Art and art parties: Gallery Row openings tonight

Tonight, the group of galleries on Colquitt near Lake St. (known as Gallery Row) will hold openings for several exciting new art exhibits. That means art, drinks, and hor d'oeuvres - and lots of them. Here's a preview of just a few of the exhibits that open tonight (receptions from 6-8).

>> Hooks-Epstein Galleries - Teresa Dunn's debut exhibition of paintings and drawings titled In Dreams opens today. Dunn uses oils and graphite to create surrealistic images in her paintings and drawings. Her images show a world in which animals are as important as her human characters. They might be a substitute for an absent individual, a symbol or metaphor for an idea or event. Dunn's intent is to have the people within her paintings and drawings see their peculiar reality as normal.

>> McMurtrey Gallery - Notable photographer Dornith Doherty's first solo exhibition will open today. Part landscape and part still-life, Doherty's newest body of work depicts the reality of the Rio Grande terrain, while also commenting on critical issues affecting the region through her subtle, yet surreal combination of objects and images.

>> Moody Gallery - Helen Altman's new exhibit Floater opens today. From live goldfish to blankets to torch drawings, contemporary artist Altman has done it all. Her work is included in the permanent collections of The Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA.; The Dallas Museum of Art, TX; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX. She has an impressive resume of exhibits in prestigious galleries, especially in the South.

>> Dean Day Gallery - New works by Michael McGovern. Although Michael McGovern's paintings are often described as photo-realistic, the minute detail never overwhelms the mood and feeling of his work. As a master of realistic illusion he displays his technical virtuosity throughout his beautiful renderings of New England. Whether a dramatic sunset on the coast of Maine, or the brilliant Autumn mountains of Vermont, Michael creates in each and every painting a visual harmony which echoes the viewer's awareness. He captures our attention through the use of rich colors and uncanny sense of detail.