Washington, D.C.-based artist Katherine Mann is known for creating sweeping, large-scale works and installations that Artsy describes as “traditional Chinese and Japanese ink painting techniques with an approach rooted in Western abstractionism.”
We were thrilled to have Mann as the juror for the March 2023 Open Exhibit. “I was so impressed with the diversity of voices coming through in the many submissions to the March Open Exhibit,” she says. “It really felt like an honor to immerse myself in them. From oil paintings to mixed media to sculpture, ceramics and photography, the work was serious, thorough, and yet often playful and exploratory.”
Here, the artist talks about her selection process and comments on her picks for best-in-show and honorable mention.
Was there common subject matter or themes that surfaced among the submissions?
I appreciated how much of the work drew from the extremely personal and specific circumstances of each artist—artists used materials from their everyday lives, depicting intimate or familial moments. This level of specificity and immediacy felt sensitive and vulnerable. At the same time, a sense of celebration was a through line in much of the work—seen in bright colors, bold textures, quirky shapes and gestural brushwork. I love that combination: vulnerability and joy.
Describe your selection process—how you went about picking the artwork that is in the show.
It took me forever! It was a truly difficult task to cull through the entries. I selected pieces that I felt showed a strong artist voice and a commitment to examining materials.
You included quite a bit of photography—25 photos in all. What about these works appealed to you? Overall, did anything about surprise you?
I will answer both of these questions together, because my attraction to so many photo works, as a painter myself, surprised me! I think it goes back to that combination of vulnerability and joy. The unexpected moments captured in so many of the submitted photographs really took my breath away. One element that I felt so many of the photographers in this group beautifully captured were moments and images that were ambiguous: the viewer isn’t able to get a journalistic, immediate understanding of the mood of an image. That ambiguity made me linger on each photo even longer.
What advice do you have for artists submitting their work digitally?
If submitting two-dimensional wall work, hang your work up on a white wall to photograph, not on the floor, an easel or a chair. Either show a bit of the white wall or crop out any background. Keeping the background as neutral as possible or not a factor at all is so important to all standalone work (not so much installation or work that is directly dealing with its environment, of course), but I saw this issue not dealt with in many submissions. Also color correct your images in post—you want your documentation to pop and look as stand-out as possible.
March’s Best-in-Show and Honorable Mentions
Best in Show
Reflections of Home by Sarah Entsminger; Mixed Media, photo transparency on fiber base
“Like so much of the photographic work that arrested me when looking at the art submitted for this show, this piece could possibly be telling many different stories. Titled “Reflections of Home” and printed or transferred onto a fiber base, the piece points me to possibilities of nostalgia and childhood reminiscing, but the combination of pastel embroidery with dark mossy greens in the home and trees could also lend itself to a darker read. The piece is narratively ambiguous but unambiguous in its textural beauty.”
Honorable Mentions
Field of Dreamsby Rashad Ali Muhammad; Collage; faux flower petals and fringe on wood panel
“This piece was a haunting elevation of a material that we think we understand so well, and see as kitsch: faux flower petals. The conglomeration of hundreds of them make them strange and unrecognizable, biomorphic and alien.”
Grieve Not by Sally Davies; Acrylic on canvas with handmade tiles
“This piece encapsulates a tension between vulnerability, loss and hope. The written statement for the painting refers to a series of grievous losses during the pandemic, but the piece is soft, painted lovingly, glorying in luxurious textures. It toes the line between breaking apart and building itself back together.”
“I was arrested by the faces playing across this piece, reflections and silhouettes of figures pulling in and out of a crowd entering a bus, with a central figure staring (Uneasily? Discomfortingly? Frankly?) back at the camera. The potential narratives amidst a bold and yet ever-moving composition are endless.”
“Like a minimal haiku, the decision to use very few elements to create one bold composition and the possibility of many narrative throughways make this piece at once charming, funny, and stark.”
“As a non-photographer, I couldn’t tell if the effects in this piece were created by shooting in multiple exposures, or created digitally in post production, but the effect is surprisingly painterly, providing friction and movement but also a dream-like softness.”
“The combination of dramatic joy and confidence in the piece combined with the use of delicate, textured dried flowers telegraph a glorious tension. I loved the boldness of the figure’s facial expression, title, and the artist statement accompanying the painting, combined with the ethereality of the flowers.”
Anne by Jo Ann Tooley; Photography, archival pigment print
“The mirroring of the two figures in this photograph, one real and one painted, captured me when looking at this piece. That mirroring makes me question memory, reality, painted space and the history of nostalgic Americana murals—a delicious amount of complexity in an image that could originally be seen as a simple study of a woman sitting on a bench.”
"Psychic Vision," an oil painting by Tara Barr, is on view in April's Open Exhibit.
Welcome to Artful Weekend
-our listing of area art exhibits and events-
This weekend: April Open Exhibit and The Enemy by Khalid Alaani at the League; Dark Matters by Abigail DeVille at the Hirshhorn; 20th Annual Georgetown French Market; and Spring Exhibitions at Art Enables.
April Open Exhibit
Homesick by Linda Daniels Cermak; Watercolor, acrylic and ink
Diverse artworks by member artists are the feature of Open Exhibits at The Art League. Over 100 pieces—painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, sculpture, and more—are on view in this month’s show. It was juried by commercial and editorial photographer Mike Morgan,
The April Open Exhibit is on view through May 7.
The Enemy by Khalid Alaani
Bullets and Flowers by Khalid Alaani; mixed media
Khalid Alaani’s solo exhibit, The Enemy, references the ordinary moments in the lives of his fellow Iraqi countryman just before U.S. troops invaded his homeland 20 years ago. His paintings focus on finding the “human” in the people he portrays. “I tell their stories,” says Alaani. “I’m drawing their days, their destinies, and their endings.” The Enemy is on view through May 7.
Artist Abigail DeVille with her mixed-media installation “Light of Freedom.”
Following her moving sunrise performance at the Hirshhorn in October 2021, artist Abigail DeVille returns for a sunset performance honoring the centrality of enslaved peoples contributions to the foundation of the United States. Inspired by The Invisibles: The Untold Stories of African American Slaves in the White House by Jesse J. Holland, which chronicles the African Americans who were intimately involved in the construction the White House and U.S. Capitol buildings, DeVille calls citizens to contemplate the gaps in our narrative history, through a participatory performance highlighting the tensions between illumination and darkness. Dark Matterswill feature a performance by the internationally acclaimed musical artist Meshell Ndegeocello, as well as a light procession and spoken tribute to enslaved laborers who built our most recognizable monuments to American freedom. The Hirshhorn plaza and our Dolcezza will open at 7:30 pm. The outdoor premiere will run 8–9 pm. Rain or shine, all are welcome, but advance registration is encouraged.
20th Annual Georgetown French Market
The 20th Annual Georgetown French Market is sure to be magnifique!
This popular open-air market–originally inspired by those often seen in France–will feature sidewalk sales and specials from more than 30 locally-owned businesses, including Calloway Fine Art, Gallery Article 15, L’Enfant Gallery, and Washington Printmakers Gallery. Stroll along Wisconsin Avenue from O Street to Reservoir Road and enjoy a caricature artist, music, stilt-walkers, and more. Neighborhood restaurants will also offer food and drink specials featuring French cuisine and beyond–from pastries, croissants, and macarons, to lunch items grilled outside, and wine discounts. The Georgetown French Market runs from Friday, April 28 to Sunday, April 30.
