Don’t forget Pick of the week happens at Skidmore Contemporary Art, located at Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave.…we’ve got plenty more openings here tonight as well as today for a family event….so come early park and enjoy.

Santa Monica Museum of Art, (G-1), hosts a Family Day Workshop as well as the closing day of incredible exhibitions….Beatrice Wood, Adam Berg, and Georgi Tushev. Docent led tours will be offered at 11:30 am, 1:00 pm, 2:30 pm and 4:00 pm. There is a $5 suggested donation, $3 artists/students/seniors for the exhibition

Now the Family Day Workshop aptly called The Art Bug, happens from 1:00 pm till 3:00 pm in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil’s OVO and artist Karen Nakashima. Learn the basics of bugs and construct your own specially designed specimen box with found natural materials. The OVO Bug Team joins the workshop for additional insect-inspired fun. Put on your best critter-face for the OH-Snap photo booth. Workshop: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Be aware there is a $10 general admission, free for SMMoA members. 310-586-6488; http://smmoa.org/

Now, you’ll want to get ther a bit early since Schomburg Gallery (E3A) will be having a very early opening reception  “Oceanscapes” featuring the work of artist Karla Karlin.

The reception runs from 4:00 pm till 6:00 pm. 310.453.5757; http://www.schomburggallery.com

If you have not yet seen dnj Gallery’s latest exhibition, be sure to pop in.

As part of NoirFest Santa Monica, a Noir Arts Festival, dnj Gallery (J-1) features the work of multi-media artist Helen K. Garber.

“Encaustic Noir” is a brilliant show. Be aware, this is the final weekend…dnj closes at 7:00 p.m. www.dnjgallery.net

For more info about Noirfest Santa Monica, see their website at www.noirfestsm.com

Also tonight, Shoshana Wayne Gallery (B-1) will be holding an opening reception for Shirley Tse’s exhibition “Vital Organs and Other Stories” from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.

This is Tse’s fifth exhibition with the gallery and as described by the name, “Vital Organs” features a sculpture created in the shape of a bound human heart, complete with electric tendrils dangling from the ceiling.

In the East Gallery, Shirley Tse creates an elaborate installation, with several floor to ceiling sculptures made of lightweight, yellowish, mesh materials. She then takes it to the next level by inviting filmmaker, Dana Duff to partake in a multi-media portion of the exhibition. Duff’s video projections of underwater turbulence run within the dark cave-like room. (310) 453-7535; http://shoshanawayne.com/

One more opening for you….Richard Heller Gallery (B-5A) features the work of artist, Corey Arnold.

The opening reception will be held from 5:00 pm till 7:00 pm.

The show will remain on display through March 31st. 310-453-9191;

http://richardhellergallery.com/

The Rose Gallery (G-5) offers an artist reception for Lise Sarfati. Her latest exhibition, “She” Portraits of Four Women, focuses on the lives of young, middle-class women, much the same kind of people who might make up the audience for her pictures. French-born photographer Lise Sarfati credits her drive across America for this exhibition.

The opening is from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Show will remain open until March 26th; http://www.rosegallery.net/

Copro Gallery (T-5) always is the last to close, so you can always head out to some other openings, then come for a late night re-visit to Bergamot.

Tonight, Copro celebrates artist, Dirty Donny Gillies with an reception for his solo exhibition “Vantastic Voyage.” Inspired by the custom van murals made famous in the 1970’s and the fascination with space fantasy in the years just after the moon landing, Donny has created an entirely new collection of works.

The opening runs from 8:00 pm till 11:00 pm. 310.829.2156; http://www.copronason.com/

Also in Santa Monica….

Obsolete will be having an artist reception for Paolo Ventura and his latest exhibition “The Funeral of the Anachist.”

A funky store, Obsolete always has fun openings with a very eclectic crowd. 

Obsolete is located at 222 Main St. in SM, just north of Rose Ave.

The opening runs from 6:00 pm till 9:00 pm. 310 399-0024; http://www.obsoleteinc.com/

At the Cadillac Hotel, pop into an opening reception for Discarded: LA. This exhibition is a portrait of L.A. through people and their DISCARDED furniture.

Free Entrance; 21 + over; Hosted Bar; The opening runs from 6:00 pm till 11:00 pm.

The Cadillac Hotel is located at 8 Dudley Ave, (one block South of Rose); http://www.facebook.com/events/193911124042460/

One more in Venice, Marine Contemporary presents “The Bare Facts,” a solo exhibition by Los Angeles based artist Peter Lograsso. For his first show at the gallery, Lograsso has chosen to focus primarily on his most immediate surroundings – his bedroom. He chooses his subject matter based on its story telling power.

The artist reception will be held from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Marine Contemporary is located at 1733 – A Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice, CA 90291; http://www.marinecontemporary.com/

Now there’s a bunch of art parties in Culver City tonight. This one is not within the cluster. So you may want to start, or end here.

NextSpace offers a closing reception for photographer Sam Comen’s 28 at 28 solo exhibition.

The reception will run from 6:00 to 9:00pm.  Beverages will be served.

Next Space is located at 9415 Culver Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232. www.samcomen.com

Honor Fraser,  at 2622 La Cienega Blvd., holds an artist reception for Rosson Crow’s second solo exhibition at the gallery. A very different show, than her previous exhibitions, “BALLYHOO HULLABALOO HABOOB” captures American growth and decline…from Texas oil fields and bleak Dust Bowl towns, to celebratory tickertape parades bringing to mind the pitfalls of such self-congratulatory excitement.

