Georgetown Gallery Gaze

Every third Friday evening, several of Georgetown's galleries invite the public to enjoy chitchatting with artists and visitors, wine, hors d'oeuvres, strolls down bustling streets and, of course, art. With fine, hand-crafted jewelry, digital art, vintage paintings, photography and more, there's a little something for everyone.

The Susan Calloway Fine Arts gallery mixes up vintage and contemporary pieces of art and also offers framing. The gallery has been around for 18 years, and Susan Calloway, the owner, carefully chooses what she exhibits. "I'm quite picky. I like beautiful art," she said. The upper floor showcases a rotating collection and on Sept. 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., artist David Ivan Clark will present Presence/Absence, a collection of oil on stainless steel at the gallery's opening reception and will run through Oct. 23. Contact: (202) 965-4601, www.callowayart.com.

The Old Print Gallery is currently showcasing its first exhibit, Geospatial Art, by Nikolas Schiller. Visiting this show is a must for cartography enthusiasts. Using high resolution aerial and satellite imagery, Schiller creates remarkable, geometric, patchwork quilt-like compositions of cityscapes, like Georgetown. Peering closely, these maps reveal astonishing details. If you would like to learn more about Schiller's maps, join him for a talk on October 15th from 6PM-8PM. Contact: (202) 965-1818, www.oldprintgallery.com.

One of the most interesting exhibits of the evening is Under Surveillance at Parish Gallery by Cleve Overton and Harriet Lesser. The collection consists of sculpture/painting installations depicting intrusive surveillance towers commonly found in locations like Gaza, Auschwitz and Vietnam, but the collection also highlights similar, modern watch towers recently found on Staten Island and at The National Mall. Two life-sized towers allow visitors to step inside and reflect on how others may feel violated, invaded and constantly watched. The show will run until Oct. 12. Contact: (202) 944-3613, www.parishgallery.com.

Georgetown Gallery Gaze draws a varied crowd and is worth getting together a group of friends for some gallery hopping. Although some galleries are less thrilling than others, the artists and gallery owners are friendly and happy to chat about art, and overall, it is a fun and lively occasion ... and how can you go wrong with complimentary wine?

For more information on Georgetown Gallery Gaze, contact: (202) 290-1377, www.georgetowngallerygaze.com.