A great Friday for art lovers

This is going to be a fun Friday for art lovers along the Mid Atlantic. Some tough decisions will have to be made!

In Baltimore, the new Patricia Touchet Gallery opens "Moving Beyond Craft: Artists of the Washington Glass School," one of three multi-city gallery shows which focus some attention at the movement that I have dubbed "The Washington Glass School School," and which is dragging glass away from craft and putting it firmly in the fine arts camp. Opening is 6-9PM and runs through Sept. 3, 2007. Work by Michael Janis, Erwin Timmers, Tim Tate, Deborah Conti, Cheryl Derricotte, Sean Hennessey, Syl Mathis, Betsy Mead, Evan Morgan and Alison Sigethy. By the way, last Friday WETA TV had a segment on the Washington Glass School - see it here.

In DC, there's a really strong group show opening at Gallery Myrtis, one of DC's newest galleries. Look for the work of Elsa Gebreyesus to stand out in this show. Also Washington Printmakers has its National Small Works 2007 Exhibition, Juried by Greg Jecmen, from the National Galley of Art, as some of the Dupont Circle area galleries will be open for First Fridays.

In Frederick, MD, the Artists' Gallery has a 23-artist group show opening on Friday, although the opening reception is on Saturday, August 4 as part of Frederick's First Saturday Gallery Walk. Work by Palma Allen, Janet Belich, Joy Boudreaux, Steven Dobbin, Nina Chung Dwyer, Lesa Cook, James Germaux, Christine Hahn, Linda Agar-Hendrix, Phyllis Jacobs, Regina Kaiktsian, Jan McIntyre Lamb, Craig Leonardi, Johan Lowie, Christina Lund, Nancy McLoughlin, Joanna Morison, Doug Moulden, Diane Santarella, Robert Sibbison, Irina Smulevitch, Shelley Stevens, Christine Stovall, Washington White.

In Philly it's time for First Fridays and time to wonder around Old City's 40-plus galleries, most of them open from 5 until 9 p.m.