As you might imagine, there's not a whole lot going on in the art world this week, and unlike the last holiday, even the Smithsonians close on Christmas Day. Nevertheless, we found a few exhibits for you to poke around this weekend. And if you're one of those last minute gift buyers and can't bear to wage war at the mall, don't forget our guide to art museum memberships for something a little more unique......

Olga Viso, who has served as director of the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden for two years, announced today she'll be stepping down at the end of the year. Viso will be taking her experience and successes in running the Hirshhorn to the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. The expert on contemporary Latin American art began as an assistant curator at the museum 12 years ago, and quickly climbed the ladder as her skill......

>> Where, oh where, to get your art and beer this week? There may not be many openings around town, but all you need is one big one, and Dr. Dremo's is command central for the weekend's launch activities. More than an art show, the Counter Culture Festival has music, dancing, and food to keep your creative side abuzz all evening. The festival is organized by DC Conspiracy, a group of comic creators, artists and......

Yup. A bunch of sinks. And yet, there's something about the perspective and the hollow atmosphere that brings something a little clever to these ordinary objects. Flickr user LaTur went hunting around the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria for this shot. EXIF.......

Political art is a tricky thing; one can cross the line from clever criticism to heavy-handed vitriol with a quick stroke of the brush. American University’s Katzen Art Center provides a daring look at the many facets of this genre with Visual Politics: The Art of Engagement, a collection on tour from the San Jose Museum of Art in California. The show is a mixed bag of subject matter, media, and style, but each piece......

Forget the heat - DCist is ready for fall so we'll be able to see lots of new exhibits at area galleries. In the meantime, we've pulled together some highlights from the dreadfully slow month of August. >> Fine art photographer Tom Wolff and four of his former students are the focus of a new show at Spectrum Gallery in Georgetown. Wolff has taught at Glen Echo for 30 years and has picked some of......

>> Itching to display your own art? Artdc.org is seeking entrants for a group art show in Takoma Park scheduled to begin May 21. For the exhibit, titled "What Does It Mean to Emerge?," Artdc organizers will show the best artists within a 150-mile radius of the D.C. area. Entrants must be registered at artdc.org with a completed profile including username, interests and webpage, if available. The exhibit organizers are also seeking musicians and master......

This week's art events include exhibits inspired by the Cherry Blossom Festival, the monthly Bethesda Art Walk, and much more. Keep reading for DCist's picks -- and let us know what yours are! >> "Wish You Were Here," an exhibit of paintings by Isabel Manolo and floor sculpture by Jonathan Bucci opens Thursday at Flashpoint Gallery. In this multi-media installation, the artists explore and interpret the idea of personal and collective memory. An example of......

Permission Complex I & II by Trish Tillman" src="http://www.dcist.com/images/2005_1permission_complex_I_&_II.jpg" width="301" height="158"/> Now that the lull of the holidays has passed, a new wave of openings and closings is shifting through the D.C. arts scene. >> "Artists of the Americas" closes Sunday the Art Museum of the Americas. The exhibition includes the work of one representative artist from each of the OAS member nations as a symbol of the "unity in diversity" within the inter-American system.......