Image of “Emissary” by Gaia, courtesy Irvine Contemporary

Thursday is the perfect evening to check out all the new art venues on and near H Street NE during the ARTventures art walk, sponsored by the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce. Start at any one of the 12 participating spots, including Conner Contemporary, Evolve Urban Arts Project, and the Atlas Performing Arts Center, and pick up a “passport” to get stamped at each place you visit. Each stamp gets you an additional 2% off your bill at eight neighborhood eateries like Sticky Rice and Dangerously Delicious Pies between 7 and 9 p.m. The art walk is free, 5 to 7:30 p.m.

>> The Arlington Arts Center opens Art Scouts this Friday, featuring six prominent local artists as curators who’ve sought out other artists who work in their medium. Curators Mary Early, Maggie Michael, Kerry Skarbakka and the others will “explain what it means to take a contemporary approach to a particular medium.” 6 to 9 p.m.

>> The Fridge features new work by DECOY, presenting tattoo-themed work in prints and paintings. This is what we call participatory art: get your own ink during the live tattooing session at the reception. Friday, 6 to 10 p.m.

>> Visit Irvine Contemporary for the opening of Picture Planes, where the acrylic, layered paintings of Robert Mellor play off Alexa Meade’s odd “flattening” in her photographs of portraits painted directly on people. Meade will have an installation for portrait-taking in the gallery; the results will be hung each week. In the back gallery, enjoy urban artist Gaia’s decollage, linocut prints, and painting on wood panels, and an on-site street mural installation. The Wooster Collective has an interesting interview from 2008 with this young, impressive artist. Reception Saturday, 6 to 8 p.m.

>> DCAC features work that plays on real fears and experiences by twisting them into fictions, in a show with the work of the gallery’s Sparkplug artist collective. See work by Chajana denHarder, Todd Gardener, and former DCist Exposed winner Matt Smith at the reception for Fact and Fiction Friday, 7 to 9 p.m.

>> Science and art lovers alike should head to National Geographic Museum for the opening of Da Vinci –The Genius on Friday. The exhibit follows his life and work, such as reproductions of his most famous Renaissance paintings, including a section on Secrets of Mona Lisa, and his ahead-of-his-time insights into modern machines like the helicopter, submarine, and automobile. See it during regular hours.