Long View Gallery Presents Tony Savoie

Tomorrow night (February 23, 2012) from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Long View Gallery celebrates the opening of its show of new works by Tony Savoie entitled "In Thoughts, Words and Deeds."  Check out the Facebook event page for the opening here.  The show will be on display through March 18.

From the press release:

Orlando, Florida artist Tony Savoie works in mixed media, creating visually striking and complex shadowboxes. “In Thoughts, Words and Deeds” is an artistic expression of his own personal struggle with our world's political landscape, the abuse of power and an oft-innate lack of humanity. His struggle is manifested in this series of new works, inspiring the viewer to evaluate their own tendencies to "follow the leader."

Savoie’s obedient subjects are central to each work -- dogs, boy scouts, musclemen and weaponry -- surrounded by text and imagery relating to their environments. Through the juxtaposition of text and imagery, Savoie criticizes the pack mentality and questions the morality of acting solely on orders rather than self-evaluation. Addressing the gap between the potential for human decency and an often brutally cruel reality, he manages to balance his frustration and disgust with humor and possibility.

Tony Savoie uses a wide range of media including clear acrylic, spray paint, photographs, stencils, oils and found objects to create his multi-dimensional statements.

Long View Gallery
1234 Ninth Street, NW
202.232.4788

Civilian Art Projects Presents "6 Painters"

The current show on display at Civilian Art Projects is called “6 Painters” and presents new paintings by six contemporary artists working in a variety of styles and media. Artists include Tom Bunnell, Eric Finzi, Cavan Fleming, Tom Green, Nora Sturges, and Champneys Taylor. Each painter presents several works grouped together in mini-exhibitions throughout the galleries in Civilian Art Projects.

Be sure to check out this great exhibition. The gallery hours are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 1 to 6 pm. There's an artist talk on the final day of the show, February 25, at 6 pm.

Civilian Art Projects

1019 Seventh Street, NW, Second Floor

202.607.3804





Tom Green, "Puzzle," 1987







Eric Finzi, "Hot and Cold," 2009





Shaw Art Walk: The Convention Center and Beyond

Mark your calendars: on Wednesday, February 8, six Shaw galleries will host open houses and the Convention Center will offer a rare evening guided tour of its extensive art collection!  View the press release here and RSVP/share on Facebook here.

Below are the details:

A night of arts including a tour of the Convention Center’s art collection and open houses at six galleries

(Washington, DC) Today, Shaw Main Streets, Events DC, and ANC2C04 Commissioner Rachelle Nigro announced they will host the inaugural “Shaw Art Walk,” a rare evening tour of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center’s extensive art collection and open houses at six notable galleries. This special event will take place on Wednesday, February 8th beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Ralph Brabham, President of the Board of Directors of Shaw Main Streets, noted “Shaw is the epicenter of arts in Washington, DC. Anchored by the Walter E. Washington Convention Center – which boasts the largest public art collection in D.C. – numerous galleries opened in the historic neighborhood in the past decade, all within walking distance of one another. This evening will be a celebration of our rich cultural resources.”

The galleries include Civilian Art Projects (1019 7th St., NW), Contemporary Wing (1250 9th St., NW), Lamont Bishop Gallery (1314 9th St., NW), Long View Gallery (1234 9th St., NW), Maruka Gallery and Boutique (1300 9th St., NW), and Touchstone Gallery (901 New York Ave., NW). Galleries will remain open until 9 p.m. for the Shaw Art Walk. Maps and descriptions of the galleries’ shows will be available at each gallery and at the conclusion of the Convention Center tour.

The Convention Center tour will start from the Mount Vernon Square entrance to the Convention Center and will last approximately one hour. The tour will start promptly at 6:30 p.m., and participants are encouraged to arrive at the Convention Center at 6:15 p.m.

Following the event at 9 p.m., participants are encouraged to enjoy the art of the cocktail at The Passenger which is located at 1021 7th St., NW.

This will likely be the first of many Shaw Art Walk nights.

Shaw Art Walk: The Convention Center and Beyond

6:15 - Convention Center Art Collection Tour (Meet at the Mount Vernon Square Entrance to the Convention Center)

6 to 9 p.m. - Open House at Galleries

9:00 p.m. - After-Party at The Passenger

Facebook Event Page

Maruka Presents Michael J. Singletary



"Chocolate Mess 2," Michael Singletary

 The Maruka Gallery is currently exhibiting the prolific genius of New York City's cultural provacateur, Michael J. Singletary, with his Chocolate Series. His Chocolate Series is an unapologetic romp through our romance and decadence of this addiction. Through the visual metaphor of chocolate, Michael draws upon generational culture, using acrylics and collage in collision with abstract realism to define a new artistic medium for the millenium.