2023 Spring Exhibitions at Art Enables
The Forest, 2021 by Eileen Schofield is on view in the Jujyfruits exhibition.
Art Enables—a non-profit art studio and gallery dedicated to amplifying the careers of artists with disabilities—presents three Spring exhibitions:
Garden Variety, on view through June 10, is a home-grown showcase in homage to Springtime. All drawings and paintings in this exhibition feature garden-themed subjects: beautifully landscaped grounds, plenty of flowers, and some birds and insects that flutter around them. Beginning in early May, the gallery will also bloom with a site-specific floral installation by Sweet Root Village, the Alexandria-based team known for their lush and dreamy floral designs. Join Art Enables on the evening of May 4 for a special after-hours event celebrating the artwork and newly unveiled installation.
Down the Street: Rhode Island Ave., on view through August 19, is a collaborative, site-specific installation featuring large-scale drawings and paintings by Art Enables artists and visiting artist Amanda Burnham. Depictions of Rhode Island Ave. NE landmarks, storefronts, and quirks are collaged to create an immersive, mash-up impression of our neighborhood that spills off the gallery walls. Buildings, windows, signs, trees, and potted flowers rendered in black paint and marker are cut, pasted, folded and reassembled. The resulting construction offers stage scenery for a mental impression of the beloved DC corridor.
The works in Jujyfruits, on view through June 10, come together like the kind of candies the show’s title references: colorful, juicy pieces that have both individual appeal and amplified seduction when collected together. The playful drawings, paintings, and sculptures in this group exhibition share an interest in abstract and irregular shapes. Each work is a bold, animated presence inviting the viewer’s own associations and sensory responses. This exhibition includes works by Art Enables resident artists as well as visiting artists from around the country.
Art Enables is located at at 2204 Rhode Island Avenue NE, Washington, D.C.
Call for Artists, Beyond the Horizon Landscape Exhibit, Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts — Solomons, MD
Deadline: April 30 Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center (Solomons, MD), invites emerging and established artists to submit original artworks to ‘Beyond the Horizon: Explorations of Landscape’, to be on exhibit June 9-August 27, 2023. All media welcome; indoor & outdoor works; cash awards. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, Global Meltdown III, SlowArt Productions — Hudson, NY
Deadline: April 30 We are living in an age of global crisis – of catastrophic MELTDOWN, an environmental, economic, medical, political, and social crisis the proportions of which have never before been seen. Historically, artists have foreseen, described and been inspired by crisis. The subject of this exhibition is every aspect of the GLOBAL MELTDOWN crisis. Entry is open to all artists working in any media. For more information, click here.
Call to Artists, Dimensions 2023, The Art League — Alexandria, VA
Deadline: May 1 The Art League’s Dimensions exhibit, June 7 – July 2, seeks to showcase three dimensional work from a variety of media: ceramic, stone, wood, glass, metal, mixed media and beyond. (Ceramic works are not required to be functional.) You don’t have to be a member of the League to enter. For more information click here.
Call to Artists, The Art League June 2023 Landscape Exhibit — Alexandria, VA
Deadline: May 1 An exhibiting Artist membership to The Art League gallery provides artists with the continual opportunity to have their work judged by esteemed local arts professionals, and to compete to exhibit their work in one of Washington’s largest art galleries. For our annual Landscape Exhibit we invite League artists to submit works that capture a sense of place. The resulting exhibit is always a diverse and interesting mix of scapes—pastoral scenes, urban vistas, maritime views—in a variety of mediums. Exhibit dates are June 7 – July 2. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, 2nd Annual Artists to Watch Competition, Artists Magazine
Deadline: May 2 Announcing the call for entries to the 2nd Annual Artists to Watch competition. Whether you are a student, a recent graduate or an older artist newly focused on your art-making, this competition is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on your work! For more information, click here.
Call to Artists, The Art League July 2023 Open Exhibit – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: July 1 Exhibiting Artist membership to The Art League gallery provides artists with the continual opportunity to have their work judged by esteemed local arts professionals, and to compete to exhibit their work in one of Washington’s largest art galleries. Open exhibits are not limited by theme, medium, process, or content. Exhibiting artist members may enter current work made within the last five years. For more information, click here.
Re-runs: These were previously posted, but it’s not too late to enter!
Call to Artists, P.L.A.C.E. Grant — Arlington, VA
Deadline: April 28 This is a competitive grant program that will support community-initiated projects related to Arlington’s history, built environment, and/or cultural heritage that will reinforce the goals of the Arts Commission and enhance Arlington’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This grant seeks proposals that are at the intersection of arts, culture and heritage with the goal to provide arts opportunities to communities that have had less access to arts programming, education, and other art services. Arlington’s historic communities are a critical priority for this funding. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists, Trawick Prize 2024 Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards — Bethesda, MD
Deadline: April 28 The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District invites local artists to submit work to the annual Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards! This juried art competition awards $14,000 in prizes to four selected winners. Up to eight finalists will be chosen to display their work at Bethesda’s Gallery B in September 2023. For more information, click here.
Call to Artists, National Children’s Museum Artist-in-Residence Program — D.C.
Deadline: April 30National Children’s Museum, a Congressionally designated institution with a mission to inspire children to care about and change the world through science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) initiatives, is now accepting applications from emerging and professional artists interested in continuing the institution’s Artist-in-Residence program. Generously funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the program will take place over one year, from June 2023 to June 2024. The Museum seeks to partner with a Washington, DC-based artist to facilitate arts programming for children, families, and educators and create a collaborative community-sourced art project for the Museum. For more information, click here.
Call to Artists, S&R Evermay Foundation Washington Award — D.C.
Deadline: April 30Since its inception in 2001, S&R Evermay Foundation has supported the work of 80 artists through the Washington Award. The annual Washington Award comprises of two prize categories. The Cash Prize awards four unrestricted grants of $15,000 in each artistic category, providing support to artists at critical moments in their careers to freely develop and pursue their creative ideas. The Fillmore Studios Prize provides twelve months of free studio space usage at The Fillmore School in Georgetown. The Fillmore Studios Prize is available to multiple DC-based artists from August‒July each year. In addition to studio space, artists are provided with opportunities to exhibit, hold open studios, and mentor students. For more information, click here.
Events & Venue Assistant Manager Wanted, Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture — Glen Echo, MD
Deadline: April 30Bethesda area arts organization seeks a full-time Events & Venue Assistant Manager. The ideal candidate will have an interest in event management and venue operations, is self-driven, a team player and can work evenings and weekends as event needs dictate. For more information and to apply, click here.
Summer Program and Exhibition Intern (Paid) Wanted, Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture — Glen Echo, MD
Deadline: April 30 Bethesda-based arts organization seeks a part-time, paid Summer Program and Exhibition Intern. We are looking for a detail-oriented individual to become part of our programs and exhibitions team in support of our annual Labor Day Art Show and other events, public programs and exhibitions. For more information and to apply, click here.
