A very fun exhibition featuring Artists who Teach from the tri-state area of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

Joseph Wade instructs at St. Stephens and St. Agnes School.  He submitted multiple 3-D works.  His Wooden Chipboard Boxes and ceramic cups are wonderfully paired.

High Water Mark at the Spring House, a monoprint by Emily Shepardson,  began, “as a silkscreen print of a small outbuilding,” before she used Akua inks with stencils of her own creation.  She says, “I particular like the interplay of orange and turquoise inks and the way of the path take s you into and out of the image.” Emily teaches at Thomas Jefferson Middle School.

Hiromi Isobe created “Hot Step”  a lovely Acrylic on Canvas painting that fills the visual space with a seemingless endless journey.  Hiromi instructs art at Washington and Lee High School.

Drew Mulligan, an instructor in Arlington created this lovely salt print, Untitled #26. The shapes dialog across the space in a lovely way, where negative space is darker and the whites move the eye.

It always nice to see our Provost, Dr. Haggray.  She attends our arts events on a regular basis and engages with everyone in her quest for meanings in everyone’s artistic intent.  She and our Dean are wonderfully supportive of all our students efforts.

Amy Bruce, an instructor from Edison High School, created this incredible mixed-media, 100 day project.  Each day, she created another 6×6 panel using paint, wax paper, ephemera and digital paints to support a new quote. The students loved this and everyone read through each day’s quote.

Kate Elkins, who also teaches at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School,  drew this beautiful portrait, titled, Paige, a high school art student.  The medium is charcoal on hand-toned paper.

Opening’s offer a great opportunity for our arts community to get together, say hello and get excited about how the semester is going.  Our Associate Dean for the Arts, K.V., (seen walking as she views the work), loved the show.

Virginia Teaford, who teaches at Yorktown High School in Arlington, Virginia, came with her family.  Her painting  is displayed with Beth Coast’s beautifully shaped ceramic bowl.  The color and curves in each complement one another.   Virginia’s 30×40 painting was inspired by the Kennilworth Gardens in D.C.  She explains, the gardens are “Mysterious and overwhelming in scope.” She wanted to capture how the  garden’s, “lead you in and encloses the viewer.”

Jade Xia, a teacher from St. Stephens and St. Agnes School,  loves botanicals.   Her oil on canvas, “Blackberry” is palpably juicy. You can almost taste the fruit.  She describes herself as, “a faithful pupil of nature and constantly in awe of it’s great work.  If I lived in J.R.R. Tolkien’s world of Middle Earth, I’d be a Hobbit – not only, because I am short and love food, but also because I share their love of “good tilled earth, things that grow and peace and quiet.”  With her greater work she describes “the tensions between branches of plants,” as being, “comparable to human relationships, their stories are growth and decay echo the fundamental human concern with life and death.”

Our visiting artists from this exhibit work at both public and charter schools, teaching in the arts.   The reception offered a wonderful opportunity to meet up.   Hiromi Isobe, from Washington and Lee is photographed by Faylinda Kodis of H.B. Woodlawn.

George Laumann, who also teaches at H-B Woodlawn, created this photograph, titled, “In Memory of Haley.”  He explains, the work is from, “a series  of digital photographs reflecting the loss I felt when my niece tragically died in a traffic accident, several years ago.  In the photo I’m represented by my shadow and the reflection over Haleys image in the cell phone.”  This powerful image was placed on it’s own wall in the gallery.

Faylinda’s mixed media work, Cisco Bay is wonderfully narrative.   The color appears to jump off the monocromatic background.  A wonderful mix for movement of the eye.   Faylinda teaches at H.B.-Woodlawn.

One of the anchor pieces of the show is Cecily Corcoran’s, “This is What Democracy Looks Like.”  Cecily teaches at Swanson Middle School and her oil on canvas painting pays homage to the Women’s March.

Students really enjoyed the opportunity to meet some of the artists this night.  They were able to ask them about the works, as well as their life as an artists and teachers.

Julie Gilmore is a ceramicist who teaches in Alexandria at Mount Vernon High School and at the Workhouse.  Her, “Teapot Red Amour” opens the exhibit space with an intimate and detailed ,two piece work. The deep red glaze, called Randy’s Red, offers a lovely warmth.

Kenmore Middle School’s, Jeff Wilson created this wonderfully structured, mixed-media, lit sculpture.  He incorporates, lids and fencing material with thread and micro LED lights.  He explains, “I have been collecting lids for 30 years and have a collection of about 30,000.  Lids have become my medium of choice.”

Jeff spent much of the reception explaining his work to eager ears.

He thanked Stacy Slaten, our faculty 2-D teacher for the organizing the show.  Each year we put on a topic show which brings in artists from the community to show in our gallery and give the students the opportunity to see what professional artists are doing,  meet with them and learn about how create, manage their work and time.

T.C. Williams, Minne Howard’s, Anna Davila stands with her poignant, oil on canvas work, titled “The Protector.”  The work speaks volumes.

Julie Gilmore takes a look at Miriam Cutelis’ mixed-media painting, “First Signs of Spring,” which is created with glue and acrylic paint.  The work perfectly pairs with Beth Coast’s wheel thrown and altered Raku vase.

Raku is always a very interesting ceramic process.  This work by Beth Coast is another show stopper.  She has numerous works in the show and they all show variations on lovely folded form.

Rachel Albert’s “Back Where it Begins,” is a colorful mixed media sculpture created with copper wire and fused glass.  The linear quality of the wire with glass beads, wonderfully reflects the lined fussed glass base.

Rachel also created her,  “Book of Life” which she illuminated from the underside with LED lighting.  The ceramic book with glass overlay offers a wonderful effect with the light. Rachel teaches at Bryant High School.

Rachel also created, “On Culture,” made with Clay, Acrylic and Sand on Wood.  The coloring is fantastic.  All, small elephants lined up in rows.  The work, she explains, represents, “Reflections of race, culture and privilege.

Anna Davila and Amy Bruce discuss their art at the opening reception.

Joseph Wade, also created this ceramic, “Wood Fired Pottery” set.

Another stunning mixed media drawing is Sara Bukoski Lovelace’s “Pink Plants.”  Sara teaches at Mount Vernon Community School.  “Creating quickly and wildly in mixed media, with many materials at once,” she explains, “is my favorite way to create and where I feel most natural and at home creatively.”

Green Spring, by Janice Rollins, is an acrylic on paper work of the famed Green Spring Gardens, in Fairfax County.  Janice teaches at George Washington Middle School.

Julie Gilmore also created this serene watercolor titled, Grandma’s Barn.  Julie teaches at Mount Vernon High School and at the Workhouse Arts Center.

Another Mount Vernon High School teacher, Lauren Strummer works with dry point etching.  “Home,” is a lovely etching of two lambs, “gently nuzzling.”

Watching my Back is an incredibly colorful and energized oil painting on wood panel.  Angelika Schafer instructs at Mount Vernon High School.

Students photographing Allen Beland’s Strange Fruit, a digital, infrared image, printed on canvas.  Allen teaches at Yorktown High school.

Jordana Rochkard created, “I Wish,” an encaustic painting with text.  She teaches at Patrick Henry Elementary.

Rebecca in Wonderland, Portrait of the Daughter is an oil on canvas work from Ksenya Litvak who teaches at Commonwealth Academy.

The opening was a real treat for us.  To meet many of our area artist-teachers and hear about their work and artistic lives was beneficial for all of us.  A big thank you and a round of applause to ALL the artists who participated!

Blog post by Britt Conley bconley@nvcc.edu