Itย’s Christmas in July at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. ย“Perspectives 162: Snowย” features the work of L.A.-based Allie Bogle and Houston native Libbie Masterson, two artists who work individually to create an arctic feel. For Antarctica 360o,Masterson mounted seven-foot-tall, translucent photographs onto light panels to create a panoramic view of earthย’s southern polar region. Masterson says she traveled to Antarctica last year and aimed to share the experience with viewers. ย“Itย’s the most amazing place,ย” she says. ย“Itย’s so isolated, so removed, so beautiful ย— almost haunting.ย”

Bogle helps cool things off with her installation Untitled (I Love You More Now That Youย’re Gone), which covers the gallery in artificial snow. The piece is completed when patrons walk and play in the powder. Much like the real thing, Bogleย’s artificial snow is not meant to last ย— as time passes, it begins to thin out, until itย’s gone. This temporary quality is a great juxtaposition with Mastersonย’s photographs of a depleting environment.

Each artist creates a scene meant to mimic a real experience in order to question societyย’s disconnect from nature ย— and our desire to experience it artificially. (In all honesty, though, itย’s unlikely weย’ll ever experience an arctic environment here in any other way.) The show opens Thursday with a reception from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Regular viewing hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Through October 5. 5216 Montrose. For information, call 713-284-8250 or visit www.camh.org. Free.

Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: July 17. Continues through Sept. 28, 2008

This article appears in Jul 17-23, 2008.