William Denton Ray's "Culture Shock & Awe" is part of Allotropy May 9th and 10th. (Photo provided by Primary Coulour)

Allotropy (pronounced uh-LAH-truh-pe) is the phenomenon of an element existing in two or more physical forms.

But it is also the name of an event, now in its ninth year, organized by the nonprofit arts organization Primary Colours, which combines a variety of artistic mediums with musical performances.

But really, according to the official news release on the show, to understand what Allotropy is, you must understand what it is not: "It is not an art fair. It is not a pay-to-play vanity exhibition. And it's not just a party."

The folks at Primary Colours run the exhibition every year because they want a show that focuses on high-caliber work, which this year includes pieces by 21 artists, jury-selected from 48 entrants.

"It started out as a way to help local emerging artists to get a chance to exhibit their work," said Dane Sauer, president of the board of Primary Colours.

Another feature of the show: Every year it is held in a different "underused" building. Sauer said Primary Colours makes arrangements with the owners, and then plan for each participating artist to spend roughly four hours removing trash and cleaning and painting the space to prepare for a show that Sauer sees as comfortable and casual.

Allotropy

Where: T-Square Building, 1315 S. Shelby St.

When: 5 to 11 p.m. May 9th and 10th

Tickets: $10 for adults, $7 for students

Info: Visit www.primarycolours.org or e-mail info@primarycolours.org