Touchstone Gallery Opening Friday for "Minisolos"

This Friday, August 5, from 6 to 8:30PM, Touchstone Gallery opens its latest show, "MiniSolos@Touchstone," which features works of thirty seven artists.

From the press release:

Touchstone Gallery continues the tradition of sharing its space by presenting the work of 37 area artists during the month of August. This MiniSolos@Touchstone artists exhibition fills two perpetual community needs: that of giving emerging, artists the rare opportunity for exhibition space in top-notch downtown gallery, and that of providing collectors access to work they don't yet know. The new voices in this exhibit offer viewers a range of imagery from the serene to the vivid to the provocative.

A small companion show, Summer Sampler, includes a variety of works across all media by Touchstone Gallery members. In these uncertain times, it is more important than ever to foster a thriving local arts scene. Support your local artists and join us for MiniSolos@Touchstone and Summer Sampler from August 4 - 27, 2011.

Participating artists: Nancy Abeles, David Alfuth, Stephanie Bianco, Kimberly Bush, Mason Thorpe Calhoun, Laurence Chandler, Megan Coyle, Ellen Delaney, Jonathan French, Judy Giuliani, Denise Graveline, Lynne Eve Grossman, Eric Johnson, Gongsam KimPark, Lauren Kotkin, Margret Kroyer, Christine Learned, Linda Lowery, Sue Lutz, Iris Malloy, Eve Monte, Carlos Munoz, Eileen Olson, Cheryl Parsons, Kathy J Paz, Ellen Ratner, Deborah Saks, Bhaval Shah Bell, Fred Tarr, Inna Timokhina, Tre, Tinam Valk, Susan Van Pool, Kay Walsh, James Wang, Hilda Witherspoon, Richard F. Wyvil.

Touchstone Gallery has been an artist-owned gallery for 35 years. The gallery moved in September 2010 to its current location in a modern loft-style space at 901 New York Ave NW in downtown Washington. You'll find this newly designed gallery near the Convention Center. It is a short walk from Mt. Vernon Sq., 7th St-Convention Center, and Metro Center metro rail stops and numerous parking garages. Gallery hours: Wednesday-Thursday 11-6, Friday 11-8, Saturday-Sunday 12-5.

For more information please contact Ksenia Grishkova, Director, at 202-347-2787 or e-mail at info@touchstonegallery.com or visit our website at www.touchstonegallery.com

Touchstone Gallery
901 New York Avenue, NW
202.347.2787


Image credit: Difficult Passage-Wide Open Big Cry by Linda Lowery

Touchstone Opening Reception Tonight: Art Deck-O

Tonight (July 8), Touchstone celebrates its current show with an opening reception from 6–8:30 pm. The show, entitled Art Deck-O: DC Playing Card Originals, runs through July 29.

From the press release:

This past winter 54 of Washington DC's finest artists came together to produce wildly creative designs that form a playing card deck unique to our area. The culmination of these efforts was then published in a deck of fully functional playing cards with traditional suites of diamonds, hearts, spades and clubs. Although decks of cards--designed by artists or created in a particular theme--have been around for centuries, this latest variation on the concept has given DC area artists a fun way to showcase their individual expressions in card form. Both the originals and the decks of cards will be on exhibit at Touchstone Gallery during the month of July as Touchstone partners with Art In Hand TM to promote the work of artists here in DC. Each deck is composed of a fantastic array of genres and mediums which are a big hit with artists, school teachers, magicians, game players and art lovers everywhere. Each deck is like holding an Art Gallery right in your own hands.

Washington is the third city in a series of art decks created by Art In Hand TM , an arts publisher out of Charlotte, NC. Founded by Dione Goyette in 2009, the first project united artists in the Charlotte area and then inspired a deck in Portland, Oregon. This imaginative and collaborative project isn't just fun and games. So far, participating artists in Charlotte and Portland can boast that their work is in the homes of over 3,000 and 5,000 people respectively. Decks in both cities will go back for second printings this year.

Artists: Steve Alderton, Erin Antognoli, Michael J. Auger, Jennifer Beinhacker, Chris Bishop, Jennifer Bishop, Liliane Blom, Adam Bradley, Tory Cowles, Karen Deans, Cheryl Patrice Derricotte, Devbo, Dana Ellyn, Theresa Esterlund, Susan Feller, Beth Hannon Fuller, Jenne Glover, Emily Greene Liddle, Rosemary Luckett, Sue Lynch, Susan Makara, Angela Maray, Joyce McCarten, Newton More, Jennifer O'Connell, Eileen Olson, Maggie O'Neill, Kristy Orr, Cindy Packard Richmond, Judith Peck, Pam Rogers, Daniel Francisco Roncesvalles, Lisa K. Rosenstein, Matt Sesow, Pauline A. Siple, Isabelle Spicer, Charles St. Charles, Mary Gallagher Stout, Dan Tulk, Pamela H. Viola, Gail Vollrath, Andrew Wodzianski, Emma Sky Wolf, Sharon Wolpoff and Jason Zampol.

Touchstone Gallery
901 New York Avenue, NW
202.347.2787

Touchstone Presents Nancy Novick and Janathel Shaw

Touchstone Gallery celebrates its latest exhibition with an opening reception tonight (Friday, June 3) from 6 to 8:30. The exhibition runs until June 26 and includes two shows: "A Fine Line" by Nancy Novick and "Grieving, Grooving and Growing" by Janathel Shaw. Below are the press releases regarding each show:

“A Fine Line”
Nancy Novick

Acrylic artist, Nancy Novick, presents a new body of work. Line integrates the paintings in this show especially in one large installation of multiple 5” x 5” canvases in a variety of reds. The lines in this piece seem to float and create movement.

