City Gallery: Light and Allusion opening reception: Sat. May 1, 6-9 pm

City Gallery (804 H St) will hold the opening reception for its May exhibition “Light and Allusion” showcasing Nancy Donnelly’s elegant glass art and Jill Finsen’s whimsically primitive paintings executed in oil paint with the artists Saturday, May 1, 6:00–9:00 PM.

Fascination with color is apparent in the work of both these artists. These pieces sing out - they raise the possibility that good humor can be engendered by color alone. Allusive of the natural world, they are at the same time direct and accessible. Surface is paramount to the success of these art pieces—the smoothness of the glass contrasts with layered textures in the paintings. The colors of glass and paintings complement each other and pull the exhibit in new and exciting visual directions. Both artists find negative space crucial to this effect, moments of rest that energize each work. Donnelly and Finsen’s works provide tension between familiarity and abstraction and at the same time question placement within imagined space.

The exhibit runs through May 29 and is otherwise viewable Fridays & Saturdays from 1-5 p.m. or by appointment.