Filament Gallery at 181 Congress St., Portland, is the latest economic casualty in the area arts community.

The gallery opens its final exhibition, a holiday group show, with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday.

"Due to the current challenges in our economic climate, we have decided to close our doors and refocus our energies," artist team and owners Jill Dalton and Ernie Paterno wrote in an e-mail.

"We would like to deeply thank all of you who have supported our efforts through buying art, looking at work, showing your work, recommending us to friends, bringing your kids, sharing your ideas, excitement, critiques and stories over our eight amazing years in business.

"While we are saddened to leave our location on Munjoy Hill, we plan to reemerge in the future in a new and different way. Our plans include moving our studio and hotshop to a more visible and public location in Portland. The new space will include a viewing area for glassblowing demonstrations by Ernie and his team."

In addition to Dalton and Paterno, the final group show includes work by Jack Allen, Ian Anderson, Kim Brennan, Crystal Cawley, Jim Crampton, Kyle Durrie, Tanya Fletcher, John Goodwin, Susan Hellier, Joanna House, Erin Hutton, Matt Hutton, Lenny Kamuza, Clint Kaye, Alva Lowe, Morgan Maurer, Audrey Meyer, Don Ogier, Patti Sandberg, Nina Scott-Hansen, Juliana Swaney, Michelle Weinstein, Erica VonSchilgen, Susan Winn and David Wolfe.

Also in the arts: The final installment in the Bowdoin College Museum of Art's Artists Talk series will feature San Francisco-based installation artist Lewis deSoto at 7:30 Thursday in Searles Building Room 315 on the Bowdoin campus in Brunswick.

DeSoto's 26-foot-long installation "Paranirvana/Self-Portrait" is on view at the Bowdoin museum through Jan. 25.

At 2 p.m. Sunday, the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockport will present a discussion with artists in the "First Traces" exhibition. The exhibition, which features more than 80 artists, includes work in a range of media from traditional sketchbooks to digital drawings.

In addition to viewing "First Traces," those attending the discussion will have an opportunity to see "Dennis Pinette: Expansion of Logic," "David Segre: Chronic," and "Art from LINC and Waterville Social Clubs." All four exhibitions will be on view through Dec. 20.