With a gallery that’s only 11-by-20-by-13 inches, curators Michael Guidry and Robert Ruello have to be very careful about the artists they invite to show their work. Jill Wood and her exhibit “Debut” seem to be a perfect fit. That’s because Wood works with moths and butterflies, creating what seem to be elegant beaded gowns for them (in fact, the garments are pouches Wood uses to encase the bugs’ remains as they begin to disintegrate).

“It was a way to deal with the bugs I had started collecting,” says Woods. “I noticed that they disintegrate pretty quickly or they get eaten by other bugs, so I started to make these little pouches for them, as a safe place to keep them.” The lone moth on display at Lawndale Art Center’s Snack Project Gallery seems to be wearing an extremely long, elegant gown made of white silk and decorated with tiny beads. The flowing material gives the impression that the moth is caught mid-flight. But Wood assures us it’s not about to fly away. “It’s on pins,” she says. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Through January 15. 4912 Main. For information, call 713-528-5858 or visit www.lawndaleartcenter.org. Free.

Mondays-Saturdays. Starts: Nov. 19. Continues through Jan. 15, 2010

This article appears in Dec 9-15, 2010.