Current Exhibitions
Testimony
James Brown Jr
Marcel Taylor
January 15- March 30, 2025
Artist workshop: Seeds of Memory collage with Jessica Valoris, March 2, 1-3 pm
Artist workshop: Custom Stamps and Creative Prints with Sarah Matthews, March 9, 2-4 pm
A testimony does not merely share or relate events and circumstances. Rather, it is an oath, resting on a relationship with an authority higher than humankind, however one defines that power. It asks the witness to trust the one who shares it as evidence of matters that may not have been witnessed or experienced by others. It affirms and supports those who have undergone similar experiences. Essentially, it says, “You can believe me. I have seen, or experienced, or learned of this this myself.” It is a declaration that “I know of what I speak.”
Black Artists of DC, an organization dedicated to promoting the cultural heritage and contemporary practices of artists of African descent, will showcase a transgenerational selection of its widely acclaimed membership. Artists Anne Bouie, James Brown, Jr., Sheila Crider, Francine Haskins, Sarah Matthews, Terence Nicholson, Marcel Taylor, and Jessica Valoris will present a breadth of work covering textile, painting, 3D sculptures, relief printing, mixed media and found objects, felting, and more. The artists address the range of African American history from family lineage and community history to social commentary and activism for the contemporary world.
Jessica Valoris
Anne Bouie
Upcoming exhibitions
Community Gallery
Nature Redefined by Beth Higgins
March 19 - April 13, 2025
Opening Reception, March 23, 12-2 pm
Beth Higgins is a mixed-media artist who is deeply inspired by the intricate beauty of nature’s cycles and the interplay between organic forms and consumer remnants. This show is a celebration of the resilience of nature and the potential for renewal in discarded materials. Using a fusion of diverse materials, like upcycled wires, embossed aluminum cans, and other collected items to create textured, layered canvases. This collection, Nature Redefined, is a way to create organic pieces with inorganic material. Each piece is an exploration to find ways of finding beauty in the waste we create every day, while inspiring viewers to be mindful of their consumption.
As Long As I Have Breath in My Body
April 6 - July 20, 2025
IN PROCESS… is an African American women's acapella ensemble from the Washington metropolitan area. The membership of IN PROCESS… and The Village of African American Doll Artists consists, in large part, of individuals born in Washington, DC in the 1940s and 1950s. They descend from Black migrants who arrived in Washington, DC during the Great Migration. Their forbearers laid the foundation for the African Americans communities that have thrived for decades. During the Great Maafa (the Middle Passage), millions of African artisans were transported to the Americas from regions where dolls, puppets, masks, and textiles were integral to cultural and religious ceremonies. African American doll and puppet making are among the oldest continuous art forms that enslaved Africans brought into the Americas.
All images courtesy of Camila Bryce La-Porte
The doll and puppet artists are storytellers who use mixed media to chronicle their communities’ history, identity, and culture. Like IN PROCESS…, the doll and puppet artists recognize that their works are healing and transformative for themselves and for the communities they represent. The exhibition will include videotaped conversations with the artists about their personal histories, the communities from which they emerged, their creative processes, and their works’ transformative and spiritual power. Dolls in a variety of textiles and mixed media will be on display to accompany the story and history of these artists.
50 Years in Olney: Olney Art Association
August 4 – November 17, 2024
Olney Art Association's 50th Anniversary Juried Exhibition brings together a diverse group of artists whose work depicts the quiet beauty and history of our corner of Montgomery County. View watercolor, acrylic, and oil paintings, including still lifes, portraits, landscapes, and abstracts, alongside collages, sculptures, and photography.
The juror for this exhibit is Greg Mort, a widely recognized American contemporary painter. His paintings combine art, science and nature with classical and modern elements. Mort’s artwork is in many prominent collections including the Smithsonian, National Gallery of Art, Boston Museum of Science, Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, among many others.
Exhibit programs:
Artist Meet and Greet, August 4, 1-3 pm
Exhibit Reception, September 15, 5-7 pm
Artist Demos & Hands-On activities, October 13, 12-4 pm