Marketing Assistant Wanted, Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture — Glen Echo, MD
Deadline: April 30Bethesda area arts organization seeks a full-time Marketing Assistant to become part of our dynamic and growing team. We are looking for an energetic, talented individual to work closely with the Marketing and Communications Director on all aspects of the organization’s day-to-day promotional and administrative activities and support Park events on site and off site. For more information and to apply, click here.
Call for Editorial Photography, Metalsmith Magazine
Deadline: May 15Metalsmith magazine invites submissions to a juried call for photography. We are seeking creatively styled images of artist-made jewelry, adornment, and metalsmithing in all forms and materials that tell a story and present works outside of the typical white background. For more information, click here.
Call for Entries, The Hopper Prize
Deadline: May 23 The Hopper Prize is accepting entries for Spring 2023 artist grants. We are offering 2 grants of $3,500 and 4 grants of $1,000 ($11,000 USD total prize money). 30 artists will be selected for a shortlist. Additional exposure is available via our online Journal and Instagram feed reaching 74k. For more information, click here.
Call to Paper Artist, Paperworks 2023 International Juried Competition (Virtual)
Deadline: May 24 B.J. Spoke Gallery in Huntington, New York, invites artists who use paper as their primary medium to enter the Paperworks 2023 competition. Works made on paper, of paper or about paper: cut paper, folded paper, woven paper, glued paper, drawings, paintings, pastels, printmaking, photographs, paper sculpture, 3D, bound books, collage, mixed media, video, and installation are eligible. For more information, click here.
Call to artists, $1,000 Evolution Grant, Art Fluent
Deadline: June 2 Art Fluent’s grant cycle is now open to individual artists through an international open call. The Evolution Grant will provide unrestricted funding to an individual artist with recognized artistic excellence in fine art media and a demonstrated commitment to their art. $1,000 to one visual artist each grant cycle. Unrestricted funds applied toward any expense to enhance the artist’s ability to create work. For more information, click here.
Glen Echo Park Partnership 2024 Call for Exhibition Proposals — Glen Echo, MD
Deadline: June 5The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture requests exhibition proposals from artists for the Popcorn Gallery, Stone TowerGallery, and Park View Gallery at Glen Echo Park for the calendar year 2024. The mission of the Glen Echo Park Partnership Galleries is to showcase the work of diverse artists, including resident artists at Glen Echo Park and artists from the greater Washington, D.C. area. We aim to exhibit quality art by artists who represent a broad spectrum of our region, with diverse backgrounds, and working in a wide range of artistic media. Our exhibitions attract visitors from across the region and bring new audiences to Glen Echo Park. For more information, click here.
Foundation Arts Festival 2023 — Loveladies, NJ
Deadline: July 8The Foundation Art Festival (FAF 2023) is a juried Makers retail show, curated by our Arts & Exhibition Committee. We are looking for artists who create handmade, original work. Seasoned or new artisans that create unique, high quality handmade products are encouraged to apply. However, we are open to products that are designed by the artist & produced in small quantities within the continental U.S. All mediums are welcome. For more information, click here.
Call to Artists, F. Scott Fitzgerald Art Poster Contest 2023 — Rockville, MD
Deadline: June 24 Maryland, D.C., and Virginia artists are invited to submit a poster design for the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival Poster Contest. An exhibition will be held for the winner and finalists at the F. Scott Literary Festival to be held in Rockville on Saturday, October 21, 2023. An honorarium/award of $1000 will be awarded to the winner; 2nd and 3rd place will be awarded $100 each. Each winner will receive a free ticket to the festival. NFor more information, click here.
Prince George’s Arts & Humanities Council Announces Grants for Maryland Artists — Prince George’s County, MD
Deadline: June 30 The Grants for Artists program provides financial support accompanied by recommended, MSAC-supported professional development offerings tailored to meet the needs of artists working in various genres and media. For more information, click here.
Black Art Today Scholarship for Graduating High School Students
Deadline: June 30 The Black Art Today Foundation will award two $1,000 scholarships to two graduating high school students. Applicants must be residents of Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Montgomery County, or Prince George’s County. Applicants must be pursuing an undergraduate degree in the visual, performing, or literary arts including music, dance, theatre, or other performing arts at an accredited college and/or university in the United States. For more information and to apply, click here.
Call for Entry, Athenaeum Solo or Group Show: 2022-2023 — Alexandria, VA
Deadline: August 25 Artists who live or work in Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia may submit a proposal for a solo show. A group of artists who live or work in the area may submit a proposal for a group show. A curator, living or working anywhere, may submit a proposal for a show featuring works by artists living or working in this area. For more information, click here.
Instructors Wanted at The Art League — Alexandria, VA
Deadline: Until filled The Art League is looking for skilled instructors in all visual arts disciplines. We’re particularly keen to recruit new hires for our sculpture, stained glass, and watercolor departments. Preferred applicants will have a personable and patient disposition, excellent communication skills, and the ability to teach their medium to groups of beginning, intermediate, and/or advanced level students. Class sizes range, depending on enrollment, from around 5 to 30 students. Experience teaching is helpful but not an absolute requirement. To apply, send a cover letter with statement of intent, resumé, and 6-10 tiffs or jpegs of current work to Ariane D’Souza via email at [email protected].
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
Studio Sundays Submissions, Create! Magazine
Every month Create! Magazine! picks several winning images of artists’ studio spaces and features them on their website and social media along with artists’ work and story. Submit a quality image of your workspace, studio or kitchen table where you make work for a chance to be featured. For more information and to submit, click here.
Call for Artists, Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council
Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council (PGAHC) is featuring county artists at its newest art space Arts’tination at National Harbor, the premier arts and entertainment destination in our regions Located at 162 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD. Arts’tination is dedicated to supporting local artists and curating immersive creative experiences. PGAHC is recruiting artists to show and sell their work and/or to conduct arts related workshops for the public. Artists should submit work samples and inquires to [email protected]. For more information please visit https://www.pgahc.org/artstination.
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants
These monthly grants range from $500–$3,000, with the average amount being $1,700. Visual and performing artists whose work is of a contemporary, experimental nature and who have a US Tax ID Number can apply. For more information, click here.
Call for Art, Links Bridge Vineyards—Thurmont, MD
Links Bridge Vineyards, a small artisan style winery located just outside of Frederick, Maryland, is looking to feature the artwork of various artists on the walls of their tasting barn for two weeks at a time. To learn more, call Joan Cartier 301-602-5733 or email her at [email protected].
Pyramid Atlantic offers year-round workshops in printmaking, papermaking, book arts, and hybrids thereof. We offer multi-week, daytime, evening, and weekend intensives for adults in our fully equipped studios. As part of a robust and diverse schedule of offerings, we welcome unsolicited workshop proposals, and hope that you will consider applying! Workshop proposal reviews are ongoing, but for best consideration, submit class proposals by the following dates: 1/15 for Summer Workshops; 4/1 for Fall Workshops; 7/1 for Winter Workshops; 10/1 for Spring Workshops. Questions? Email Gretchen, Artistic Director, [email protected]
Call For Stories About Women in the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council
2020 has been dedicated to the Year of the Woman in Maryland. Do you have an inspiring story about vital contributions of women-identifying people who are artists, arts administrators, or cultural workers? Perhaps an exhibition, performance or project featuring women? Share it with the Maryland State Arts Council for potential use in marketing and communications! Send your ideas to [email protected], and include “Year of the Woman” in the subject line. Satff will contact senders whose stories are selected for inclusion in future newsletters, eblasts, or social media postings. Learn more about Maryland’s year of the Woman here.
