By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

Benicia is Art City USA, and it will earn the moniker this weekend with a host of holiday happenings.

The slate of art events commences tonight with the Holiday Open House at downtown galleries, and continues Saturday and Sunday with the December Open Studios at the Arsenal.

Meanwhile, three city glass art studios will open their doors for demonstrations, and a popular exhibit continues at Arts Benicia.

And there’s even more — enough to keep art lovers busy all the way through Sunday and beyond.

First Street full of fine art

Benicia Plein Air Gallery and Gallery 621 both boast new exhibits and both will have opening receptions today during the Holiday Open House.

Plein Air, 307 First St., welcomes art enthusiasts to explore “Gifts From the Palette,” which features smaller, giftable art, as well as their Holiday Minis, tiny paintings displayed on a Christmas tree near the feature wall.

Gallery 621, 621 First St., will have a holiday extravaganza exhibition called “Friends for the Holidays,” featuring work by 27 guest artists and 11 gallery members.

Glass classes in session

If colorful works of art created by fire tickle your fancy, you’ll have three opportunities to watch masters at work.

Lindsay Art Glass, 109 East F St., celebrates its 15th year with an open house all weekend. Lindsay will offer glass blowing demonstrations and refreshments from 6-9 tonight during the Holiday Open House. Those who bring in a canned or boxed food item for the Benicia Community Action Council on Saturday or Sunday will qualify for special discounts.

For those curious about glass blowing, Lindsay will offer the opportunity to blow a glass ornament. Email retail@lindsayartglass.com for more information.

Smyers Glass Studio, 675 East H St., has decorated its showroom for the holiday season, and light refreshments will be offered during Holiday Open House. Smyers also will have glass blowing Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Nourot Glass Studio, 675 East H St., will have its open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday — and if you miss it this time around, don’t worry. Nourot plans to open up again Dec. 12-15.

Knocking down barriers in the Arsenal

Of course, perhaps the biggest art news is the annual December Open Studios. Every year multiple Arsenal artists open up their work — and in many cases, live — spaces to visitors and show how they create what they create.

The studios are located on Jackson and Tyler streets, with many in the building at 940 Tyler St.

At least 50 artists are participating this year, and many have given this year’s Open Studios a twist by opening up their studios to guest artists to exhibit their work.

Open Studios runs Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information and list of participating artists and studios, visit mikekendall.com/decos13.html.

And while in the Arsenal area, be sure to check out Arts Benicia’s “Gems II: Exquisite, intricate intimate small works of art.” The exhibit, juried by Carol Dalton, presents unique work created by artists in Benicia and the greater Bay Area.

The small-scale work draws viewers in, creating an intimate, personal experience that is meant to be shared.

An opening reception for Gems II is tonight from 7-9 at 991 Tyler St., #114; the gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday to Sunday.

And more!

A new art gallery, Dos Gatos Gallery, 828 First St. Suite B, will have a grand opening Dec. 14, but the gallery will offer a special preview tonight from 6-9.

Meanwhile, Benicia Public Library, 150 East L St., is getting in on the holiday artistic offerings with their show “California Shades,” featuring paintings by members of Bay Area Studio Artists that explore the play of sun and shade on California’s dramatic color palette.

The show itself is accessible in the Marilyn Citron O’Rourke Gallery during library hours. An artists’ reception and an art sale of small, affordable art that is appropriate for gifts will be Sunday from 3-5 p.m.