Tonight (December 1, 2011), Maruka will host an artist's reception for the show from 6 - 9 pm. Meet the artist, enjoy his creativity, and explore his motivation with this addicting pleasure.   Refreshments will be served.

For mor details, visit Maruka's website or contact them at 202.745.1881 or info@marukadc.com.


Maruka Gallery
1300 Ninth Streeet, NW
202.745.1881

Saturday Night by Civilian Art Projects

This Saturday (October 22), Civilian Art Projects is hosting hosting an artists' talk for the closing of its shows Pan's Pipes and Site Schema at its gallery (free) and is then throwing a party at the Warehouse Theater with bands, djs, and and projections ($8 cover). Here's the schedule for the night:

Free at Civilian Art Projects (1019 Seventh Street, NW, Second Floor):
8pm - Artist talk with Nikki Painter for Site/Schema, her beautifully ambitious solo exhibition in the project space and The Entrance;

8:40pm - Artist talk with Ryan Hill, Erick Jackson, George Jenne for the wonderfully illicit Pan's Pipes exhibition.

$8 at the Warehouse Theater (Enter from New York Avenue, just around the corner from the gallery)
10pm - $8 - Experience the sights and sounds of Heavy Breathing (former Apes), Hidden Twin (Phil from Modey Lemon in from Pittsburgh), DJ Jim AND projections by Ryan Hill and other surprise guests.

Civilian Art Projects
1019 Seventh Street NW, Second Floor
202.607.3804

Long View Gallery Presents Clyde Fowler

Tonight from 6:30 to 8:30, Long View Gallery celebrates the opening of its latest show, an exhibition of works by North Carolina-based artist Clyde Fowler. Fowler was the long-time director the visual arts program at the North Carolina School of the Arts, and his show will be on display through November 6, 2011.

Fowler describes his paintings as 'pictorial choreography'. He approaches his work in a manner similar to that of a choreographer, filling them with orchestrated sensations and intuitive notations while giving consideration to movement, rhythm, space and form. His art explores the associative nature of visual relationships and the dynamic potential of juxtaposition involving a language that is purely abstract. Although Fowler's imagery can reference personal experience and a range of artistic influences, especially the staged tableaux of theatrical director and designer Robert Wilson, he begins with no preconceived message or set direction. Instead, Fowler allows the paintings to develop according to the added strokes, shapes and colors while constantly revising aesthetic decisions during that process.

Long View Gallery
1234 9th Street, NW
202.232.4788

Long View Presents Thomas Burkett

Tonight (September 1, 2011), Long View Gallery celebrates the opening of its latest show with a reception from 6:30 to 8:30. The show, called Containment and Diversion, features works by Thomas Burkett. The show will run from now until October 2.

From the gallery's press release:

Long View Gallery is pleased to announce Containment and Diversion, featuring approximately 15 mixed media works on paper by Washington-based artist Thomas Burkett. This marks the first solo show of Burkett’s young career. Thomas’ work explores topics currently headlining news stories around the country. Wide spread water shortages in much of the south caused by the breakdown of manmade containment and diversion equipment, exemplifies his belief in our inability to exact control over nature.

Growing up in the grandeur of the Western United States, Thomas Burkett gleaned an impression of invincibility and an air of confidence that abundant land resources is a right of passage. Now, as an outside observer, he realizes his Utopian West is both a place of grandeur and illusion. An urban identity now confronts his notion of abundance with the reality of a water crisis and a realization that we have settled in an environment that challenges our subversive tactics of control. Determined to examine our control of water, the work in Containment and Diversion portrays the damming, diverting, and polluting of water – life’s most vital substance.

Long View Gallery
1234 Ninth Street, NW
202.232.4788

Civilian Art Projects: Danielle de Picciotto Reading Saturday

This Saturday (August 13) at 6:00 pm, Civilian Art Projects is hosting a reading by Danielle de Picciotto. From the press release:

The Beauty of Transgression is Danielle de Picciotto's memoir of Berlin. The book brings together her accounts of musicians, fashion designers, and club owners as well as other artists and their milieus with unique first-hand descriptions of milestone places and events. It is not only a fascinating collection of stories about key individuals, but also gives an authentic and detailed overview of why Berlin has become one of the most appealing metropolises for creatives from around the world.

Danielle de Picciotto's intimate text and personal selection of images penetrate through hype and commercialization and make The Beauty of Transgression a uniquely genuine documentation of the creative history of Berlin's underground. Danielle de Picciotto will be reading from her book on the 13th of August at Civilian Art Projects.