Call For Artists, Busboys and Poets
Busboys and Poets is looking for submissions from Maryland and Virginia artists as it expands to new locations in both areas. Submissions can include drawings, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, assemblage, fiber, quilts, etc. Art images reflecting life in the city, family, portraits, whimsy, abstraction, social uplift and life experiences within diverse cultures are encouraged for submission. For more information, click here.
Alterwork Studios Online Residency
This residency was designed to give emerging contemporary artists an online platform to create new work and explore their practice. Over the course of four weeks, artists will be encouraged to experiment and explore their concepts and move their work forward in the contemporary art world. Learn more here.
Accepting Artwork for Curatorial Review by AIWA
The Alper Initiative for Washington Art features five exhibitions per year in the newly constructed first floor space in the American University Museum. We accept submissions, on a rolling basis, from Washington artists of all ages and backgrounds, and working in diverse media. The museum’s Director and Curator, Jack Rasmussen, will select curators who will review these submissions for potential use in Alper Initiative exhibitions. For more information click here.
Call For Entry Hamilton Arts Collective Guest Artist Exhibition – Baltimore, MD
The Hamilton Arts Collective (HAC) and the Hamilton Gallery seek applications from artists for month-long Guest Artist exhibitions at Hamilton Gallery located at 5502 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD. The selected guest artists will be invited to exhibit a selection of their current work in Gallery I of the Hamilton Gallery. The Guest Artist exhibition is featured in Hamilton Gallery communications and will be promoted by the HAC and Hamilton Gallery. This is an open call to artists residing within 60 miles of Baltimore City. Baltimore residents are encouraged to apply. Click here to learn more.
Howard County Arts Council Quarterly Call For Artists – Ellicott City, MD
The Howard County Arts Council gallery program was established to enhance the public’s appreciation of the visual arts, provide a venue to exhibit the work of local, regional, and national artists in a professional space, and provide leadership in the arts by presenting a broad spectrum of arts in all media from both emerging and established artists. Artists, ages 18 and older, working in all media and styles including time-based and installation artists, are encouraged to apply either individually or as a group. Proposals from curators and arts organizations are also welcome. Click here to learn more.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo Downtown Baltimore — Baltimore, MD
The Maryland Art Place (MAP) is working with Hotel Indigo in downtown Baltimore to offer rotating exhibitions in the hotel’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats restaurant. This opportunity is open to visual artists living or working in Maryland. ’s public art partnership projects (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo, is pleased to announce an open call to artists. MAP will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Click here to learn more.
Solo or Group Shows in Athenaeum Gallery – VA
The Athenaeum Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia exhibits visual arts created solely by artists living or working in the region (DC, Maryland and Virginia) and strives to present visitors with a wide variety of excellent art and unique experiences. In addition to the shows curated by the Gallery Director, the Athenaeum Gallery invites artists and curators to submit show proposals. For more information, click here.
The Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland (MD)
Deadline: Rolling. The purpose of the Creativity Grant Program is to strengthen the vitality and sustainability of artists and small organizations to maintain a strong and stable arts infrastructure in the State of Maryland. The Creativity Grant also provides opportunities to serve the growing needs of relevant arts projects and collaborations within Maryland communities. For more information regarding eligibility and funding timelines, please review the Creativity Grants Guidelines. For more information about the program, and to apply visit the Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland website.
Artist/Writers: Cover Art for Academic Medicine
Deadline: Rolling. Submit original works of art inspired by, but not necessarily representative of, an academic medicine experience from any perspective: caregiver, researcher, teacher, learner, or patient (for example, learning how to be a physician or scientist, caring for patients, exploring research questions, making a new discovery, being a research participant, teaching, or being cared for in a teaching hospital). The journal welcomes photography, sculpture, painting, textile work, and other visual media. Images may be cropped or resized to fit into the allotted cover space. Artists must also submit a related Cover Art essay as a narrative companion to the artwork, to explain the connection between the work and the “academic medicine experience.” The related narrative should be 250 to 600 words and is subject to editing. To apply for this opportunity, and to learn more, visit the Academic Medicine website.
The Awesome Foundation Accepting Applications for Art Projects
Deadline: Open. The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences is a worldwide network of people devoted to forwarding the interest of “awesomeness in the universe.” Established in 2009, the foundation distributes $1,000 grants on a monthly basis to projects and their creators. The money is pooled from ten or more self-organizing “micro-trustees.” The chapters are autonomous and organized by the trustees around geographic areas or topics of interest. Apply on the Awesome Foundation website.
Call for Artists: Maryland Art Place Seeks Proposals for Rotating Exhibition Partnership with Baltimore’s Hotel Indigo (MD)
Deadline: rolling. Maryland Art Place (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo is pleased to announce an open ‘Call to Artists’. As an extension of MAP’s annual IMPACT public art partnership projects, MAP is working with Hotel Indigo to offer rotating exhibitions in Hotel indigo’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats. This opportunity is available to visual artists living or working in Maryland. Maryland Art Place will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Guidelines and information here.
Peripheral ARTeries – Biennial Contemporary Art Publication
Deadline: Rolling. Peripheral ARTeries is looking for artists to be featured in the new special Biennial Edition of their art publication, that comes to its 10th edition. This opportunity is great for both established and early career artists who need a boost to their artist portfolio. The 10th edition will once again explore and show current trends and tendencies in Contemporary Art: Peripheral ARTeries cultivates a spirit of openness through a unique collaborative and participatory approach.Each artist may submit a maximum of three works or projects made in any technique: painting, drawing, video art, experimental cinema, fine art photography, experimental media, mixed media, installations, public art, performance. The call is open to all proposed kind of art and media capable of challenging the viewers’ traditional perspective on art itself. To submit, visit the Peripheral ARTeries website.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo (VA)
Artists works will displayed in the hotel’s gallery (220 S Union St, Old Town Alexandria) for a six-month period. Two-dimensional, framed works only. Artists will install the work using the hotel’s mounting hardware. Labels will be provided by the hotel. All sales handled by artist, no commission. Preference for local or locally influenced selections but not required. The space measures approximately 7’10” by 8’3.″ If interested, contact Kate Ellis, General Manager, [email protected].
The New Project Studio – Ongoing Opportunity (VA)
Ongoing. Located in Studio 8, the New Project Studio is a community-focused arts incubator space that offers a short-term location to test new program ideas, spotlight underrepresented voices, and enhance community engagement. Projects rotate on a regular basis. For more information, click here.
Public Arts Grants & Opportunities (VA)
Ongoing. The City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts provides grants for nonprofit arts organizations as well as individual artists. See all current opportunities and online applications here.
Residency: Maryland
Deadline: ongoing. Montgomery College, Rockville and Germantown Art Department is seeking proposals for its Artist-in-Residence Program, encouraging proposals that cultivate collaborative work between artists and students.
Looking for artists: Foundry Gallery (DC)
Deadline: ongoing. Foundry Gallery is seeking a few artists in the greater Washington, DC area. If interested in applying for membership please send up to five images (jpg attachments) and an email letter to: [email protected]. The oldest cooperative in Washington, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows at its beautiful space north of Shaw near the 9:30 Club.
