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OBSESSIONS. DECORATION. SALIENT FACTS. 24 A llegory Reigns: A show by Kermit Oliver is always a highly anticipated event. The artist's long-time dealer, Hooks- Epstein Galleries (which celebrates 50 years next year), unveils his latest in an exhibition edged in beauty, allegory, and the spiritual (through January 12). Oliver is in the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, D.C., and is the only American artist to design scarves for the fabled house of Hermès … Another Colquitt must-see is Laura Rathe Fine Art's "Dream Weavers" (December 1 – January 12). This rousing roundup includes Hunt Slonem's painted menagerie, Rome Prize photographer George Krause's images, and works by emerging talent Dylan Gebbia-Richards, who was just featured at the Crystal Bridges Museum S ince its introduction in 1937, the iconic 90-cm Hermès silk scarf has been in a constant state of reinvention. Skilled artists and designers have created more than 2,000 designs in 75,000 specially created colors. The silk twill, woven and printed in Lyon, France, has a special sheen and a crucial sine qua non: Dry clean only. Until now. In perhaps ART NOTES the biggest reinvention yet, Hermès introduces the Wash scarf. Artisans bathe and wash the carré in a unique method that mattifies the silk, adding a filtered look to the colors and creating a supple, velvety texture. Designed for everyday wear, this scarf is — quelle surprise! — machine washable. Included in the premier Wash collection is Texan Kermit Oliver's first scarf design, Pani La Shar Pawnee, originally released in 1984 and interpreted here in eight stunning colorways. $430, at the Hermès boutique, hermes.com. Anne Lee Phillips IT'S A WASH of American Art. Gebbia-Richards' intensely built-up painting surfaces — formed from wax, resin, and pigment — remind us of stalactites and stalagmites from cave formations. Collage Action: McClain Gallery dives into the past — specifically, the wild East Village scene of the 1980s — in a collaboration with NYC's outpost for all things collage, Pavel Zoubok Fine Art. "Downtown: Collage Culture in the East Village" features 15 talents who birthed Neo Geo, AIDS activism, post Pop, street art, and more (through January 5, 2019). Icons Basquiat, Haring, Kiki Smith, and David Wojnarowicz join discoveries such as Buster Cleveland, whose works suggest objects preserved in amber; and Arch Connelly of the pearl-encrusted Barbie Dream Car. Cherryhurst Happening: Over at Cherryhurst House, Dean Ruck and Dan Havel's Ripple is a one-night-only video projection by Allison Hunter (Saturday, December 1, 6 to 8 pm; tickets $25, cherryhursthouse.com/ events). Houston-based Hunter samples images from the al fresco environment surrounding CH's bungalows. Gallery Boom: New or renewed spaces are popping up all over. Art advisor Kathy Dimmitt opens her first brick-and-mortar gallery, Dimmitt Contemporary Art, at Hollywood Square, 3637 West Alabama. The inaugural show introduces artists from her stable, including the minimalist canvases of Sara Genn (through January 4) … Where the East End and the Second Ward collide, Paul Middendorf makes a triumphant return with his unique mashup of gallery and nonprofit. The curator relaunches galleryHOMELAND as Space HL at the corner of Cullen and Polk. Watch for programming such as Sunday Soup, and a project by Dallas collaborators Jeff Gibbons and Greg Ruppe, as well as an ambitious group show opening this month. Spring brings Gabriel Martinez's Smithsonian- sponsored symposium, Latino Art Now. Catherine D. Anspon COURTESY THE ARTIST AND HOOKS-EPSTEIN GALLERIES Kermit Oliver's Susanna and the Elders (study), 2017, at Hooks-Epstein Galleries