-- The Bermuda Arts Centre at Dockyard -- Until March 17 In this age of sterile "high concept'' filmmaking and colourless paint-by-number bestsellers, it is only natural to be suspicious of any artistic venture that can handily be described in 25 words or less.

On the other hand, any form of aesthetic misapprehension would be genuinely misplaced if it were directed at the latest Bermuda Arts Centre project, a multi-media exhibition of "intergenerational art'' that could easily be assailed as gimmicky but which ultimately delivers the goods.

Called -- rather like an old 1960s game show -- "The Generation Game,'' the exhibition opened on February 13 with the rather timely goal of spotlighting family life in Bermuda by showcasing "the artistic talent that exists within (each of the participating artists') family group.'' Concomitantly, it was also hoped that the youngest members of the families that were invited to submit exhibits either individually or together would "take more of an interest in the world of art and be encouraged to expand their talents and expertise through exposure to other types and styles of art.'' Clearly, "The Generation Gap'' is brimming with good intentions, but good intentions do not an exhibition make.

In this case, there was really no imperative beyond the show's thematic hook to display any of these works in the same space. Having said that, though, the show should be judged less on its merits as a meditative study and more as a testament to the value of art in the home. Of course, some homes are more blessed than others, and the exhibition likewise reflects this in its embodiment of some truly outstanding pieces.

Foremost among these are the submissions of well-known sculptor Will Collieson and his son James. Mr. Collieson, an artist of great versatility, has clearly passed on some of his considerable talent to the younger participant, who is represented in the show by a moody, shadowy self-portrait in pencil.

Mr. Collieson's own submission is also a self-portrait, though less conventional. It consists of a sharp and powerful profile in steel.

Of the Emmerson clan's contributions, Rhona Emmerson's "Red Blossoms,'' a bright yet delicate sumi-e painting, nicely evokes a Japanese garden, while Stacey Amos does her family proud with "Antiquities,'' a fine oil canvas in which various iconic images swirl around the central image of a cross.

In the category of the richest painting in the show, Elizabeth Mulderig wins hands-down with her bright, pseudo-Caribbean dreamscape of dancing dogs, pirouetting jesters and cotton candy clouds.

Bright and funny and wonderfully bizarre, it serves as a nice companion piece to the infectiously happy work of Ms Mulderig's nieces and nephew -- 12-year-old Kaitlin, nine-year-old Megan and six-year-old Drew.

In fact, there is some rather impressive naif work from many of the child artists in the show.

"All Wrapped Up,'' for instance, is a charmingly abstract collage by artist Proctor Marten, his three-year-old grandson Samuel and Samuel's cousin Laureno Lima. Furthermore, Samuel's solo venture -- an "Itsy Bitsy Spider'' in crayon and pencil -- is a delightfully mad little piece that merits more than a second look.

Of course, the Marten family is by no means the only clan on the Island to hold a budding artist or two. Ian Morrell, 10, shows a keen eye for design in the space-themed wallpiece he co-created with his mother, quilter and jeweller Lynn, while six-year-old Madeline Gardner displays a knack for horticultural art in her nicely rendered "Grape Bay Leaf,'' the product of an outing to Spittal Pond that also resulted in father John's simple, affecting "Flamingoes at Spittal Pond.'' Returning to the subject of adult contributors, Vaughan Evans' pastel portrait of his son, "David Aged 27,'' is a quietly powerful rendering of his offspring in manhood, while the subject himself -- now an architect by profession -- has focused his sights on his father in a trio of equally skillful linocuts.

Of course, a review of "The Generation Game's'' various components would make it appear as quirky and unpredictable as many an actual family, and in many ways it is.

This, of course, can only be a good thing, as more of the Island's galleries should test the proverbial waters. As a case in point, the Bermuda Arts Centre is one of the few art venues in Bermuda to consistently stretch and challenge and try for originality. It may not always succeed, but many of its failures have been noble ones. And it hasn't resorted to gimmicks yet.

DANNY SINOPOLI