first friday focus

BUTTONED UP: Kathleen Holmes, Mermaid (2004), 16 by 10 by 8 inches, ceramics and mixed media.

by Lori Hill

The summer months are often where art goes to die. Or at least wilt. Fortunately, several local galleries are pulling out some impressive works this month, with excellent group shows and compelling concepts. So don't miss them, or just take the opportunity to visit galleries and museums you might not normally see. Always wondered what the Athenaeum is all about? They're open all summer — every weekday from 9 to 5 and it's free! Go on your lunch break! — with a show based on Roger Moss' book Historic Sacred Places of Philadelphia, featuring photographs of churches and places of worship in the city. Then, go see those places. And when was the last time you paid the American Philosophical Society a visit? For shame — their current "Treaures Revealed" show tracks the APS's 260 years of collecting. You'll see everything from a 19th-century book bound in human skin to a 1945 draft of the first stored computer program.

Here are some other suggestions:

Make the trek to Wilmington for a hidden gem of a show. The Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts devotes its two main galleries to "The Dress Makes the Woman," an exhibition examining the idea that clothing has social, cultural and psychological implications beyond the obvious. Maybe not a wholly original idea, but the seven artists in the show each have something new to say.

Curator J. Susan Isaacs chose these contemporary artists for their innovative work in everything from the most likely (fiber) to the least (glass) when it comes to costume. "The work is quite varied," Isaacs says, from the "psychological" approach of Clarina Bezzola to the "pure elegance" of Karen LaMonte.

Even though the featured artists are all women, Isaacs cautions that this is not a show about feminist iconography. "The idea of dress has been around since the '70s, since the feminist movement," she says. "But this is not overtly feminist work. These artists happen to be women who happen to be dealing with psychological and sociological issues dealing with the body. They're not searching to make political art. This is not Judy Chicago."

Indeed, instead of place settings for Virginia Woolf et al, Kathleen Holmes uses broken ceramics, chains and other found objects to create a hefty, sea-green dress she's called Mermaid that looks like it's been buried in the water for some time. Out of cast glass, Karen LaMonte makes works resembling contemporary couture ice sculptures, managing to look billowy yet indestructible. Lesley Dill contributes a brand-new piece made of wire, created just for this show, and on July 15, Clarina Bezzola will perform dressed in one of her textiles in a work called Lamentation. Also featured are the fiber creations of Marie-Laure Ilie and Erin Sotak's installation work. Finally, catch Christine Redfern's video project, "RE-DRESS," documenting the way four artists use clothing in performance art to make their point.

Costume not your thing? Check out Gregor Turk's "Urban Flash Cards" and other wax-oil rubbings relating to historical markers, plaques and signage. And no lame excuses about traffic — the DCCA is easily accessible by SEPTA, only a few blocks from the R2 station. (Through Sept. 4, 200 S. Madison St., Wilmington, Del., 302-656-6466. Clarina Bezzola will perform in Lamentation, Fri., July 15, 6:30 p.m., free.)

For years, one of the most respected curators has been organizing excellent symposia and creative exhibitions right at Fifth and Vine. Albert LeCoff, director of the Wood Turning Center, now unveils "Innovative Perspectives in Turning," a show of contemporary wood works. A standout is Dewey Garrett's "Red and Yellow Palm," made of palm wood bleached of all-natural pigment, then colored with aniline dye for a eye-popping look. Garrett was trained as an engineer, and his technical precision is evident in his meticulously lathed vessels. The appeal of the works in this show is for one of two reasons: either they're so simply, obviously wood that they're breathtaking for their natural beauty, or the material is disguised so expertly it's awe-inspiring. WTC's show runs simultaneously with an exhibition at the Brookfield Craft Center in Connecticut. (Reception Fri., July 1, 5:30-7 p.m., through Aug. 20, 501 Vine St., 215-923-8000.)

Miss the first national conference in encaustic art and its accompanying show in Wallingford? Have no idea what encaustic is? No worries, Gallery Siano solves both problems with one exhibition. "Oil + Wax: chapter & verse" features this ancient art — in which molten wax and pigment are laid on top of one another — as practiced by contemporary artists. Look for work by Moe Brooker, Michelle Marcuse and Jeff Schaller, along with 14 others. (Reception Fri., July 1, 7-9; Fri., Aug. 5, 6-9 p.m.; 309 Arch St., 215-629-2940.)