To underline the Berlin atmosphere she is portraying, film clips and photographs will be projected during the reading and her husband Alexander Hacke of the legendary German Band Einstürzende Neubauten will create live electronic soundscapes during the show.

Civilian Art Projects
1019 7th Street NW
202.607.3804
Hours: Wed-Thur-Sat 1-6pm

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

Long View Gallery Presents Refresh

This Thursday night (July 28) from 6:30 - 8:30pm, Long View Gallery opens its latest show.  Called Refresh, it features new works by some of Long View Gallery's best known artists. RSVP for the event here.

From the invitation:

Beat the summer heat at Long View Gallery’s newest exhibition, “Refresh,” featuring new work by some of the gallery’s favorites. You can expect to see pieces by Mike Weber, Scott Brooks, Tony Savoie, Michelle Peterson-Albandoz, Marie Ringwald, Anne Marchand, Zach Sherif, Tom Burkett, Mary Chairamonte, Paula Crawford, Ryan McCoy, Cheryl Wassenaar and many more.

Long View Gallery
1234 Ninth Street, NW
202.232.4788

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

Lamont Bishop Closing Reception for ChickenVille Tomorrow

Tomorrow night (June 24) from 6:30 to 10 pm, Lamont Bishop Gallery will host a closing reception for its current show of works by artist Brandon Hill called “ChickenVille.”

ChickenVille is heavily inspired by both his upbringing and experiences, gathering ideas of family, culture and place. ChickenVille, as described by the artist, is a place defined as a jubilant mixture of Americana, technical proficiency of craft and ideas of pop-culture, sci-fi, lore and legend, all meeting on the same plateau.“The Babychicken” Hill's work reflects his unique perspective of both the serious and trivial nature of objects and concepts that we humans interact with. ChickenVille contains a robust collection of Hill's interpretation of deck art, 2-dimensional works, sculpture, and light installation. His Baltimore heritage is a reoccurring topic in his work, and the individual topics range from boxer Max Schmeling to fictional character Robocop. Technical execution with his material use brings to life this range of concepts, using both traditional and modern methods of art-making. With great skill and attention to detail, Hill creates a very eclectic collection of works from early 2010 to present.

Lamont Bishop Gallery
1314 Ninth Street, NW

Long View Gallery Presents Creative Process

Tonight (June 23), Long View Gallery celebrates the opening of its latest show, “Creative Process,” with an opening reception from 6:30 to 8:30. The show features four artists’ expressions through uniquely different mediums: from wood block printing to encaustics, monotypes and reverspectives, these artists are pushing the boundaries of their respective methods. The artists -- Patrick Hughes, Eve Stockton, Sondra Arkin and Natasha Karpinskaia—each approach their respective artistic spaces in ways not normally featured at Long View Gallery. The show will run through July 24.

From the press release:

Patrick Hughes' reverspective pieces shockingly spring to life on the wall. The works approach perspective in a unique manner, elevating these static paintings to what seem like moving pictures. Hughes succeeds in creating the illusion of movement in his hallways, canyons and walls through a unique method of painting the forward most sections of his three dimensional constructions as the shadows, and the furthest back sections as the light, hence reverspectives. His sleight of the hand is astounding, allowing the walls in his work to swivel and slide depending on the viewer's position.

Eve Stockton's multi-layered wood block prints represent a unique approach to a traditional process. Her studies in science and love of nature combine to create a contemporary and unexpected result. The scale of these works is mesmerizing, a true testament to her mastery of this art form.

Sondra N. Arkin explores encaustics, meticulously creating works with a sense of restraint in color but excess in scale. The application and subsequent burning away of shellac creates a extraordinary amber surface full of organic forms. Through a very labor intense process, Arkin succeeds in creating unique encaustic panels, outside of the traditional ideas of this medium.

Natasha Karpinskaia's command of color elevates her abstract monotype prints above the safe and expected. Anticipated norms are often challenged with vibrant hues of pinks, greens and blues while maintaining a sense of balance and beauty.

Long View Gallery
1234 Ninth Street, NW
202.232.4788

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.

Long View Gallery Presents The Washington Glass School

This week, Long View Gallery unveils its latest exhibition, "Artists of The Washington Glass School – The First Ten Years."  The gallery will celebrate the show's opening with a reception on Thursday (May 19) from 6:30 to 8:30pm (to rsvp, e-mail info@longviewgallery.com or call 202.232.4788). The show will run through June 19.

