As the run-up to Christmas gathers steam, so too does the art world, with no less than five new exhibitions opening this week. Lifestyle's Nancy Acton takes a look at what gallery goers and Christmas shoppers can expect.

New exhibitions are opening to the public in both BSoA galleries at City Hall tomorrow. The is the scene of the members' Winter Show, which is unthemed and unjuried. Gallery director Peter Lapsley says viewers can expect to see a "huge" range of media, including paintings, sculpture, papier mach, batik, assemblage and photography, depicting a wide variety of subjects.

The is home to 'Bermuda Dreamscapes' ? the infrared photography of Theresa Airey for the next few weeks.

Ms Airey has shown her photography extensively in the US, as well as in Spain, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Bermuda.

She is the author of 'Creative Photo Printmaking' and 'Creative Digital Printmaking', and is currently writing a book on digital mixed media. Ms Airey was one of four international photographers featured in the 1999 edition of 'The Yearbook', as well as in many other publications. She was the photographer for the golf book, 'The Gentleman, Joe Lee'.

Her work is in several permanent collections, including the prestigious Pretenkabinet of the Rijksuniversitet in Holland, and the Polaroid and Fuji collections, among others.

The holder of a Master of Fine Arts degree in photography and fine art, her extensive career includes teaching photography at the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, and the Altos De Chavon Art Centre in Santo Domingo.

Ms Airey is on the board of advisors for Freestyle's 'The Educator's Resource' magazine, and regularly gives seminars for PhotoPlus in New York, and for numerous Professional Photographers' of America conferences.

'Seven Deadly Sins' is the catchy theme of this potentially sinful juried show, which curator/administrator Justine Foster sums up as "a visual exploration of vice and virtue". In addition to participating members, three guest artists ? Dana Cooper, Angela Gentleman and Betsy Mulderig ? will be showing new works.

Ms Gentleman has chosen to paint "the seven deadly sins of woman", using a primary colour-based palette and creating a series of nude women, each surrounded by intricate patterns, symbols and a particular sin. An outer border features further symbols and patterns.

"The women are more representational than realistic, and each one is different," she says. "I have had a lot of fun doing them, and they are a big departure from the abstract work I have been doing for the past two years, although I am showing one very large abstract using foil papers and oil."

In another departure, the artist has also painted a large oil of seven, cloaked, faceless women entitled 'The Seven'.

"I think people might find it interesting to see the different styles of work I have produced for this show," Ms Gentleman says.

Betsy Mulderig uses Soleado fabric from France as her "canvas", on which she has painted what she describes as "modern day hieroglyphics pertaining to modern day sins, such as workaholism, golfaholism, etc.".

"They are all based on ancient Egyptian pieces and are somewhat 'tongue in cheek' with a twist of truth behind them," the artist says. "I have one of an onion goddess selling her fields to a real estate goddess. This sin would have to be called 'buildaholism' I suppose."

"In any case," Miss Mulderig adds, "This is completely new work for me as I've never done anything quite like these paintings before."

Dana Cooper's work is related to her belief that "the seven deadly sins conceived by the ancients are still very much with us" and she says they "seem rooted in over-indulgence and appetites run riot, whether gluttony in the developed world, greed in the corporate world, or unchecked price in war and invasion".

'Seven Deadly Sins' runs from December 7 to January 23. In addition to his own new sculptures, Mr. Fountain is being joined by some of Bermuda's leading artists for this group exhibition. They are: Dan Dempster, Jason Jones, Maria Evers-Smith and Bruce Stuart, all of whom are showing paintings, as is Canadian artist Bernard Poulin.

Copies of Mr. Fountain's book, 'Desmond Fountain: Sculptor' have now arrived, and the author will available to sign them in the Gallery tomorrow between 11.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. The cost is $65. Copies may also be purchased in Hamilton not only at the Gallery but also at the Book Mart, the Bermuda Book Store, and the Bermuda National Gallery; in St. George's at the Book Cellar; and in Dockyard at the Bermuda Arts Centre. For further information 292-3955 or e-mail sculptureibl.bm. or Fountaingalleryibl.bm. goes public with its annual collection of miniature paintings created especially for the Christmas season tomorrow. Oils and watercolours, none of which exceed 12 inches by 12 inches, are by such well-known local artists as Eric and Diana Amos, Bruce Stuart, Christopher Marson, Sheilagh Head, Jon Mills, Steven Masters, Diana Tetlow and Maria Evers Smith. Jewellery by Melanie Francis is also included.

For further information on all of the foregoing exhibitions see today's Bermuda Calendar.