The opening reception runs from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. (310) 837-0191; http://www.honorfraser.com

JK Gallery, (2632 S. La Cienega Blvd.), holds an opening reception for Created Worlds and Altered Histories featuring artists Sara Alavikia, Jacqueline Bootier, Nicolas Grenier, Kiel Johnson, Thomas Whittaker Kidd, Jon Pylypchuk. 310.837.3330; http://www.jkgallery.net

Walter Maciel Gallery (2642 S. La Cienega),  presents El Jardin Femenil Y Otros Ocasos by Los Angeles based artist Carolyn Castaño. This show marks Castaño’s second solo exhibition with the gallery.

In her new body of work, Castaño continues to explore personas and narratives associated with the narco-wars, drug trade and political dramas currently unfolding in Latin America. 310.839.1840; http://waltermacielgallery.com

Taylor De Cordoba (2660 La Cienega Blvd.), offers the new exhibition entitled “Warp and Weft,” a series of abstract paintings by Los Angeles-based artist Hadley Holliday from 6:00 pm till 8:i00 pm.

For Holliday’s first exhibition at Taylor De Cordoba, the artist debuts a new series of acrylic paintings wherein she explores ideas of space and depth while referencing traditional craft. In striking shades of blue, Holliday creates psychedelic patterns of interlocking circles, which form arched, expansive spaces.

The exhibition will run until April 7, 2012. 310.559.9156; http://www.taylordecordoba.com/

Maloney Fine Art will be having an opening reception for “Pop Targets” featuring the work of Ford Beckman. This exhibition features the reinterpretation of iconic images and designs.

The opening runs from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Maloney Fine Art is located at 2680 S La Cienega Blvd; 310 570 6420; http://www.maloneyfineart.com

Located on the other side of the street, Blum & Poe presents “Requiem for the Sun: The Art of Mono-ha.” This exhibition examines the postwar Japanese artistic phenomenon Mono-ha (School of Things).The exhibition will show select key installations, works on paper, and photographs that unveil resonant concepts and artistic methods relative to the exhibition.

Representing an important art historical turning point, “Requiem for the Sun” refers to the attitude of aesthetic detachment and renewal of matter in response to the immanent loss of the object as a sun in Japanese postwar art practice. Included in the exhibition are works by Koji Enokura (1942-1995), Noriyuki Haraguchi (1946- ), Susumu Koshimizu (1944- ), Katsuhiko Narita (1944-1991), Nobuo Sekine, see image (1942- ), Kishio Suga (1944- ), Jiro Takamatsu (1936-1998), Noboru Takayama (1944- ), Lee Ufan (1936- ), and Katsuro Yoshida (1943-1999).

Blum & Poe is located at 2727 S. La Cienega Blvd., LA 90034; 310-836-2062; http://www.blumandpoe.com

Angles Gallery offers new works by Los Angeles artist Delia Brown.  “Felicity & Caprice” is Brown’s first solo exhibition with Angles Gallery.

“Felicity & Caprice” is a narrative cycle of paintings based on the 1968 film, Les Biches, by Claude Chabrol. The main characters were played by Delia Brown (Caprice), actress Hollis Witherspoon (Felicity) and bookseller/art dealer John McWhinnie (Paul), who tragically passed away very recently.

The opening reception takes place from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Angles Gallery is located at 2754 S. La Cienega Blvd.,  LA 90034; 310.396.5019; http://www.anglesgallery.com/

Also on La Cienga AVE not Blvd…stop into Carter & Citizen, located at 2648 La Cienega Ave., Carter & Citizen puts on an opening reception for Dmitry (Dima) Strakovsky’s first solo exhibition in Los Angeles. The exhibition, titled The Way We Tell The Stories That Tell The Way will remain open until March 24th, 2012.

Dmitry Strakovsky takes an inside look at the way the art world pays homage to branding. The exhibition focuses on this absurb but carefully calculated part of our cultural landscape.

The artist reception will be held from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm. 213-359-2504; http://www.carterandcitizen.com.

Then head towards Washington Blvd., and take a left, to Roberts & Tilton, 5801 Washington Blvd. who offers a reception for a group show from 6;00 pm till 8:00 pm.323.549.0223; http://www.robertsandtilton.com

Then across the street (on the south side of Washington), Mark Moore Gallery presents an exhibition of ambitious new large-scale paintings by Ali Smith (see image), making for her second major solo show with the gallery. As well as Christopher Davison in the Project Room.

The exhibit stays open through April 7th. The opening reception will be held from 6:00 pm till 8:00 pm at the Mark Moore Gallery, 5790 Washington Blvd. 90232 ; http://www.markmooregallery.com

Now you may want to turn around and to catch one more in the neighborhood. Head west back across La Cienega again and stop by Koplin Del Rio Gallery hold an artist reception for Eric Beltz (see image) and Sandow Birk.

The show remains on display until April 7th. The opening reception runs from 6:00 pm till 8:00 pm.

Koplin Del Rio Gallery is located at 6031 Washington Blvd.  90232 http://www.koplindelrio.com/

Be aware that there will be a whole bunch more galleries open on La Cienega an Washington. Several had openings last week. So get there early so you can pop in and enjoy them all. Yeah..love to Art Party!