Looking for artists: Printmakers (DC)
Deadline: ongoing. Washington Printmakers Gallery is seeking artist members specializing in printmaking, photography and book arts. An active cooperative for over 30 years, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows in its lovely space in upper Georgetown. Distant and shared memberships are available. If interested in applying for membership please email [email protected].
"Sunshine Umbrella", photography by Helen Samson, is currently on view in April's Open Exhibit.
Welcome to Artful Weekend
-our listing of area art exhibits and events-
This weekend: April Open Exhibit and The Enemy by Khalid Alaani at the League; Poetry and Art at McLean Project for the Arts; Be(Longing) at Culture House; and Waters of SE Asia at Multiple Exposures Gallery.
April Open Exhibit
Lost Cows by Charles Williams; Oil
Diverse artworks by member artists are the feature of Open Exhibits at The Art League. Over 100 pieces—painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, sculpture, and more—are on view in this month’s show. It was juried by commercial and editorial photographer Mike Morgan,
The April Open Exhibit is on view through May 7.
The Enemy by Khalid Alaani
“Woman and a Warship” by Khalid Alaani; Acrylic
Khalid Alaani’s solo exhibit, The Enemy, references the ordinary moments in the lives of his fellow Iraqi countryman just before U.S. troops invaded his homeland 20 years ago. His paintings, focus on finding the “human” in the people he portrays. “I tell their stories,” says Alaani. “I’m drawing their days, their destinies, and their endings.” The Enemy is on view through May 7.
Artwork from left: Backdriven Driven Back by Chris Combs; Cut Here by George Lorio; and Untitled by Josh Whipkey are featured in MPA’s Spring Solo Exhibitions.
McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) is hosting a poetry reading presenting Kari Ann Ebert reading from Alphabet of Mo(u)rning, Lily Press’ first literary publication, on Saturday, April 22, 1 – 3 pm. The free event coincides with MPA’s ongoing Spring Solo Exhibitions: Industry Standards: Works by Chris Combs; Concerns: Sculpture by George Lorio; and With My Face Against the Future: Paintings by Josh Whipkey.Poets Sandra Beasley and Carol A. Beane will also read; 1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean, VA.
Be(Longing)
The Deep Chasm Between Love and Hate, 2022, by Soumiya Krishnaswamy; Oil on canvas 40 x 40 inches
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, “We redesigned how we lived and found connection and communication in new ways…” says Brooklyn-based artist Soumiya Krishnaswamy. Be(Longing), her exhibit at Culture House, interrogates how close have we truly become now that quarantining and social distancing are behind us. Be(Longing) is on view through May 6; 700 Delaware Avenue S.W.
Waters of SE Asia
Ha Long Bay Fishing Boat and Red Marker by Sandy LeBrun-Evans
Sandy LeBrun-Evans’ exhibition Waters of SE Asia, at Multiple Exposures Gallery, shares the beauty, mystery and energy to be found in the waters of Vietnam and Cambodia. From her recent travels, LeBrun-Evans has captured images in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, with its misty limestone monolithic islands; The Mekong River Delta and the largest river in Southeast Asia; and Tonlè Sap Lake in Cambodia, where people live in floating houses. Waters of SE Asia is on view through Sunday, April 3; Torpedo Factory Art Center #312, 105 N. Union Street, Alexandria, VA.
Call to Artists, National Children’s Museum Artist-in-Residence Program — D.C.
Deadline: April 30National Children’s Museum, a Congressionally designated institution with a mission to inspire children to care about and change the world through science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) initiatives, is now accepting applications from emerging and professional artists interested in continuing the institution’s Artist-in-Residence program. Generously funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the program will take place over one year, from June 2023 to June 2024. The Museum seeks to partner with a Washington, DC-based artist to facilitate arts programming for children, families, and educators and create a collaborative community-sourced art project for the Museum. For more information, click here.
Call to Artists, S&R Evermay Foundation Washington Award — D.C.
Deadline: April 30Since its inception in 2001, S&R Evermay Foundation has supported the work of 80 artists through the Washington Award. The annual Washington Award comprises of two prize categories. The Cash Prize awards four unrestricted grants of $15,000 in each artistic category, providing support to artists at critical moments in their careers to freely develop and pursue their creative ideas. The Fillmore Studios Prize provides twelve months of free studio space usage at The Fillmore School in Georgetown. The Fillmore Studios Prize is available to multiple DC-based artists from August‒July each year. In addition to studio space, artists are provided with opportunities to exhibit, hold open studios, and mentor students. For more information, click here.
Events & Venue Assistant Manager Wanted, Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture — Glen Echo, MD
Deadline: April 30Bethesda area arts organization seeks a full-time Events & Venue Assistant Manager. The ideal candidate will have an interest in event management and venue operations, is self-driven, a team player and can work evenings and weekends as event needs dictate. For more information and to apply, click here.
Summer Program and Exhibition Intern (Paid) Wanted, Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture — Glen Echo, MD
Deadline: April 30 Bethesda-based arts organization seeks a part-time, paid Summer Program and Exhibition Intern. We are looking for a detail-oriented individual to become part of our programs and exhibitions team in support of our annual Labor Day Art Show and other events, public programs and exhibitions. For more information and to apply, click here.
Marketing Assistant Wanted, Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture — Glen Echo, MD
Deadline: April 30Bethesda area arts organization seeks a full-time Marketing Assistant to become part of our dynamic and growing team. We are looking for an energetic, talented individual to work closely with the Marketing and Communications Director on all aspects of the organization’s day-to-day promotional and administrative activities and support Park events on site and off site. For more information and to apply, click here.
Call for Editorial Photography, Metalsmith Magazine
Deadline: May 15Metalsmith magazine invites submissions to a juried call for photography. We are seeking creatively styled images of artist-made jewelry, adornment, and metalsmithing in all forms and materials that tell a story and present works outside of the typical white background. For more information, click here.
Call to Paper Artist, Paperworks 2023 International Juried Competition (Virtual)
Deadline: May 24 B.J. Spoke Gallery in Huntington, New York, invites artists who use paper as their primary medium to enter the Paperworks 2023 competition. Works made on paper, of paper or about paper: cut paper, folded paper, woven paper, glued paper, drawings, paintings, pastels, printmaking, photographs, paper sculpture, 3D, bound books, collage, mixed media, video, and installation are eligible. For more information, click here.
Call to Artists, F. Scott Fitzgerald Art Poster Contest 2023 — Rockville, MD
Deadline: June 24 Maryland, D.C., and Virginia artists are invited to submit a poster design for the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival Poster Contest. An exhibition will be held for the winner and finalists at the F. Scott Literary Festival to be held in Rockville on Saturday, October 21, 2023. An honorarium/award of $1000 will be awarded to the winner; 2nd and 3rd place will be awarded $100 each. Each winner will receive a free ticket to the festival. NFor more information, click here.
Black Art Today Scholarship for Graduating High School Students
Deadline: June 30 The Black Art Today Foundation will award two $1,000 scholarships to two graduating high school students. Applicants must be residents of Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Montgomery County, or Prince George’s County. Applicants must be pursuing an undergraduate degree in the visual, performing, or literary arts including music, dance, theatre, or other performing arts at an accredited college and/or university in the United States. For more information and to apply, click here.
