James Hall is a gallery owner who gets in on the creative process of the shows he hosts. Each year, he chooses a theme for a show at his Oxford Gallery, and dozens of the artists he represents submit works that fit the theme, or they create one for it. Hall chooses one or two words that evoke a wide array of definitions, connotations, and emotions, resulting in a showing of diverse work that is reliably impressive, lovely, and thought-provoking.

This year, Hall chose for his theme "Fiat Lux" ("let there be light"), and from the show's announcement card, I can tell it's gonna be a stunner. Just think of all the immediate associations you can make with the interplay and tension of light and dark - and you know there will be both, because darkness must be present, or only just illuminated, in order for us to recognize light.

The show will show through Saturday, May 1, at the Oxford Gallery, 267 Oxford St. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. A reception with the artists will take place Saturday, March 20, 5:30-8:30 p.m. For more information, call 271-5885, or visit oxfordgallery.com.