Kermit Berg, Lemon Tea, 2011, photograph, 20 x 35 inches, edition of 6.

>> Gallery plan b mixes culture and mediums with a duo-show featuring complex work by Kermit Berg and Delna Dastur. Berg’s multi-layered photographs recall neon-inspired memories of time spent in Tokyo while referencing the city’s vulnerability and strength. The intricate, energetic canvases by Dastur provide balance with their mash of nature and machinery and layers of color that hint to her Indian roots. Stop by the opening reception on Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m.

>> Ditch work early this afternoon for the 2011 Wyeth Lecture in American Art, Between the Lines: Philip Guston and “Bad Painting”, presented by Stanford University American Art and Culture and Professor Bryan J. Wolf. First-generation Abstract Expressionist-turned-Neo-Expressionist, Guston explored ideas of pilgrimage, revelation, and epiphany through cartoonish renderings of the figure, which New Yorkers weren’t ready for and totally misunderstood. 4:30 p.m. in the East Building Auditorium of the National Gallery of Art.

>> Also tonight, the Finnish Embassy hosts a reception for Finnish photographer Miina Savolainen’s The Loveliest Girl in the World, retrospective in the lives of ten girls, from adolescence to adult. Through the glow of Savolainen’s soft, dreamy photographs and fairy-tale-like portrayal, the stark and sometimes frozen beauty of the girls’ surroundings offers a metaphor for the struggle to break free and find oneself. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

>> On Thursday, the Corcoran Gallery of Art hosts video and performance artist Kalup Linzy in a discussion with Associate Professor Hasan Elahi from the University of Maryland Art Department on the inspiration behind his pieces in the 30 Americans, now on view. 7 p.m. Free, but please RSVP to save your spot.

>> If cyborgs were real, Glenn Arthur would be their official portrait painter. His surreal depictions of female femininity are modified with just the right amount of mechanical elements and fanciful ornate detailing. The Machines of Seduction opens on Friday with a reception at Art Whino. 8 to 11 p.m.

>> Artists and collectors need each other. Artist Agnes Bolt recognizes this partnership and, in an effort to study it further, invaded the homes of two local collectors, Philippa Hughes and Phillip Barlow, earlier this year in the most awkward, uncomfortable, and intrusive ways possible. By becoming a part of their daily lives, the artist forced interaction through both passive and direct means, and discovered a level of shared vulnerability. Dealing, which opens with a reception Saturday at Project 4, displays the work created during and after the experiences. 6 to 8:30 p.m.

>> Carolina Mayorga’s got a lot on her mind, but she’s letting her mixed-media show, Fruits, Flies and Other Delights, do the talking for her. Her work challenges cultural stereotypes, issues of consumption and social and political topics through bright, tropical fruits and colors of her native Colombia and the mass-marketing tools that inundate our daily routines. Stop by the opening reception this Saturday at the Pierce School Lofts, hosted by The Evolve Urban Arts Project, from 5 to 8 p.m.

>> The National Gallery of Art has a full weekend planned out just for you. Their free weekend film-fest returns with a series of shorts on Sunday with Your Day is My Night, The Task of the Translator, Sound of a Shadow and more, starting at 2 p.m., followed by Paris Qui Dort and Le Voyage Imaginaire at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. The younger crowd also gets a treat with Victorian Halloween Magic-Lantern Show, which incorporates a live showman and music alongside a presentation of slides. Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday at 11:30 a.m. All for free in the Gallery’s East Building Auditorium.

>> Scale the Summit of Awesome this weekend in Baltimore, brought to you by Hello Craft, supporters of Crafty Bastards everywhere. Take a look at the schedule, which is jam-packed with speakers, seminars and workshops, all designed to help crafters learn, grow and be prosperous in today’s economy. Figure out which Summit Pass fits your needs and get yourself registered!

Art Notes:

• A new gallery is coming! Director Lauren Gentile, formerly of Irvine Contemporary, has issued a big teaser — the launch of Contemporary Wing next month. Location to be announced November 1, so stay tuned!
• Don’t miss your chance to bid on framed photographs by world-class photographers at Picture Equality, Critical Exposure’s 4th Annual Photography Auction & Reception happening tomorrow night. All proceeds will benefit underserved youth, providing cameras, training, and the opportunity to become leaders for school reform and social change. Tickets are $80.
• If you haven’t seen Chris Martin: Painting Big at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, get your tickets for Friday night’s Now at Night — it’s your last chance to see the exhibit and your ticket comes an exclusive viewing of the newly opened special exhibition 30 Americans.
• Last week, the arts agencies of California and Arizona proposed a challenge to see which state’s agency could raise 10,000 likes on Facebook first. Problem: they left out the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities (DCCAH). Well, not one to sit quietly, DCCAH has issued a no-holds-barred cage match and needs your LIKES! You’re already logged in, anyway (don’t lie), so just click over here and “like” their page. Please do it soon because I think it’s about to get ugly…
• The 21 artists of Mid-City Artists open their doors and invite you to their Fall Open Studios this weekend from 12 to 5 p.m. both days. Meet the artists, discuss their work, tour their studios, and take home new pieces.
• The Art League Gallery wants to know — who doesn’t love great arts and cocktails?! Tickets are on sale now for next Wednesday’s Art on the Rocks 2011.