From the press release:

The Washington D.C. area has become international renowned as an emerging center of glass art. At the forefront of this charge is the Washington Glass School, where, for the past ten years, the instructors, artists and student have brought narrative and content into glass, dragging it away from decorative craft and into the rarified atmosphere of “fine art.” The Washington Glass School has produced artists whose art can be found in museums and collections worldwide and is advancing the studio glass movement with its explorations of narrative content, technology and skills.

Washington’s Long View Gallery presents “Artists of The Washington Glass School – The First Ten Years” showcasing ten years of integrating glass into the contemporary art dialogue. While it recognizes the past and present, The First Ten Years is intended to instigate – and celebrate – the new directions contemporary glass is exploring through various artistic metaphors. Featured artists include: Tim Tate, Michael Janis, Erwin Timmers, Elizabeth Mears, Robert Kincheloe, Syl Mathis, Lea Topping, Allison Sigethy, Dave D’Orio, Kirk Waldroff, Robert Wiener and others.

Long View Gallery
1234 Ninth Street, NW
202.232.4788


Image credit: Elizabeth Ryland Mears and William Forrest, 'The Three", 6 ft h x 3 ft w x 3 ft d, glass, steel and mixed media, photo by anythingphoto.net

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

Civilian Art Projects Presents Terri Weifenbach and Trevor Young

Two new shows open at Civilian Art Projects this Friday (April 22) with a reception from 7-9 pm. The shows will be on view until June 4.

From the press release:

Civilian Art Projects is pleased to present two solo exhibitions: Woods II, new work by photographer Terri Weifenbach, and "Thrust," new painting by Trevor Young.

Terri Weifenbach

Woods II

Terri Weifenbach's second solo exhibition with the gallery continues the Woods project with twenty-one large and small scale images from within the autumn and winter woods of the DC metro area.

Before she picked up her Leica camera 33 years ago, Weifenbach was first trained as a painter. According to the artist, she has always been drawn to the layering of surface and the sumptuous accumulation of material found in painting.

On occasion, she has contemplated Cecily Brown's brushstroke with deep understanding and curiosity. It is no surprise, then, that Weifenbach's photographic work embraces the tactile nature of non-photographic mediums. She understands the limits of photographic technology and, through focus, metering, depth of field, vantage point, film selection, printing strategies, and other more intuitive decisions, plays with and pushes them.

She is, in short, a master of her craft; and her selection of what may seem a familiar scene of a walk in the woods is transformed through her skill into a deeper examination of space, palette, and the growth and morphing of nature. These are not accidental shots.

Just as a painter cannot make a single brushstroke and call the work complete, Weifenbach cannot click a shutter and call it a photograph. Photographic projects of this nature take months, years; perhaps even a lifetime. One image lends weight and strength to the next, but each must be able to hold it's own as a work of art.

Trevor Young

Thrust

Civilian Art Projects is pleased to announce Thrust, new paintings by Trevor Young, his second solo exhibition with the gallery. Thrust is an installation of three paintings by Young inspired by airports, continuing his research of the French anthropologist Marc Augé coined term "non-places." Non-places are spaces that we use or pass through, on the way to other places, but to which no one really belongs. They are not often places of real comfort and exchange.

Young is drawn to places such as glowing gas stations, complex highway overpasses, lonely cash machines, and airports including the runway and the plane itself. These new large-scale paintings consider the way humans interconnect and assign meaning. Young sees these non-places as providing comfort and beauty through their familiarity and transience, commenting on our continual evolution and movement to and away from intimate connection and communication. No longer is the non-place something to pass through, or something lonely, it is something to behold.

The subject matter is enthralling to the artist, considered into paintings depicting strength, vigor, and an almost a spiritual worship of the built world. But it is the nature of his medium that brings him to paint non-places. According to Young, "painting is an awkward medium that shows the human hand and imagination. It is the challenge of painting that brings me to paint these concrete roads and shiny surfaces. I am interested in making these lonely places fill with atmosphere. To that end, I rework an area over and over to create the space and the surface. And then I go back into the painting, many times, to develop the mystery and wonder."

Civilian Art Projects
1019 Seventh Street NW, Second Floor
202.607.3804

Lamont Bishop Presents The Polaroid Retrospective II

The fantastic new Lamont Bishop Gallery celebrates its new show with an opening reception tomorrow night (Saturday, April 9) from 7 to 11 p.m. The show, called The Polaroid Retrospective II, will run through April 30.

From the press release:

“The Polaroid Retrospective” is an on-going exhibit dedicated to the world of Polaroid and instant film photography that utilizes both traditional and non-traditional gallery spaces. All images used in our exhibits were taken with retro instant-film cameras of different styles.