The work begins with a single fine line then is built on mark making layering, editing, and finding balance. The artist engages one, then rewards them through careful consideration and thoughtful scrutiny. The paintings hint at the passage of time and the vastness of space, turning what appears to be random diversity into a quiet ordered beauty.

Nancy Novick has taught art in Georgia and in Japan for Overseas Dependent Schools. Her award winning work has been exhibited nationwide and is included in many private and corporate collections.

"Grieving, Grooving and Growing"
Janathel Shaw

Change requires sacrifice and flexibility. Change is the crucial ingredient in all three stages. This exhibit examines the stages of personal evolution as a mature individual. Janathel Shaw’s latest sculptures reveal a deep introspection, emotional gravitas, and heightened creative expression. She has experienced the loss of a job and the fear, shame and questioning of identity resulting in the loss. The loss of friends to cancer and heart attack has required her to limit their voices to echoes in her memories. Like many of her role models, she also learned the fine art of placing one foot in front of the other, strengthening her resolve and smiling through it all.

Grief represents the loss of love, of materials, excess baggage and unrealized expectations. Grooving is a state of mind and a lifestyle choice. It requires personal acceptance and an active pursuit of joy/peace when challenges seem insurmountable. Janathel’s path requires a spiritual outlook. The act of Growing is circular and continuous like a root. It is assumed that wisdom, also, is strengthened by age. In reality both require nourishment, warmth, watering and pruning. Otherwise, the end result is a muddied product resulting in death.

The body of work in this exhibit is personal, sometimes raw and expressive and layered. Although most of the work is inspired by private experiences, there are works that are born of larger universal concerns (natural disasters and the human condition and genocide or despots). For example, Solace was inspired by the current plight of Haitians. It centers on the loss of family, wavering hope and the indomitable spirit of a people.

Janathel Shaw’s ceramic sculptures have usually centered on universal and social themes. She has always been intrigued by provocative and historical scenarios regarding the human condition. Janathel has drawn from her experience as a parent and educator to enlighten her audience. An interesting marriage of clay, glazes and oil paints are used in this series. Emphasis is placed on form, surface and color.

She is a transplanted Floridian that was raised in Washington, DC. Her family held onto its small town sensibilities that included a strong belief in education, faith, a strong work ethic and community service. Janathel received a M.F.A. from George Washington University, B.S. from George Washington University and an A.A. from Prince George’s Community College.

This is her second solo show at Touchstone Gallery. She has shown at the Jazz Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, The National Museum of American Art, Washington, DC, Rock Creek Gallery, Washington, DC, Montpelier Arts Center, Laurel Maryland, and The Eclipse Gallery in Arlington, Virginia.

Touchstone Gallery
901 New York Avenue, NW
202.347.2787



Image credits: “Continuum” Diptych, Acrylic, 30” x 54" by Nancy Novick, and “Fulfillment” Ceramic stoneware and oils and glazes, by Janathel Shaw.

Touchstone Presents Marcia Coppel and Harvey Kupferberg

Two new shows open this Friday (May 6) at Touchstone Gallery with a reception from 6 to 8:30. One show is called "Life Is Too Serious," comprised of paintings and drawings by by Marcia Coppel, and the other show is called "Infrared - The Invisible Light," comprised of photographic images by Harvey Kupferberg. Both shows run through May 29, 2011.

From the Marcia Coppel press release:

It would be hard to imagine what Marcia Coppel’s paintings would look like if she had never been to Mexico. They would surely be interesting. Her characteristic laid back, whimsical drawings might be the same and her interest in ordinary people relaxing at lunch or at the beach might even be similar. But her colors - no, no! The colors come from Mexico.

And she is a true colorist. The figures she draws are rudimentary and the drawing merely gives her a framework to play with the colors she loves. She paints mostly tête-à-tête but sometimes there are three folk sitting at an umbrella covered table in an outdoor patio or on the beach.

Image credit: I Need Your Help With This”, Acrylic on canvas by Marcia Coppel

From the Harvey Kupferberg press release:

Infrared photography is one of many different ways of capturing light. Light comes in two forms, visible and invisible. An example of visible light is the rainbow. Its color palette starts with violet changing to blue, yellow, orange and finally red. The invisible light cannot be seen with the human eye. Examples of invisible light below the visible blue wavelength are the X-ray and ultraviolet light. The invisible infrared spectrum lies just beyond the visible red at the other end of the visible spectrum.

Film photographers capture the infrared spectrum with an infrared sensitive film and an opaque filter to block visible light. The modern digital camera can be modified for infrared photography. An infrared filter is placed in front the camera’s sensor to prevent visible light to pass while allowing infrared light to pass through to the digital sensor.

Infrared photography is influenced by environmental conditions. Seasonal changes, atmospheric conditions, time of day and the position of the sun all play an important part in producing the tonal range of an infrared print.

This exhibition of black and white prints at Touchstone Gallery demonstrates the variety of different tonal qualities produced on clear
and hazy days. Some images are different from what viewers normally expect while other cannot be differentiated from visible light photographs.

Image Credit: “Trees at Lock 24”, Giclee print by Harvey Kupferberg

Touchstone Gallery
901 New York Avenue, NW
202.347.2787

Mother's Day Brunch at Acadiana

Acadiana is hosting a three course priced fixed brunch for $32 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Mother's Day. Purchasers of the priced fix menu can enjoy $1 Mimosa's and Bloody Mary's and an all you can eat raw bar for $9. With a live jazz band and a kids' menu available, Acadiana makes a great brunch destination! Make your reservation here!

Acadiana
901 New York Ave., NW
202.408.8848