturday

>> After a fascinating eight-week photography series this summer, the Randall Scott Gallery almost seems to cap it off with their first show of the new season. Julia Fullerton-Batten's solo show, in between, features the awkwardness, loneliness and "in-betweenyness" experienced by adolescent girls. Some of her photographs show them in mid-air (pictured right), leaping in a familiar scene (bedroom, hallway) for an unknown reason; perhaps the manifestation of a daydream. Others overlay images of girls in different positions around a creativity-inducing room (theater, library), so they're alone together in a classic representation of teenage years. The gallery will also host the third incarnation of Video Smack, with two short films by Jani Ruscica of Finland. 6 to 9 p.m.

>> Head north a block on 14th to Irvine Contemporary. Frequent visitors to the gallery will know the work of Teo Gonzalez, who opens his third solo show there on Saturday. Gonzalez's amusing ameboa-like paintings are fascinating in their obsessive, but not perfect repetitiveness of circles and dots-in-circles, but the artist has a particular focus on color this time around. 23.4837K is his attempt to play with the idea of creating a perfect (and impossible) 24K pigment. If anything, go to surround yourself with a little bling before heading down the street. 6 to 8 p.m.

>> As usual, get to 1515 14th Street to pack in the most art under one roof. On the third floor, Hemphill opens another exhibit with its golden child, photographer William Christenberry (his work is at left). 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Down on the second floor, Curator's Office opens Potential Energy, a series of paintings made in a collaboration by Kate McGraw and Ann Tarantino, who used each others' work and "energy" as the work unfolded. 6 to 8 p.m. In an exhibition that focuses more on the manifestation of the physical work than the creation itself, Adamson Gallery shows off master printer David Adamson's collaborations with a number of artists, including Chuck Close, Robert Rauschenberg, and iona rozeal brown. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Last but not least, G Fine Art features the "sampling" work of Ryan Hackett, who studies animal behavior and turns it into a beat of its own; don't forget to see Cory Orbendorfer's pop-art roller derby girls in the project room, which will always put a smile on your face. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

>> Brushfire is sweeping across D.C.; the "social change art exhibition" headed up by Provisions Library will be at a number of venues in the next few weeks, and we'll have more information on the movement for you soon. In the meantime, finish your 14th Street trek at Plan B Gallery, which has the political art of six artists, including Dana Ellyn and Matt Sesow, with the reception from 6 to 8 p.m.

>> Also in the neighborhood, but on Friday, Transformer will open ID-entity, a two-site exhibition in conjunction with the Mexican Cultural Institute. Be at the gallery for the opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. On Saturday the Institute (2829 16th Street NW) will open their part of the show, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Downtown: We got a tour of the new Richard Avedon retrospective at the Corcoran yesterday, and in short, his Portraits of Power (his portrait of Ronald Reagan is at right) from 1950 to his death in 2004 are amazing and overwhelming. We'll have a full review for you soon, but mark this down as a must-see when it opens to the public on Saturday -- remember to catch Elena Del Rivero's Home Suite while you're there, an especially poignant piece today.

Penn Quarter: We're big fans of Arts on Foot, the annual festival that features artists and venues residing within the PQ neighborhood. In its 16th year, the event combines a visual art market with tons of musical, dance and theater performances, workshops, tours of local art venues and more. Wines of Argentina is sponsoring this year, so expect some delicious taste testing booths. Admission is free, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., on 7th and F Streets. Click over to their web site to get all the info on the events.

>> On Friday, Touchstone Gallery will have an opening reception for In Afghanistan, with images by Award-winning Dutch photographer Hans Stakelbeek. The exhibit was made in partnership with the Embassies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Afghanistan. 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Tenleytown: The Katzen Art Center at American University has its huge art space up and humming with "art of confrontation," five fall shows of political art. Check out their web site for descriptions of the exhibits, and head over to the center on Saturday for the opening of the last show, Close Encounters: Facing the Future, part of Provisions Library's Brushfire project. Get there at 3 p.m. for a tour of the exhibit, or 6 p.m. for the artists reception.

Adams Morgan: DCAC has an opening Friday for Anhedonia, featuring "psychologically charged works" by Will Schneider-White. 7 to 9 p.m.

H Street NE: Dissident Display Gallery (416 H St. NE) opens Space Invaders this weekend, with a group show on "futurism and the African art legacy," in conjunction with the Pink Line Project. Opening reception Friday from 7 to 11 p.m.; artist meet-and-greet Saturday, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Georgetown: Fine Art and Artists brings a little South American hotness to D.C. with photographer Almir Reis and his exhibition Love, Brazil (his work is at left), in conjunction with the Brazilian Embassy.

Virginia: The 6th Annual Alexandria Festival of the Arts takes place this Saturday and Sunday, with over 200 artists in every media. On Saturday, stop by Torpedo Factory between 12 and 4 p.m.; they're holding Art Activated as part of the festival, with workshops and demonstrations. Admission is free; festival is on King Street in Old Town, between Washington and Union Streets.

>> Torpedo Factory is also holding their Second Thursday art night tonight from 6 to 9 p.m., with open studios and a reception for Aftermath in the Target Gallery.

>> The monthly Ballston Arts & Crafts market is on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free; Ballston metro.

Maryland: The Bethesda Second Friday Art Walk is this week from 6 to 9 p.m. See the map of participating galleries here. We highly recommend stopping by Heineman Myers Contemporary Art, which is showing off the work of all the Trawick Prize finalists, including this year's winner, Maggie Michael.

>> VisArts in Rockville opened a show yesterday for Glass: Evolving, featuring new work by artists from Philadelphia, New York, and of course, the Washington Glass School and the Habitat Gallery in Tyson's Corner. We missed the opening reception, but see it during their regular hours.