OPENING RECEPTION: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 4 - 6 pm
37 Local Artists Chosen
$2500 in Prize Money
September 22 - November 6
Artists from across the region were asked to interpret the theme, "Oh! The joy!" The selected entries represent the breadth and wealth of excellent art being created in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Not only displaying a variety of styles and media, the show is a fascinating exploration of the creative process.
At the opening reception on Sunday, September 25 from 4 to 6, Megan Beyer, Executive Director for the President's Council on the Arts and Humanities will award cash prizes of $1500 and $1000. The prize money is furnished by TTR | Sotheby's International Realty, sponsor of the event.
The exhibition includes the work of seven invited artists who have previously exhibited in the gallery and thirty artists selected from responses to an open call. The invited artists are:
David Carlson
Mimi Frank
Sheep Jones
Hannale Lahti
Anne Marchand
Carol Reed
Suzanne Stryk
The winning responses to the open call will be revealed when the show opens.Theme: Oh! The joy!
The theme asked artists to reflect on a moment of pure joy. It was inspired by Lewis and Clark's expedition across the unchartered North American continent to reach the Pacific Ocean. After an arduous, two-year trek, William Lewis crested a hill, saw the vast body of water and cried, "The Ocean in view. Oh! The joy!" It was suggested that artists might explore that singular burst of relief and satisfaction after enduring a difficult task, the magic of being struck by something unexpected and delightful, or the sudden transformation that is experienced in sheer ebullience.
In fact, at the moment those words were uttered by Lewis, the expedition was actually facing an estuary of the Columbia River, not the open ocean. This presented another aspect of the theme for artists to consider: whether a moment of joy is 'valid' when it is later learned that the reason or impetus for the emotion was wrong or undeserved.
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The Athenaeum Gallery is open Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 12 to 4 pm, and Saturdays from 1 to 4 pm. It is closed on holidays. Admission is free.
The NVFAA is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in all forms of art, and to establishing programs that will enrich the cultural life of Northern Virginia and the surrounding metropolitan area. The Athenaeum Gallery exhibits work created solely by artists living or working in the region and strives to present visitors with a wide variety of excellent art and unique experiences.
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