Current artists included in the exhibit are Kim Oberski, Angela Kleis, Ryan Kibler, Joshua Yospyn, Dan Murano, Guiseppe Molinario, Justin Violini, Ada Rose Bitterbaum, Sarah Stierch, Konstantinos Kissas, Duncan Ris, Ramune Rastonis, Jodi McKee, Azuree Wiitala, Aya Sato, Maria Bryk, Justin John, Lisa McCarty, Eric Wayne, Rachel Carrier, Gail Vollrath, Jillian Pichocki, Candice Welsh, Alan Campbell, Karima Selehdar, Sergio Herrera, Jati, Glenann Godden and Eric Kemp.

Curated by Victoria Milko

Remember to check out the renewshaw.com calendar for cool events like gallery openings and artists talks (speaking of, there are two artist talks this weekend -- one at Civilian Art Projects on Saturday and one at Touchstone on Sunday!), happy hours, activities at the library, meetings, and all sorts of fun neighborhood happenings.

Lamont Bishop Gallery
1314 Ninth Street, Northwest
info@lamontbishop.com

Touchstone Presents Grasses and Nests with a Twist

Two new shows open tonight (April 1) at Touchstone Gallery with a reception from 6 to 8:30. One show is entitled Grasses and features works by Mary D. Ott; the other show is entitled Nests with a Twist and features works by Janet Wheeler. Both shows run through May 1, and there will be an artist talk, coffee and cake for both on Sunday April 10, from 2-4 pm.

From the Grasses press release:

Wide Grass by Mary D. Ott

This exhibit of original hand-pulled prints—etchings, screenprints, monotypes, and mixed-media prints—comprises diverse images with grasses as their theme. Ott’s etching "Wide Grass" is seen in a number of variations, including single images, multiple images, and combinations of a number of prints in hanging cascades. The etching "Grass Bouquet" is combined with screenprinting to create mixed-media prints. Monotypes (one-of-a-kind prints) that are part of Ott’s series ―Bouquet of Grasses are displayed in an array that highlights their bright and contrasting colors. The prints are all variations on the theme of grasses.

From the Nests with a Twist press release:

Nest XIII by Janet Wheeler

Nature's endless cycle of renewal depicted through these Nests… With a Twist!

The pieces in this new series of nests absolutely do not evoke a reaction of "awww what a cute little nest." There is clearly something "off" about each one of them. Eggs and bones do not suggest a cozy breakfast! And why is there an uber-egg sitting atop a box of smaller eggs? These are the
newest works in Janet Wheeler s ongoing Spirit Box series.

Wheeler's spirit boxes induce an assumption of something sacramental and ritual, of objects untroubled by time, relics of some long vanished civilization. As nature always plays a major role in cultures, from the earliest to the present with the images of animals and birds in almost every sacred object, so too in Wheeler's pantheon.

In this body of work she focuses on nature's endless cycle of renewal
through her mysterious and ambiguous nests.

Touchstone Gallery
901 New York Avenue, NW
202.347.2787

Long View Gallery Presents Michelle Peterson-Albandoz's Revive

Long View's newly hung show of works by Michelle Peterson-Albanoz

Long View Gallery's latest show is called Revive and features new works by Chicago-based artist Michelle Peterson-Albandoz.  The gallery will celebrate the show's opening with a reception on Thursday (March 31) from 6:30 to 8:30pm (to rsvp,e-mail info@longviewgallery.com or call 202.232.4788), and the show will run through May 1.

From the press release:

An accomplished painter and mixed-media artist, Michelle Peterson-Albandoz is well known for her unique use of reclaimed wood. She works with both constructions on panel as well as sculpture from discarded wood surrounding her Chicago neighborhood.Peterson-Albandoz sees her creative process as a kind of reversal of time and waste. The backwards journey begins with the gathering of discarded wooden planks from lots, alleys and dumpsters. She says, “I remove the nails, erasing the man-made elements that bound the wood together – stripping, sawing and cutting the wood pieces, reducing them further away from structural forms.” Sorting them to like-colors and textures helps her stay open to rhythm and patterns during the building of the work. Layers of old wood still containing the cracked paint and rusty nail holes begin to build up like a living tree once more. It is at the same time a reminder of the tree that once grew in the forest, the harvesting and manipulating of it into architectural structures and the ultimate rebirth as an aesthetic object.

Michael O'Sullivan of the Washington Post named this the editor's pick for opening of the week!

Long View Gallery
1234 Ninth Street, Northwest
202.232.4788