Re-runs: These were previously posted, but it’s not too late to enter!
Call to Artists, P.L.A.C.E. Grant — Arlington, VA
Deadline: April 28 This is a competitive grant program that will support community-initiated projects related to Arlington’s history, built environment, and/or cultural heritage that will reinforce the goals of the Arts Commission and enhance Arlington’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This grant seeks proposals that are at the intersection of arts, culture and heritage with the goal to provide arts opportunities to communities that have had less access to arts programming, education, and other art services. Arlington’s historic communities are a critical priority for this funding. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists, Trawick Prize 2024 Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards — Bethesda, MD
Deadline: April 28 The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District invites local artists to submit work to the annual Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards! This juried art competition awards $14,000 in prizes to four selected winners. Up to eight finalists will be chosen to display their work at Bethesda’s Gallery B in September 2023. For more information, click here.
Call for Entries, The Hopper Prize
Deadline: May 23 The Hopper Prize is accepting entries for Spring 2023 artist grants. We are offering 2 grants of $3,500 and 4 grants of $1,000 ($11,000 USD total prize money). 30 artists will be selected for a shortlist. Additional exposure is available via our online Journal and Instagram feed reaching 74k. For more information, click here.
Call to artists, $1,000 Evolution Grant, Art Fluent
Deadline: June 2 Art Fluent’s grant cycle is now open to individual artists through an international open call. The Evolution Grant will provide unrestricted funding to an individual artist with recognized artistic excellence in fine art media and a demonstrated commitment to their art. $1,000 to one visual artist each grant cycle. Unrestricted funds applied toward any expense to enhance the artist’s ability to create work. For more information, click here.
Glen Echo Park Partnership 2024 Call for Exhibition Proposals — Glen Echo, MD
Deadline: June 5The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture requests exhibition proposals from artists for the Popcorn Gallery, Stone TowerGallery, and Park View Gallery at Glen Echo Park for the calendar year 2024. The mission of the Glen Echo Park Partnership Galleries is to showcase the work of diverse artists, including resident artists at Glen Echo Park and artists from the greater Washington, D.C. area. We aim to exhibit quality art by artists who represent a broad spectrum of our region, with diverse backgrounds, and working in a wide range of artistic media. Our exhibitions attract visitors from across the region and bring new audiences to Glen Echo Park. For more information, click here.
Foundation Arts Festival 2023 — Loveladies, NJ
Deadline: July 8The Foundation Art Festival (FAF 2023) is a juried Makers retail show, curated by our Arts & Exhibition Committee. We are looking for artists who create handmade, original work. Seasoned or new artisans that create unique, high quality handmade products are encouraged to apply. However, we are open to products that are designed by the artist & produced in small quantities within the continental U.S. All mediums are welcome. For more information, click here.
Prince George’s Arts & Humanities Council Announces Grants for Maryland Artists — Prince George’s County, MD
Deadline: June 30 The Grants for Artists program provides financial support accompanied by recommended, MSAC-supported professional development offerings tailored to meet the needs of artists working in various genres and media. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, Athenaeum Solo or Group Show: 2022-2023 — Alexandria, VA
Deadline: August 25 Artists who live or work in Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia may submit a proposal for a solo show. A group of artists who live or work in the area may submit a proposal for a group show. A curator, living or working anywhere, may submit a proposal for a show featuring works by artists living or working in this area. For more information, click here.
Instructors Wanted at The Art League — Alexandria, VA
Deadline: Until filled The Art League is looking for skilled instructors in all visual arts disciplines. We’re particularly keen to recruit new hires for our sculpture, stained glass, and watercolor departments. Preferred applicants will have a personable and patient disposition, excellent communication skills, and the ability to teach their medium to groups of beginning, intermediate, and/or advanced level students. Class sizes range, depending on enrollment, from around 5 to 30 students. Experience teaching is helpful but not an absolute requirement. To apply, send a cover letter with statement of intent, resumé, and 6-10 tiffs or jpegs of current work to Ariane D’Souza via email at [email protected].
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
Studio Sundays Submissions, Create! Magazine
Every month Create! Magazine! picks several winning images of artists’ studio spaces and features them on their website and social media along with artists’ work and story. Submit a quality image of your workspace, studio or kitchen table where you make work for a chance to be featured. For more information and to submit, click here.
Call for Artists, Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council
Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council (PGAHC) is featuring county artists at its newest art space Arts’tination at National Harbor, the premier arts and entertainment destination in our regions Located at 162 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD. Arts’tination is dedicated to supporting local artists and curating immersive creative experiences. PGAHC is recruiting artists to show and sell their work and/or to conduct arts related workshops for the public. Artists should submit work samples and inquires to [email protected]. For more information please visit https://www.pgahc.org/artstination.
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants
These monthly grants range from $500–$3,000, with the average amount being $1,700. Visual and performing artists whose work is of a contemporary, experimental nature and who have a US Tax ID Number can apply. For more information, click here.
Call for Art, Links Bridge Vineyards—Thurmont, MD
Links Bridge Vineyards, a small artisan style winery located just outside of Frederick, Maryland, is looking to feature the artwork of various artists on the walls of their tasting barn for two weeks at a time. To learn more, call Joan Cartier 301-602-5733 or email her at [email protected].
Pyramid Atlantic offers year-round workshops in printmaking, papermaking, book arts, and hybrids thereof. We offer multi-week, daytime, evening, and weekend intensives for adults in our fully equipped studios. As part of a robust and diverse schedule of offerings, we welcome unsolicited workshop proposals, and hope that you will consider applying! Workshop proposal reviews are ongoing, but for best consideration, submit class proposals by the following dates: 1/15 for Summer Workshops; 4/1 for Fall Workshops; 7/1 for Winter Workshops; 10/1 for Spring Workshops. Questions? Email Gretchen, Artistic Director, [email protected]
Call For Stories About Women in the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council
2020 has been dedicated to the Year of the Woman in Maryland. Do you have an inspiring story about vital contributions of women-identifying people who are artists, arts administrators, or cultural workers? Perhaps an exhibition, performance or project featuring women? Share it with the Maryland State Arts Council for potential use in marketing and communications! Send your ideas to [email protected], and include “Year of the Woman” in the subject line. Satff will contact senders whose stories are selected for inclusion in future newsletters, eblasts, or social media postings. Learn more about Maryland’s year of the Woman here.
Call For Artists, Busboys and Poets
Busboys and Poets is looking for submissions from Maryland and Virginia artists as it expands to new locations in both areas. Submissions can include drawings, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, assemblage, fiber, quilts, etc. Art images reflecting life in the city, family, portraits, whimsy, abstraction, social uplift and life experiences within diverse cultures are encouraged for submission. For more information, click here.
Alterwork Studios Online Residency
This residency was designed to give emerging contemporary artists an online platform to create new work and explore their practice. Over the course of four weeks, artists will be encouraged to experiment and explore their concepts and move their work forward in the contemporary art world. Learn more here.
Accepting Artwork for Curatorial Review by AIWA
The Alper Initiative for Washington Art features five exhibitions per year in the newly constructed first floor space in the American University Museum. We accept submissions, on a rolling basis, from Washington artists of all ages and backgrounds, and working in diverse media. The museum’s Director and Curator, Jack Rasmussen, will select curators who will review these submissions for potential use in Alper Initiative exhibitions. For more information click here.
