Time again for First Friday gallery openings and receptions, and time to get crawling from gallery to gallery for a sip of wine, an eyeful of new artwork, and hopefully the chance to add some good artwork to our collections. First Friday is hard to beat as a once-a-month must-do for art lovers, art collectors, artists, and even tourists.

Starting in Northern Liberties, Projects Gallery finally opens their collaboration with curators and uber art bloggers Roberta Fallon and Libby Rosof in an exhibition entitled ID. This exhibition showcases a number of emerging Philadelphia artists united in pushing the boundaries of myth and persona in contemporary art. Expect to see video, performance, sculpture, and photography, as the exhibition explores "broad and self-focused concepts ranging from issues of applied identity to the id of the artist." As put succinctly by the curators, "the works are metaphorical in ways that come out of the core of who they are and what they see around them." Artists include Samantha Hill from Moore College of Art and Design; Andria Bibiloni and Carl Marin representing the Tyler School of Art; Jay Hardman, Alex Gartelmann, and Phil Jackson from The University of the Arts; Jamie Diamond, Katy Rose Glickman, and Sarah Zimmer from the University of Pennsylvania; and finally, Philadelphia-based artist Diedra Krieger from the Vermont College of Fine Arts will be in the show—all representing the spectrum of the Philadelphia art experience. ID opens tonight with an artist reception from 5-8 p.m. and continues through July 26. There will be a performance of artist Samantha Hill’s “Black Iconography” at 7 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Projects Gallery is located at 629 North Second Street, between Green Street and Fairmount Avenue.

Near Washington Square, the Bridgette Mayer Gallery will have a solo show by artist Kate Davis Caldwell titled Rapture. This is Davis' fourth solo show at the Bridgette Mayer Gallery, so she must be doing something well. In Rapture, Kate Davis Caldwell captures the spirit of the sea. Her works on panel depict crashing ocean waves, still waters, and violent storms. Rapture will run from June 3 - July 19, 2008, with an opening tonight from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. The Bridgette Meyer Gallery is located at 709 Walnut Street, between South 7th and 8th Streets.

Moving to Old City, Pentimenti Gallery's Summer Journeys, Summer Dreams, a group exhibition featuring works by a selection of both local and national artists, will open. The reception is from 6 - 8:30 p.m. The Pentimenti Gallery is located at 145 North 2nd Street, just north of Elfreth's Alley.

Gallerist Rodger LaPelle will have an opening reception for the exhibition of his own drawings at Rodger LaPelle Galleries. The reception is from 5-10 p.m. Rodger LaPelle Galleries is located at 122 N. Third Street, corner of Cherry Street.

At the Temple Gallery, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, they'll have the opening of Volume Attempts: The Space of Books, an exhibition of and about books, organized by Purtill Family Business, a nationally known graphic design studio that specializes in publications for artists, galleries, and museums. This gives us an opportunity to announce a freebie alert: In addition to the publications on display, a bookmark and two commissioned artist's books by Zoe Strauss and Heidie Giannotti are being distributed for free through the duration of the exhibition. Temple Gallery is located at 259 N. Third Street, corner of New Street.

When local banker Andy Vitek purchased the former home of late Impressionist Philadelphia painter Arthur Meltzer, he made an astonishing discovery and found out he'd gotten more than he bargained for. Arthur Meltzer lived for 37 years in his suburban Philadelphia home before his passing in 1989. Nearly two decades later, Meltzer's hidden collection of about 30 paintings, prints and Japanese block art has been uncovered. Unseen for at least 40 years, this cache of hidden artwork will be on display for the first time as The Lost Art of Arthur Meltzer at Khmer Art Gallery. The opening reception is from 5:30p.m. - 9 p.m., and will be on display through July 19th. Asian refreshments and complimentary wines will be served. Khmer is located at 319 N. 11th Street, corner of Pearl Street.

Good art is married at the hip lip with good wine, and this month Pinot in Old City will feature Blue Mountain vineyard and will offer a demonstration and a taste of their seasonal Sangria. Also, featured artist Patty Kelly will be on hand with her unique framed corkboard wall art, and PAWS promises to be there, as well, with a creature or two. Pinot is at 227 Market St. between N. 2nd and 3rd Streets.

Diedra Krieger, Still from video, courtesy of Projects Gallery. Image by Kate Davis Caldwell courtesy of Bridgette Mayer Gallery.