Arts Agenda

Image from the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit (c)Kate Baylor/National Geographic

>> A major traveling exhibition hits D.C. this week: National Geographic hosts this leg of the Terra Cotta Warriors tour. Over 100 artifacts are on display from the 2000-year-old sculpted army that guarded China's First Emperor from any dangers as he entered the afterlife. The exhibit opens tomorrow and runs through March 2010. Tickets are $12 (adult) and sold by date and 30 minute blocks; purchase them here.

>> DCAC opens Black this Friday. Presented in conjunction with the Black Artists of DC, the exhibit organizers "asks artists to think introspectively about the emotional and theoretical, the spiritual and cultural, the intellectual and physical aspects of their personal percpetions of blackness." Opening reception is 7 to 9 p.m.

>> The D.C. Commission on Arts and Humanities pairs up with Long View Gallery for another installment of their successful Art Salon series. Starting tonight at 7 p.m., see Poetry in Motion, which pairs local poets with video artists. Free but RSVP to dccahevents[at]gmail.com.

>> View contemporary artists' approaches to photography and video in the Arlington Arts Center's new exhibit, IMAGE/Project. See work by a long list of artists from around the country at the opening reception on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m.

>> Get in on the ground floor of the next generation of art by checking out the Corcoran College of Art + Design's event tonight at the Renaissance M Street Hotel. See work by the school's most promising students while you enjoy a free wine and cheese tasting and hors d’oeuvres by Chef John Therres. 6 to 8 p.m.

>> At Nevin Kelly Gallery, see and participate in their second "zeitgeist" exhibit, by curators Ellyn Weiss and Sondra N. Arkin. They asked 14 local artists what they believe are today's most important issues, whether they be political, cultural, environmental or otherwise. Arkin and Judy Byron have also been collecting answers from the public via their website and Twitter, and will present artwork that incorporates those opinions. See it all at a reception on Thursday, 6 to 9 p.m.

Image of work by Graham Francoise, courtesy Art Whino.

>> Join Art Whino for Quiet Little Stories: The Art of Graham Francoise. The artists' paintings seem straight out of a sad children's storybook. Viewers can participate by writing down their thoughts about the images and adding them to the walls of the gallery. Opening reception is Saturday, 6 p.m. to midnight.

>> Now that they've finished installing work by the current participating artists, The Phillips Collection officially kicks off Intersections, its new contemporary art series, this Thursday with a panel discussion between artists Tayo Heuser, Babrbara Liotta, and Jennifer Wen Ma, along with Phillips curator Vesela Sretenovic. 6 p.m., by donation.

>> Congrats to Winter Palace Studio Artists, which will have the grand opening of their gallery along with an opening reception for artists and owners Natasha Mokina and Victor Pakhomkin on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m.

Art Notes:

Tonight hear a Pink Panel at Flashpoint with exhibiting artist Kenny George and some other art folks about "Games, Technology and Creativity." Be sure to play the arcade games in the gallery while you're there. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., $10 donation.
WVSA's ARTiculate Gallery hosts a Third Thursday reception; check out the gallery and see work by D.C. students in It's All About the Journey. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Gallery Neptune will display over 200 small scale, affordable works in their venue for the Neptune Artist Marketplace. Wednesday through Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m.
The Citizen's Association of Georgetown feature member artists in a three-day show at 1209 31st Street NW. Opening reception 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday.
Learn how the New Deal helped artists and how they, in turn, helped the nation during the Great Depression in a talk at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Thursday, 7 p.m.