Call For Entry Hamilton Arts Collective Guest Artist Exhibition – Baltimore, MD
The Hamilton Arts Collective (HAC) and the Hamilton Gallery seek applications from artists for month-long Guest Artist exhibitions at Hamilton Gallery located at 5502 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD. The selected guest artists will be invited to exhibit a selection of their current work in Gallery I of the Hamilton Gallery. The Guest Artist exhibition is featured in Hamilton Gallery communications and will be promoted by the HAC and Hamilton Gallery. This is an open call to artists residing within 60 miles of Baltimore City. Baltimore residents are encouraged to apply. Click here to learn more.
Howard County Arts Council Quarterly Call For Artists – Ellicott City, MD
The Howard County Arts Council gallery program was established to enhance the public’s appreciation of the visual arts, provide a venue to exhibit the work of local, regional, and national artists in a professional space, and provide leadership in the arts by presenting a broad spectrum of arts in all media from both emerging and established artists. Artists, ages 18 and older, working in all media and styles including time-based and installation artists, are encouraged to apply either individually or as a group. Proposals from curators and arts organizations are also welcome. Click here to learn more.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo Downtown Baltimore — Baltimore, MD
The Maryland Art Place (MAP) is working with Hotel Indigo in downtown Baltimore to offer rotating exhibitions in the hotel’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats restaurant. This opportunity is open to visual artists living or working in Maryland. ’s public art partnership projects (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo, is pleased to announce an open call to artists. MAP will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Click here to learn more.
Solo or Group Shows in Athenaeum Gallery – VA
The Athenaeum Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia exhibits visual arts created solely by artists living or working in the region (DC, Maryland and Virginia) and strives to present visitors with a wide variety of excellent art and unique experiences. In addition to the shows curated by the Gallery Director, the Athenaeum Gallery invites artists and curators to submit show proposals. For more information, click here.
The Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland (MD)
Deadline: Rolling. The purpose of the Creativity Grant Program is to strengthen the vitality and sustainability of artists and small organizations to maintain a strong and stable arts infrastructure in the State of Maryland. The Creativity Grant also provides opportunities to serve the growing needs of relevant arts projects and collaborations within Maryland communities. For more information regarding eligibility and funding timelines, please review the Creativity Grants Guidelines. For more information about the program, and to apply visit the Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland website.
Artist/Writers: Cover Art for Academic Medicine
Deadline: Rolling. Submit original works of art inspired by, but not necessarily representative of, an academic medicine experience from any perspective: caregiver, researcher, teacher, learner, or patient (for example, learning how to be a physician or scientist, caring for patients, exploring research questions, making a new discovery, being a research participant, teaching, or being cared for in a teaching hospital). The journal welcomes photography, sculpture, painting, textile work, and other visual media. Images may be cropped or resized to fit into the allotted cover space. Artists must also submit a related Cover Art essay as a narrative companion to the artwork, to explain the connection between the work and the “academic medicine experience.” The related narrative should be 250 to 600 words and is subject to editing. To apply for this opportunity, and to learn more, visit the Academic Medicine website.
The Awesome Foundation Accepting Applications for Art Projects
Deadline: Open. The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences is a worldwide network of people devoted to forwarding the interest of “awesomeness in the universe.” Established in 2009, the foundation distributes $1,000 grants on a monthly basis to projects and their creators. The money is pooled from ten or more self-organizing “micro-trustees.” The chapters are autonomous and organized by the trustees around geographic areas or topics of interest. Apply on the Awesome Foundation website.
Call for Artists: Maryland Art Place Seeks Proposals for Rotating Exhibition Partnership with Baltimore’s Hotel Indigo (MD)
Deadline: rolling. Maryland Art Place (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo is pleased to announce an open ‘Call to Artists’. As an extension of MAP’s annual IMPACT public art partnership projects, MAP is working with Hotel Indigo to offer rotating exhibitions in Hotel indigo’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats. This opportunity is available to visual artists living or working in Maryland. Maryland Art Place will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Guidelines and information here.
Peripheral ARTeries – Biennial Contemporary Art Publication
Deadline: Rolling. Peripheral ARTeries is looking for artists to be featured in the new special Biennial Edition of their art publication, that comes to its 10th edition. This opportunity is great for both established and early career artists who need a boost to their artist portfolio. The 10th edition will once again explore and show current trends and tendencies in Contemporary Art: Peripheral ARTeries cultivates a spirit of openness through a unique collaborative and participatory approach.Each artist may submit a maximum of three works or projects made in any technique: painting, drawing, video art, experimental cinema, fine art photography, experimental media, mixed media, installations, public art, performance. The call is open to all proposed kind of art and media capable of challenging the viewers’ traditional perspective on art itself. To submit, visit the Peripheral ARTeries website.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo (VA)
Artists works will displayed in the hotel’s gallery (220 S Union St, Old Town Alexandria) for a six-month period. Two-dimensional, framed works only. Artists will install the work using the hotel’s mounting hardware. Labels will be provided by the hotel. All sales handled by artist, no commission. Preference for local or locally influenced selections but not required. The space measures approximately 7’10” by 8’3.″ If interested, contact Kate Ellis, General Manager, [email protected].
The New Project Studio – Ongoing Opportunity (VA)
Ongoing. Located in Studio 8, the New Project Studio is a community-focused arts incubator space that offers a short-term location to test new program ideas, spotlight underrepresented voices, and enhance community engagement. Projects rotate on a regular basis. For more information, click here.
Public Arts Grants & Opportunities (VA)
Ongoing. The City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts provides grants for nonprofit arts organizations as well as individual artists. See all current opportunities and online applications here.
Residency: Maryland
Deadline: ongoing. Montgomery College, Rockville and Germantown Art Department is seeking proposals for its Artist-in-Residence Program, encouraging proposals that cultivate collaborative work between artists and students.
Looking for artists: Foundry Gallery (DC)
Deadline: ongoing. Foundry Gallery is seeking a few artists in the greater Washington, DC area. If interested in applying for membership please send up to five images (jpg attachments) and an email letter to: [email protected]. The oldest cooperative in Washington, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows at its beautiful space north of Shaw near the 9:30 Club.
Looking for artists: Printmakers (DC)
Deadline: ongoing. Washington Printmakers Gallery is seeking artist members specializing in printmaking, photography and book arts. An active cooperative for over 30 years, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows in its lovely space in upper Georgetown. Distant and shared memberships are available. If interested in applying for membership please email [email protected].
If it seems like the cheerfully colored, large-scale paintings in Khalid Alaani’s solo exhibit The Enemy are in conflict with its title, that’s exactly the point. The Iraq native is making a statement about how ordinary Iraqis were perceived once the United States invaded his homeland twenty years ago.
Rather than depict the brutality and suffering of war, Alaani chooses to humanize his countrymen and women by focusing on their lives moments before bombs were dropped and missiles were launched—be it a woman in her garden, children at play, a new bride, or his once vibrant hometown.
“Those humans are not aliens. I know them, I feel them, they are a part of me,” says Alaani, who lost family and friends during this tragic period. “I tell their stories. I’m painting their days, their destinies, and their endings.”
Here Alaani, a pharmacist by profession, talks about his artistic journey, the argument that inspired The Enemy, and what he hopes viewers glean from his exhibit.
What was the first artwork you created that you were particularly proud of?
When I was in kindergarten a teacher came to the playground and asked if anybody wanted to go to the studio to draw. I said I’d like to, and went with two other kids. I used white pastel on black paper to draw a palm tree and a house. I looked at the drawing of a girl sitting nearby and realized that my drawing was prettier than hers. I felt proud of my drawing.
When did you know that you were an artist?
After my third exhibition I became more confident in my artwork and started to believe I am an artist.
Did you study art in school?
I consider myself a self-taught artist even though I studied with two art teachers for about two years. With one instructor I studied realistic oil painting and water color with the other.
Throughout elementary, middle, and high school I was lucky to have teachers who took art education seriously. In elementary school I had a very good teacher who encouraged me to draw and always gave me good feedback. In middle and high school we had very good art classes where I started doing modern art and studied advertising, perspective, furniture design, and ceramics.
Family support played an important role, too. I was born into a family that loves art, and my parents encouraged and supported [my creativity]. When I was probably 12, I did a drawing and my dad hung it on the wall. It made me feel proud to have made something worth looking at.
Describe your art.
I do figurative contemporary expressionism. Most of my work is human–centered. Cities and their inhabitants are my main focus. I use acrylic mostly with some pastel, chalk, collage, and other media on canvas. I also do landscape paintings because I love nature and enjoy painting trees, houses, rivers, and lakes.
The Bride by Khalid Alaani; Acrylic
What ideas or questions drive your artwork?
My paintings are a reflection of memories, stories that I’ve heard, hopes, emotions, opinions about life, how I see things, and how people, places, and things affect me. It could be animals, birds, a blue sky on a sunny day, white clouds, the sound of rain, a delightful chat with a friend, a beautiful girl with pretty hair. The colors that I pick, the empty spaces inside my paintings, the brush strokes, the hard scratches or thin lines convey what I feel; a way of saying all that I want to say without uttering a word.
Describe your creative process.
I have more than one way of painting. Sometimes I have an image of the general thing that I want to do and I start with it. Whether I will finish it and do what exactly I started with, or explore something else and proceed depends on many factors, but most importantly the appealing result or satisfaction. Sometimes I start by just putting colors and lines on canvas and letting my eyes see and analyze things. That helps in the flow of my memories and my ideas. I don’t know which way is better, but I’m enjoying both ways. And I believe if I am enjoying what I’m doing, if I’m totally honest about what I’m saying, people can see and feel that.
City and Bombs by Khalid Alaani; Acrylic
The Enemy, the title of your exhibit, is provocative. What is it about?
My exhibition is about the occupation of my home country Iraq. In 2003, I was doing well in my profession and hoping to become a well-known artist. But the invasion of Iraq changed my life, as well as the lives of millions of other Iraqis simply because we lived there at that time.
From the inception of my exhibit I decided not to show images of war, but rather depict people living their lives before catastrophe hit them in the form of bullets, bombs, and missiles that destroyed their houses, their cities, their lives, and their dreams.
Enemy is the word that politicians use to justify their evil act. I am showing who those “enemies” were: a bride; a happy guy who just graduated; a baby boy playing soccer in the streets.
What inspired you to take on this topic?
Actually, I thought about war against Iraq for so many years but I’ve always felt that this topic is so heavy for me. It’s more than I can process. It is a responsibility. But in 2020, I had an argument with a guy I worked with about war. He believed that some wars are good if it means getting rid of dictators or leads to the change of a bad regime.
My friend Aziz was lost in this war. My cousin and her two daughters were killed, as was another friend days before his wedding. I don’t get how someone can justify all the catastrophe and lives lost! I can’t understand that.
Bombs and Childhood Dreams by Khalid Alaani; Acrylic
What do you hope viewers glean from your exhibit?
I want viewers to enjoy the paintings. That’s the most important part for me. If they glean what the paintings represent that would be great, too. I, of course, am not the first artist to condemn war and evil, but what really matters are the details and the way I have presented my thoughts.
What is next for you?
I started preparing for a show at Sandy Spring Museum in Maryland this November. I also have a project with other Iraqi artists. We did a show together 11 years ago in Los Angeles and will gather again in an exhibit in a gallery in Istanbul next year.
Three of Alaani’s must-have items when making art:
Khalid Alaani in his studio.
“Music—especially Arabic music—wine, and a good mood!”
"Blurred Jog", photography by Edgar Ojiambo, is currently on view in the April Open Exhibit.
Welcome to Artful Weekend
-our listing of area art exhibits and events-
This weekend: April Open Exhibit and The Enemy by Khalid Alaani at the League; BunnyFest at Torpedo Factory Art Center; All About the DMV at Calloway Fine Arts; and Documenting Landscapes: Ukraine’s Vanishing Terrain at Amy Kaslow Gallery.
April Open Exhibit
Bangles and Chains by Claudia McBurney; Ceramic
Diverse artworks by member artists are the feature of Open Exhibits at The Art League. Over 100 pieces—painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, sculpture, and more—are on view in this month’s show. It was juried by commercial and editorial photographer Mike Morgan,
The April Open Exhibit is on view through May 7.
The Enemy by Khalid Alaani
City and Bombs by Khalid Alaani; Mixed media
Khalid Alaani’s solo exhibit, The Enemy, references the ordinary moments in the lives of his fellow Iraqi countryman just before U.S. troops invaded his homeland 20 years ago. His paintings, focus on finding the “human” in the people he portrays. “I tell their stories,” says Alaani. “I’m drawing their days, their destinies, and their endings.” The Enemy is on view through May 7.
Join us for an Artist Talk with Alaani on Friday, April 14, 6:00 – 6:45 pm. Stay for our April Opening Reception6:30 – 8 pm.
BunnyFest
Sculpted raku-fired fancy rabbits by Lisa Schumaier
Hop over to the Torpedo Factory Art Center this Saturday, April 8, for BunnyFest! See hare-brained creations in progress, including sculpture, hand-painted dishware, paintings and prints, as the annual fun bun event returns this Year of the Rabbit. Enjoy art demonstrations and hands-on activities, including screenprinting, paper maché and more. Mug with Bugs and head to The Art League Gallery to visit rabbits that are available for adoption. BunnyFest takes place noon to 4 pm; 105 N. Union Street, Alexandria, VA.
All About the DMV
DuPont Circle Farmers Market (15×11), Barry Lindley
For its first Spring Invitational, Calloway Fine Arts invited artists from D.C., Maryland, and Virginia to showcase their view of our region alongside those of gallery artists. The result: All About the DMV, an exhibit of paintings and photography depicting both iconic landmarks and everyday scenes unique to the area. It is on view through April 15; 1643 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC.
Amy Kaslow Gallery opens in Bethesda this month with Documenting Landscapes: Ukraine’s Vanishing Terrain, nine works by Kyiv-based artist Jaroslav Leonets who traveled Ukraine for the past year and half capturing the dramatic cliffs, expansive fields, and winding rivers threatened— if not ravaged—by Russia’s invasion. Leonets’ sublime landscapes transport viewers from daily headlines about war’s destruction to the bucolic and brilliant vistas that once defined the country’s scenery. Documenting Landscapes is on view through May 7; 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland.
